Luxury kitchens can be hard to achieve. Anyone who sees your kitchen should think, “This is a luxury kitchen!” When designing your luxury kitchen, you may want to choose your favorite hue of purple, but when it comes to selling, most people don’t want purple kitchen cabinets. In order to have a luxury kitchen, you need to choose neutral colors.

Neutral Colors are Versatile

Neutral colors allow you to change the accent colors of your decorations. You can change the kitchen rug, put out a vase of colorful flowers, or get a bright dinnerware set. Choosing neutral colors like grays or whites, or combining the two, creates a base that goes with a wide range of colors. You can change the accent colors based on your mood or the season.

Luxury Kitchens are Large

There’s no doubt that luxury kitchens are large. Neutral colors look good in large amounts, unlike some more exotic colors out there. But sometimes just one color can make the kitchen look bland, especially when it’s large. Two-tone cabinets are a great way to add variety. This can be done by having the bottom half of your cabinets a darker color and the top a light white. You can also have the cabinets on the island be a different color to make it pop.

Neutral Colors are Not Just Gray and White

While gray and white are currently the most popular neutral colors for kitchen cabinets, they are not your only options. There are some great neutral greens and blues out there to choose from as well. To maintain the luxury kitchen look, it’s best if the greens and blues are used as an accent color for your kitchen island or the lower half of your cabinets.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

Fall is a beautiful time of year, with the leaves changing colors and the temperatures cooling. It is also one of the best seasons for decorating because there are so many options and new ideas. Here are some of the top trends of decorating your kitchen for fall.

Centerpieces Will Spruce Up Your Kitchen Table

The kitchen table is a pretty common place to be in a home, so why not spruce it up with a fall themed centerpiece. This can be anything from a vase of fresh fall colored flowers or a mason jar filled with small pine cones and fake flowers. The fake flowers may not look as nice up close, but they’ll last for years. The options are nearly endless when making your own mason jar centerpieces. There are so many different fall colors to choose from and different accent pieces to add to each one. If you don’t want to make your own, you can find them at Kirkland’s.

Hang Wreaths on Your Windows

Wreaths aren’t just for doors, they can be put on walls and windows as well. There are a lot of different types of fall wreaths to choose from. You can go simple with just pine cones and leaves or go more elaborate with small pumpkins throughout the piece. No matter what you choose, it will help bring fall into your kitchen.

Pick Out Some Wall Decor

Wall decor with fall sayings can really make it look and feel like fall in your home. They add color and can show your personality. There are even some that can be used year round.

Fill Your Kitchen With Scented Candles

Fall is beautiful to look at, but there’s nothing like the smell of fall. Pumpkin pie, a fire burning in the fire place, dried up leaves – these are all common scents we smell during the fall season. Fill your home with scented candles to have that constant smell of fall all around you.

Don’t Forget the Pumpkins

You can’t have fall without pumpkins. You can get real pumpkins from grocery stores or your local pumpkin patch. You can also get fake ones from any craft store. Painted pumpkins are becoming popular for those who want more subtle fall decor in their home. They can be painted off-white or green or even gray, giving your home an elegant look. There are also pumpkins made out of metal and burlap.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

Kitchen cabinets can make or break a kitchen. If the cabinets are outdated then the entire kitchen is outdated as well. There are a number of way to make your kitchen cabinets trendy while also being upscale. Here are some of the common ideas:

Exotic Wood Veneers

People use wood veneers to generate interest in their cabinets because it displays the wood’s natural grain. Veneers have been around for a while now, but there are so many different types of wood to choose from that the possibilities are nearly endless. They can come in shades of tan, light grey, warm red, rich chestnut, and many more. The wood grain can also go in a vertical or horizontal direction. Veneers can be used in a variety of ways, from full cabinet to treatments to accent pieces.

White Kitchens

White kitchens may be popular forever, but the most recent trend is to use a bright white paint on the kitchen cabinets. The bright white combined with clean lines throughout the kitchen works very well with a modern style, traditional style, or contemporary style kitchen.

Milk-Paint Finish

A milk-paint finish is a hand painted style that is applied in two layers. First the base, then the topcoat making it have a tone-on-tone look. This is becoming increasingly popular, and it is easier to touch up yourself since it already has that hand painted look.

Mixing Light and Dark

This is generally done with two-tone cabinets or an accent island. For two-tone cabinets, the below-the-counter section of cabinets will be a dark color, whether it be a wood grain or painted a darker color, such as grey. The upper half section of the cabinets are usually painted white or even a light neutral color such as green or blue. For an island accent the majority of the cabinets are painted white or have a wood grain while the island is generally a darker color. There are so many different combinations you can do with color and wood grain to really make your upscale kitchen cabinets unique.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

This is a common question among new and expecting mothers. Painting the nursery is one the first things on the to-do list, or you may have time to paint the walls in your kitchen. So is it safe to paint around a baby? That depends. Here are some things to consider before painting around your child.

Choose Paints With Low VOC

Most paints contain harmful chemicals called VOC’s – VOC stands for volatile organic compounds. They are released into the air when paint drys and can be transferred through skin contact from wet paint. Paint with high levels of VOC can reduce the IQ of developing fetuses, so it’s important for pregnant women to choose paints with low levels of VOC. Whether you’re painting the nursery or getting your kitchen cabinets repainted, choose low VOC. When you hire a professional, be sure to ask about what kinds of paints they use and whether or not they have low levels of VOC. Sound Finish only uses low VOC paints when repainting your kitchen or bathroom cabinets. They will also remove the cabinet doors and drawers and paint them outside your home, making sure you are safe from any harmful chemicals.

Wear Proper Clothing

Since VOC’s can be transferred through skin contact it’s important for pregnant women to wear long sleeves, long pants, and gloves to avoid skin exposure to the chemicals.

Ventilate the House

While painting, take frequent breaks outside to get fresh air, and make sure the room you are painting is properly ventilated. Open windows, turn on fans, and make sure your child isn’t in the room that you are painting. It’s best to keep them as far away as possible.

Hire a Sitter

While taking all of these precautions is helpful, it is safest to have your child out of the house while painting. It’s not the worth the risk of causing long-term effects such as increased risk of cancer, liver damage, kidney damage, central nervous system damage, and brain development problems.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

A lot of time and money goes into making a luxury kitchen. If you’re looking to give your kitchen a makeover, consider using these 5 key elements for an upscale kitchen.

Space

An upscale kitchen needs to have a lot of space. Luxury kitchens are usually U-Shaped so that there can be three walls of appliances and countertops and a large island in the middle. There needs to be a lot of walking space as well as counter space. A chef requires a large prep area, as well as enough room to clean and for storing all their kitchen gadgets.

Appliances

Upscale kitchens need top quality appliances. The appliances should be the best and should offer the chef as much convenience as possible. The chef should never run out of burners on the stove and should be able to cook multiple things in an oven at the same time. Double-door refrigerators, double and triple sinks, fast-cooking and high-tech features are all common for upscale kitchens.

Countertops

An upscale kitchen has high-end countertops such as marble, quartz, or granite. It can even feature a contrasting countertop on the island. Marble back-splashes are popular as well as subway tile. Subway tile comes in a variety of different colors.

Cabinets

High-end kitchen cabinets are typically custom-made and can be made of expensive woods like cherry or ebony. Often times, upscale kitchen feature painted cabinets in order to brighten up the space. Professional cabinet painters that use high quality paint are a must. White is a safe go-to for painted cabinets, but two-tone cabinets are becoming very popular. An accented island is also trendy, as long as the color chosen is a neutral tone, such as a light gray, a warm green, or a soft blue.

Floors

Floors are often overlooked when doing an upscale kitchen makeover, but they actually add a lot to a kitchen. Floors need to compliment your cabinets. The colors in your flooring should bring out the color in your cabinets. Tile that looks like wood grain is a popular choice right because of its resistant to water and easy to clean. It’s important to get a high quality tile because cheaper ones chip much easier.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

When pregnant, painting the nursery is one of the first things an expecting mother will do. But painting can be dangerous when pregnant so it’s important to remember these tips to ensure your safety and the safety of your baby.

Clear the Room

Whatever room you choose to paint, it’s vital to clear that area of any furniture, boxes, or anything that you can trip over. It’s small things like this that pregnant women need to be aware of, because a fall could cause injury to you or your child. If it’s not possible to completely empty the space, then move everything to the middle of the room. While painting, keep things tidy by having specific spots for paint and the tools you’re using.

Use Low-VOC Paint

When pregnant, there are a lot of things you wouldn’t think of that can cause harm to your baby. One that is often overlooked are volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). VOC’s can be emitted by new carpet, vinyl, cleaning supplies, paint, and much more. Many VOC’s found in paint are linked to asthma, neuro-developmental problems, birth defects, and cancer. Even if you have someone else do the painting for you, paints with high levels of VOC can emit gas for the next three to five years. If you’re doing a home renovation, be sure to follow these tips.

Open Windows

Keep windows open in order to properly ventilate your home. It’ll be safer for you and your baby, as well as allow the paint to dry evenly.

Avoid Step Stools

Once you’re in your second or third trimester, your balance isn’t what it used to be. Avoid stepping onto step-stools or chairs to get the hard-to-reach places. It’s better to play it safe and get some assistance.

Wear Breathable Clothing

Overheating your body can happen quickly when painting. Wearing comfortable, breathable clothes can help to prevent this. It can also give you a free range of motion, preventing potential accidents.

Take It Easy

The last thing you want to do is over exert yourself. Painting an entire room takes time, so it’s okay to take breaks and do it over a couple of days. Stay hydrated and eat snacks in order to preserve your energy. For best results, try to finish a wall a day. You’ll get a smoother finish if you do an entire wall in a day as opposed to breaking it up.

 
It’s not recommended to paint while pregnant because of the health risks, so if you choose to paint yourself, be sure to take these precautions.
If you don’t want to risk health problems for you and your baby, hire Sound Finish to paint your cabinets for you. Sound Finish only uses low-VOC paints and removes cabinet doors and paints them outside to reduce any fumes in your home.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

Making changes to your kitchen can be a nightmare. There are constantly delays, whether it be an item coming in late or the work load is too much for the construction crew. There are always things that you forget to plan for, such as the expense of eating out until your kitchen is back in working order. This causes you to go over budget which can cause financial stress. Luckily, there is an easy cost-effective solution.

Sound Finish can paint or refinish your kitchen cabinets without the stress of a full blown remodel. Here’s how:

Sound Finish Has a Fast Turn Around

The Sound Finish cabinet painting system allows us to complete your kitchen in as little as 2-3 days. Other contractors or Doing-It-Yourself can take up to 1-2 weeks, adding more stress to your daily life. Cabinet refinishing has a similar timeline, allowing you and your family to enjoy your newly updated kitchen sooner.

Sound Finish Will Save You Money

Spending too much money can be extremely stressful. Cabinet painting and refinishing are a mere fraction of the cost of fully replacing or refacing your kitchen cabinets. The quick timeline also saves you money as you won’t have to eat out for near as long.

You Can Have Confidence in Sound Finish

Sound Finish will give you the outline of the process of updating your kitchen, giving you the peace of mind of knowing exactly what they’re doing and when.

Sound Finish Uses Low-VOC Paint

VOC is a volatile organic compound that can be dangerous to children and developing fetuses. When breathed, they can cause brain developmental issues. Sound Finish only uses paints with low levels of VOC. They also remove all your kitchen cabinet doors and paint them outside, so you and your family are even safer from any harmful chemicals.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

Some kitchen trends come and go while others stay popular for decades. Staying up with popular kitchen trends is important for those who are selling their homes. Having an updated kitchen can greatly increase the value of your home. So whether you’re putting your house on the market or you just want to stay up with the most popular design, here are the kitchen trends of 2016.

Gray is the New White

Painting your kitchen cabinets is an easy, inexpensive way to update your kitchen. While white is still a popular cabinet color, gray is expected to overtake white’s top spot. When choosing a gray tone for your cabinets be sure to choose a soft tone with a warmer hue. Gray can come off as cold, but that can be fixed by choosing the right gray.

Soft Muted Color Palettes

If gray or white are not your top choices for cabinet colors, soft muted greens or blues are very popular choices in 2016. These less saturated colors are also popular for back splashes and accents throughout the kitchen. Pair your colorful cabinets with a simple white countertop.

Smart Storage

This is a popular one for people who have a small kitchen. Storage space is very limited so designers have come up with ways to maximize small spaces. Multi-tiered drawers are a great way to get the most storage out of your kitchen without it looking too cluttered. A smaller drawer will open up within a big drawer so you don’t have to dig around to find what you need.

Quartz over Granite

Granite was the leading countertop choice for years, but quartz has overtaken it in the past couple of years. Quartz is the toughest countertop and resists scratches, burns, and chips. It is also easier than granite to maintain because it doesn’t require sealing annually to prevent stains.

Mix Countertops

Quartz, granite, and laminate are no longer your only choices for countertops. Butcher block countertops are becoming very trendy, giving kitchens a simple yet stylish look. You can even have two different types of countertops such as quartz as your main one and butcher block for the island. Or if you have a two tiered island, you can use butcher block on the top tier and quartz or granite on the bottom.

Touch Activated Faucet

The popularity of touch activated faucets has been rising significantly in the past couple of years. It may seem unnecessary but it’s very useful when you have sticky hands or just handled raw chicken. It’s also great for small children who can’t get reach the handle on the faucet.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

It’s very common that when a baby is on the way, expectant mothers want to get their home ready for their new addition to the family. There tends to be a lot to do from preparing the nursery to finally getting around to that kitchen remodel. It’s likely you won’t have time to do these renovations once that baby has arrived. While some renovations are safe to take on while pregnant, there are some things that should be avoided. Here are 6 tips to help you with your home renovation while pregnant.

Choose Low VOC Paints

VOC stands for volatile organic compounds and can be found in paints. But there are some paints that contain low to no VOC. Paint with high levels of VOC can reduce the IQ of developing fetuses, so it’s important for pregnant women to choose paints with low levels of VOC. When you are painting wear long sleeves, long pants, and gloves to avoid skin exposure to the chemicals, take frequent breaks outside to get fresh air, and make sure the room you are painting is properly ventilated. Whether your painting the nursery or getting your kitchen cabinets repainted, choose low VOC. When you hire a professional, be sure to ask about what kinds of paints they use and whether or not they have low levels of VOC. Sound Finish only uses low VOC paints when repainting your kitchen or bathroom cabinets. They will also remove the cabinet doors and drawers and paint them outside your home, making sure you are safe from any harmful chemicals.

Avoid Woodworking Art

When doing woodworking such as cutting, carving, and sanding it is important to wear a mask to avoid breathing in sawdust. But most of all avoid using paint thinners, lacquer, or varnishes as these contain high levels of VOC. Especially avoid using a sprayer as this allows the chemicals to become airborne.

Check Your Cleaning Products

Cleaning is a big part of pre-renovations, but there are some cleaning products that are toxic and should be avoided while pregnant. Check the labels and avoid products that say they are toxic. Oven cleaners and window cleaners contain glycol ethers which have been known to cause miscarriages. Most mildew removers contain phenols, which can increase the risk of birth defects and fetal death. When you do clean, wear gloves and a mask to reduce breathing in chemicals.

Avoid Exposure to Pesticides

Redoing the backyard is a common thing to get done before the baby arrives. Gardening can be a great way to reduce stress and get outside while pregnant, but be aware of pesticides. If pesticides have been used on your plants or soil, then gardening needs to be avoided. Pesticides can cause nervous system damage to a developing fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy. If chemical pesticides are necessary then have someone else apply them and stay away from the area for as long as possible. Wear gloves, long sleeves, and long pants when working around areas that have been treated with pesticides.

Leave HVAC Work to the Professionals

Having working AC and heating units is very important for when a baby arrives, but don’t do this work yourself. The most common source of carbon monoxide in a home is a malfunctioning furnace or HVAC system. Small amounts of carbon monoxide may cause infant brain development problems. Leave it to the professionals to get this work done.

Stay Away From Mold

Mold is commonly found when doing home renovations and is very dangerous to a developing fetus. If you find or suspect mold leave the area and have someone else treat the area.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

A kitchen makeover can range from $5,000 to $80,000. Since most people don’t have $80,000 to drop on their kitchen, we’ve come up with some ideas to get an updated kitchen without breaking the bank. Here are a few of them:

• Paint Your Cabinets

Replacing your cabinets is generally the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel, but you don’t necessarily have to do that. If your cabinets are still in good shape but are just a bit outdated, then painting them is a great way to save a big chunk of money. It’ll look fresh and clean while giving your kitchen an instant makeover.

• Replace Your Light Fixtures

An outdated light fixture can make your kitchen look old. Replacing it with a new light fixture can instantly brighten up the place. There are a lot of different styles to choose from such as modern, rustic, or country style. Be sure to stick to your chosen theme in all of your design decisions.

• Choose Your Countertops Wisely

Countertops are one of the first things noticed about a kitchen, so it’s important to choose one that works with the style of the kitchen. There are so many options such as quartz, granite, butcher block, and corian. Each of these options are great countertops, but remember that granite and butcher block both need to sealed on a regular basis, which is an added cost every time. Quartz may be more expensive initially but it never has to be sealed.

• Buy Used Furniture

When it comes to buying a kitchen table, search on craigslist first. You may find a gem that can be fixed up easily to become what you want it to be. You can even find used light fixtures. It never hurts to look around first!

• Deal Hunt for Appliances

Just because an appliance is used doesn’t mean it won’t look good. Used appliances can be found at Sears, on craigslist, and ebay. Be smart when shopping for used appliances and be sure to ask a lot of questions about functionality.
Remember, when remodeling your kitchen, be sure to set a budget and stick to it!

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!