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December 30, 2011

Renovating Your Bathroom in 2012? Kohler Redefines Luxury with the Numi Toilet

When you think of adding a bit of luxury to your bathroom, chances are you're considering a freshly tiled shower with multiple shower heads, rich new cabinetry with updated fixtures and hardware...not a toilet that comes with a remote control.

The designers at Kohler, however, have other ideas, and their latest offering—the Numi toilet/bidet—will have you thinking twice about the true meaning of luxury.


"Introducing Numi, Kohler's most advanced toilet. The Numi toilet combines unmatched design, technology and engineering to bring you the finest in personal comfort and cleansing. From its striking form and features to its unrivaled water efficiency, the Numi toilet marks a new standard of excellence in the bathroom."


December 23, 2011

Happy Holidays from Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre


In order for our staff to enjoy holidays with their families and friends,
our business hours for the 2011/2012 holiday season are as follows:

December 23rd
9 am to 12 pm

December 24th to 27th
Closed

December 28th to 30th
9 am to 5 pm

December 31st to January 2nd
Closed

Monarch's showroom will reopen for the New Year on January 3, 2012.

All the very best to you and your family for a safe, healthy and happy holiday.

Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

December 22, 2011

Monarch Staff Celebrates the Holiday Spirit by Supporting Feed the Need in Durham

Recently, we asked our clients and staff to donate nonperishable food items to help families in need throughout Durham Region...and they did!

The Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre team and their donation to Feed the Need in Durham.

We're thrilled to report that Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre is able to drop off a substantial amount of food to Feed the Need in Durham, a non-profit charitable organization that delivers food to food banks, soup kitchens, community service centres, shelters, drop-in centres and breakfast feed programs.

Our thanks to everyone who took the time to drop off food at Monarch's Pickering showroom.

December 21, 2011

What Will You Be Cooking in Your Kitchen this Christmas?

Whether you're preparing for Christmas in a newly designed kitchen or making design plans for the New Year, we thought we'd invite you into the kitchen of British cookbook author Nigella Lawson. In these two videos, Nigella makes a few Christmas favourites with her family.

Enjoy!



December 14, 2011

Up Your Game in the Kitchen with the Stages™ Kitchen Sink from Kohler

Whether you love to cook or are just searching for ways to make your time in the kitchen more efficient, Kohler's Stages™ kitchen sink is designed specifically with today's chef in mind.

Its features include a selection of accessories designed to accompany each stage of the cooking process:
  • an ample basin and wet work surface that are perfect for rinsing and drying foods
  • a wood cutting board and sliding trays that fit neatly into the sink
  • an angled basin bottom that directs water and waste down the drain

December 13, 2011

Looking Back: Top Kitchen and Bath Trends for 2011

Last May, The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) revealed the standout design trends gleaned from the 2011 NKBA Design Competition.

"Each year, NKBA member designers exceed expectations and raise the standard we've come to anticipate from their entries in the NKBA Design Competition,” said 2011 NKBA President David Alderman. “NKBA designers continue to find surprising ways to incorporate complex design solutions and the latest technology into incredible kitchen and bathroom designs.”


1. Commitment to Color
“Clients and designers alike are making strong commitments to color. Vibrant colours are showing up in back splashes, counter tops and exotic wood color that’s smooth and fresh, and also refined enough to pair with the contemporary exotic wood cabinetry."



2. Tactile Appeal through Textures
“The use of actual and implied texture offers a tactile and visual feast. Lines, colors, and patterns can act as either a point of interest in a given space or a mellow background to a more prominent component.”

 
design: Kirsti Wolfe
photo: Paula Watts Photography
3. The Attributes of Glass
"Lighted panels of Mica art glass incorporated into the design of the volcanic stainless steel hood, the window in the door, and a glass tiled backsplash shining from behind granite countertops act as pops of color and light against the warmth of wood. In this example, they also help to provide cohesion, and as glass continues to be used in so many places and spaces, the application appears almost limitless.
"
 
MAAX Pearl Series Eterne
4. Freestanding and Angled Tubs
“Large freestanding tubs are taking front and center in bathroom design...freestanding tubs could be considered almost the norm, creating a focal point of near sculptural quality. Rounded, rectangular, and angled tubs are specified as an artistic accent that also provides a soothing soak. Whether situated on stones, wood flooring, or a low stage of sorts, the freestanding soaking tub is an integral part of many master or main bathrooms."
 
5. Espresso and Chocolate in Cabinetry
"Silky hues of chocolate and espresso are shimmering from the doors and drawer fronts of distinct cabinetry, incorporated into striking kitchens, ranging from contemporary to traditional. Natural finishes—absent glazing, distressing, and overall pomp and circumstance—are now found in many kitchen designs, as simple chocolate browns act as the smooth and understated partner to brighter accents. Whether black coffee or milk chocolate, the cabinetry foundation in the mid to dark brown family of colors appears rooted in the residential design approach."
 
6. Walk-in Pantries
More wall space means less in the way of wall cabinets and a greater need for a larger separate pantry. Open plan kitchens generally require an alternative pantry or storage solutions.
 
design: Jodi Hook
photo: Digital Arts
7. Detailed Ceilings
“This sophisticated design has a rustic touch that relies on traditional architectural features paired with sleek contemporary finishes and materials. The rough-hewn barn beam ceiling is beautifully detailed, and although the detail was newly created, it appears as if original to a comfort-worn space. The ceiling is highlighted by cable-strung lighting, which lights the textures and natural intricacies of the rough wood, bringing intimacy to the elongated space. This design feature straddles two trends seen strongly in the competition: detailed ceilings and textures."

 
design: Lori Carroll
photo: J. Mancuso
8. Natural Elements
"This refined rustic southwestern powder room is the perfect example of the use of natural elements in design. An agate slab became the foundation for this bathroom space that’s as unique and distinct as the elusively elegant stone itself. Polished stone combined with leather-wrapped cabinetry is at the core of this opulent space. When the beauty of nature can be brought inside a home, the impact is unmatched.
"
 

9. A Tiered Approach to Proportion
Varying heights of island surfaces, elevated and overlapping dining countertops combined with tall, regal pantry cabinets are used to create asymmetrical proportion.
 
10. Inlaid Flooring
“Variations of inlaid flooring are being incorporated into many new kitchen and bath designs. Designers and installers are being called on to bring innovation, stretching old boundaries as materials are selected and flooring is installed.”

December 6, 2011

Help Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre Feed the Need in Durham

Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre is getting into the holiday spirit this year with a food drive aimed at helping families in need throughout Durham Region.  

Please help us to gather nonperishable food items for donation to Feed the Need in Durham, a non-profit, charitable organization that serves as a conduit to its 40+ member agencies located in neighbourhoods across the Region. Feed the Need in Durham delivers food to emergency food providers such as food banks, soup kitchens, community service centres, shelters, drop-in centres and breakfast feed programs.

This holiday season, support the families in your community by dropping off these much-needed nonperishable food items at Monarch's Pickering showroom by December 22:
  • Kraft Dinner
  • pasta sauce
  • canned vegetables
  • pork and beans
  • cranberry sauce
  • canned ravioli
  • canned tuna and salmon
  • mayonnaise,  relish, ketchup, mustard
  • small juice boxes
  • stuffing and gravy mix
Our Pickering showroom is located at 1020 Brock Rd., Unit 6. For more information, call our office at 905-686-2001.

December 2, 2011

5 Kitchen Design Trends to Consider Right Now

"You have strong current trends that will last for maybe five to ten years while others last only six months to a year. Colour, finishes, lighting fixtures and things that are super-new are examples of the shorter trends. Relying on the stronger trends will bring elegance and sophistication that will stand the test of time."
~ Montreal designer Alexandre Blazys, from the article House Proud: Kitchens that Last,
Lisa Brandt, Sun Media, November 2011

According to Blazys, if you're considering a kitchen renovation, there are five trends to consider right now:
Natural Neutrals
The Integrated Kitchen
White on White
1960s Retro
Hosting Centres
Which of these trends will work in your kitchen? To learn more, read Lisa Brandt's article here.