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November 26, 2012

Shower in Luxury with the Halo™ Rainshower from Moen

Often it's the little things that make the biggest impact.

If you're planning to renovate your bathroom in 2013, you can make it a sanctuary of relaxation with the help of Moen's newest shower head, the Halo™.

The Halo™ showerhead delivers a truly luxurious rainshower experience. In addition to three spray settings, it has a unique pivoting outer ring so you can customize your showering experience with up to 60% more coverage than a standard rainshower.

Its clean and modern design makes a style statement in any bathroom.

Product features:
  • chrome finish to create a bright, highly reflective, cool grey metallic look
  • 9" diameter rainshower 
  • three–function deep massage; full rainshower; relaxing massage
  • limited lifetime warranty
  • pivots to increase coverage up to 60%
  • for full product details, click here.

November 22, 2012

Mixing Patterns: Amanda's Favourite Design Trend for 2013

"One of the newest and hottest design trends hitting the design world is the mixing and matching of colours and patterns," says Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre designer Amanda Willson-Suppa.

"No longer do you have to pick one pattern and have it be the feature and focal point of your space. Now you can pick three patterns and solid colours to create the look and feel you want in your home."

Less is most definitely not more.
"The rules of years gone by are gone," explains Amanda. "Be daring and pick what you like to make the space your own. Think about placing an upholstered chair with a Moroccan print next to a pinstriped settee."

"This kitchen from House Beautiful illustrates the point perfectly. The blues are bright and fun, the space can be classical and yet still have your personality built in."

Looking for some kitchen or bath design inspiration? We'd be happy to help. Drop by the Monarch showroom and speak with one of our designers, or call 905-686-2001 to arrange a consultation.
 
Photo courtesy of housebeautiful.com

November 16, 2012

SHOWER OUT LOUD with the Moxie Showerhead and Wireless Speaker from Kohler



From Kohler:

"The Moxie showerhead + wireless speaker deliver up to 7 hours of music, news and more by pairing wirelessly with your device enabled with Bluetooth® technology. Just you  + water + clean, clear sound.

Not to be upstaged, the spray face features 60 angled nozzles that deliver the full, enveloping spray you've come to expect from a Kohler showerhead. 

Sync your device enabled with Bluetooth® technology with the wireless speaker from up to 32 feet away, and invite your playlist, podcast or live broadcast into the shower. Plus you can take your music with you anywhere. The Moxie speaker plays wirelessly in or out of the shower, so you can charge it up to use in the kitchen or take to the beach." 

November 14, 2012

Spruce Up Your Kitchen In Time for the Holidays

Do you dread celebrating another Christmas in your outdated kitchen?
Don't despair! There is still time to give your kitchen a face lift before having your family and friends over during the holidays.

A new look may be all you need to love your kitchen again.
Imagine how much a new countertop and back splash would change the overall look and feel of your kitchen. Not quite sure what you're looking for? Drop by our showroom for some design inspiration. 

"Receiving new samples for the showroom is always exciting. It gets the creative juices flowing," says Monarch designer Marion Cuddie. "Our recent delivery of Caesarstone's newest quartz counter samples was no exception."

Photo Courtesy of caesarstone.ca (Classico collection: Cement)
"Our designers were all experimenting with cabinet colours and the new samples to come up with beautiful new combinations to propose to our clients," says Marion. "If you are thinking about sprucing up your kitchen with a new countertop before Christmas, you will definitely want to see the new Caesarstone colours and take advantage of our countertop/back splash promotion. Any one of our designers will be happy to help you with the details."

Book with Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre Now and Save
When you purchase any solid surface countertop for your kitchen between now and December 31st, 2012, receive up to 30 sq. ft. of back splash at no cost. (Valued at up to $10 per sq. ft. Installation not included.)

For more details, drop by our Pickering showroom or call 905-686-2001.
 

November 9, 2012

Introducing Fitch from Sarana Tile -- The Tile of Choice for Mudrooms, Laundry Rooms, Kitchens and More

Monarch Kitchen and Bath designers are still drooling over the hundreds of gorgeous tile samples Sarana Tile dropped off over the summer.

Sarana Tile imports a large selection of natural stone, porcelain, glass, and mosaic products from their suppliers in Europe and around the world. Perfect for your kitchen back splash or any flooring project, Sarana tiles are available in a variety of price ranges and their selection will blow you away,


The newest Sarana Tile sample in Monarch's showroom is Fitch, a porcelain tile which is similar in colour and texture to slate but comes without the high cost and added maintenance. And because it's not as likely to chip, this beautiful textured tile makes an ideal flooring choice for mudrooms, entryways, laundry rooms and kitchens. 



Are you looking for the perfect tile for your kitchen or bath renovation? Drop by our showroom at 1020 Brock Road, Unit 6, Pickering. For more information, contact our office at 905-686-2001.

November 6, 2012

NKBA Members Weigh In on The Top 10 Kitchen and Bath Design Trends for 2012

In the next few weeks, Monarch designers will be discussing their favourite kitchen and bath design trends for 2013. Before we look forward, let's take a look back at what materials and products NKBA professionals were using during the final months of 2011.

In NKBA’s Winter 2012 newsletter, writer Timothy Captain summarizes the results of the 2012 NKBA Design Trends Survey. Over 350 NKBA member designers participated in the survey, citing the materials, product types, and styles they incorporated into their kitchen and bath designs over the last three months of 2011.

“Their responses provide insight into design trends that will take hold in the kitchen and bath market in 2012,” writes Captain.

Here are some highlights from NKBA’s Kitchen and Bath Style Report:


KITCHENS
Cherry Wood in Decline
  • Although 80% of NKBA member kitchen designers had recently specified cherry cabinetry as 2010 approached, that figure dropped to 72% last year and fell again to 69% heading into 2012.
  • No one other wood species is taking that market share on its own, as even maple dropped in popularity this year, falling from 77% last year to 70% now.
  • Lesser-used woods are now being specified more often include oak, (22%); walnut (13%); birch (15%); and bamboo (10%). While alder is currently specified by 27% of kitchen designers, that figure is down from 30% last year and from 40% two years ago.
Darker Finishes
  • Natural kitchen cabinetry continues a steady move toward darker finishes. While light natural finishes have been recently specified by 30% of kitchen designers, medium natural finishes stand at 55%, with dark natural finishes at 58%.
  • Among painted cabinetry, white continues to be the most popular option (59%), while other colors were specified by only 38% of designers.
  • Distressed finishes are making a comeback. Up from 5% to 22% in the past year.
Glass Backsplashes
  • More than half of kitchen designers used glass as a backsplash material, rising from 41% a year ago to 52% now. This trails only natural stone tile at 60% and ceramic tile (including porcelain), which has been specified of late by some 74% of designers.
  • Ceramic tile backsplashes are on the decline, as they stood at 78% a year ago and 88% two years ago.
  • Other popular backsplash materials are granite at 30% and quartz at 20%. The popularity of these materials as backsplashes is due to their high use as countertop materials.
LED Lighting
  • LED lighting was specified by 70% of NKBA member kitchen designers, up from 50% in 2010.
  • The use of compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), which use roughly a quarter the energy of an incandescent bulb while producing the same amount of light, has dropped to 36% (from 26% in 2010). The drop is believed to be a result of the poor color of the light they produce and the presence of mercury in the bulbs.
Pull-Out Faucets
  • The use of pull-out faucets has increased from 88% to 93% in the past three years. In other words, 14 of out every 15 designers who designed a kitchen over the final three months of 2011 incorporated a pull-out faucet.
BATHROOMS
Medicine Cabinets
  • Practicality has won out and medicine cabinets are making a comeback. After being specified by 43% of NKBA member bathroom designers leading into 2010, medicine cabinets dropped to 36% last year. However, as designers entered 2012, some 66% had recently incorporated a medicine cabinet into a bathroom remodel.
KITCHENS & BATHROOMS
Transitional Over Traditional
“For the first time since the NKBA began tracking annual design trends, traditional is no longer the most popular type of design,” writes Captain. “In both the kitchen and the bathroom, transitional is now the most common style. While the traditional style has consistently been used by roughly three quarters of NKBA member designers in both the kitchen and the bath, that figure fell to 58% in kitchens and 59% in bathrooms this year.

"Contemporary is the next most common style, up 5% to 52% in kitchens and up 10% to 53% in bathrooms from a year ago. Shaker, arts and crafts, and cottage remain the next most frequently used styles.”
Solid Surfaces
  • The use of solid surfaces in the kitchen had continued to rise, up from 11% in 2010 to 30% of designers for use in kitchens.
  • Granite (91% for kitchens; 71% for bathrooms) and quartz (69% for kitchens; 53% for bathrooms) continue to be the top two choices/
  • Marble is currently the third most popular vanity top material at 41%, up 3% from a year ago. The use of glass vanity tops has more than doubled over the past two years, from 5% heading into 2010 to 11% today.
Shades of Gray
  • Designers chose gray as the color scheme of choice in 33% of their kitchen redesigns and 40% of their bathroom remodels.
  • Whites and off-whites continue to be the most popular color schemes for both the kitchen and bathroom, followed by beiges and bones. Brown is the third most popular color in kitchens and the fourth most popular in bathrooms, just behind gray.
  • In the kitchen, bronzes/terracottas have risen over the past two years from 20% to 25% to 31%, while greens have increased from 18% two years ago to 32% today.
Polished Chrome is Back
  • In the kitchen, polished chrome has recently been specified by 52% of NKBA member designers, while in the bathroom, its use has increased from 46% to 65% over the past year. At the same time, polished nickel is up from 17% to 25% in kitchens and from 28% to 32% in bathrooms.
  • The use of stainless steel rose slightly from 46% to 50% in the kitchen and increased significantly from 16% to 28% in the bathroom. Bronze finishes, although popular, dipped a bit from a year ago, falling from 49% to 41% in kitchens, while their use remained flat at 41% in bathrooms.
To read the entire 2012 Kitchen & Bath Style Report, click here.

November 2, 2012

From Drab to Fab: Follow this Master Suite Makeover!


Are you guilty of spoiling friends and loved ones before treating yourself to something special?
  
If you don't think you are -- think again -- but this time, consider how you decorate your own home.

Often we overlook the areas of our home that only we see, choosing to spend our decorating and design dollars on updating the rooms where we entertain our guests.

Does this make sense?

We spend more than eight hours each day in our bedrooms and master bathrooms, and yet they are usually the most overlooked and under-decorated rooms in a home.

This was the case in our client's 4,500 sq.ft. Pickering home. The tired and out-of-date master suite was just that, and it was time for a makeover.


Their current bathroom features a tiny 30x30-inch closed-in box-style shower; a huge vanity with only one sink; tired wallpaper; and an outdated Jacuzzi-style tub that is lacking in the energy-efficiency department. To top it all off, the stairs into the tub are carpeted.

The team at Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre has undertaken this master suite renovation, and no dream is being overlooked.

The new bath design will include:
  • a 4x4-foot glass shower enclosure with GROHE flow-wise fixtures;
  • a luxury MAAX soaker tub;
  • an updated vanity which will include two sinks and functional storage;
  • more energy efficient and stylish lighting fixtures.
Make sure you check back soon to see the stunning results of this master suite makeover.