It's the Long Weekend! Here's What's Open and Closed on the Civic Holiday Monday

If you're considering a kitchen or bath renovation in your home, condo or cottage, drop by the Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre showroom. Our design team would be happy to discuss your plans with you.

Here are our Civic Holiday long weekend hours:
Saturday, July 30th - 9am to 5pm
Sunday, July 31st - closed
Monday, August 1st - closed
Tuesday, August 2nd - regular business hours resume

Below is a list of what's open -- and what's not -- around Toronto on Monday.

OPEN

• Tourist attractions (Art Gallery of Ontario, ROM, Ontario Science Centre, Toronto Zoo, Ripley’s Aquarium)
• Major malls (Eaton Centre, Yorkville, Fairview, Sherway Gardens, Square One, Vaughan Mills) The Pickering Town Centre will be open 10am to 6pm.
• Select Beer Store locations (click here for a list)
• LCBO
• Select grocery stores
• Movie theatres

CLOSED

• Banks
• Libraries
• Government offices
• Post offices and mail delivery

For a full list of what's open and closed, click here.

The Three Layers to Lighting Your New Kitchen Design

White kitchen design by Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

With so many important elements vying for the attention of homeowners during a kitchen reno, it's easy to understand why many DIYers often make the mistake of leaving lighting decisions to the end of the renovation process. This can be a huge mistake.

Lighting plays a significant role in a kitchen's overall design. It not only serves to highlight select elements of the space, it enhances the practicality of one of the most used rooms in your home.

"When planning your new kitchen or bathroom, be sure to pay attention to your lighting plan," says Monarch designer Jackie Schagen. "To create effective lighting for your space, you should consider both function and aesthetics. Spend time considering who uses the space, at what of time of day and what tasks are being performed."

White kitchen design by Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

Layering is essential to good lighting. There are three main layers involved in lighting a space effectively.

General Lighting

The purpose of this lighting is to illuminate the overall space. "Most often we are using recessed LED pot lights, but ceiling fixtures can also be installed," says Jackie.

Task Lighting

In the kitchen, under-cabinet lighting is both useful and safer than chopping in a dark, shadowy place. In the bathroom, it's important to have good lighting at the vanity area to reduce shadows on your face and ensure good makeup application.

Ambient Lighting

This includes decorative ceiling fixtures and lights inside glass cabinets. This use of lighting is intended more for decoration than function.

"It's important to remember that all of these lights will perform best when switched separately, especially with individual dimmers to accommodate different times of natural light," says Jackie. "The beauty of a well-lit space is not to see the light but know that it is there."

Keeping it Casual in the Kitchen: The Rustic Beauty of Oak Cabinetry

Deciding on the material for your kitchen cabinetry is one of many important decisions you'll make during your kitchen renovation. To aid in your decision-making, we've spent the past few months examining the specific characteristics of a variety of wood species. This week, we'll review the unique features of oak.

Photo by Miralis - Contemporary Oak Kitchen Design

Oak

• a very hard, heavy wood with a coarse grain
• durable, and best suited to traditional, casual or rustic looks.
• found in both red and white varieties
• has a very strong, open-grain pattern and tawny finish, ranging from red to dark cinnamon
• may include random wormholes, mineral deposits, knots and wild-grain patterns

Photo by Miralis - Contemporary Oak Kitchen Cabinetry

Rift Oak

• cut at an angle to the rings of the tree so that its grain shows off flames, flakes and rays
• has a distinctly artistic look that can be applied to any style and look dramatically modern

Related posts:

The Affordable Elegance of High-Density Fibreboard (HDF) for Your New Kitchen Design

Choosing Cherry for Your Kitchen Cabinetry

Which Wood Type is Right for Your New Kitchen Cabinetry?

Storage and Functionality Are Key in This Beautiful Custom Kitchen Design

When renovating kitchens in older homes, a frequent challenge is finding space for current appliances without sacrificing available storage.

“In this kitchen renovation, our client’s wish list included a double oven, beverage fridge and integrated coffeemaker,” says Monarch designer Marion Cuddie.

Custom kitchen design by Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

“We created additional storage by installing convenient pull-outs and customizing the end unit of the coffee bar unit to house brooms and cleaning materials,” explains Marion. 

Custom kitchen design by Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

Custom kitchen design by Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

Tall cabinets flank the new fireplace in the dining room and provide a perfect storage location for the homeowner’s collection of dinnerware and serving pieces.

“Since they often entertain their large extended family, our clients also wanted to open the kitchen up to the dining room to create more connection between the two rooms.

"The entire space is L-shape, so we removed the wall between the kitchen and dining room, and extended the cabinetry including bar and coffee station into the dining area to service before and after dinner refreshments."

Custom kitchen design by Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

The crowning significant change involved modifying the window wall so the new range and hood position allowed the cook to function without constant traffic at her back,” says Marion. “It also provides extended landing space, and equipment and supplies at her fingertips.” (see below)

COOKING AREA - BEFORE

COOKING AREA - AFTER

Custom kitchen design by Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

Let Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre make your kitchen design dreams a reality. Call us today at 905-686-2001, or drop by our kitchen and bath showroom and chat with a member of our design team.