Elegance and Warmth

I have worked for Sylvester Cabinets for over 8 years. I have been in houses that range from the starter home to custom houses at the beach and everywhere in between. I have seen the old farmhouses turned modern and the little kitchen removed to make way for a larger one. I say all of this so you know that I have been around the block when it comes to houses and kitchens. Up until the day I was going to photograph this job I had only seen it in our design software, and when I walked in and saw this kitchen I was in awe. This kitchen takes modern cabinetry and mixes it with a timeless design.

One of the main features of this kitchen is the hidden appliance garage. It is not your typical appliance garage. This one spans over 6 feet of the counter top and when the doors are open it gives the appearance of floating shelves.

Another thing that makes this kitchen stand out is that most of the appliances are panelized. The fridge, freezer drawers and there is even an ice maker hiding in there somewhere. This allows the look of the cabinets to continue for most of the kitchen.

Also hidden in the kitchen is a hanging space for jackets. This might not be your first thought to have in your kitchen, but if you’re tight on space for a coat closest on the first floor, it definitely gets the job done. Plus, it could easily be repurposed later on if you realize you no longer have a use for it as a coat closet!

This kitchen had a pop of color added to it for the bar area. This area was done in a deep blue which was finished off with glass cabinets up top to show off different items. On paper a stained kitchen along with a painted blue bar might sound unusual, but in this case it all pulls together for one beautiful kitchen.

For more pictures of this kitchen check it out with the link below.

St. Clair White Oak Shaker Kitchen

Designer White with Pewter Glaze Painted Cabinets- Custom Cabinetry- Delaware

Easy Ways to Declutter Your Kitchen In Time For Spring!

Winter is over, which means it is time for spring cleaning! To get your started early, here are a few tips that can help you declutter your kitchen.

Step 1: Create a donate/trash pile

This step can seem the most daunting, but it is the most crucial. Go through all of your cabinets and be honest with yourself. If there is something you don’t use, place it in the donate or cash pile. I know what you’re thinking.. What about that one serving tray I could use if I threw a party that was lemonade themed?! PUT IT IN THE PILE! If that day comes, I’m sure you can find a serving tray that fits more than one parties purpose..

Step 2: Organize what is left in your kitchen

Sometimes life can get busy and things can end up in the wrong spot. Or maybe you’ve been tired of the overflowing container cabinet. Now is the time to reorganize these cabinets. Think of how awesome it will be in a week when you go to grab something, and everything is organized and where it is supposed to be!

Step 3: Clean off your countertops

I know that everyone is different, but countertops usually mean clutter. Take stock of what you have on your counter, see if there are some things that can be put in cabinets until they are needed, and also see if there is stuff on the counter that doesn’t belong in the kitchen. Remove all of those kitchen and then wipe everything down. You will be amazed how much a clean countertop can change a kitchen!

Step 4: Go through your refrigerator and pantry

Check expiration dates on your dressing and sauces in the fridge. Go through your pantry and check expiration dates on your canned goods. A lot of time it can be “out of sight, out of mind” so it is important to go through this a few times a year. While you are doing this it might be a good time to make a list of items you need to stock up on at the grocery store. You can also reorganize as you go to make items more accessible.

Step 5: Relax!

Time to relax and enjoy the peace that comes with having a clean and organized kitchen! Make sure to keep up with the organization and try to keep the space from getting cluttered!

Forget Black and White, Lets Talk About Green and White!

We love a good remodel here at Sylvester Cabinetry. There is something about removing something old and replacing it with something new. One of our favorite things about remodels would be seeing the before and afters. We get to watch the progress from beginning to end, however once everything is complete we like to sit back and compare the two.

This kitchen is no exception to that, in fact it is one of our favorites to date. This was an old farmhouse that the owners decided to remodel. They worked with what the house had to offer, removed a few walls, added paint, flooring and cabinetry, and it looks like a new house.

We get asked all the time if people choose a different color for their island, which they do. But this customer went a step further and chose a different color for not only their island, but for most of their bases. This customer had a vision and it was a good one!

This kitchen remodel included more than the main kitchen. We added a coffee bar, and also a window bench seat between two pantry cabinets.

Bishop Shaker Kitchen

Felton, Delaware • Custom Kitchen • Designer White and Sage Green

Box Cabinets Debunking

We are frequently asked how we differ from the large box cabinet dealers. People also see the word “custom” in our company name and assume this means that we only do complex cabinetry and that our cabinets come with a higher price tag.

To start off a large reason that we differ from box cabinets and why we say our cabinets are custom is due to the way we build our boxes. We do produce our cabinetry at our shop located in Harrington, Delaware. When we are designing cabinetry we do not have to stick to any standard size. People who are used to working with box cabinets know that you have to stick with certain sized cabinetry (12”, 18”, 24” etc.). Here at Sylvester we can change the sizes down to the millimeter.

Fun Fact: We work in metric at our shop which blows people away, but really its because doing math with fractions caused too many headaches (:

It is helpful to have the ability to make your cabinetry any size so that you can work with a variety of designs and layouts. This can include angled cabinetry, but also a run of cabinetry that comes to an unusual length.

We also differ in the way that we construct our boxes. Most box cabinet manufacturers build their cabinet box that sits on the ground.

In this picture the sides and toe kick area are all one piece and sit on the ground.

At Sylvesters our cabinets sit on legs, as pictured. Each cabinet has a minimum of 4 legs evenly spaced on the base of the cabinet. Each leg holds a minimum of 600 pounds per leg!

So our boxes sit on these legs which are adjustable, which helps when we are at a job site that has a dip or raise in the floor. We are able to adjust the boxes height in each corner to accommodate for the difference in the floor.

Our end panels and toe kick are all separately applied to the box after this. This is very beneficial if there was ever a water leak (hopefully NEVER), then the whole cabinet would not have to be removed and replaced, it would just be the end panels and toe kick!

Finally, we are a frameless (Euro Style) cabinet shop. If you want to learn more about what this means check out our blog here — http://sylvestercustomcabinetry.com/blog/2020/3/10/american-vs-european-style-cabinetry —that explains the difference between the two!

Looking Back On 2021

I cannot believe that we are already in 2022, it feels like just yesterday we were setting our goals and going over plans for 2021.

At the beginning of every year, we like to try to guess what styles we will see in the coming year. It is always cool to see what sticks around from year to year and what new styles pop up.

Last year we guessed that we would continue to see white cabinetry but would see a variety of color pops. We also thought we would see open floor plans with even more open cabinetry. If you want a more in-depth view read out blog here: http://sylvestercustomcabinetry.com/blog/2021/1/2/hello-2021

Looking back on last year I think all of those stand true. White cabinetry is here to stay. It is a timeless option that will stick around long term. We also did start seeing more pops of colors. We did a whole house in a matte forest green and an island for another job that was sky blue.

Open floor plans have been becoming more popular in the last few years and 2021 was no different. New construction jobs are almost all an open floor plan, and remodels are looking for ways to open their floor plan up.

We are so happy with the growth that we experienced in 2021. With Covid still going it was a year full of change and problem solving but we made it. Thank you all for the support, here’s to 2022!

You’re Just Steps Away From Your Dream Cabinets

Trust The Process

Whether you are thinking about remodeling your kitchen, bathroom, or even just adding some storage cabinets to a walk-way in your home we are here to help!

This can be a very stressful time when trying to make all of the decisions at once and we want to help out in any way we can.

Below is a very short version of how the process works with our team!

We like to start with a meeting in our showroom in Harrington. At this time you can bring a hand sketch of your space along with some current images and some inspiration images. Here we get a feel for what your goal is, along with what we have to work with.

After this meeting we will do a quick prelim drawing with an estimate. If you would like to proceed we will set up a time to go out to your house to grab our own measurements.

When we are getting our measurements we are also making sure there aren’t pre-existing conditions that might cause complications later. Whether this be a water line that needs to be moved, or a plumbing pipe running through a wall that we were thinking of removing. We like to check for this early on.

From here we come back and update our drawings to the measurements and send them over to either get approval or see if there is anything that needs to be changed.

Once we have a final design and sign off, we will have a meeting for selections. This is always the fun part! This is where you will decide on door style, colors and hardware to bring your vision to life.

We do understand that having your house torn apart can be stressful, and we try to do whatever we can to make this process a breeze. We usually like to tell people to plan to be without a kitchen for a minimum of two weeks from the time the old cabinetry is removed and the new cabinetry is installed.

*** While we do not act as a General Contractor, we do like to meet with all of the sub-contractors that are working on the project at the jobsite, to create a timeline so that everything can run smoothly.

Contact us today to see how we can help you get your dream space!

Let's Talk Islands!

I’m dreaming of warm weather, palm trees, sand everywhere and a fruity drink in my hand….

Wait, we aren’t talking about that kind of island are we? Sorry, its hard to not dream of a warmer place when we are in the middle of winter with snow everywhere!

Kitchen islands are often the focal point of a kitchen. They are so versatile, and can be many shapes, sizes, and colors!

One of the first things we look at when designing a kitchen island is how much room we have for an island. If space isn’t an issue, we then ask what your main use of the island will be.

Islands are used for some people as the main place they sit down to eat. If this is the case we want to know how many seats we need at the island. We recommend about 2 feet in length for every seat needed at the island. This gives everyone room so they aren’t hitting elbows every time they go to take a bite.

Another use for islands are for baking/cooking. Some people like a large island with accessories like a mixer lift where they can do all their baking and cooking in one place!

Islands also don’t have to be straight. Sometimes to fit the island into a kitchen they have to be different shapes. There is a batwing island that looks like this.

Islands also don’t have to be straight. Sometimes to fit the island into a kitchen they have to be different shapes. There is a batwing island that looks like this..

Batwing islands are used a lot in “L” shaped kitchens. They create a good divide between the kitchen and other areas of your home!

Batwing islands also usually allow more seating in the space provided because of the angles, which creates a longer countertop area.

Another play on an island that allows you to get a lot of seating is what I refer to as a “U” shaped island. This is a straight island, that also has seating on both ends.

The seating area does not have to be raised, it can all be one level if that is what you want. This customer liked the idea of having the seating area separate from the work area of the island.

This island was also designed as a baking center. There was a mixer lift to the right, all the pots were in the left cabinet and then all of the customer Pyrex and pots were in the middle drawer!

Here are some other unique island layouts we have done

At the end of the day your kitchen island can be whatever you want it to be. It can be whatever shape, size, color, height, etc. that you want for your kitchen. We are just here to make your kitchen dreams come true!

For more kitchen pictures be sure to check out our website —> or our Facebook below!

Kitchens

Hello 2021!

New year, new me? Isn’t that the saying?

Maybe for 2021 we should make it “New year, New kitchen!!”

With this blog I want to touch on some things we expect to see for trends throughout this year.

First and foremost, as shown in the last few years, white is here to stay. White cabinetry is timeless. It can brighten up even the darkest rooms, and people really love the clean look it creates in their home.

With this being said, in 2021 I think we can expect to see more of a variety of colors. We might see this with pops of color in the island or bathroom cabinets, or we might see it in the whole kitchen being painted a color other than white.

I think we can continue to see open floorplans which make for a more open kitchen feel. We see the open floor plans a lot in new construction, but we are starting to see it more and more with remodels as well. People want to redo their kitchen, and they want to try to make the space more open.

Along with open floor plans comes open cabinets. We are seeing an increase in requests to have floating shelves in kitchens. Whether it be a coffee bar area, or even a place to hold you wine glasses, we can expect to see more of that in 2021.

No matter what 2021 brings, we are looking forward to a new year with new challenges and experiences. Whether you are building new or want to remodel an existing kitchen, contact us today to see how we can make your dreams a reality!

Talk to Us

Thanksgiving — What we Are Looking Forward to

I’m not sure if I should say it, but I’m sure we are all thinking it…. the holiday season is here!
I know, I know, it’s crazy to even think that 2020 is almost over. But alas the last and busiest months of the year are here.

I want to start this off by telling you how thankful we are for you. For supporting us by liking our Facebook posts or reading our blogs, or putting our name out there when you hear someone is looking for cabinetry, it truly means a lot to us so!

To bring some holiday cheer from our family to yours, we wanted to share some of the things that we here at Sylvester Cabinetry look forward to for Thanksgiving.

Greg says he is looking forward to what he calls “festivities.” Every Thanksgiving morning his family and close friends all get together. They enjoy shooting targets and clays. This is then followed by having huge breakfast sandwiches that hold everyone over until it is time for Thanksgiving dinner!

John says he is looking forward to seeing his family and breaking the wish bone with his sister. Every year for as long as he can remember, the wish bone is always saved for him and his sister to see who gets the bigger side!

Julie is looking forward to being together with her family! One of her favorite things on Thanksgiving is after dinner everyone will crowd around the dinning room table and go over all of the newspaper sales for the following day. She says it is a great way to unwind with her family after a day full of food and pie!

Frankie is looking forward to family and football. Every Thanksgiving he gets together with his family and they sit around eat amazing food and watch the football games!

Ambyr is looking forward to the family time, pies and cranberry sauce. She says that the holidays are the only time of year where she has pie or cranberry sauce and she looks forward to it every year.

We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. We know this year might look different than most due to Covid-19, but we are still wishing a happy and safe holiday season!

Home Office Design and Organization!

Did someone say “home office”?

I feel like in 2020 a home office is more prevalent than ever. Whether you have had to work from home, your kid has had to do school work, or maybe you just want some more home organization, a home office would be the answer for you.

Just because you hear the word office, doesn’t mean you have to have a whole room just for the office. Something just having a designated space for your stuff makes it that much easier.

Your first questions might be “where do I start?”

Well first you want to figure out what you want out of your home office. Do you need space for storage, for bills/mail, how many computers or screens do you need room for, and how much space do you actually need?

Once you figure out what you want out of your home office, you have to find the location for your space! Make sure it is large enough to include all of the items you listed in the first step. You don’t want to have a lot of needs for your office, and only have a desk that is 3 ft long.

Finally you can start to work on your design. Do you want the desk up against the wall, sitting in the middle of the room? Maybe you want an L shape desk that has a lot of counter space?

We have done several kitchens that have a desk area. This usually includes a knee-well spot, so you have the option to sit down on the computer or do paperwork. We also usually include a drawer stack that has a filling system in the bottom drawer to help with organization. We also include some kind of uppers above the desk as well. This helps to hopefully alleviate the desk being a “dump zone.”

I believe that if you create a space for everything in your house, than you are less likely to end up with a lot of “dump zones”

Finally, you have your space and you have your design. Now you get to organize it! There are so many options for organizing your desk area. To start, figure out what you’re trying to store and where.
You want to make sure you have enough space on top of your desk to read, write, and work. you don’t want to get through this process and feel like you’re always working over top of things. This might make some of the tasks you’re trying to accomplish more stressful. And let’s face it, we don’t need any more stress these days!
From there you can go shopping! (this is the most fun ;))

Debunking the Triangle Theory!

When starting a kitchen design one of the first questions we have is “what appliances are you going to have?”

This question can mean a few different things. Some people don’t want certain appliances, like a dishwasher or a microwave.

Others want all the “normal” appliances and then an additional wine fridge (because you can never have enough wine storage amirightttt?) or an additional sink, etc.

Also, they could have appliances that are not standard. For instance you could have a 42” refrigerator. Random thought. Why is fridge spelled with a “d” but refrigerator isn’t?

Alright, alright. back on topic. One of the most important things to know when starting to design a kitchen is… the appliances. At the beginning we don’t ask for the specs from these appliances, but just a general idea of what they want helps.

This way we can start our design by adding in all of the appliances. Can you imagine getting your kitchen design and then being told that you can’t fit a dishwasher in because it wasn’t planned for in the design process? I might cry.

So we get a list of the appliances you are thinking about, we then add those into our design and work from there.

There used to be a thought of having a “triangle” work area where you fridge, stove, and sink were all in close proximity and you could draw a triangle between the three.

This thought process has slowly started to evolve with home-life changing.

We now see a lot of times that the fridge is being put more on the outskirt of the kitchen. This way if someone is in the kitchen cooking and their kid wants a snack, or this significant other wants a drink, they don’t have to get in the way.

So when considering a kitchen remodel, or building a new house. Think of the appliances you want included in your design, and also where you would like those appliances to best fit you and your family.

Need some kitchen inspiration? Check out more of our kitchens at http://sylvestercustomcabinetry.com/kitchens-1

Custom Farm House Cabinetry!

White raised panel perimeter, with a grey island with Custom “X” end panels in the kitchen.

White shaker style cabinetry in the bathrooms.

The house is finished off with grey cabinetry in the laundry room, along with a stainless farmhouse sink. The laundry room has plenty of storage, and room for hanging clothes to dry.

Kitchen Organization Ideas!

Lets face it, no matter how much space you have in your kitchen, you still want it to be organized.

Especially in a time like now. We are all spending SO much time at home, and I can tell you the one thing I have spent a lot of time doing is trying to reorganize a space. Even after I just organized it.. yes I am that person constantly organizing things over and over again (:

Sooo when it comes to kitchen spaces, what are some cool but also effective ways to organize?

1. Appliance Garage. This allows you to get a lot of your counter top clutter behind doors. Whether it is your coffee maker, toaster, or even your microwave, an appliance garage is always handy.

2. A designated spot for items always helps organization. This could be a u-shape tray divider for easy access to your cookie sheets, or even a spice pull-out or drawer insert to make it easy to find that spice that you need!

3. Pots and pants always seem to get piled on top of each other, and then, the one you need is the one on the bottom. You know what I’m talking about!  There are several different options for this. You can get a pull out organizer that all of your pans can hang from. You can also get an organizer for a drawer that allows you to sit your pans on their side.

4. Maybe what you’re looking for isn’t necessarily an organizer, but a custom space to help with organization. For instance, a spot specifically for your wine. OR how about the paper towel pull out? **Imagine never having to fight with the paper towel holder on the counter-top EVER AGAIN! OR you could have a custom drawer that has a cutting board on it, with your trashcan below it, that makes chopping veggies EASY PEA-SEY (:

Be sure to subscribe to our blog for more cabinetry and organization tips!

American vs. European Style Cabinetry

Here at Sylvester Custom Cabinetry we build European cabinetry. European style cabinetry is built to be adaptable because in Europe, kitchens vary in size. Usually these cabinets are called frameless. We like to refer to them at full-access cabinets because you are gaining access to the full cabinet in this style of cabinetry.

Full-access cabinets allow for more accessible space and they have a much simpler/modern look due to the doors being placed flush with the cabinets.

American style cabinets are also known as Face Frame cabinets. These cabinets have a thick wood frame and the doors are attached with concealed compact hinges.

The boxes themselves are also compiled of a stile and rails at the top and bottom of the cabinet which takes up usable cabinet space.

Who wants to pay for cabinet space they aren’t going to be able to use? NOT ME!

Who wants to have access to their full cabinet and not have to worry about working around a pole in the middle of the cabinet? ME!

At Sylvester we allow for a lot of customization for cabinets. While our box construction is full-access, you get to choose between several options for everything else. From the color of the cabinetry, the style of doors, and even the crown molding.

The last cool piece of information I want to leave you with is that we make all of our cabinet boxes in house. This means that we don’t have any “standard” sizes. So if you need an odd size cabinet, whether it is in the width, height, or depth - We can do that! If you need a cabinet that goes at an angle, we can do that as well! Even if you need both in one cabinet, we can handle it!

Have questions about how we could help transform your kitchen? Contact us here http://sylvestercustomcabinetry.com/contact-2

Look at all those angles! White Kitchen - Shaker Style White Cabinetry

give me alllll the accessories!

To see more pictures from this job visit http://sylvestercustomcabinetry.com/kitchens-1#/white-skaker-painted

What to Expect When Expecting..... New Cabinets!

So you have decided to build a new house, or you want to revamp your current space. Congratulations! This is a very exciting time and while it might seem like a mountain of work now, I can tell you it is definitely going to be worth it.

We wanted this blog to just be a broad layout of the processes and in later blogs we will try to explain each in more detail… and with lots of pictures (:

Soooo you are ready to pull the trigger on getting some numbers and ideas together for you new cabinetry.

Step one is going to be a new design. This means that the one cabinet or appliance that you have always hated or you want it moved— you CAN move it!

After we nail down your design we will then want to move into the specifics of your cabinets. This is the fun part, but can also be a little stressful. You have to keep in mind flooring color, wall color, back splash, etc. (psssss. Tip: Pick your cabinet color and then pick your wall color and others to compliment your cabinet color)

Once we have the design and selections we send out our final estimate with a sign-off sheet so that the customer can make sure everything is exactly how they want it. We are more than happy to do this step at our showroom as well, just to answer any questions that could arise.

I also forgot to mention picking out accessories for your kitchen! Double trash? You bet! Spice pull-out? Now we are talking! Throughout the design process we will try to accommodate any accessories you want in your kitchen and place them in the most logical space.

Once we have the sign off we get to work! We want to schedule our date to come and do a layout, grab updated measurements and also set an installation date. Now if you are new construction versus remodel this part of the time frame can vary, but the most important part is cabinet installation date. The day we are set to bring you your cabinets!

Each job will vary from the design down to the timeline. We here at Sylvester want to make sure you are getting your dream cabinets. We are here to help from the beginning to the end. If you would like to inquire about new cabinetry visit http://sylvestercustomcabinetry.com/contact-2

As always thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next one! (:

Welcome, 2020!

Before we get into it I want to say hello! All of us here at Sylvester Cabinetry thought it would be a great idea to do some blogs throughout the year that are educational on the things that we do. For starters since we just started a new year we wanted to touch on all of the posts you’re going to be seeing about 2020 trends.

With every new year comes a new set of trends we can expect to see. This can range from what diet will be in, what type of fashion will be in, and the newest kitchen trends.

We might be a little biased, but we love the kitchen trends the most (:

Something we here at Sylvester Cabinetry have noticed is that in Delaware we tend to be a few years behind most trends. But don’t worry, we love to give people the kitchen that they want, no matter what trends are in.

So what can we expect in 2020?

Jackson Job

According to Elle Decor we can see more requests for Navy Blue cabinetry. Side note: (am I allowed to do this? I hope so!) In 2019 we did see a rise of the amount of people that were moving away from the normal whites and greys into the blues, even if it was just in their accents, and we are excited for more colors!

To see more images from this beautiful kitchen click here: http://sylvestercustomcabinetry.com/kitchens-1#/jackson-grey-painted-regent-blue-island

BHG also touches on single-level islands making a trend. In the last year we have seen the increase from a raised island to just single level island. I think it has to do with the clean look it gives a kitchen. But lets be honest, it also takes a hiding spot away from where I could pile stuff on my island and it not be seen from the living room. This trend right here is making us work!

According to Better Homes & Gardens open layouts are here to stay and I can tell you we are happy about this! We can make a lot work in small kitchens, but there is just a certain feeling you get in a kitchen that has an open concept!

We are excited for all of these trends, and also for anything that comes our way in 2020. Some of our favorite projects come from someone thinking outside of the box and wanting something they don’t think is “normal” like…..

“can we do a hunter green island?” Why yessss you can!

“can I have two islands in one kitchen?” OF COURSE

and one of my favorites

“Can I do two (or more) colors of cabinets?” Absoooolutely

We here at Sylvester are open to all of the ideas that people bring to us. At the end of the day we are designing, producing, and installing the job, remember it is YOUR space. Make whatever decisions you want!

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