Monday, August 9, 2010



Remodel, Recondition, Mini-Maker Over, Tune-Up, Spruce-Up, Touch-up…

Call It What You Want, But Just Call Us

So what word best describes what you want to do with your kitchen? Remodel? OK, but what does that mean to you? Do you want to do a full remodeling project where all the cabinets & countertops are removed and replaced? Maybe walls are removed, or even an addition is a possibility.

Well for many people, “remodel” simply means that they want to give their kitchen a “facelift” or any of the other words used above. Sawhill has always done these types of projects, though we just simply call these projects – “Partials.”. But “partial” doesn’t mean much to most people, and many people don’t realize what a great investment these types of projects can be. Yes, even in this current economy and housing market.

So what do some of these projects involve? Let’s take a Kitchen Mini-Makeover or Kitchen Facelift for example. These could mean just some new countertops and some new cabinet knobs & hinges. Or maybe just new cabinet doors and drawer fronts, or just refinish the existing cabinets. Is that all you want done? No problem Sawhill Kitchens has the resources to get this done, and manage the project for you.

New countertops certainly make one of the biggest impacts when doing a kitchen facelift, but don’t forget about the backsplash area (the wall space between the countertops and the bottom of the upper cabinets). There are so many great possibilities to select from - ceramic tile, porcelain tile, stone, even metal. Our designers can help you select just the right product to coordinate with your countertops, cabinets, flooring and walls.

These projects can sometimes involve new flooring too, or new appliances and plumbing fixtures. Maybe you want to add an island, or modify some existing cabinets for some new appliances. How about also adding a wine rack, spice rack or even replacing a few doors with glass inserts? And don’t forget lighting. Our Sawhill designers are happy to help with design, selection process and project management of any of these projects.

Another popular service that we offer to our clients is a tune-up or reconditioning of their kitchen that maybe is only a few years old or older. Just like your car needs a tune up, so do kitchens at some point in time. Our designers can arrange to have one of our craftsmen adjust doors, and drawers, and other cabinet related adjustments or minor touch-up. We also have specialists who can come in and take care of more major touch-up or refinishing of the cabinetry. And don’t forget your countertops. Corian and other solid surfacing countertops are wonderful products, but they can scratch and even look stained. Did you know that we can have those countertops re-sanded, and “buffed-up” so they almost look new? Minor chips can sometimes be filled too!

These days natural granite and stone is the probably the most common countertop material used. These are beautiful products, but do require some maintenance. We can arrange to have those granite countertops re-sealed, and maybe re-caulk the joint at the backsplash area. Sure, you could do this yourself, just like you could probably change the oil in your car. But when’s the last time you did that? Let a professional rejuvenate those beautiful countertops!

You see there are a lot of ways to Spruce-Up your kitchen, but we’re not limited to just painting the walls or ceiling. But we can do that too! So if you need something done in your kitchen, don’t worry what to call your kitchen remodeling project, just call Sawhill and speak with one of our designers. They’ll be happy to explain how we can help. Oh, and what about repair work on appliances? We’ll be happy to just get you the telephone number of the factory authorized service agent, even if you didn’t purchase the appliance from us. That’s just another example of Sawhill’s commitment to Unrelenting Service.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Tolman Kitchen Featured in Minneapolis Star Tribune!


Check out this article about a kitchen designed by Sarah Michalowski, for one of Sawhill's Blog followers Rod Tolman. Rod and Sarah teamed up to create a beautiful and extremely functional kitchen for Rod. Congratulations to both of them for a job well done!!
http://www.startribune.com/homes/99172119.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU

Monday, June 28, 2010

Vote for Your Favorite Recipe

OK, here are the finalists in our Grilling Recipe Contest. Send us a reply via Facebook, or Info@SawhillKitchens.com. And good luck to the contestants!!!

  • Gwen's Entry:
    Grilled fish recipe is easy to prepare and ideal for coho and chinook salmon, catfish, and trout.

    Mix together the seasonings, add the fish, and allow it marinate for about eight hours and grill.
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Marinade time: 8 hours

    Cook Time: 10-12 minutes


    Ingredients:
    2-4 fish fillets
    marinade:
    1/3 cup peanut oil
    1/4 cup soy sauce (preferably those made for sashimi)

    3 cloves garlic, finely minced
    3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
    3 tablespoons sesame seeds
    2 tablespoon sesame oil
    1/2 teaspoon red pepper
    1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    1/8 teaspoon ginger

    Preparation:
    Place fish fillets in a resealable plastic bag. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over fish. Seal bag and place into refrigerator for about 8 hours. Preheat grill for medium high heat. Remove fish from bag and discard marinade. Place fillets on grill and cook for 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness, turning once. Once fish flakes easily with fork, remove from heat and serve with Asian flavored vegetables and rice.


  • Nicole's Entry:
    4 ears of sweet corn
    6 Tbs (3/4 stick) butter
    2 Tbs minced fresh parsley (or dill, basil or tarragon)... See More
    1 clove of garlic, minced
    Coarse salt and black pepper

    1. Set up grill for direct grilling.
    2. Fashion husk of each ear into handle and remove silk.
    3. Place butter, parsley and garlic in mixing bowl, whisk until smooth and creamy.
    4. When ready to cook, brush each ear with mixture.
    5. Grill corn until kernels are browned (8 to 12 minutes).
    6. Turn as needed and apply remaining mixture and add salt and pepper. Red pepper is also great.

    Bon appetit!

  • Marilyn's Entry
    Jerk Ribs
    1tsp. allspice
    1/2 tsp nutmeg
    ...1/2 tsp cinnamon
    1/2 c. scallion... See More2 scotch bonnet peppers, or 4 jalapenos:
    use more if you like it hotter
    1/2 c white vinegar
    1/2 c. soy
    sauce 2 T. Oil 1 tsp.
    salt garlic powder, blend 2 mins, and marinate ribs with sauce for 3 hours. Grill They are to die for

  • Sarah's Favorite Hamburgers

    Yes- I know I'm not eligible to win, but thought I'd share a recipe anyways! I don't measure when I cook, so they're a little different every time... :)

    1 lb ground pork (sometimes I buy flavored sausage and take it out of the casing)
    1 lb ground hamburger
    2 eggs
    1 egg yolk
    about 1/2 cup of grated Pecorino cheese
    1 package dry onion soup mix
    a generous squirt of ketchup (or spicy bbq if you want a little kick)
    a generous squirt of your favorite mustard
    a few shakes of worcestershire
    and finally, enough bread crumbs to get the mix to the right consistency- usually 3/4 to 1 cup

    Mush all of the above ingredients together by hand- this is the messy, but very important part! :) I usually buy fresh baked buns- the larger ones. And I'm known for making huge hamburger patties that fit the bun- I get about 5 or 6 burgers out of the above amounts and usually can only eat 1/2 a burger. The combination of pork and beef make these burgers super tender and juicy- not to mention the flavor. The Pecorino adds a wonderful salty cheesiness... My favorite topping for these burgers are mushrooms sauteed in Marsala with a little bit of salt and pepper... delicious! If you have another addition or combination, please share!!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Concrete Countertops & Sinks – Not All They’re “Cracked Up” To Be

We were asked to write a blog about out thoughts on countertops and sinks made from concrete. Now don’t let the title of this blog discourage you from using concrete. In most applications, if installed or manufactured correctly, concrete will not crack. But it can, and you need to ask your fabricator or manufacturer what their warranty policy is on stress cracks and alike.
Concrete can be a really fun material to work with because of the unique shapes and colors that our possible. Concrete is probably one of the most customizable products on the market. You can sculpt, mold, and texturize it to your personal tastes. We have a concrete countertop on display in our showroom, and people love the natural look and unique “chiseled” edge detail. So if your main goal is to use a material that’s funky, fun & different - concrete is certainly one choice.
Most people these days are also concerned with staining. The leading expert in concrete countertops and fixtures is probably Fu-Tung Cheng of Cheng Design in California. He notes on his “Concrete Exchange” website that “properly sealed concrete should not stain. However, unsealed concrete has approximately the same porosity as limestone and marble. In addition to stain susceptibility, acids (especially red wine, lemon juice, and vinegar) will etch the surface if not cleaned up right away.” We recommend getting a small sample of the concrete that will be used on your project and do some testing. Make sure the sample has been sealed, and then let things like red wine, ketchup, etc. dry on the surface and then see if it leaves a stain after cleaning. You may have to wait a day to allow the moisture from cleaning dry out.

Concrete is also used for sinks in kitchens & baths, along with other surfaces in a shower. Again, you can really create some custom curves, angles, and other shapes with concrete, but you should use caution when using concrete on the shower floor, or for well used sinks. Again, quoting the expert, Fu-Tung Cheng – “I do not recommend using concrete as a finished surface in a shower. The force of water cascading from the shower-head will quickly erode a finish layer of cement paste on the floor and reveal the rough texture of the fines (sand). Over time, the exposed layer of cement will trap dirt. This is the primary reason I personally shy away from concrete tubs and concrete vessel sinks. I don't think they stand a chance against the inevitability of water erosion and exposure to dirt and grime on a daily basis.

We concur with Cheng’s opinion. We’ve seen the same type of erosion on kitchen sinks, and bathroom vessel sinks made from concrete. A powder room sink that is not used on a daily basis might be the right spot though for a concrete sink.
Another alternative to concrete is to use products made from recycled glass & Portland cement, so you can still get your concrete fix. It's comparable to granite in strength, scratch resistance, heat resistance, durability, and care & maintenance. Recycled glass products are typically less porous than marble and concrete and equivalent to some granite. But you do have to care for it. 85% of the surface is glass, which is impervious to stain. However, acids (like red wine, lemon juice, and vinegar) will etch the matrix of the surface (the concrete area between the glass) if not cleaned up right away. And staining agents (like coffee and tea) will leave a trace if allowed to remain on the surface.

Or consider solid surface materials like Corian. There are colors available now that can give you the look of concrete, limestone, and more. Corian is a non-porous material, and can be seamed to make maintenance free joints and corners. In my opinion solid surface materials are probably the most practical material for a bathroom. They may not have the “natural” or “earthy” beauty of granite, maple or even concrete, but solid surface materials are the easiest to care for, and are probably the easiest to repair if there is a problem. Though like concrete, granite or limestone there is a high cost associate with solid surface materials.

So as you can see, concrete is not a perfect product, but there really isn’t a perfect product on the market. And yes that includes granite. All products have advantages and disadvantages, no matter what anyone tells you. Your job is to educate yourself on the differences, and determine what product will fill the majority of your needs. Concrete may not be all it’s cracked up to be, but I wouldn’t take it for granite either!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

1st Annual Sawhill Recipe Contest

Send us your best summer "grilling" recipe via Facebook, Fax (612-338-3975), email (Info@SawhillKitchens.com) or post it on this Blog site! Your recipe will automatically be entered for a chance to win a Wusthof Knife Set and Spekva Cutting Board. Entries must be received by June 21st. All entries will be posted on our Blog. The winner will be chosen by all the Sawhill fans & you too can vote for your entry. Ask your friends to become a fan of Sawhill on Facebook, or a "Follower" of this Blog so they can vote for your entry too!! The winner will be announced on July 1st.

Monday, May 24, 2010

A Thank You Letter For the Plato Tour




Sarah, Susan and the Entire Plato family,

Words can't tell you what a magnificent field trip you planned for all of us. It was DELUXE all the way from the coach ride with treats. The Plato factory is amazing. It made the projects come alive for me.


They did such a nice job breaking us into groups so that everyone could see and hear at each station. I think it is great they are now labeling their various distressing techniques. It will make it easier to specify in the future.




The tour of Karl & Melissa’s home was relaxed and exciting all at once. Susan you did an excellent job integrating all the cabinet styles and "bells and whistles" that can be done with today's cabinets. The kitchen was special with the variety of styles, finishes and colors. You pulled it all together flawlessly. The homemade cooked meal served on china was a treat. Every bite was delicious.












Tangle Wood Garden's nursery is a place Jan Goldsmith would die for. It was always her dream to create through plants. I have already told her about the entire wonderful day.

Thank you again for including me in this once in a lifetime experience.

Would you please forward the Plato family's name and business email as I would like to drop them a line too? Include the wife and mother's name too as they worked so hard for us all.

Hopefully I can get a good job for us in the future and we can put into use all that I learned.

Deborah Wegener

Deborah Wegner Interiors

Monday, May 3, 2010

Grand Rapids Cabin Becomes a Home Away from Home


We'd like to share this Before & After project of a kitchen that Susan Palmquist recently completed for a client's cabin in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The client also just shared their comments with Susan which is noted below.








Hi Susan -
Gail and I want to let you know, again, how much we like and enjoy the kitchen you designed for us. We just returned to Grand Rapids this past week and it was a pleasure to see it (not to mention that it was a pleasure not to have to move all of our stuff back into the living room and kitchen this year).
Thanks again!
John