Woods & Finishes
West Coast Woods:
West Coast species are rapidly becoming the wood of choice for fine wood furniture and custom cabinetry. The beauty and variety of these woods add new and unique choices for custom projects beyond the traditional woods. Western Alder, Big Leaf Maple, vertical-grain clear Fir and Hemlock are milled locally, kiln-dried, and stored on site. This allows direct control over the colour, grain and wood quality used in your kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, custom closets, storage cabinets, commercial displays and handmade wood furniture.
Finishing:
Kenwood Designs has researched and developed an extensive line of fine wood finishes. To highlight the natural color and grain of wood projects, the finish of choice is a clear lacquer, available in sheens from satin to high gloss. Beyond a natural wood look, a wide variety of colored finishes (tinted, painted or glazed) are also available.
Custom Finishes:
Kenwood Designs has the expertise to match an existing colour or develop a custom colored stain or glaze. This would be done where a client or designer wishes to complement or integrate the cabinet color with other features such as flooring, tile work, or wall finishes.
Aniline Dyes and NGR stains (non-grain raising) are used for tinting and staining wood. These stains, while adding color and depth to the wood, leave the clarity of the grain showing through. Kenwood Designs' finishers have over 30 years of collective experience and the expertise to match an existing stained piece or to mix a custom color. This would be done when a client or designer wishes to compliment or integrate a cabinet color with other features such as flooring, tile work or wall finishes
Glazes:Glazes are heavy-bodied stains that are applied to the wood, allowed to dry, and then partially sanded off to highlight the grain or detail of cabinet pieces. Glazes can also be tinted any color, applied over raw wood, or used over stained wood to further accent the color and grain.
Distressing:
Kenwood is particularly proud of their hand done distressing. Each piece is distressed in accordance with the way it would naturally take up wear marks over time. Kenwood feels that it is important that this detail is not overdone, giving the cabinet or furniture piece that naturally beautiful time-worn look.
It is important that this distressing looks natural and is not overdone.
Antiquing:
The process of antiquing starts with the uneven sanding of cabinet sections, applying a stain and/or glaze, and then further sanding those applications to highlight details of color and texture. A seal coat of satin lacquer completes the process to give your cabinets or wood furniture a beautiful antique look
For a natural finish and for protection over glazes and stains, three coats of a post-catalyzed, alcohol-based lacquer are applied. The latest H.V.L.P. (high volume, low pressure) spray equipment is used for this process. Hand sanding between coats with '320' sandpaper ensures a premium final finish.
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