• 5038 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60640
  • info@akbchicago.com

773.275.6275

TREND ALERT: DARK CABINETRY

Everyone has heard and seen the timeless style of an all white kitchen; the cabinetry and countertops a pristine bright color that opens up the room and continues to be a mainstay in traditional and contemporary styles alike. Recently, newer and bolder hues have been dominating designs in the kitchen and bathroom design world. Rich

WHAT ARE RENDERS ANYWAY?

In the early stages of kitchen and bathroom design the term “render” tends to get thrown around quite a bit. But what are these and how are they helpful in helping to create a design vision? Here is where the term will be explained. Renders are computer generated images that are created in a design

VARYING COUNTERTOP THICKNESS

The kitchen design is done, finishes have been selected and the surface material has been chosen. Now the questions stands; at what thickness should a new countertop surface be? When it comes to quartz surfaces; the standard thickness is three centimeters in order to accomodate the everyday use of a common countertop surface. As of

TREND ALERT: QUARTZ FINISHES

Throughout the past year there has been an increased interest in “rough” or “raw” surfaces in the world of quartz. What is the difference between these surface treatments in comparison to the standard polished and honed? Polished is the most standard quartz surface: easy maintenance, glossy finish and the ability to help open up a

DECORATIVE HARDWARE CHOICES

After weeks of browsing multiple showrooms and deciding what countertop, cabinetry, storage solutions and finishes are essential in creating your dream space; you realize that there’s one more step that has been overlooked. The Decorative hardware! Although it doesn’t seem like an essential thing to keep in mind when picking out various options for your

TREND ALERT: HONED SURFACES

While looking at new countertops in 2019, you’ll probably stumble across more surface finishes then the standard polished as there are a variety of countertop finishes such as: honed, polished, and raw. Although each countertop line may call these finishes different things, they are for the most part, very similar across countertop brands. In this

LET’S TALK TARIFFS

As of September 24th, 2018 the Chinese import tariffs took place on Chinese Quartz starting at an increase of 10%. As of January 1st, 2019 that will increase to 25%! This information is crucial because we here at AKB do not import Chinese Quartz so there will be no price increase on our quartz countertop

TREND ALERT: CONCRETE COUNTERS

While marble-like countertops were, and still will continue to be popular choices for homeowners, one of the most popular choices for 2018 countertop projects is going to be the concrete-type look.  Many like the industrial style with its sleek cool grey feel.  This color tone is versatile and can work in many color schemes.  Countertop