Studio 11 Cabinets & Design, Inc.

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Studio 11 Cabinets & Design, Inc. We offer expert cabinet design and are a distributor of quality cabinets, countertops and hardware to homeowners, contractors and remodeling professionals.

Oven use is higher in November/December than in any other month, and your countertop feels it.Hot pans set down too fast...
10/22/2026

Oven use is higher in November/December than in any other month, and your countertop feels it.

Hot pans set down too fast, flour dust, c***r spills, roasting trays sliding across the surface while you clear space for a cooling rack. Fall cooking is harder on a counter than summer ever is, and people usually notice wear first once the real holiday cooking starts.

The surface you choose, quartz, laminate, or solid surface, isn't just about matching your cabinets. It's about which one actually shrugs off a season of real cooking without staining, scorching, or dulling at the edges.

If your current counters are already showing it, that's worth a conversation before the next round of holiday meals comes through your kitchen.

Every kitchen has one: the drawer where lids, rubber bands, and dead batteries go to hide.Stock cabinets give you the sa...
10/16/2026

Every kitchen has one: the drawer where lids, rubber bands, and dead batteries go to hide.

Stock cabinets give you the same handful of drawer sizes no matter how you actually cook, store, or live. Custom cabinetry starts with the opposite question: how do you use this kitchen, really? That's how we end up building deep drawers for pots and pans, pull-out pantries for the stuff that used to get shoved in a corner, and cabinet boxes that fit around a soffit or an odd angle instead of pretending it isn't there.

It's not just about looking put-together (though that part's nice too). It's fewer things falling out when you open a cabinet, and a kitchen that quietly works with how your household actually functions, not against it. Built once, to your exact measurements, so it holds up to the daily stuff for years.

What's hiding in your kitchen's version of the everything drawer? Tell us in the comments, we've probably built storage for it.

Door style is the one choice you'll live with the longest. Here's what actually holds up.Paint colors and hardware pulls...
10/14/2026

Door style is the one choice you'll live with the longest. Here's what actually holds up.

Paint colors and hardware pulls are easy to swap out later. The door profile itself isn't, so it's worth slowing down on. Shaker doors have stayed in style for decades because the clean frame works with almost anything. Slab doors read modern right now, but a heavily trend-driven color or finish can date faster than the shape itself. Raised-panel doors lean more traditional and tend to suit older, more formal homes.

There's no universally right answer. The right one is whichever fits how your kitchen gets used and how long you plan to stay in the house. We walk through all three with every client before a single cabinet gets ordered.

Which style catches your eye first?

Most outdoor kitchens get planned around the grill and nothing else.Then the first cookout happens and there's nowhere t...
10/13/2026

Most outdoor kitchens get planned around the grill and nothing else.

Then the first cookout happens and there's nowhere to set down a cutting board, no good spot for the cooler, and you're walking back inside for everything that isn't currently on fire.

The same questions that matter indoors matter out there too. Where do your hands actually need storage? Where do people stand while you're cooking? What material holds up to rain, grill heat, and bug spray all summer, not just the first one?

A built-in storage plan and the right counter material are what turn a grill on a slab into a space you actually cook and host in.

You shouldn't have to climb into your own shower every morning.That's what changed first in this bathroom. The old tub s...
10/08/2026

You shouldn't have to climb into your own shower every morning.

That's what changed first in this bathroom. The old tub sat high, the threshold was sharp, and getting in and out had quietly turned into something to think about before you did it. Not exactly what a home is supposed to feel like.

We swapped it for a curbless, walk-in shower with a built-in bench and a floor that slopes gently to the drain. No threshold to step over, no ledge to catch a foot on. Add a handheld showerhead, grip bars finished to match the rest of the hardware, and a bit of natural light through a new window, and it stops looking like a modification and starts looking like the bathroom that was always supposed to be there.

It's the kind of change that pays off twice: once in how the room looks, and again every single morning you use it without a second thought.

Thinking about a shower like this for your own bathroom? Give us a call to schedule a FREE design consultation; we're happy to talk through what would work in your space.



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Refacing looks like the cheaper fix, but the box underneath is what actually decides.New doors and a fresh finish can ma...
10/07/2026

Refacing looks like the cheaper fix, but the box underneath is what actually decides.

New doors and a fresh finish can make a kitchen look brand new for a lot less than a full replacement, and sometimes that's exactly the right call. But refacing only works if the cabinet boxes underneath are still square, dry, and structurally sound. If they're sagging, water-damaged, or you want to change the layout, refacing just puts a new face on an old problem.

Before you decide, it's worth checking a few things: are the boxes still square and solid, is there any water damage or soft spots, are you keeping the same layout, and are the hinges and drawers still working smoothly? If you can say yes to all of that, refacing is a smart, budget-friendly move. If not, replacing is the honest answer, even if it costs more up front.

A free design consultation is the easiest way to find out which one actually makes sense for your kitchen.



https://studio11cabinets.com/

Countertops take more abuse than almost anything else in your home, so we don't gamble on what tops them. Hot pans set d...
10/06/2026

Countertops take more abuse than almost anything else in your home, so we don't gamble on what tops them. Hot pans set down without a trivet, red w**e that sits a little too long, kids doing homework with markers an inch from the edge, real life happens right there.

That's why Cambria quartz is the surface we recommend most often. It's engineered to stand up to scratches, stains, and heat far better than natural stone alone, and it never needs sealing or special upkeep to keep its shine year after year. You get the depth and movement of natural stone without the maintenance that usually comes with it.

It also comes in more colors and patterns than most homeowners expect, so matching it to your cabinetry is about landing on the exact look you pictured, not settling for the closest option on the shelf.

When you sit down with us for a free design consultation, we put the same thought into your countertop as we do into your cabinetry around it. Quality materials and quality craftsmanship have to go hand in hand, or the whole space falls short.

Have questions about quartz versus other countertop materials? Drop them below, we're happy to talk it through.



https://studio11cabinets.com/

That crooked wall in your Waterloo farmhouse isn't a flaw. It's just going to need custom cabinets.We measure a lot of h...
10/01/2026

That crooked wall in your Waterloo farmhouse isn't a flaw. It's just going to need custom cabinets.

We measure a lot of historic homes around Columbia and Waterloo, and almost none of them are square. Walls settle over a hundred years. Ceilings dip. Windowsills sit deeper than anything built today. A stock cabinet box is made for a perfectly rectangular room that, honestly, most old houses don't have anymore.

That's the part people don't expect going in: it's rarely the design they need help with, it's the house itself. A soffit in the wrong spot. A doorway that swings the wrong way into the kitchen. A pantry corner that's a few inches off from every cabinet line sold at a big-box store.

Custom cabinetry solves that because we build to your actual measurements, not a standard size chart. The cabinets get designed around the quirks your house already has, instead of asking your house to adjust to them. Twenty-eight years of doing this in Columbia and Waterloo has taught us that every older home has its own personality, and the kitchen should work with it, not against it.

If you live in one of Waterloo's older homes, we'd love to hear about the layout you're working around. What's the strangest angle or corner in your kitchen?

Sage green, brushed gold, and one very red fridge. 🍒This whole-home project had a clear throughline: warm, collected, an...
09/30/2026

Sage green, brushed gold, and one very red fridge. 🍒

This whole-home project had a clear throughline: warm, collected, and full of personality. Nothing about it feels cookie-cutter.

In the main kitchen, sage green shaker cabinets sit opposite a rustic hickory island topped with veined quartz. Stained beams run across the vaulted ceiling, and the space opens straight into a dining room with treetop views.

Downstairs, the lower-level bar steals the show. A cherry-red retro fridge, glass-front uppers, a built-in w**e lattice, and a full-slab backsplash with gold veining pick up the brushed brass faucet and hardware. Cane-back stools pull up to the island for game nights.

The living room is anchored by a floor-to-ceiling stacked stone fireplace, flanked by matching green built-ins and floating shelves for family photos and treasures.

The primary suite feels like a retreat: handmade-look glazed tile in the walk-in shower, a freestanding soaking tub by the window, and his-and-hers vanities with scalloped mirrors and gold pulls.

Even the laundry room got the full treatment, with tall green storage, a warm wood folding counter, and a hanging rod for air-drying.

Ever wonder what actually happens between your first idea and the day your new kitchen is done? It's not just picking a ...
09/29/2026

Ever wonder what actually happens between your first idea and the day your new kitchen is done? It's not just picking a cabinet color and waiting.

We start with a free design consultation, right in your home if you'd like, so we can see how you really live in the space. From there, we build a 3D rendering so you can walk through your new kitchen before a single cabinet arrives. That's the point where a lot of the small decisions happen, things like whether pulls sit better in brushed brass or a warm nickel, whether a drawer stack makes more sense than a cabinet door. Small choices, but they're the ones you'll touch every single day.

Once the design is locked in, we coordinate scheduling with your contractor so cabinetry, countertops, and installation line up instead of everyone waiting on each other. That coordination is honestly where a lot of remodels go sideways if nobody's managing it.

The goal at every step is the same: a kitchen that works better for your life and holds its value for years, not just one that looks good in a photo. Thoughtful design up front saves headaches later.

If you're starting to think about a remodel, the first step is easier than most people expect. What's the one thing you'd change about your current kitchen if you could?

Address

121 S Main Street
Columbia, IL
62236

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+16182818286

Website

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