Page 24 - Kitchen Cabinets

If there is one common complaint that we hear about kitchens in modern builds, it is that the kitchen is small. Many people pine after a huge farmhouse kitchen, but don't want to hand over the cash for a period building in order to get one! You may feel like you are settling for your small kitchen, but we think that with a clever design, a smaller kitchen can work out just great! Have you ever heard the saying 'small but perfectly formed' ? We asked a few experts in the construction industry to discuss the pros and cons of smaller kitchens.

Bill Brackmann from Brackmann Construction Inc believes that a “small kitchen can actually be easier to make functional,

You’ll know a designer door when you see one. It will have an exclusive design rather than a mass-market look. The most gorgeous designer interior doors come from Italy. When it comes to fashion – be it clothes or home goods – the Italians have luxury down to a science. The House of Gucci came from Italy, and modern Italian doors offer the same kind of unrivaled fashion for your home.

What is it specifically about designer doors that set them apart from everyday, ordinary doors? Simply put, it’s their timeless appeal. Vintage Gucci has enduring appeal, making it a smart investment. With interior designer doors, you are making a similar kind of investment. If you factor in how much use you get from quality, high-end doors, you’ll see that the cost per use is reasonable. If you want a door that isn’t trendy and will look as good in 20 years as it does today, the nINETY

With an unlimited budget, anything is possible. But even if you don’t have infinite finances at your disposal, you can still find quality materials and make a few compromises along the way. A gorgeous, standard-size bathroom vanity can be put together for under $1000, including the cabinet, sink, faucet, and countertop. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you proceed.

If your vanity top looks dated, it has to go. The countertop is one of the most noticeable features in the room. Granite is the ideal top, but may be too expensive to have fabricated. Laminate counters are inexpensive but their telltale seams give away their lower quality, and they are easy to dent and scuff. Re-laminating over your old countertop is an iffy project – often the surface will “bubble” over time. An inexpensive but more durable solution is a solid surface counter. Solid surface tops are a step up from laminate; they offer inconspicuous seams and minor scuffs can be buffed away.

If you’ve ever wondered why a room in your home seems a little off, it may not have what designers refer to as “balance.” Balance and harmony are achieved by making sure that there are four vital elements present: color, texture, pattern, and lighting. You can remodel any room by keeping these fundamentals in mind. Here we look at how to fix common balance issues using wood panels and other design elements.

Do you have a room that seems sterile or a bit harsh? Does it look cold in photographs? This can result from using too many smooth textures or from having only overhead lights. Smooth textures include metals, glass, and anything reflective. A room becomes warmer simply by adding natural wood textures throughout or by adding wall, table, and floor lighting. Wall panels in a clear finish add rough texture and warmth; they

So, you’re ready to take the plunge and do something about your old cabinetry. There comes a time when you can’t live with those beat-up doors any longer. Assuming your cabinets are in good shape, replacing the cabinet doors is a straightforward and cost-effective solution. This is a relatively painless remodeling solution, but there are a few words of wisdom to consider before undertaking the job.

Do hire a pro. If you’re going to buy custom doors, it doesn’t make sense to ruin them by making costly mistakes. Unless you’re very handy, it’s best to let a professional drill for hinges and complete the installation. If you’re not sure who to hire, Angie’s List offers certified data and authentic

Though “sensible” and “splurge” don’t seem like they belong together, when it comes to a kitchen remodel, there is such a thing as shrewd extravagance. At first blush, some elements may seem pricey or excessive, but in reality, will payoff in the long term.

1. Kitchen cabinets – Consumer Reports advises remodelers to “put your money where it counts when it comes to cabinets.” High-quality wood cabinetry is durable and won’t chip like some laminate doors can. Because kitchen cabinets get heavy use, they must be built of strong, thick materials. European style cabinetry will set your kitchen apart from the more basic and common styles on the market.

2. Quartz countertops – This is another area where it doesn’t pay

Sometimes a full-scale kitchen renovation isn’t necessary. Unless your kitchen has no redeeming qualities and is totally falling apart, you may be able to get away with surface changes.

For example, if your kitchen layout makes sense and is perfectly functional, you could opt to keep the cabinets as they are, but update only the kitchen cabinet doors themselves. Choose doors that offer a rich, custom appearance and are made of durable materials. Once you’ve updated the doors, you should also modernize an outdated countertop. It’s inappropriate to have gorgeous wood cabinet doors and an obsolete counter, and is just as out of place to have quartz countertops and 1980s laminate cupboards.

Don’t hold back on the kitchen cabinet door hardware

Yes, you can make your house standout from all the rest on the block, and wall panels will facilitate your plan to achieve a high-end designer look. They are resurging in popularity because they not only hide a world of hurt, they also can be used to hide cables behind them when hung with suspension fittings. Rich wood panels give a room or feature wall a warm yet fascinating vibe. Practical and beautiful, wall panels turn an ordinary wall into an unexpected focal point.

When selecting wall panels, keep in mind these design hints:

1. Order actual panel samples. No matter how true your computer’s color monitor seems, it’s not possible to judge the quality and shading of a wood panel without first previewing it. You can see how the sample works with other features in the room and preview it in under your room’s natural lighting conditions. View the sample

Take a look at any modern home design magazine or website and you are likely to see a huge number of frameless kitchen cabinets in use. They are frequently referred to as “modern” or “European” styles, but they are essentially the same as all other cabinet styles with one major exception – they are devoid of the clunky face frames that appear on standard cabinetry.

Interestingly enough, most frameless kitchen cabinets are actually heavier in weight than standard cabinetry because they are composed of larger boards and rely on precise measurements instead of more flexible sizing. They are a bit more difficult to install than standard cabinetry as well, and are always joined through side panels as opposed to being connected through their hardwood facing.

If they are a bit more difficult to install, why would people select 

A door is a door…right? Not really, and many modern home and apartment dwellers know that the very first impression of their home is made by the doors through which people enter. Now, a lot of people put great thought into the front door and the foyer, but their worries about the statements made by their door selection tends to end right there. This is unfortunate because there is such an enormous array of designer interior doors available, and each can really “set the stage” for the room beyond it.

Just like all other doors, however, designer interior doors will come in a range of sizes and styles, but most will be pre-hung and include molding and jambs in the price of the purchase. This is usually to allow for a perfectly matched appearance more than for ease of installation. Consider the loss of quality if a very modern door