Frequently Asked Questions

A question I am often asked is “Can you match my existing cabinets?” Maybe you have purchased new appliances and your cabinets need some modifications or maybe you want to add a little more storage by adding cabinets on top of your existing wall cabinets. Maybe you want to increase the size of your island or add cabinets to an unused wall. Whatever your situation, the answer is YES! It is usually possible to match your existing cabinets.

 

            With time, wood, stain and paint age and change color, This presents an opportunity when trying to make a change or add something to an existing cabinet. While it is not impossible to match a cabinet with age, it does require a special touch, time and patience. Have a professional look at it to tell you what is and is not possible. If is turns out not to be very economical to match your existing finish, consider incorporating an accent color on the new parts that are installed. It could be an accent stain or paint color.

           

So before you scrap the entire cabinet and start from scratch, reconsider, knowing that it could be possible to match what you already have.

Spring is Here!

            Spring has officially arrived. Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping and the pollen is falling. This is one of my favorite times of the year. Thankfully, I don’t have allergies so I can enjoy the beauty without all of the side effects.

 

The arrival of spring, warmer weather and longer daylight hours always draws out of me the desire to get organized, clean out the clutter from winter and gain a new bounce in my home’s step. Maybe for you it is as simple as washing the windows and putting an airy, linen runner on your kitchen table. Or maybe you need to go a step further and really organize your refrigerator, pantry or cabinets.

 

One way I have found to really utilize my refrigerator and cabinets best is to install a turntable. You can pick up inexpensive, small, plastic turntables in various sizes at Target. They are great to put in your refrigerator for all of those small items that get lost on the shelf. Simply give it a whirl and you have what you need right in front of you. This small gadget is also helpful in your spice cabinet. Instead of digging through every spice to get to the one you need in the back, turn the turntable till you find the spice you are looking for. If you really want to get fancy, you can alphabetize your spices. This also works great in a bathroom or linen closet for all those medicines and vitamins. For a very small financial investment, you can enjoy a less stressed kitchen or bathroom.

           

Tackle your organization project now before summer and all of its activities get here. After all, you have got to get ready for grilling, pool parties, homemade ice cream, lemonade and fresh strawberries.

Divide and Conquer

            Party platters, cookie sheets, cutting boards, muffin tins, cooling racks, serving dishes. They seem to multiply and they are so hard to store. Do you currently have yours stacked in a cabinet and you brace yourself for falling items whenever you open it? Don’t worry. You are not alone but there is a relatively simple solution if you have the space.

 

            Tray dividers are one of the best utilizers and organizers of space. They can be added in the deep space over your built in oven, a base cabinet with the shelf removed or a pantry cabinet. Why allow those spaces to be cluttered when you could have more order and organization. This is certainly something you could do yourself with minimal tools or experience and any handyman could handle this project without trouble.

 

Typical construction is one quarter inch, half inch or three quarter inch plywood vertical dividers affixed in a deep cabinet. The space between each divider can be customized to fit your needs and space or evenly spaced to allow for more flexibility. We typically allow three to four inches between each divider. Dividers could also be added to a deep drawer to allow you to pull them out and access them from the top, similar to a spice pull out.

           

Enjoy a more organized kitchen!

Pull It Out

            Have you had to virtually crawl into one of your base cabinets recently to access the items in the back? Do you even know what is in the back of your pantry cabinet or base cabinets? Are you afraid to know? A pull out tray or drawer may be just what you need.

 

            Pull out trays or drawers are just like a drawer, but hidden behind a door. These are commonly utilized in a pantry cabinet so you can pull all of the food items out in front of you for viewing. They are also a great fix for base cabinets that store pots and pants, plastic containers, cleaning supplies under the sink and a myriad of other things.

 

Let’s look at a typical cabinet. You have a door with a full or half shelf behind it. To install a pull out tray or drawer, remove the shelf, add blocking on either sides of the opening so that the tray front will clear the hinge when it pulls out, install your drawer slides (while you are at it, go all out for the full extension drawer slide), install your drawer box and enjoy the new found space at the back of your cabinet. In a typical base cabinet, one tray can be installed at the bottom and another one halfway up. If you have lots of little things, install more trays closer together.

           

Enjoy the new found space at the back of your cabinet!

Maxed Out

            Are your cabinets maxed out? It is time to de-clutter and re-organize to be able to start this year out fresh. As you are cleaning out your kitchen, bathroom or living room cabinets, you might wonder if there are things you can do to maximize and utilize your space better. The answer is a resounding yes!

 

Do you have a useless corner cabinet that hides long lost platters and never used appliances in their deep dark recesses? You know, the one cabinet you have to send your child into to get anything out of.  There are solutions! If this cabinet is in a peninsula, consider cutting a door in the backside for ease of access. This is often a great storage area for placemats, napkins and other table related items since the peninsula is often closest to your breakfast table.

 

Another option for this dead corner would be to install a half susan that pivots and pulls out of the corner, allowing you to easily access and store items. For several options and sizes, check out www.revashelf.com This product is also called a blind corner susan. Installation is relatively simple as long as you follow the directions. You will be amazed at how much you can actually store in this space once it is accessible.

 

Never worry, this is not the only solution to maximizing the space in your cabinets. Next time we will explore another possibility. If there is a specific area that you have and you wonder how it could be better utilized, email me at Jessica@thecabinetman.net and let’s see if we can’t find a solution to your problem.

Brass is Back!

            Polished gold, champagne bronze, polished brass, brushed bronze, brushed gold. Call it what you may, but brass is brass and it is back. Maybe you have said to yourself, “I am never having brass again.” For those people who cannot get the traditional polished brass removed from their home fast enough and replaced with stainless steel, chrome or oil rubbed bronze, you might want to think again. Brass is coming back.

 

It may be in the form of brushed bronze cabinet hardware or a polished gold faucet or maybe it is a brushed gold vessel sink. Used in the right way, these items carry with them a very classic, refined look. A brass finished faucet or cabinet hardware piece lends warmth to a space that stainless steel and chrome cannot touch.

 

Now it may be time to go ahead and swap out those 15 year old brass knobs, but before you resign yourself to stainless steel, you can reconsider brass. Not sure if or how you want to use the “new” brass in your home? Take a look around, look at some magazines, stop by a plumbing supply store. You are bound to find some ideas that will work in your home. Moral of the story: Never say never. Because our mom’s always taught us that what goes around, comes around. And that sure rings true with brass.

A New Year

            2011 has started off with a bang! For me the start of a new year is always a time of reflection, goal setting and getting rid of clutter from the previous year.  A time to look back at the previous year and assess what I want to accomplish in the upcoming year.

 

The start of a new year is a great time to take a look around your home and decide if there are some projects you want to tackle or some changes you would like to make. If you are like me, this recent snow storm has given you plenty of time in your home to really look around and see some areas you would like to improve. For me, the list is long or should I say ambitious. Add curtains in my breakfast room, recover a recently purchased antique sofa, find that perfect rug for just inside the front door, decide if I am going to repaint my living room and if so, what color.

 

So grab a cup of coffee or tea and take a real, honest look around your home. Is it time to find new hardware for your vanity? Maybe a new set of towels. Maybe you need to clear off your kitchen counters and start over. Whatever your project may be, big or small, gather your ideas, get estimates for the work if need be, then work it into your plan for an awesome 2011.