Archive for the ‘Cabinets’ Category

Painted Kitchen Cabinets Can Update Your Look

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

You have decided it is finally time to update the look of your kitchen. Perhaps there is nothing that is really wrong with your kitchen cabinets and you just want to change the overall appearance of the kitchen. Painted kitchen cabinets are a great way to update your look in a relatively easy and inexpensive way. You can give your kitchen a new fresh look but still keep a little something in the savings account.


Choosing a paint color, such as white, is a great way to open up the look of your kitchen. White paint can make any room look more open and spacious. If you are plagued with a small, dark kitchen then this might be a great solution. Even for those of you who are blessed with a larger kitchen, white painted kitchen cabinets can even improve the look and feel of a more roomy kitchen. However, not to worry if white cabinets are not really in your kitchen remodeling plans.


There are some other improvements you can do in addition to painting the cabinets. For example, you can replace the counter tops, change out the cabinet doors or even remove them all together. Other less expensive options that will still give your kitchen a refreshing new look are to replace the existing hardware, such as hinges, knobs and handles. More ideas like upgrading sink and faucet fixtures can drastically change and improve the look of your kitchen. Just picture your new looking kitchen complete with freshly painted kitchen cabinets, stainless steel sink and updated cabinet hardware.


The great thing about doing kitchen improvement projects such as these is that they are not too terribly expensive nor are they too complex. This is a great project for a do it yourself kind of homeowner. In most cases, the existing cabinets will just need a good cleaning and sanding to prep them for the painting process. If the existing cabinet finish is in good shape, it is not usually necessary to chemically strip them down prior to painting. However, prepping the existing cabinets to be painted is one of the most important steps, if not the most important. This is the foundation to which you will be applying your paint. You want your painted kitchen cabinets to last longer than they have already lasted. It is important to keep in mind, that any surface painted or not, will chip or ding if it is hit hard enough.


If you are not sure that taking on painting the kitchen cabinets is a good place to start for you, don’t worry. You and your family should plan on looking at these cabinets for a long time to come, so there is no shame in hiring a professional. Even when hiring someone to help, it is often a less expensive alternative compared to staining or installing new cabinets.

Brad Foster writes about kitchen cabinets at http://www.economykitchencabinets.com

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Drawer Pulls – They Are a Key Ingredient in Restoring an Old Dresser

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

You have this old dresser that has been sitting in the corner of your garage collecting dust for years. You have one of two choices when it comes to what you can do with it. A, you can junk it or B, you could restore it and use it in one of the rooms throughout your home. If you decide to go the latter route, good choice and one key element that could make or break its new restored look is the drawer pulls that you purchase for it.

Believe it or not, drawer pulls actually carry a lot of decorative weight and if you put the wrong ones on a dresser or drawer, it could through off the whole look that you are trying to achieve. So, it is a must to get ones that match the style of things. Take your kitchen for example, maybe your theme in the kitchen is one that is more on the traditional side, simple yet very pleasing to the eye. In this kind of space then, you go with drawer pulls that have that same look and feel, to make the space cohesive. You wouldn’t go with some that is ornamental and in your face because it would clash with the traditional cabinetry, making everything look downright shabby.

Okay, so now that you understand the importance of drawer pulls, you can get to planning what kind of look you want your restored dresser to have. Like, maybe you want it to be more on the antique side, painted white with elegant floral accents. Or, maybe you want it to have a more modern feel to it, featuring a symmetrical look that is very clean and sleek.

Whatever you decide, remember to get drawer pulls that complement the new appearance of the dresser and there are actually a lot of options to choose from with this fixture, which makes doing that pretty easy. For example, with that antique styled dresser, a great option for it would be to get ones that are made from ceramic that are also painted white and you would probably be able to find ones that have the same type of floral theme. For the modern looking dresser, a great options would be ones that also have a sleek appearance and are crafted from stainless steel that feature a brushed finish.

The choices with drawer pulls don’t stop with just those two options either because they can also feature other styles while being crafted from other materials and having different finishes applied to them as well. One quick and easy way to check out the choices is by just going online and browsing the different sites and their products. When you find something you want, you can buy it too and what’s great is that it will be shipped right to you, so you don’t even have to leave your home to get what you want.

So, don’t junk that old dresser of yours and restore it instead. Use drawer pulls to finish off its look and place it in any room throughout your home for some more storage space.

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of different niche online stores that offer customers not only products, but information relating to furnishing and decorating indoor and outdoor living spaces. Whether you want to redecorate your living room or create the ultimate outdoor environment perfect for entertaining, there is a lot of helpful advice to take advantage of to make it happen. Today, she shares her insight when investing in grand cabinet hardware and eye catching knobs. Invest in them today to enjoy them for a lifetime.

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Installing Kitchen Cabinets – To the Ceiling Or Leave a Space?

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

Should you install kitchen cabinets right to the ceiling or leave a space? This is a common question that most homeowners struggle with. There is no right or wrong answer to the question, but there are some challenges and design features to consider

1) The height of your ceilings- ceiling height will not only have an impact on whether you will have enough room to leave a space above your cabinets, but it will also impact the size cabinets you can use. With 30″ wall cabinets, if you use the industry standard of 19 1/2″ between your base and wall cabinets, you will need a minimum of 84″ in height, and with 42″ cabinets you will need a minimum of 96″… if you planning on installing crown moulding or leaving a space, that will have an impact on the size of the cabinets that you can use and whether you will have to install them to the ceiling or leave a space

2) Contour of the ceiling- one of the biggest misconceptions is that your ceiling is completely level. Even in new construction the ceiling, just like the floor, will have some variances in height (the better the builder, the more accurate they will be). While it may not be obvious when just looking at your ceiling, trying to install cabinets right up the ceiling can reveal some significant high and low spots. Since your cabinets should always be level, regardless of the ceiling conditions, you will want to accurately note all of the high and low spots before deciding how you are going to install the kitchen cabinets. This is one of the reasons that most people leave some empty space above the cabinets or use crown moulding. The crown moulding can help hide all the imperfections in the ceiling.

3) Crown Moulding and Trim- As I mentioned before, it may be necessary to use crown or trim above your kitchen cabinets to help hide any variances. Even if your ceilings are level, it is quite common for people to use crown moulding or trim at the top of the cabinets to add some architectural detail to the kitchen. Depending on whether the crown moulding has to be attached to the top of the cabinets or to the face frame, it will have an impact on what level you can install your cabinets at.

4) The style of your kitchen cabinets- with European-style cabinets and some of the newer trends on the market, the kitchen cabinets have a full overlay door, which means there is little or no room between the door and the top of the cabinet. Because of this, it make it difficult to install the wall cabinets right up to the ceiling.

So before shopping for kitchen cabinets, it is important to consider the look that you are going for, the style of cabinets that you are going to buy, and the condition of the space you will be installing them in.

I have been able to save thousands of dollars on kitchen cabinets and now I am showing others how to do the same. Find out the source that contractors and builders use to supply kitchen cabinets for their projects. If you are interested in finding out my secrets, click on one of the links.

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Cabinet Hinges – No Cabinet Refurbishing Project is Complete Without Them

Friday, January 29th, 2010

Your kitchen cabinets, they could use a little updating. So, you’ve decided to refurbish them and go the whole nine yards. You take them apart, sand them down, stain them, wait for them to dry, and now it’s time to put them back up again. But wait one minute, did you buy new cabinet hinges for them?

If the answer was no, then what was the point of going through all that trouble to revamp their look in the first place? Like, what if the two looks don’t match, then where would you be? So, if you are going to take to refurbish your space, then you need to put the finishing touch on those newly styled cabinets of yours with new cabinet hinges. With all the choices, doing that is pretty easy.

That’s right, there are a lot of choices when it comes to lovely cabinet hinges and the reason being is because they are crafted out of all sorts of metals while being styled and finished in a number of eye-catching ways. For instance, you can get ones that have a bold modern style to them crafted from stainless steel that feature a brushed pewter finish. Or, you can get ones that are on the antique side of the style grid with a lovely ornamental appearance made from brass that are finished in an antique rubbed color. Another antique option is those made from wrought iron that is finished in a black color with detailed pointing ends.

Now, these aren’t the only material, finish, and style options when it comes to cabinet hinges because there are many others as well. Some of the other materials out there include bronze and regular steel while other finishes offered include oil rubbed and polished. You can also get ones that are made from porcelain or ceramic that has hand painted designs on them. A few of the other style choices include country, cottage, colonial, and traditional.

In addition to all the style choices, you can also get cabinet hinges of different types. There are those of the butterfly variety, some that are concealed, others that are semi-concealed, some that are known as piano options, and there are even butt options and many, many more. To check out the difference between them all, the thing to do is to hit the Internet to do your research. In a matter of minutes, you can find out exactly what ones you can get for your space without having to make a trip to the hardware store.

And, once you find which ones you want, the Internet is also a great place to get your shopping done as well. Just by the glide and click of the computer mouse you can purchase the cabinet hinges that you’re looking for in no time. And, they will be shipped right to your home. Now that is pretty convenient.

So, if you’re revamping the look of your kitchen cabinets, make sure that installing new cabinet hinges is on your list of things to do. Otherwise, if you don’t, things might look a little mismatched, ruining all of your hard work.

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops like http://www.simplyhinges.com that offer both items and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space. Whether it’s your living, bedroom, or even your deck or patio, there are many tips you can use to make those spots both functional and beautiful. Today, she offers advice on how to create a fabulous living area by using hardworking door hinges for all your cabinets.

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Cabinet Hardware – A Nice Way To Refresh The Look Of Your Cabinetry

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

You might think that the only way to revamp the look of your kitchen is by taking on a huge remodeling project. Sure, they get the job done, but they’re a pretty expensive undertaking. Now, there is actually a way for you to refresh the look of your space without spending a lot of money. What you can do instead is purchase some new cabinet hardware for your cabinetry.

That’s right, new cabinet hardware is a fantastic way to refresh the appearance of your cabinetry. The reason being is that this hardware has taken on a very decorative appearance over the years and now there are many eye-catching options thanks to all the material and finishes that are available. For example, there are some made from all sorts of metals like brass, bronze, stainless steel, iron, and even wrought iron. Porcelain and ceramic is also used to make it along with wood, glass, and crystal. A few of the finishes available include polished and burnished for the metal, hand painted colors on the porcelain and ceramic, and the wood is usually stained while the glass and crystal can be left plain or have colors infused in them.

What is so great about the material and finishing choices is that they create cabinet hardware in all types of styles and designs. Like there are modern ones that feature sleek, symmetrical lines, traditional options that have a simple appearance, and antique options that feature elegant finishes or looping designs and scrollwork. A few other style options include those that have a colonial feel to them, others that are contemporary, and some that even combine styles creating some selections that are extremely interesting.

If you have decided that this is how you want to improve the look of your space, make sure to get all the hardware that you need from the get go. This includes purchasing cabinet knobs, drawer pulls, cabinet hinges, drawer slides, and cabinet catches if you don’t have self closing cabinets. Why is this so significant, well, if you just get one new hardware piece and not all of them, your cabinetry will end up having a strange, mismatched appearance to it. So, instead of changing up its appearance for the better, you’ll end up making it look worse. Therefore, get everything from the start to avoid that from happening.

To check out the cabinet hardware that you can purchase for your cabinets, don’t make the mistake of driving down to your local hardware store. It takes a lot of time out of your day to just make the trip, instead what you can do is go online and do your comparison shopping there. You can easily browse the different options, plus, when you come across something you like it is generally at the best prices possible.

With cabinet hardware, you just get an awesome way to spruce up the look of the cabinetry in your kitchen, even bathroom, or basically any of the cabinetry in any room in your home. Purchase some stylish new ones today so you can enjoy the improved look of your space tomorrow and many years to come.

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of different niche online stores that offer wonderful specialty items for both your indoor and outdoor space. Here, she offers advice on how to make your home more appealing to the eye with beautiful cabinet hardware, lavish cabinet knobs, and elegant drawer pulls.

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Cabinet Hinge – The Underappreciated Essential

Friday, November 6th, 2009

It’s a world with all work and no appreciation for the cabinet hinge. Day after day it’s expected to stay in the same place and tirelessly open and close a door. It’s not a completely lonely world, as the cabinet hinge is usually rather close to another hinge, but they always have to keep their distance and can never get close.

There’s no love for them when things go right, but there is anger and resentment when things go wrong. You expect it to open perfectly, day after day, no creaking, no sticking. In return what do you give it? Nothing, unless you consider your children using it as a way to swing in a circle, causing more strain.

When the hinge makes those squeaking noises or sticks, you don’t wonder what’s causing it to have a problem, you just blame it for the lack of cooperation. But it’s time to realize, you are the one at fault. You have caused the hinge to have to cry out in pain or shuffle it’s feet opening the door, because you didn’t give it the love it needs.

It’s time you stopped the tyranny over the cabinet hinge and became a more giving hinge owner.

You may be wondering what will cause this relationship to be more cooperative? The answer is simple. Lubrication. Your hinge doesn’t really want a lot. Just a little bit of oil tossed its way from time to time will generally do the trick. Think of all the dirt, dust, water, grime, and other things that are getting stuck in a kitchen. The oil will help it be able to more easily push those irritants away and continue it’s job.

Periodically, your cabinet hinge is going to need a little more attention. It could be from the kids swinging on it, or from you pulling a little harder than you should have, but whatever the reason, the hinge may come a bit loose from the cabinet. That will make it feel wobbly in your hand and could lead to the door opening on it’s own or just acting a little differently than it is supposed to. The remedy for this ailment, pull out a screwdriver. Often the screws have just come out a little bit and need to be tightened.

If this condition has been left untreated for too long, you may have a bigger problem on your hands and have to do minor surgery on the cabinet door. If the screw hole has been stripped, you may have to fill that hole with a piece of dowel, and wood glue, and once dry, re-drill a hole where your hinge can hang comfortably.

A relationship is only as good as what you put into it. While your cabinet hinge is willing to give 100% to you, in order to always get that 100%, you need to be willing to do your part and give back to the relationship.

As the owner of many online sites, author Jennifer Akre, shares her insight on how to make your indoor living space more usable with charming cabinet hinges, decorative door hinges and concealed hinges.

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Cabinet Knobs or Pulls – Choose Them Wisely

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

There are so many decisions to make when you are purchasing new cabinets or refurbishing old ones. In addition to picking the amount of storage space you need, you also have to choose the wood colors and styles. And don’t forget about one of the hardest decisions some people have to make, whether to have cabinet knobs or pulls on those cabinet doors.

This is really the first part of a long line of decisions in your cabinet hardware. Cabinet knobs and pulls all generally do the same thing, but depending on how you want them to be able to open one may work better than the other.

Cabinet knobs are pretty traditional when it comes to the doors of your cabinetry. If you are purchasing ready-made cabinets with pre-installed hardware, chances are you will be getting cabinet knobs as part of that deal. Cabinet knobs are those rounded pieces that you pull on to open a door. They generally are attached with only one screw or bolt.

Cabinet pulls, on the other hand, are usually C-shaped bars where the two edges of the ‘C’ attach to the cabinet. In order to use these, you would slip your hand, or at least a few fingers, into the ‘C’ and use that leverage to pull the door open. Instead of just using one hole in the doors, these do use two screws and take up more space on the face of your cabinet door.

Just knowing what they are may not be enough to help you decide between cabinet knobs and doors, so let’s look at a few pros and cons of them.

If you are doing this project yourself and have doors without any pre-drilled places for cabinet knobs or pulls, you really have a clean canvas to work with. But you also have to keep in mind that you have to drill all the holes needed for the cabinet hardware. If you have a lot of cabinets that means marking and drilling a lot of holes. In this case, you may be drawn towards cabinet knobs since they only require one hole each.

If there are older people in the home, or those with arthritis or other motor weaknesses in their hands, cabinet knobs may be a painful proposition. The use of cabinet knobs requires the bending of fingers around the knobs to pull them open. This is not always easy with limited motor skills in the fingers. Cabinet pulls on the other hand are much more convenient as you can slip a few fingers or a hand into the pull and use the whole arm to pull the door open.

If the look is more important to you, you will likely end up choosing cabinet knobs as there are many more decorative cabinet knobs on the market than there are pulls. Pulls are not as easy to dress up, while knobs can be created in various shapes, sizes and even decorated with images that go with your decor.

As the owner of many online sites, author Jennifer Akre, shares her insight on how to bring your indoor living space to life with sleek cabinet hardware, charming cabinet knobs and daring drawer pulls.

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