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Hardware, the "jewelry" for your kitchen.
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Frameless construction. Frameless
cabinet construction is a European way of
manufacturing cabinets that has become
popular among current homeowners seeking
simple, more contemporary cabinet designs.
Sometimes referred to as “full access” cabinetry,
it offers greater accessibility by eliminating the
face frame. (There is no interior lip or edge
to reach over.) Frameless cabinets require a
thicker box construction for stability. Only “full
overlay” doors can be used and the door hinges
are attached directly to the sides of the cabinet
box. Drawers are also wider and provide more
interior space for storage.
Paint or Stained Finishes. Choosing between
stained or painted cabinets simply comes down
to your personal aesthetic preferences. Many
homeowners prefer the look of natural wood
grain, while others like the more uniform look
available with painted finishes. If you are one of
those couples who just can’t agree, then consider
a compromise by mixing finishes. It is common
to have an island, bar, buffet, shelves, pantry or
decorative pieces such as a hood in a different
finish than the perimeter cabinetry. This means
you could have painted kitchen cabinetry with
a stained island or hood (or vice versa). Don’t
be afraid to mix finishes as it adds to the overall
visual interest of the design.
The durability of the finish depends
on the finish products that are used. Most
manufacturers apply a high-quality protective
coating to both stained and painted cabinetry.
This protects your cabinets from daily wear,
moisture and makes them much easier to clean.
This same protective coating will make it more
difficult to repaint your cabinets down the
road. While the Internet is full of information
about “easy” cabinet repainting, we don’t
recommend it. It takes a tremendous amount of
time, patience, and energy to do the detailed of
sanding, priming, and painting necessary for a
professional finish.
Glass Doors. With
either door style, you
have the option of
adding glass door panels
to add interest to your
kitchen. Decorative
panels can be textured
glass, stained glass or
clear glass. Custom glass
designs are available, too.
Utilizing glass panels will
typically encourage you
to add interior lighting
and glass shelves to
the cabinetry. This will
help to showcase your
display of decorative
items behind the glass
doors. Plan ahead so the
electrician has the required wiring ready for any
lighted glass cabinets you plan to install.
Open Shelving. You’ve probably noticed
many kitchen images with the trending new
look of open shelving. You don’t have to replace
all of your upper cabinets with shelving, but it
is a nice addition (even in a small area) to break
up the monotony of so many wall cabinets.
They can be used for everyday items or for
decorative pieces you want to display. Use them
to showcase your personality with plants, bowls,
cookbooks, pottery and other items to add color
and texture to the space. The shelves themselves
can also be an accent color or material such as
wood, painted blocks, copper or stainless steel.
Open shelving can fit in with any design style.
Adding Functionality. A kitchen designer
can provide many suggestions and options for
special features in new cabinetry. But did you
know that many of these features can be added
to your existing cabinets? So many options can
improve the efficiency of how you work in your
kitchen. Pull-out spice trays, cutlery inserts,
roll-out shelves, trash bins, acrylic trays, rail
storage systems, appliance lifts for mixers,
stemware racks, pots and pan racks and more.
A consultation with our cabinetry specialist,
Megan McIvor can help you determine the best
options for your kitchen update.
Hardware: We consider hardware the
“jewelry” for your kitchen. Spending a bit in
this department with quality pieces and more
unique styles can truly change the look of your
space. As a rule, we prefer to use pulls on drawers
and knobs on doors but those choices may
change depending upon the style of the doors
and drawers. Be sure to check the feel of the
hardware before your purchase. Make sure the
backs of pulls are solid and comfortable in your
hand. They should be easy to grab. Consider
your cabinetry as furniture pieces and have fun
mixing and matching knobs and pulls in the
same collection to make things truly interesting.
While we are discussing hardware, be sure to
consider the door hinges. Newer hinges provide
soft-close features you may want to consider.
Countertops and Tile. On the updating
scale, there is no question that new countertops
can transform
the look of your
kitchen. Numerous
c o u n t e r t o p
materials are
available these
days so you need
to determine which
product is the most
appealing to you.
Granite has
long been the goto
material for
kitchens, but not
everyone likes the
natural patterns it
contains. Granite is
natural stone that
is mined from the
earth in slabs and
then cut and polished. The availability of the
different colors or types of granite depends on
the pricing of the material. Usually “graded” as
Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, etc. the price points are
lowest with Level 1 materials. You will also find
common names associated with some of the
more easily sourced stones such as Uba Tuba,
Tropic Brown, Giallo Ornamental, etc.
Quartz is another material that is gaining
a lot of interest for countertop selections. The
patterns are typically more uniform and less busy
than granite. Consistency between the colors is
also very good. A granite or stone fabricator will
display examples of the countertop options and
explain the pros and cons of each.
When making any countertop selection,
always bring a cabinet door or the paint
swatches you intend to use. Place it together
with the countertop and try to look at everything
under good lighting before you confirm your
selection. If you aren’t doing a large kitchen, ask
about remnants and consider mixing materials
between the kitchen perimeter and the island.
Choosing a countertop invariably leads to
selecting the sink and faucet. Undermount sinks
are typically preferred. However, there are many
variations, sizes and shapes of kitchen sinks.
Sinks may be purchased through the countertop
fabricator or from the plumbing supply store.
Either can provide specifics on materials, styles
and recommend the type that fits your situation.
Faucets, too come in so many styles. Choose
from pull-down sprayer, commercial styles,
single or dual lever, hands-free models and
dozens of finishes. Remember that the faucet
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p.26 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. No. 132