Archive for the ‘Cabinets’ Category

The Evolution of Bathroom Sink Cabinets   no comments

Posted at 3:26 pm in Cabinets

The overall attractiveness of your bathroom can be influenced greatly by the bathroom sink cabinet in the room, and these cabinets serve a useful purpose as well. There are a variety of cabinet styles to choose from, and a number of wood types are suitable for their construction. There may be either a counter top with a drop-in sink, or a sink top included with these built-in cabinets. Bathroom sink cabinets have been in use from the time that modern plumbing was invented.


In their earliest days, bathroom sink cabinets were constructed to hold a vessel sink, and serve as a piece of furniture. Over the vessel sink bowl, a valve or faucet would be located. There were no plumbing lines leading from this bowl, therefore, it had to be emptied manually. A bowl and pitcher sitting on a washstand, was the predecessor to this bathroom sink cabinet.


The bathroom sink cabinet became a built-in feature of the bathroom, with the advent of modern plumbing, which allowed a water supply line, as well as a waste line to be installed. This meant that waste water exited the sink through the new technology of hard plumbing. There are a variety of tops that are appropriate for these bathroom sink cabinets. A drop-in sink could be housed in a top made of granite, laminate, tile, wood, or other material. Another alternative is to top these cabinets with a counter top and sink that are a single unit.


There are quite a few wood choices that will be appropriate for the construction of this cabinet, and your selection may be based on the decor that is already present in the room. It is not necessary to consider the decor throughout the rest of your home when planning your cabinet, as the bathroom can have a feel and look of it’s own. Over the years, oak has been a widely used type of wood for bathroom cabinets. Appealing cabinets can also be constructed of hickory, walnut, ash, maple, pine, elm, and a few additional varieties of wood. You have a number of choices when it comes to the finish that your cabinet will have. Some individuals prefer to leave their cabinets in their natural state, while others will choose a stained finish. The grain of the wood will be enhance when sink cabinets are stained. It is also important to remember that this will be an area that will be wet or moist quite often, therefore, you must prepare for this by applying a protective finish to your bathroom cabinet.


There are many sizes to choose from when purchasing sink cabinetry. The cabinet will generally be between 18 and 21 inches deep. The typical minimum length of a bathroom cabinet is 18 inches, and the requirements of your bathroom may call for a custom made length. It is common for drawers and doors to be basic elements of a bathroom cabinet. With these features, your bathroom toiletries can be stored conveniently. When considering the design of the cabinet doors, it is important to take into account, that the installation of the plumbing and sink will usually involve access through the doors. A more elegant design for the doors may include routered edges and corners, or you may prefer a more straightforward approach by keeping your doors square and plain. Door options include raised or flat panel, or flat and solid. The majority of homes now utilize bathroom sink cabinets.

Other very cool home decor pieces you should check out is a Lion Door Knocker and a Wall Pediment both are great pieces of home decor that will bring you some uniqueness to your homes decor.

Written by Philly Decorator on August 4th, 2010

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RTA Kitchen Cabinets – Quality at an Unbeatable Price   no comments

Posted at 3:38 pm in Cabinets

From a cheap alternative to standard cabinetry options, RTA kitchen cabinets have proven to be more than what they were originally manufactured for. Though these choices remain to cost just a fraction of the price of traditional cabinet units, the benefits that homeowners can get for opting for ready-to-assemble go beyond savings. So if you are another homeowner wanting to spruce up the heart of your home for appeal and functionality but cannot afford to splurge, then this article is for you. If what you are looking for is affordable quality, read on to know how RTA kitchen cabinets can be the best addition you can have in your remodeling project.


A Little Background


When you try to visit old homes or reminisce on the cabinetry that your mom and pop once had, most of them have been handcrafted. But with the advancements in technology and its application came the decline of skilled craftsmen. As prices for materials and labor rocketed, manufacturers were pressured to keep up with the market and the demands. RTA kitchen cabinets were then introduced to the market as a cheap alternative to the traditional. The biggest lure was the elimination of the biggest cost factor and this is labor. But the problem was, they were mass manufactured from low-cost materials.


But with the increase in demand for quality at a reasonable price, a lot of market leaders saw the potential of offering ready-to-assemble units in beautiful solid wood. Now coming in range from the lowest to highest of price as well as quality, this choice has surpassed the hype and became a well-loved remodeling item by homeowners.


RTA Kitchen Cabinets – Defined


As the name suggests, ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets are bought as a set containing all the individual pieces that makes up the doors, drawers, and frame; as well as the hardware that keeps them together and functional accents such as knobs and pulls. Typically, all that is required to finish off the assembly is a single screw driver.


Why RTA Kitchen Cabinets?


So why would any homeowner opt for Ready-To-Assemble kitchen cabinets over traditional cabinetry? Here are the reasons:




  • Lower initial cost
  • A popular DIY project, no labor fee is needed
  • You can choose to opt for the highest quality but still afford the choice. Today, you can choose from a variety of premium all-wood collection with the most popular including Maple, Cherry and Oakwood series.
  • RTA kitchen cabinets come in a very wide range of finishes brandishing the most popular glazes. This makes looking for the right set easier, whatever the current design of your kitchen or your personal style is.
  • The product also comes in different sizes and construction type that will make integrating them into your remodeling project easier.
  • Flat-packed, ready-to-assemble cabinet units are easier to stock and ship. This makes up for a faster shipping time that will not go beyond 2 weeks. The timeframe is a lot shorter compared to ordering standard units that takes around 8 weeks to get to you.

Eugene Makeev uses his skills and expertise to help home owners in Brooklyn, Long Island, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island avoid the common remodeling New York pitfalls by matching their needs with prescreened contractors Manhattan.


Visit us for more on RTA cabinets.

Written by Philly Decorator on August 3rd, 2010

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Painting Kitchen Cabinets – Some Tips on How to Properly Do It   no comments

Posted at 12:05 am in Cabinets

To change the total appearance of your kitchen can be as easy as a laid back weekend. Hence, to do the task of painting kitchen cabinets is not always that daunting as it seems. And besides to paint is a nice way to create a new look for your kitchen furniture in a convenient and affordable manner.


Painted kitchens can really bring a fresh look and aura to anyone’s eyes. Most especially if you would try hand painting it on your own, you can be sure that your kitchen would achieve a warm countryside charm like in the olden days; this is for as long as you make the right paint choices.


Painting kitchen cabinets is also beneficial and helpful if you are in the process of selling your home. It can serve as a wonderful investment to give a new look to an outdated kitchen look. In selling a home, one of the most sought after sections would be the kitchen. Hence, it is important that you consider making it look good to add genuine value to your entire home.


The options when it comes to colors can really go a long way since many paint providers today offer a gamut of color samples that can match the current style of your home. If you are after the classic look, then you can simply go for the elegant cream or simple white color scheme.


Painting kitchen cabinets for a country kitchen look can make good use of the vintage colors like blue, green, or red while the modern look would usually require the modern grays and taupes that are sandy. According to expert designers, the more daring look with a modern touch should go for lower cabinets in dark colors with hints of loud white for the uppers.


You can try to refer to home magazines for suggestions when painting kitchen cabinets. It is highly important that you choose the right paint for the task. You must bear in mind that not all materials that make up the cabinets are a match for any kind of paint. However, with the right set of tools and appropriate application, your kitchen can definitely receive a good sense of a makeover.


To use the right paint for your cabinets would ensure the lasting durability and toughness of your painted finish. You must also do not forget to prep up the surface and apply some primer to its frame to make the paint stay to the material much better.

That is what I can tell you about painting kitchen cabinets, there is more in-depth knowledge at http://thebestkitchens.com.

Written by Philly Decorator on June 22nd, 2010

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Choosing Cabinets For Your Bedroom, Bathroom   no comments

Posted at 1:15 am in Cabinets

Tired of all that clutter in your bathroom? Install a bathroom wall cabinet, they can help you put aside those tubes of toothpaste or hide all that clutter in your bathroom. No longer will shampoo fall over you when you are sitting on the john pondering your deepest thoughts. Bathroom wall cabinets are essential for all baths as they not only hide clutter but also most of them are where the first aid kit is kept. Its kind an unwritten international code and by habit people would go look for bandages and gauzes there. Bathroom cabinets can also add that much needed storage area for you as clutter may easily pile up over time.


These bathroom cabinets can be easily mounted over your sink or toilet, they may have vanity mirrors for you to use when shaving or putting on make-up. Some of them are made from wood or wood veneers or stainless steel. Some bathroom cabinets have 1 or two shelves inside (as the door functions as a mirror) or may be just plain shelves to hold you towels and toilet paper. It all depends on what you need it for and how much space you have available for your bathroom wall cabinet to be mounted on. There are cabinets that come pre assembled and all you have to do is to mount them or some are assembled at home and then mounted on your wall. The directions are generally easy and the tools needed may be provided or are very basic like a screwdriver and a hammer.


Bathroom cabinets vary in size and most designs are more for function than form. Generally, most of these are priced anywhere between $40 to $200 and there are countless designs to choose from. Some are simple in design and can hold up to a few bottles of medicines while some are more intricate and designed for the more luxurious of users. Most bathroom wall cabinets made of hard woods like oak and maple are sturdier and can hold more weight. They are also the more expensive kinds of fixtures.


Whatever the size of your bathroom a bathroom wall cabinet is a must, they organize your personal hygiene materials and make your bath presentable to unexpected guests. Keeping your embarrassing secrets (like tampons or condoms) locked in a safe but easy to access area. Different designs available can cater or suit your style and browsing through the internet will help you find the ones you are looking for at very affordable prices or you can just get an idea of what you want before going down the store and making your purchase there. Extra shelves may also be provided if you ask your retailer if they come with it.

For great resources on bathroom wall cabinets and other home furniture ideas visit our home site.

Written by Philly Decorator on June 20th, 2010

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A Comprehensive Guide to the Best Bedside Cabinets on the Market   no comments

Posted at 11:05 pm in Cabinets

It is not a secret that over the last twenty years or so the home improvement industry has produced many items that now can be personalized to meet your individual needs. While some of the items on the market may be a bit more luxury focused then you need, the move forward towards customization has helped consumers that are looking for bedside cabinets. This is because they can be an integral part of the bedroom that work as a great accent and offer a great solution for storage problems while adding a very convenient way to relax in bed.


The last few years has seen a gentle slide to meet the demand and modern bedroom decors creating bedside cabinets that are more modern and sleek versus traditional and bulky. As a result, while you can still choose from the same wood finishing options such as pine bedside cabinets or oak bedside cabinets, you get the benefit of designs that are more compact and ergonomic making them more enjoyable to use and place within a bedroom. In fact, with the right choice the cabinet can pull together the entire theme of your bedroom adding the multi-purposeful finishing touches.


The best type of bedside cabinets are those that combine the usage that one gets from a nightstand with the storage options that one gets from a dresser. This way, you have an area to place your alarm clock, reading materials, glass of juice or cup of tea, and still have a cabinet that can hold the items that you have nowhere else to place such as a spare blanket of quilt for the nights when the temperature suddenly drops so that you do not have to dig these items out of storage in the dark of the night.


There are also many pine bedside cabinets that offer customizable features such as lights that pop up when you open the drawer, which can be very helpful in the middle of the night if you want your glasses for a quick trip to the restroom. Not only will this save you from stubbing your toe, but it also will save you the half awake struggle to remember where you placed them before bed. Of course, this is just one of the many ways that grabbing a few cabinets can enhance your life.


There are many ways that these wooden items can invoke comfortable warm feelings for you while in your room, such as the way that pine bedside cabinets will enrich a deep accent of a bedroom creating sophistication and class in a few seconds after they are put in place. Since your bedroom should be your place of refuge and sanctuary, you deserve to enjoy the warmth and coziness that having your things next to you in an attractive cabinet can bring.

For help, advice and great bedroom interior design ideas especially regarding bedside cabinets, view our dedicated website.

Written by Philly Decorator on June 1st, 2010

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The Best Ways to Display Your Items in a Curio Cabinet   no comments

Posted at 5:48 pm in Cabinets

Using curio cabinets is simply one of the best ways to show off your curios and establish a center point in your room. These cabinets are specially crafted to hold collectibles, art objects, memorabilia and stuffs that contribute to a common idea. Every curio cabinet, however, will not just do. It is worthwhile that the exact showcase cabinet must be opted cautiously or even custom-made in order for it to be able to emphasize the contents in the best probable way.


Curio cabinets may only have one glass door, a double glass door or no doors, at all. It is suggested, however, that you pick those with doors to avoid dust from your display to set. In addition, if you have kids or pets in your house, think about strapping the glass sides of your curio cabinet with a lock to avoid stuffs from breaking and falling. Apart from these design considerations, you can as well think about getting a curio cabinet with a mirrored back for visual vastness feeling particularly if your living room has limited space. The mirror does not just reveal the light in the room but also helps give an all-around vision of the stuffs showcased in the cabinet. To make cleaning simpler such as dusting and vacuuming, consider setting up casters under the cabinet.


Step 1


Before you put some stuffs into the cabinet, make sure that the shelves were properly cleaned. Get rid of the dirt and dust using a damp cloth. Also take note that the wood shelving must be cleaned every six months with the use of furniture polish. Make use of a moist newspaper to clean every glass doors or mirrors.


Step 2


Show off your stuffs in every shelf in odd numbers. Don’t forget to put your most loved knick knacks or the family’s china in groups of three, five or seven items.


Step 3


Place larger items on a shelf in pairs if they are too large for shelves to accommodate a third item.


Step 4


Put together the items in a straight line or a semi-circular pattern.


Step 5


For collections, display the pieces in accordance to their size, color or production year. Place larger collectibles at the back of smaller ones to make the most of space.


Step 6


Leave plenty room between every piece. Placing lots of things on one shelf will make it look messy, disorganized and untidy.


Step 7


Bring balance to your stuffs by placing the largest pieces in the center bordered by smaller items.


Step 8


Think about giving every collectibles that you don’t have room to show to your friends and family. You might also give these items to your local charity resale shop.


A curio cabinet is a one of the best ways to show off your most loved and most precious possessions. It is typically made of a wood frame and has glass inlays on three, or even all four, sides. Several have glass inlays merely on the door. They can also have a metal frame as an alternative to a wood frame. This will depend on the style you want and these cabinets come in some diverse styles. They are available to match almost every type of decor that you are using to beautify your house.

If you want to learn more about curio cabinets you can go here to Wall Curio Cabinet. Also, here is where you can go for great selections in the very popular Glass Curio Cabinet.

Written by Philly Decorator on April 25th, 2010

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Building Kitchen Cabinets – 5 Woodworking Tools You Will Need   no comments

Posted at 11:09 pm in Cabinets

Building kitchen cabinets can be a very rewarding experience. Once the job is finished and you realize that the beautiful piece that sits in front of you was once a stack of wood can give you quite a sense of accomplishment. Most people do not just jump right into cabinet making without some prior woodworking knowledge…although I have seen a few that did. They may have played around with a saw and hammer before but had no real experience in the area of fine woodworking. If this is the case, here is a list of just some of the major tools you really should have.

1. Table Saw

The most indispensable tool of tools. Do not just buy a cheapy though. It needs to be a fairly heavy-duty model to keep up with some of the work it needs to do. The cheaper models have small tables and are very light-weight. They tend to tip if you are running anything with a little length or weight through them.

2. Planer

This tool is a must if you want to get those smooth and clean edges to your wood. A small portable planer with a 10″ width and a 5″ depth will handle most jobs. These tools are great when it comes to squaring up you wood. You need all of your pieces to be very accurate in dimension or you will have a lot of headaches. The planer takes care of that.

3. Shaper

You can get by without one of these but I feel it is a good choice. A router can do pretty much everything the shaper can do but on a much lighter scale. The shaper gives you a nice solid table and a heavy-duty motor to power through those tougher jobs such as raised panel cabinet doors.

4. Miter Saw

There are plenty of these out on the market. A 10″ miter saw will handle most all of your cuts. Radial arm saws are nice too but the portable miter doesn’t take up as much room and you can move it anywhere. These tools are nice for clean and accurate cross-cuts.

5. Router

The router can do a lot of different jobs. Mainly, you will use it to put a nice finished edge to your piece of work, but you can buy a table for it and use it as a shaper too. There are all kinds of bits with different cutting styles available.They will do just about any kind of shaping project you could ask for.

Of course there are many other indispensable tools that you will need to build you own cabinetry but these are some of the major ones. An orbital sander and biscuit joiner would be much needed as well as a number of clamps and other small but very helpful items. There are a myriad of tools available for the woodworker today, but if you are just starting out these five are the basics that will get you started and on your way.

Curt Levans is a home builder by trade. He renovates older homes also. To see and read more visit http://renovatehome.blogspot.com

Written by Philly Decorator on December 17th, 2009

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New Cabinet Hardware and 5 Other Tips to Update Your Home for Resale   no comments

Posted at 11:05 pm in Cabinets

If you have decided to sell your home and move to another one, you are not alone. It is said that people in the United States choose to trade-in their home for a new one about every seven years. While the task of moving may feel daunting, the first step in the process is ensuring that you get the best sales price possible for your existing home. The good news is that if you follow the simple 5 step process outlined below, it will be a much easier and efficient process for you. Let’s get started!

Step 1 – Declutter, Declutter, and then Declutter More: As Americans we all have an overabundance of “stuff” in our homes. This stuff clogs up our living space and to potential buyers it makes appear smaller. Additionally, while personal stuff is valued and cherished by you and your family; to a potential buyer it makes it harder for them to picture turning your home into their own. When you are preparing to put your home on the market the best thing you can do is to declutter, declutter and then declutter more. Start with a general sweep and then take time to really consider what needs to be in your space and remove anything that is not essential.

Step 2 – Apply Fresh Paint in Neutral Colors: The cheapest thing you can do to improve the look of your living space, other than decluttering which is essentially free, is to apply paint. You should make it a point to paint as many rooms in the home as possible. Additionally, the paint should be neutral colors which can easily be “lived with” while the new buyers decide how they want to ultimately decorate the space.

Step 3 – Create Amazing Curb Appeal: Your potential buyers will form an opinion of your home the minute they drive up to it. This means that you must have great curb appeal to start off on the right foot and encourage them to want to come inside and see the rest of the property. While plants and flowers are important, don’t forget simple things like door hardware. If your home has a nice door but dated door hardware, it is a fairly simple and cost effective thing which you can change. You would be surprised at the change from simply changing the door hardware on the front door. Change internal door hardware as well where it appears dated or is just simply ugly looking.

Step 4 – Change Cabinet Hardware: One cheap and easy way to update bathrooms and kitchens is to change cabinet hardware. If you have sturdy and decent looking cabinetry, try changing out the cabinet hardware for an updated look. Sometimes the simple act of changing cabinet hardware can make a kitchen or bathroom appear to have new cabinets.

Step 5 – Use Quality Kitchen and Bath Accessories: Potential buyers view your home with the idea that when they move into it, their lives will improve in many ways. One way you can add to this feeling is by using quality kitchen and bath accessories. It is said that kitchens and bathrooms sell homes. By taking the time to make sure all of your kitchen and bath accessories appear to be high quality and have mass appeal, you can ensure that it contributes to sell your home.

Minor simple changes in cabinet hardware, door hardware and bathroom accessories contribute in preparing your home for resale. Enhance the appeal of your decor and entice the buyers instantly, by checking out a wide range of home remodeling options at http://www.ckilock.com.

Written by Philly Decorator on December 16th, 2009

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Cabinet Doors – Selecting the Right Hinges   no comments

Posted at 11:01 pm in Cabinets

It is not easy to find the right kind of material for your cabinet doors. You have to choose from metal, plastic, wood and glass. Once you have decided on the material, you also have to take some detailed decisions. Normally, people prefer wood as a material for cabinet doors. In general, you can go for a solid wood or a lighter wood. Before making any decision in this regard, do take into consideration factors like weight and price.

If you are interested in getting cabinets of cherry and oak, make sure that your cabinet door hinges can handle them properly. Although, these solid wood cabinets are good in terms of quality but they are quite costly as compared to other cabinetry choices. If you do not like the feel of bigger cabinet door hinges, you have to look out for different variety of wood.

Plenty of cabinets are made of woods such as particleboard and plywood. There are some people who think that cabinet doors made from particleboard and plywood are not of high quality. This is not true as wood pieces are normally cut to the perfect shape. Furthermore, they are finished and stained too in order to give a classy feel to your cabinetry.

The plywood cabinets are lighter in nature as compared to the thicker, solid wood cabinets. Instead of going for big cherry cabinet doors, you should go for a decorative cabinet door hinges. The best part about decorative cabinet door hinges is that it adds an extra bit of class to your cabinetry.

Talking about particleboard, some people believe that it is not suitable for daily usage as it is not that strong. But this is not the case anymore as particleboard of today are sturdier made from chips of glue and wood. Stronger adhesives are also the reason why particleboard of today is lot stronger as compared to previous years.

Good thing about hinges is that they are normally five to ten times stronger than the job they are expected to do. You should decide on the kind of cabinet door hinge on the basis of your cabinet door quality. Cabinet door are of three types, namely, overlay, lipped and flush. A lipped cabinet door is the one, which has a lip cut around it. On the other hand, flush door rests within the frame of the door. Last but not the least is the overlay door that rests on the frame of the door. In addition, Glass Cabinets Doors is an excellent option.

Lois J. Wright is an expert author who writes for AboutCabinets.net

Written by Philly Decorator on December 15th, 2009

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