The Kitchen Cabinets of Your Dreams on a Budget

Last month, The Boston Globe asked it’s readers a $10,000 question: “Is it possible to gut-renovate a 50-year-old kitchen without spending so much that you’ll never eat again?” To answer it, the article posed this query of an area architect and designer, who offered up his very own kitchen “as a lesson in where to splurge and where to save.”

What advice did this exert serve up? To stay under the $10,000 mark, his plan of attack was simple: to buy ready-to-assemble or pre-assembled kitchen cabinets. That decision set him back just under 15% of his budget, leaving him plenty of room to splurge on appliances and other personalized finishing touches.

The architect was quick to point out that “Expensive doesn’t have to embarrass cheap.” Indeed, assembled and ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets from a leading manufacturer often rival custom designs. Constructed using the latest methods and styles, as well as superior materials, assembled and ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets are an investment you’ll be more than satisfied with for years to come.They also offer some other kitchen remodeling perks:
• You can get started (and finish) more quickly with pre-assembled cabinets.
• You can eliminate manufacturing and home assembly wait times, so you can see your cabinet style, finish and dimensions sooner.
• Assembly is simple using the quick attach fasteners that come with your kitchen cabinets.
• Flat packaging reduces shipping costs and makes transport more convenient.
• A variety of door styles and finish options are always in stock.
• Pre-assembled and ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets make it easier to stay within your remodeling budget.

What was The Boston Globe’s expert’s final word of advice for achieving the kitchen of your dreams on a limited budget? “Trust your instincts but think differently. You know what it is you want. You don’t have to accept the standard out-of-the-box kitchen, when a little creativity can make it seem like so much more.”

That advice rings true even if you opt to go with out-of-the-box pre-assembled cabinets. With so many options to choose from, you can get the look and feel you’re yearning for off the shelf, without breaking the bank. But if you’re the crafty type, you can get even more personalized bang for your buck.

That’s because assembled and ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets are perfect for customization with your preferred finishing touches. Take the architect highlighted in The Boston Globe article. He “made the cabinet moldings himself, using scraps from a [discount warehouse’s] ‘as is’ room at a cost of about $125.” It helped, of course, that he “did most of the work himself, including customizing the cabinets,” but even if you bring in a cabinetry expert to attend to the final details, you’ll still save money on your kitchen cabinets over the long run.

Why not take those savings and run with them? Use them to purchase the stainless steel refrigerator or the two-drawer designer dishwasher you’ve been eying up. Better yet, put them away to cover your heating bill this upcoming winter. Come oil, gas or electric bill time, you’ll thank yourself for selecting affordable assembled or ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets.

www.LKNcabinets.com is a Kitchen and Bath Remodel specialist serving Charlotte and the Lake Norman area of NC

Ready to Assemble Kitchen & Bath Cabinets Affordable in These Tough Economic Times

Let me acquaint you with some of the terminology associated with Kitchen cabinets. RTA stands for ready to assemble, All Wood means either Hardwoods such as Oak, Maple or Cherry, Plywood is also all wood it is just many layers glued together to give you a stable flat surface, Plywoods have veneers on the outside that are either stained or painted to match the rest of the cabinet.

Dovetail is a form of joinery that allows you to attach two pieces of wood together in an interlocking joint.  cams or Clips. these are the devices used to assemble the cabinets, they are pre attached to the parts of an RTA cabinet. Dado is a joint cut into the wood which allows two pieces to join. I don’t mean to bore you but these are all things you will need to know when you purchase your first set of Ready To Assemble kitchen cabinets.

I have been in the Kitchen and bath business for 16 years and have seen all types of cabinetry. Hi-End, Low-End, Custom High end etc… One thing you must all ways remember is that at one point all cabinets are in separate parts.  Ready to Assemble cabinets are built just like all the cabinets you buy pre-assembled from your kitchen dealer or Home center. Even some custom cabinet builders build cabinets out of the same materials. This is what makes RTA cabinets an affordable choice. You assemble them yourself. They are massed produced with only specific colors and styles. the shipping costs less also.

I Hear about some of the horror stories on the Internet about the quality of the RTA cabinets, There will always be product out there that is substandard, there will be factory issues. that is in anything that you buy.  Lets do some math here, Buy a custom or preassembled cabinet with dovetail maple full extension drawers, all plywood construction and all the Moldings that go along with it and than see the cost difference.  You will see a savings of sometimes more than 60%.  What you want is a company that will stand behind your product and take care of any issues that arise when it comes to manufacturing defects, and to remind yourself that I just saved several thousand dollars and does this effect the use or stability of the cabinet. I have assembled hundreds of RTA cabinets with very few issues. I have been impressed by some and not so with others.

I realize that there is some fear out there about having to assemble a bunch of parts and pieces and than installing the cabinets once that is done. You don’t want the money you invested to look like a waist by bad assembly and installation, I wouldn’t want that for you either. Here are some tips.  hire an installer who does this all the time, Get two-three quotes, there are so may ready to assemble cabinets out there most installers have put them together and installed them. You may spend an extra $800-$900 dollars or maybe less, but you will still come out way ahead.

www.LKNcabinets.com is a full service Kitchen and Bath Remodel specialist serving Charlotte and the Lake Norman area

Master Bathroom Remodeling

Imagine your own personal retreat that refreshes you every waking hour, reinvigorates the spirit any time of the day, and distresses with each day’s end… spoiling you and your partner again and again and again. With master bathroom remodeling, imagine no more. With trends tending towards creating a personal and intimate area of pure indulgence many homeowners are tempted to undertake such home improvement. And who wouldn’t? Not only does this afford you your everyday dose of luxury- enhancing the quality of living but also your New York home considerable boost in value. Truly, a master bathroom remodeling project is one great investment whether you are in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island, Queens, or Staten Island.

Irregardless of what is hot or not this year, one thing is for keeps and that is your options gets better and better when it comes to achieving fashionable functionality that provides you the pampering you deserve. What you can do in your master bathroom remodeling is only limited by your creativity and of course, budget. So before you decide on jumping head on into the renovation bandwagon, ensure a sound financial source and flexible budget that is sufficient to help you fulfill your envisioned result.

To make the most out of your master bathroom remodeling, here are ideas guaranteed to make a huge difference in your everyday bathing and personal experience:

1. The ambiance does the trick. Colors play a huge role in setting up the ambiance. To achieve one that is relaxing and soothing, focus on the essentials that greatly contributes to ambiance and these are the walls, flooring and lighting. Other than its time tested durability, natural stone options can add up to the luxury both in look and feel. You can choose to have your walls painted, wallpapered or have both combined to capture an atmosphere of indulgence through rich colors and textures. To be able to manipulate lighting to suit whatever the mood is, dimmers are must-haves. A distressing lighting feature called the chromatherapy would also serve the master bathroom and its masters well.
2. Indulge your senses. Nowadays, many homeowners are creating a luxurious personal retreat out of their own master baths. With more and more delightful products and facilities coming out in the market that specifically caters to buyers yearning for an in-house spa, the realization of this need is made so much easier. Whatever your idea of indulgence is, you can easily integrate this into your master bathroom remodeling project-steam showers, air-jetted tubs, deep-soaking tubs, steam saunas, vertical shower spa, rain jets, whirlpools, and Jacuzzis. Incorporating entertainment has become quite common in modern master bathroom remodeling. And the best thing about this is that year after year, manufacturers are taking the concept of waterproof televisions and sound systems into a higher level.
3. It all boils down to the details. The extras that you add on to your master bathroom remodeling can bring about that touch of utter luxury in your master bathroom remodeling. Radiant floor heating and towel warmers will extend the warmth of the soak or steam shower that you have enjoyed through stepping out into pleasantly warm floor draped in your fluffy towel. If you fancy extravagance then hang an elaborate chandelier over a soaking tub. To jazz up the romance, deep soak underneath the velvety skies dotted with stars through installing skylights. Throw in some scented candles, ornamental plants, art and fresh flowers into the design. Giving attention to details would surely payoff and these are just some of the many ideas you can implement.

www.LKNcabinets.com