Kitchen Cabinets of Every Color in the Crayon Box
It used to be that kitchen cabinets came in two choices: natural wood or all white. Well, those days of dull, boring kitchen cabinets are a long-lost thing of the past. Today’s finest kitchen cabinet manufacturers are offering the same durable and high-quality wood species homeowners have come to expect but with a colorful twist: finishes in every hue of the rainbow … and then some!
Just ask the Wall Street Journal, which recently ran an article titled “Kitchens by Crayola: Cabinets, Appliances Offer More Ways To Make a Loud Personal Statement.” Therein, instead of naming this season’s hottest kitchen cabinet hue, the author asserted there is none. In fact, today’s color trend is in the eye of the individual kitchen owner.
The article elaborated on this prediction by stating, “This year, more manufacturers are offering dozens and, in some cases, hundreds of vibrant color finishes, (thereby) making for some eye-popping kitchen conversation pieces. The message to consumers is: Make a bold individual statement with color.”
It went on to point out that “According to Becky Spak, senior designer at Sherwin-Williams and a director of the International Color Marketing Group, which selects the palettes manufacturers use to coordinate products throughout the home, people are tired of ‘dirtied down’ colors and (are) open to bringing the eye-popping hues now seen on cars and fashion runways into their homes.”
Fire-engine red, Nordic blue and pumpkin were some of the specific colors cited, but even if you are not the loud, statement-making type, you’ll find much to cheer about when it comes to the current crop of kitchen cabinet color choices.
For example, kitchen cabinet glazes add shimmer and glow to the wood surface with just a subtle touch of color. Available in luscious options like bisque, butter rum, cashmere, vanilla bean, pewter, porcelain, patina, amber, chicory, malt, ginger, wedgewood blue and garnet, they are visually appealing without being too overpowering.
For those who want the full-on color treatment, however, kitchen cabinet manufacturers are not disappointing. Full paint palettes that include such enticing hues as praline, caramel, sunset, cabernet, autumn blush, peppercorn and onyx are also lending vibrant pizzazz to today’s kitchen cabinets.
The Wall Street Journal cautions that such Crayola creativity in the kitchen will cost the homeowner, in some cases dearly. By way of example, it mentions SieMatic. In 2006, this German kitchen cabinet manufacturer “began offering 1,950 color options for its lacquered flat-panel kitchen-cabinet systems, for an extra $5,000.”
Cost-conscious homeowners, however, are beginning to see more and more affordable manufacturers of kitchen cabinets offering up a color full feast of kitchen cabinet finishes. Some of the most renowned online kitchen cabinet retailers, in fact, include a wide array of color finishes in their current crop of kitchen cabinet options.
Move over, Crayola! Leave the crayons to the kiddies and let the adults do some imaginative coloring of their own in the kitchen. In this case, writing on the walls-or the cabinets, as the case may be-is not only allowed, it’s encouraged!
| Visit KraftMaid.com for cabinetry finish color choices for your kitchen remodel.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carmen_Fontana |
www.LKNcabinets.com a Lake Norman Kitchen and Bath Remodeler
What You Should Know About Cabinets
Cabinets are one of the most important aspects of any kitchen. Quality cabinets can increase a the selling value of a home, while poorly constructed ones can detract from not only the value of a home but also the beauty and efficiency of a kitchen. In this article you’ll learn more about the different types of cabinets, as well as what to do if the cabinets in your kitchen are less than ideal.
There are many different types of cabinets, made out of many different types of materials. The most popular material is, of course, wood. The least expensive type of woods that cabinets are sometimes crafted from include choices like poplar, birch and maple. If you go with one of these woods, you will probably want to paint your cabinets. Some homeowners choose to go with designer effects like faux finishing to give lower grades of wood a classic and sophisticated look. A step up from these low grade woods would be choices like oak and pine — durable woods that are fairly affordable.
Looking to spend a bit more for high quality wood? Then you should consider woods such as maple, cherry, or hickory. Which one is best for you depends on your personal preferences and what you feel looks best in your kitchen. Now, if you’re looking for a cabinet material that’s truly spectacular, you could go with expensive choices like mahogany, walnut or ebony. Not only are these woods exotic and attractive, they’re durable and long-lasting.
Just as there are lots of various woods cabinets can be crafted from, there are also various types of cabinetry to suit every price range and preference. Stock cabinetry is the most affordable type of cabinetry, however you won’t have a lot to choose from as far as design is concerned. These types of cabinets are made in large quantities in a factory. The next step up from stock cabinetry is semi-custom cabinetry. While these are also factory made, you are given more choices in the size, material and finish of your cabinets. The third, and most expensive type of cabinets are custom cabinets. Custom cabinets are crafted especially for you and meet your every specification and need from start to finish. This type of cabinetry takes longer to build and costs a lot more than the other two options, but can be worth the time and expense.
Maybe you’re a homeowner who has cabinets that are less than satisfactory. If so, there are two choices available to you. You can have your existing cabinets removed and replaced or you can simply refinish your cabinets. Which option you choose will have a lot to do with your kitchen storage needs and the quality of your cabinets. If your cabinets are crafted from a low-quality wood and you would prefer a higher grade, then replacement is probably your best bet. If your cabinets do not provide you with the storage space you need, this may be another reason to replace. However, if your existing cabinets are made from an acceptable wood and provide you with enough storage, then refinishing, also known as refacing, might be the way to go.
Refinishing your cabinets is something you can hire a contractor to do, or handle yourself. The first step is to remove your cabinet doors and all hardware, then label the inside of each door with a sticky note. The reason for labeling is so that it will be easy to replace your cabinets when you’re done refinishing. After you’ve labeled everything and removed all the hardware, it’s time to remove the finish from the cabinet doors. This can be achieved with a varnish removal product purchased from your local home improvement store. These products can be quite toxic so always be sure to wear proper safety equipment like goggles and gloves. Also, it’s crucial to ventilate the room with plenty of fresh air. If you can, doing the work outdoors is an even safer option.
After the varnish remover has done its job, rinse the wood clean and let it dry. Once dry, sand the cabinets to a smooth finish, then brush away all excess sanding dust. You might want to start with a coarse sandpaper to smooth rough areas and finish with a finer grade for an even finish. After the sanding is complete, you can apply the stain or varnish of your choice. If you use more than one coat, allow each coat to dry before adding another. Make sure the stain is completely dry before touching the cabinets. Once you’re sure the cabinets are fully dry, you can reinstall them in your kitchen. To give them a shiny new look, replace your old hardware with new hardware.
No matter what type of kitchen you have, good cabinetry is a must. Not only can the right cabinets add to the look of the room, they can give you all the space you need for storing your kitchen related items. If you ever sell your home, you can be sure that prospective buyers are going to examine the kitchen cabinets! With that in mind, take a good look at your existing cabinetry. Is it all you think it should be? If not, there are many options available to you. For ideas, check out some books on the subject or flip through some home improvement magazines. Even a leisurely trip to your local home improvement store can be enough to get you thinking about the upgrades you want to make to your cabinets. Whether you do the work yourself or hire someone to do it for you, you’ll find that the end result is definitely worth the time and expense!
| Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Kitchen Cabinets, Cabinets, and Wall Units
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kadence_Buchanan |
Shopping for Kitchen Cabinet Deals
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| Right now it is more important than ever to try to save money on home improvement projects while still adding value to your home. Buying solid wood cabinets is easy if you want to go to your local building center or cabinet store and pay retail price, but if your trying to save some money and still have a great product, you will need to look a little deeper than that store. And the very best way to save money and time, and still get a great product is by shopping online. With all of the scams going around, some people may still be hesitant to purchase products online. However, these days shopping online is safe, easy, and above all it can produce products that you would not normally have access to. For example, buying kitchen cabinets from the other side of the country and still getting a great product at a good price.
First of all, the solid wood kitchen is somewhat of an elusive product. There is not really anything out there (in a reasonable or normal price range) that is made of entirely all solid wood. I am sure if you commisioned a carpenter to make you cabinets, he or she could produce a cabinet made entirely of solid wood — fronts, sides, bottoms, and backs but the cost of that kitchen would probably run in excess of $40,000.00 dollars! (Forty Thousand dollars).So the point is that all kitchen cabinets in today’s market, from the highest end cabinet on down the line to the lower end, is made of part wood and part something else. That “something else” is where you should really pay attention. As stated before the solid wood kitchen cabinet is possible if you realize there are concessions to be made. The first realization is that even the best cabinets are made of solid wood faces (the front of the cabinet) and the sides and backs are made of plywood. This type of product is excellent for your kitchen needs. It gives you the solid wood look and feel, while the sides are strong, durable, and unnoticed as plywood sides. (The good cabinets will have finished sides to hide the plywood and you will not no the difference).So to quickly sum it up: solid woodcabinets are actually solid wood faced cabinets with plywood sides. This product is made in everywhere high end house, so you don’t have to feel like your getting cheated out of quality. Next, as we spoke before, the internet is the best place to find these solid wood cabinets. In fact your on it right now (if your reading this article), so why not do a search for kitchen cabinets. The best styles of kitchen cabinets to look for when your trying to save money and still get quality is the: RTA kitchen cabinet. By doing a Google search or any other search engine when you type in RTA kitchen cabinet you should find a nice variety of your “solid wood kitchen cabinets”. Of course, as we noted before, these cabinets are solid wood faced and paneled wood sided, but ultimately this is your best option for a quality cabinet. Keeping these things in mind will help you easily find a good kitchen cabinet at a reasonable price. Retail shopping for kitchen cabinets is not practical, online shopping is easier and it saves money — on average you will save 35%. (feel free to do the math on that statistic). The savings are there and the quality is too, just remember to stay away from the cheaper cabinets (that contain particle board) and keep focused on the better kitchen cabinets. If you do all of this, you will find great deals online. Your cabinets will never be the “solid wood kitchen cabinets” that you set out for, but along the journey of looking for kitchen cabinets, you will find that the best deals and practicality are in the solid wood faced cabinets with plywood sides. SOURCE: Gary Nealon post on www.amazines.com , founder www.RTAcabinetstore.com
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