Design Ideas for Small Kitchens
If you don’t like your kitchen you are not going to want to spend time in it. Open kitchens are popular and help homes sell faster.
So what do you do when your number one complaint is that your kitchen feels closed?
LKN cabinets is prepared to tackle this problem in several common ways. We have pictures available showing Before and Afters of past kitchen remodeling jobs we have done around Lake Norman. Projects fall in two 2 categories:
1. Elimination of walls. This requires often drywall and framing to take place off non-load bearing walls. From openings to complete removal this will be the common choice to “open” the kitchen.
2. Removal of overhead cabinets. Many older homes have overhead cabinets above a bar area. These can be removed and the ceiling repaired. From this point new cabinets can be put in that often include glass mullion doors to give a more open feel. Mirrors can also be used as a design tactic for “openess”.
Both scenarios require drywall repair/install which is one of the many services LKN cabinets manages for its clients as a fully licensed and insured general contractor.
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What You Need to Know Before Buying Kitchen Cabinets
Your home is a representation of you, and in it you have probably spent thousands of man hours and thousands of dollars to make it the home that you always wanted. Many people focus on their bedrooms and basements before turning their eye to the kitchen, but when the inevitable comes it is almost certainly a home-changing event. The kitchen, as you can imagine, is the most popular room in your home. Yes, the kitchen and the main bathroom are the two rooms that will be the most trafficked. Your kitchen, of course, will be used by all members of the household, and the bathroom will be as well. These two rooms should be the two that look the best, even if it’s just for appearances sake.
When it comes down to choosing kitchen cabinets that suit your needs there are a few things that you should know beforehand:
1. Ensure that proper support is in place
Different materials and types of wood have different weights, so it is important that you verify (or have your contractor verify) that the new cabinets can be installed without error. The last thing that you want to see is your brand new kitchen cabinets suddenly becoming dislodged for seemingly no reason.
The area that they are going to be installed should have appropriate amounts of supporting materials in and behind the wall, and everything should be quite snug and strong.
2. Have an overall vision in mind
Chances are that you may be buying your cabinets before you have finished the countertops, paint, floors, etc. It’s important to have an overall idea of what you are trying to achieve, as any one piece may look out of place until you’ve made the whole
3. Durability is an important factor
When you are choosing your kitchen cabinets you should base that decision on a few things: value, price, aesthetics, function, and durability. Kitchen cabinets are a rather expensive addition to your home, and you want to know that the $10,000 or more that you’ve just spent on cabinets will last you more than a couple of years.
Look for cabinets that are well made, treated in advance to avoid warping, and are coated to prevent damage from small amounts of water or other liquids. The cabinet doors should be relatively solid and stable, and the hinges should also be well made.
Knowledge is power, so be sure to research before you jump into a decision-making process. Learn as much as you can about the cabinets that you are considering before you put any money down, and definitely check on the history of the contractors who will be installing them as well as the company that will be supplying them.
SOURCE: www.elegantcab.com
4 Secrets to Buying Cheap Kitchen Cabinets
1. Go Independent
The best way to get cheap kitchen cabinets is to choose an independent cabinet store that doesn’t merely carry brand names. Do you want to pay brand name prices for the same cabinet? Chances are, many independent cabinet stores are can get you a great price, sometimes as little as 20% the price of Kraftsmaid or Mill’s Pride cabinets. You can, many times, haggle at these stores and get close to their wholesale price, so definitely try to get a better deal.
2. Know Your Quality
The main thing to look for is the cabinet box. Although particle board is seen in many home improvement stores,100% wood cabinets ie plywood sides should be preferred. Avoid any cabinet using MDF, a type of compressed wood backing for the cabinets, since these can sag after a while especially when getting wet. LKN cabinets offers many choices of cabinets that are all wood with no particleboard or MDF used.
Some cabinets come from China, but the wood is still top quality because it’s gathered from their respective countries and is shipped to China for manufacturing. Many of these cabinet factories keep up-to-date on the latest innovations by top manufacturers, such as soft-close or fully extend-able drawers. Be sure to check them out and see what things they use, such as their new hinges or dove tails. LKN cabinets is proud to have 2 lines of such cabinets for heavily discounted prices.
3. Ask for a Discount
Discount kitchen cabinets are usually shipped in containers and require assembly. LKN Cabinets will assemble them before we sell or install them, but if clients were to want to assemble themselves they may. An experienced contractor is need to hang or install the cabinets at that point.
4. Find These Stores
Look at the classifieds, the Yellow Pages, or a local advertising paper..
If you aren’t sure of the kitchen you want, always feel free to contact us at LKN cabinets (704)232-5169.
SOURCE: www.elegantcab.com
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