planning and a realistic assessment of interest, skill level and the availability of the right tools to complete the work will prove invaluable.
Dealing with awkward spaces You have a small or awkward space in your bathroom or kitchen, or perhaps it is both. What do you do? Leave it to gather dust and quietly fume every time you notice it? Let fly with a stream of invective when the storage you do have refuses to accept another bottle or shampoo or another casserole dish? You could do that or you could accept the challenge of converting that bit of wasted real estate into something you can actually use. Of course, this last suggestion is best. So what next? Stepping back and considering the space itself should come first. Tansley Struthers, a design consultant with Superior Cabinets in Saskatoon, Sask., says to look and see if the proposed change is restricted by any code. For example, in a bathroom there has to be a certain distance around a toilet, she says, a minimum of 15” from any object to the centre of the toilet. It is the same thing with electrical outlets, she continues. You simply cannot cover them up; they have to be moved. Once building code requirements have been satisfied Struthers says the next consideration is to determine what exactly is going to occupy the space. “You definitely need some sort of structure and how it has been put together is important. Depending on what he or she is trying to achieve with their project will be how their material will be determined. If they
are putting anything heavy on it make sure it is actually supported. Some clients will do floating vanities or floating cabinets in entertainment units. They never really think about how much weight is going into those cabinets and how much weight is supported on the wall.” As for the cabinets themselves, whether for kitchen or bathroom, they are always square or rectangular, says Struthers, so if there is an angle to contend with clients will usually lose some space. Further, she continues, walls are never square, even in new houses, so a cabinet may have to be pulled away from a wall to make sure it is being installed square. As for the design of a cabinet intended for an awkward space, Struthers explains that will be decided by what is stored in it. That and the doors to the cabinet if the homeowner wants closed storage. “We can only manufacture square or rectangu-
lar doors, so they will limit you a little bit.” There is also cost to consider. Cabinetry for any space with angles or curves to overcome is going to be more expensive, and Shahan Fancy, corporate sales development manager at Superior, says angles and curves call for a pro. “This is probably where it is always good to consult an expert; even if you do not have the intention of buying their product you can pay them hourly to bounce a few ideas around.” If the space to be filled does not have frustrating angles or curves to overcome, and loadbearing and usage have been allowed for, there is the matter of standard cabinetry itself. As Fancy says, most DIY enthusiasts have to choose from what is available. Filling that small or awkward space will forever be a compromise, it seems. FALL 2015 IDEAS I 15
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