Page 10 Perpsective March 26 Cyan Magenta Yellow Black 10, Saturday | March 26, 2011, Bangor Daily News PERSPECTIVE 2011 HOME IMPROVEMENT
Stylish Kitchen Cabinetry Can Solve Space Storage Issues ■ BY ARA
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ne of the beauties of custom cabinetry is the ability to create the look you want with the storage solutions you need. Consumers remodeling or building a kitchen crave the ability to maximize space options. Not all kitchen cabinetry allows for solutions that are personalized to your special requirements. “Customers want to use every inch of space efficiently, and that is why interesting and functional custom cabinetry storage solutions, i.e., drawers, underneath the sink cabinets, islands and pantries, are some of the most requested details from custom cabinetry clients today,” notes Vince Achey, vice president of sales and marketing for Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry. The classic challenge of how to organize the “under the sink” area is often left unattended in stock cabinetry options. Working with custom cabinetry offers a myriad of options, including built-in pull-out drawers and stainless steel caddies compartmentalized to organize cleaning supplies, cleaning gloves, and sponges. The stainless fixtures are even offered in a new soft, champagne powder-coated finish for a more sophisticated look. Then there is that awkward space next to the stove that sometimes ends up being a faux cabinet or filler strip. When buying custom cabinetry, this space can easily be converted to house serving trays and baking sheets. The location is perfect for accessibility and in a custom kitchen can be elegantly hidden behind beautiful pilaster detailing. Central kitchen islands not only become the focal point for most fabulous custom kitchens, but a superb place for functional storage. Islands offer the opportunity to create storage options on all four sides, maximizing what is often a substantial
Updates Continued from Page 9 substances, apply cabinet cleaner such as Liquid Gold to a cloth and buff cabinets until they shine. Replacing old handles and hardware on your cabinets with a new stylish design and finish to match your new faucet will add the final polished look to your
furniture piece. Shelves can be built in for cookbook library storage, with room for a row of long narrow drawers next to them for cutlery, cooking tools, and linens. Some of the bottom drawers may be deeper to house gadgets, pots or pans and custom cabinetry typically have self-closing, heavy-duty drawer hardware to handle heavier items. For smaller, awkwardly sized items, custom cabinetry drawers are scaled to hold aluminum foil and kitchen wrap boxes, pot holders, and slim-jim cooking and baking tools. Drawers can be customized with dividers of wood or stainless steel and can even be fitted with a vertical drop-in knife block. Add in apothecary drawers for better organizing of rubber bands, scissors, trussing twine, and other small but necessary cooking paraphernalia, and you have a truly customized storage program. Let’s not forget about food storage! Pull-out drawers inside cabinet doors of the pantry can be the perfect hideaway for a hot sauce collection utilizing tilted, layered tiers for holding your precious bottle collection at an angle for maximum capacity. A spice drawer directly above keeps ingredients for your favorite recipes together and in one place, but displayed simply so that finding things is a cinch. “Custom cabinetry is the only way to go to utilize every inch of space in your kitchen and make storage easy, convenient, and accessible as well as beautiful. A well-designed kitchen space has plenty of storage choices and when it is custom, the options are endless,” states Achey. “We know our customer has specific storage needs and we try to accommodate them in every way possible, with designs that are smart and functional,” Achey says. No matter what your dream kitchen looks like, functional, customized storage solutions will make all the difference.
kitchen. Time: Two to five hours depending on the number of cabinets.
Advance the technology Don’t limit your technology to your phone and your TV; transform your kitchen with innovative appliances. Whether it’s a microwave that fits in a drawer, a refrigerator
with a TV, an oven that you can program, or a customized wine and beverage cooler, adding new upscale appliances can take enjoyment in your kitchen to a whole new level. However, if these high-end appliances are out of your budget, upgrade your current appliances with new energy-efficient models in the latest finishes. Time: Two hours shopping plus waiting on deliveries.
ARA Photo
When remodeling a kitchen, utilize beautiful cabinetry that solves existing space-storage problems.
NEWS Photo by Brian Swartz
Homeowners talk with a Qualey Granite & Quartz representative during a Bangor Home Show, held each spring at the Bangor Auditorium and Bangor Civic Center. Qualey Granite & Quartz will be at the show scheduled for April 15-17, 2011.