Kitchens on Clearance Blog

How to Renovate Your Kitchen on a Tight Budget

admin — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:30:21 +0000

Everyone loves the thought of renovating their kitchen, of getting rid of all those old cabinets and giving their home a brand new look. Most people put off this dream of renovation because they believe that it will cost them a fortune to revamp their kitchen and get it the way they want it. This is not entirely true. It is quite possible to remodel your kitchen and stick to your predetermined budget.

If you need to renovate your kitchen and are on a tight budget, one of the best ways to reduce the overall cost of your kitchen renovation is by choosing ready to assemble cabinets and doing some of the work yourself. This will ensure that you have plenty of money left in your budget for any other parts of your kitchen that need updating.

Ready to assemble cabinets have come a long way in they past few years. They come in every style imaginable, they are made from solid wood, and they look absolutely gorgeous. You will be able to find everything, from birch and maple to walnut and oak, all in the latest styles. In addition, putting them together and installing them is a rather simple task.

Best of all, you can find great high quality cabinets that are ready to assemble for half the price of those that you would find at a store like Home Depot. In some cases, you can find the cabinets for even less than half the price! Great quality and great price equals a kitchen of your dreams that you can actually afford.

With all the money that you will be saving by getting the ready to assemble cabinets, you will be able to afford other renovations to your kitchen, such as new countertops, new flooring, or maybe even a new sink and faucet.

Custom Kitchen Cabinets vs. Stocked Cabinets - Which Should You Buy?

admin — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:29:25 +0000

So you’ve finally decided to remodel your kitchen, but can’t decide whether to go with custom built or stock cabinets. The first thing you need to consider is your project budget. A large portion of the money allocated for a kitchen renovation will be used for replacing the cabinets, as these are the most expensive part of your kitchen.

Because the cabinets are the most obvious parts of the kitchen decoration, you need to be sure that they will reflect the nature of your kitchen’s style, regardless of whether you buy stock or custom cabinets. However, as cabinets take up such a large portion of a kitchen remodeling budget, stock cabinets are the best choice for those wishing to see their money stretch a little farther and spent on other aspects of the renovation.

Because they’re mass produced, stock cabinets cost a lot less. Custom cabinets require careful and individual care and lots of time to build, so they cost quite a bit more money to produce. The cost jumps from $75-$250 per lineal foot for stock cabinets to $300 to $1200 per lineal foot for custom built cabinets. The quality is often just as good as custom cabinets, as custom cabinets are most often used in kitchens that require unusual configurations.

Stock cabinets also arrive much more quickly. Custom cabinets are built from the ground up and can take as long as four months to complete. They take careful planning to prepare for and lots of patience to wait for. Stock cabinets are built in standard sizes, configurations and finishes and are held in the manufacturer’s or the distributor’s inventory until they are ordered, which allows their shipping time to be cut down considerably. Once ordered by you, delivery and installation can take as little as 24 hours and very rarely exceeds more than two weeks, which seriously lowers the turn around time on a home renovation project.

While stock cabinets may not be the suitable choice for all kitchens, for most they offer functionality, quality and style for a fraction of the price and waiting time.

What Style Cabinet Should I buy

admin — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:28:47 +0000

With all the varied options available in kitchen cabinet designs, the process of choosing the right cabinets for your kitchen can be overwhelming. The cost of new kitchen cabinets makes up a large portion of the budget for a kitchen remodel, so it makes sense to take the time to understand the available alternatives.

Budget
The first step in any construction project is to set a budget; especially in a large project such as a new kitchen, the costs can escalate quickly. Kitchen cabinets typically account for 40 to 50 percent of the total budget. As large as this number may seem, it makes sense when you consider that the cabinets you select will play a major role in your new kitchen and set the style for the whole room.

Cabinet Construction Options
There are three choices in cabinet construction when it comes to kitchen cabinets:
• Stock cabinets, which are the type you will find at most home improvement stores and are manufactured in predetermined sizes;
• Semi-custom cabinets, which are made to order from a cabinet manufacturer and offer more choices than stock cabinets as to sizes, finishes, drawer options, and shelving choices. Semi-custom cabinets are usually pricier than stock cabinets.
• Custom cabinets, which are the most expensive option, can be made in virtually any material or finish and can precisely fit the space in your kitchen.

Cabinet Styles and Materials
Choosing a cabinet style involves thinking about several things, including the style of the rest of your house and current trends. You probably already know if you prefer a contemporary decorating style to a traditional one, but visiting kitchen showrooms can help you to learn about current trends in cabinet styles. When it comes to the choice of materials for the cabinets, you have several options, including wood, laminate, or metal. Wood is the most common material for kitchen cabinets and can be oak, pine, maple, cherry, or other hardwoods. Wood finishes range from light natural to dark stains. In general, the lighter woods and more natural finishes will help to make a smaller kitchen seem larger, especially if the cabinets are similar in color to the walls, ceiling, and floor.

Things to Consider When Choosing A Granite Countertop

admin — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:28:07 +0000

Granite countertops should last you a lifetime so it is very important to make a choice you will be happy with for a long time. You have to be certain that you will love your granite countertops for years to come.
When choosing granite countertops the first thing to know is that granite comes in a kaleidoscope of colors from iridescent pinks to pale, sparkly blues and greens, to dark grays and blacks. The most important thing to consider therefore is the color palette of your kitchen.
You can narrow down your choices by looking only at neutrals and colors that complement your existing color scheme. Look very carefully at the granite you are considering for your countertops. Granites can contain many different colors that can appear different in different lights, so beware of having small flecks of color that clash with the colors of your floors, cabinets and walls.
Another thing to consider is the scale of the granite’s pattern. If you have a big pattern on your wallpaper or your flooring, or very ornate furniture and cabinets, multicolored larger-grained granite might make your kitchen look too busy. A smaller grain with subtle, neutral colors will not clash or compete with other patterns in a kitchen.
If you have wood cabinets, consider the tone of the wood when looking at the tone of the granite. Stick to granite in the same color family as the wood- with pine cabinets look for granite in yellows and browns with golden tints. To complement cherry cabinets, stick to granites with red and pinkish hues.
Think about how much light you get in your kitchen. Those who have dark kitchens may want to reconsider very dark grey and black granite countertops and look for lighter, metallic flecked granites to reflect the light and brighten up the kitchen.
With a light colored floor and walls the dramatic contrast of dark granites will make your granite countertop the prominent feature in your kitchen. If your whole kitchen has a neutral or monochromatic color palette, granite countertops in bright, surprising colors have a very striking effect and will be serve as the focus point of the room.

Things to consider when renovating your kitchen

admin — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:27:21 +0000

Renovating your kitchen is an exciting undertaking, with many aspects to consider. With so many various components available, it’s hard to decide which ones will work best for you. Here are some of the most important things to consider when renovating your kitchen.

Major appliance location - A kitchen should be, above all else, functional. Major appliances should be kept within a distance of seven to eight feet of each other. Cabinetry will need to be designed around these large items for a smooth look and useful design.

Ceiling height - Cabinets are available in various heights. To achieve maximum cabinet space, you’ll want to extend your cabinetry all the way to the ceiling. However, if you like to display items like baskets, vintage tins, or plants, you’ll want to purchase shorter cabinets that can be accented with crown molding and leave space for your collectibles.

Cabinet finish - The finish you select for your cabinetry will set the tone for your entire kitchen. Dark woods promote an intimate and welcoming atmosphere, while light or white wood emit a feeling of openness.

How to maximize the area - By using accessories such as pot & pan rollout trays, drawer dividers, built in spice racks, silverware trays, and lazy susans, you will achieve maximum space in the kitchen.

* Other products are available that will hide things you don’t want seen. Sink tilt trays will disguise unsightly kitchen sponges. Appliance hutches will keep small kitchen appliances, like toasters, can openers, etc. out of view.

Lighting - Task lighting, such as under counter lighting is both functional and decorative. It is easily installed and looks fabulous. Accent lighting that goes above the cabinets offers a soft glow that enhances the look, and feel, of the room, as well.

Which items will be displayed? - Fabulous products are available that will keep specific items safe, while displaying them elegantly in the same finish as your cabinetry. Wine racks, stemware holders, and plate racks look great in the kitchen, while also serving a useful purpose. The use of glass doors is an attractive method of displaying china, or other delicate items.

The benefits of solid wood over particle board cabinets

admin — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 23:44:20 +0000

When choosing kitchen cabinets, it is important to consider many factors. Of course, the factor that most consumers immediately consider is the look of the cabinet: the style of the doors, type of handles, and overall design. While design and style are important, they are not the main thing to consider. In fact, if a consumer hopes to maintain their kitchen for years to come, the structure and material of the cabinets is, by far, the most important thing of all.

In today’s economy, everyone is looking for ways to cut cost, but when it comes to a home, it is better to spend a little extra and add much more to the home’s overall value. When given the choice of two types of materials for their kitchen cabinets, consumers should carefully consider their options before making a decision. In an effort to cut costs, many manufacturers are creating the cabinet box or base from particle board and then using something sturdier for the doors. All solid wood cabinets are more pricy, and, at first glance, the consumer may not see much difference as to the way the cabinet looks, but, no matter how appealing the lower price tag may look, particle board cabinets are definitely a bad choice in the long run.

If one has ever had the unfortunate occasion of placing a cold beverage on a lower end piece of furniture only to watch the condensation ring slowly puff up and expand, then they have seen one of the many ill effects of particle board. Particle board, or press board, is made by pressing and gluing many wood chips together to form a solid surface, leaving the material weak and vulnerable to liquid and pressure. Liquid that leaks onto the surface will seep down between the compressed pieces of wood causing them to expand and take on a bread-like texture that crumbles on contact. Also, since it is many small pieces of wood, the overall strength of the material is lessened, making it unfeasible for heavy countertop materials. Particle board cabinets may look just fine when first installed, but, all it takes is unattended standing water, an accidental collision between a broom handle and the cabinet corner, or heavy countertops applying constant pressure, and soon, the beautiful cabinets will be ruined.

Solid wood cabinets carry the beauty of a natural wood grain, are strong and supportive of any counter top material, even granite, and are sure to stand the test of time. Solid wood will not puff up and swell, and it will not start to crumble on the corners. Just a glance at solid wood pieces over one hundred years old will show that wood maintains its beauty and elegance for many, many years. Though more pricey in the beginning, choosing solid wood over particle board for kitchen cabinets will add both beauty and value to the home.