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Furniture

2011-10-24 14:23:40

Buying new cabinets – series - part 1

Q: I need new kitchen cabinets (or bathroom, wet bar or office cabinets...) – how do I start the process?

A: There are several things you should consider in this process. I am assuming that you will be purchasing factory-made cabinets and not built-on-site cabinets. There are pros and cons for both methods, but I believe that factory-made cabinets are far more effective overall, and they are the most prevalent. I also assume that you will have a designer create your new cabinet layout. For new construction that has not been started, some of the considerations will be different than if this is to be a remodel project. In either case, the physical dimensions and shapes of the kitchen space and your budget will determine what is possible. A good cabinet designer takes all of your requirements and decides the best possible design solution. They should be able to show you examples from possible kitchens and ask your preference, details and features. Factors such as your height, if you are left or right handed, size of your family, how you like your cookware and spices arranged and what side of the sink you would like the dishwasher placed, etc. should all be considered in the design. This is your kitchen, it needs to accommodate you! The following are examples of information that a designer will use in order to achieve the best possible results. Accurate room dimensions: Besides the lengths of walls, the ceiling height(s) and widths and dimensions of windows, doors and trim are needed to create the design. If your project is new construction, the design will most likely be done using the floor plans. Many floor plans only show rough sizes for windows and doors. It is important to know what the dimensions of the trims will be in order to prevent interferences with cabinets, cabinet trim and countertops. Many floor plans do not indicate ceiling heights. Framing plans may not show a room’s internal dimensions, and the wall thicknesses may not include drywall. If this is the case, find out how thick the drywall will be (usually 1/2”) and provide the designer with a true scale plan (many copied plans loose scale accuracy). Most plans are to 1/4” scale, making it 1/16” on the plan is 3” in the real world. The designer needs to be accurate within a fraction of an inch. Designers need to have enough information to be able to create a physical room. It is highly recommended not to order cabinets until your home’s framing is done.With a remodel project, blueprints may not be available, but even if they are, dimensions need to be verified. A crude not-to-scale floor plan sketch with accurate dimensions works just fine. Also, include plumbing and appliance locations unless you are planning to re-do plumbing and wiring to improve your layout. If you are not comfortable measuring and making your own sketch, some designers and cabinet installers could measure for you, usually for a fee. Accuracy is everything. List of appliances and sink size(s): Appliances, like refrigerators, cook tops, ranges and wall ovens come in a variety of sizes. The design must accommodate appliances and any clearances needed for them to function properly. Many refrigerators will have issues if placed too close to a corner (the doors won’t open far enough to allow bins to pull out). Wall ovens and cook tops have different requirements than range ovens. Sinks come in a various sizes and also effect the size of the cabinet. They also come in different styles like farmhouse or apron front, which require a different style of cabinet than a drop-in or undercount sink. Let the designer know if you want a second prep sink area. Obstacles: The designer needs to know the dimensions of any beams or soffits along the ceiling, chimneys or pipe chases on walls or changes in floor levels. Also, make note of any ceiling fan locations and their blade diameter. Pictures and samples: Collect pictures of kitchens you like or features you would like in your kitchen. Cabinet brochures show lots of great pictures and ideas, collect brochures from different places and look at displays. When examining displays, look for differences in the quality of cabinets and details. If you are remodeling your kitchen, bring photos of your existing kitchen. If you are trying to color match an existing paint or wood species and stain, bring a sample of something in that color or a piece of the stained wood. When do you need the cabinets? On average it takes four weeks to receive your cabinets, but they could take as long as eight weeks or more depending on the manufacturer, specialty finishes, custom details or major holidays (many factories close for a week around Thanksgiving and Christmas). On new construction project, you will want to coordinate the timing of the delivery with the home’s build schedule. When starting the process for developing cabinets, gathering accurate dimensions of the room is the most vital step. Everything else follows. There are a wide range of options to cover styles, prices and features desired. Working with a good designer who is open to your needs and budget will also go a long way towards making this a fun experience rather than a stressful one. In Part Two of this series, we will answer questions that will arise once you look at different cabinets and gather brochures. Questions answered include: types of cabinets, woods and pricing and quality of cabinets.