The four drawer bank consists of all slab style drawer fronts in this Shaker-influenced kitchen

“Large Shaker style drawer fronts: Should they be slab style or resemble a door with stiles and rails?”

If you are interested in coming as close as you can to an authentic Shaker design, then stay with the slab style drawer fronts. However, the wonderful thing about design is that it is all about you! If you prefer the look (and many, many clients do) then by all means, have your drawer fronts made with stiles (those are the vertical pieces), rails (the horizontal) and panel. And speaking of panels: Depending upon the size of the drawer front, you might prefer a raised panel in the frame, instead of a flat panel.

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An old adage to think about as you pull your kitchen layout together:

“Build the cabinets to fit the cook, the shelves to fit the supplies and
the kitchen to fit the family.”

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Careful measuring will result in great fitting cabinetry!

“I’m measuring to see how much room I’ve got so I can design my layout. How close should I measure to the door and window casings?”

You  can measure tight up to the casings, but it doesn’t mean that you have to use every fraction of an inch. (Though you can if need be!) You will at least know how much space is available. However! Bear in mind that if you intend to change your casings, get the measurement of the new casing so that you can take that into account.

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Can't fit the microwave near the oven area? Look to the fridge!

“I’ve tried many different arrangements, but just not happy where my microwave ends up!”

While the most common arrangement involves placing your microwave near the oven area, sometimes things just don’t fit the way you’d like. Here’s an option to consider: Microwaves do extensive duty re-heating leftovers, thawing frozen food, etc., so explore the area near your refrigerator for placement.

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Soft, low-contrast color scheme helps create the illusion of more space

“My layout for my bathroom is not a huge space. Should the color of my cabinets blend with the wall color, so that the room will appear larger?”

If your goal is to create the illusion of more space, then yes, have your cabinetry and walls in light colors, perhaps with cool pastel colors for accent. The result is low contrast, and tricks the eye in your favor. The combination also works because the colors appear to recede. (Generally speaking, warmer tones seem to advance towards you)

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Note the difference between the panel treatment on the refrigerator versus the dishwasher and trash compactor.

“My refrigerator will have matching panels applied to its face because I prefer the built-in look. Are they going to stick out?”

The short answer is “Probably”. Almost all refrigerator manufacturers, save one we know of, do not create allowances for a refrigerator to be completely recessed to the point of being installed flush with the adjacent face frame. It needs to sit proud of it so that the door can swing open. And it’s possible, depending upon the fridge, that it may project 2 1/2″ out!

Our tip is this: Do your appliance homework! Go and talk to your appliance dealer, and get them to show you exactly how far out your refrigerator will stick out.

Oh, and this is not a recommendation, just an observation: Sub-Zero not too long ago introduced a true flush-fit refrigerator, their BI (Built In) series. Google away…

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“I’ve got my room sketched out, complete with walls, doorways and windows…where do I start on this blank slate?!?”

When you’re at that magical starting point, it’s common to want to make it perfect, especially the first time out. However, take a deep breath, and realize it will more than likely require more than one pass to get to “that’s perfect!”

Here’s a simple way to start: Sketch in your appliances first, then add the cabinetry. You’ll find it much easier to plan your workflow and create your work zones.

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Common allowance: Between 15-18 1/4" of space between countertop and bottom of wall cabinet

Welcome to our new feature: Design Tip of the Day! There are many factors to consider when designing your kitchen, bath, office, pantry…well, you get the idea. Talking with clients everyday has taught us there is a lot of questions (and sometimes confusion!) when it comes to planning, designing, materials, styles, colors, construction, options, choices, and yes, more!

So, reaching into our grab bag of questions for today’s tip…

“What is the normal distance between the top of base cabinets and the bottom of wall cabinets?”

The distance is actually measured between the bottom of the wall cabinet and the top of the countertop. The normal distance is actually a range, commonly between 15″ – 18.25″. (18″ is the norm, if you want to pick just one)

What would you run into that would make it a good idea to make it less? If you are short(er) in height, bringing the wall cabinet down a couple of inches makes a big difference. Bear in mind, however, that tall counter appliance you’re planning on may no longer fit!

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Newton Project home

The recent Newton project completed by This Old House has now hit the newsstands with the Jan-Feb 2010 issue! A great project we are proud to be part of, and you can see the finished kitchen on pages 74 and 75. A lovely kitchen painted with Farrow & Ball’s Wimborne White, with our Newport door and Square Inset face frame construction.

Get your copy today!

(Image courtesy of This Old House)

Situated on Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, the Green Life Smart Life home has achieved GOLD LEED for Homes certification, making it the first LEED-H Gold home in Rhode Island. Crown Point Cabinetry is proud to have been chosen as the cabinetmaker for this beautiful project!

The LEED-H program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification program for homes) is much like LEED certification for commercial buildings, schools and retail stores, LEED-H certification requires that the home meet prerequisites and earn points in different categories. The total number of points determines if a certificate will be awarded and at what level. Qualified homes can be Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum, with Platinum requiring a home to earn 90-136 points of a possible 136.

The homeowners, Joseph and Kimberly Hageman, were able to earn points toward their Gold certification by using Crown Point Cabinetry. Notes Kimberly, “We had Crown Point in our previous home, and loved the cabinetry! With this project, Crown Point met three objectives: Build the cabinetry with FSC-certified lumber, use a low VOC finish and be within 500 miles of our location.”

Mark Wirta, Crown Point’s designer working with Kimberly, makes the point that “it wasn’t a difficult process, and we were excited by the opportunity to provide exactly what was needed for this notable project.”

Kimberly selected Oyster White Milk Paint to be used over the FSC-certified Maple in the kitchen, and a variation of Federal Blue Milk Paint in the Master Bath. “The adventure of pulling all of this together was exciting, and Mark’s wonderful design really clicked with us,” says Kimberly.

Working on your own special project? Contact us today, and let one of our talented designers help you achieve your goals!

All photos: Courtesy of Ashley Daigneault