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Edgewood Cabinetry cabinets

A Basic Guide for Keeping Your Kitchen Cabinets Clean

Proper maintenance of kitchen cabinets can save you a lot of money. It also gives the kitchen a good appearance boost. The kitchen is one of the essential rooms in the house. Clean, well- maintained kitchen cabinets could boost the value of the property. Here are a few simple steps that will keep those kitchen cabinets clean and glowing.

Basic Kitchen Cabinet Cleaning

Edgewood Cabinetry cabinetsStart by wiping the cabinets with a slightly damp, lint-free cotton cloth and use a second cloth to dry and buff cabinet finish. Use mild soap and water to remove daily spills, grease, and oil, then wipe with a soft cotton cloth. Avoid using a harsh detergent that might destroy the finishing. Don’t use soaps with dye, ammonia-based cleaners, self-polishing waxes, or abrasive cleaners. Using furniture polish on cabinets might seem smart, but it’s not recommended.

Clean Spills Immediately

Keeping the cabinets dry is vital to maintain them in good condition. Use a dry cloth to wipe spills immediately with a “blotting” motion. Areas where water is common such as around sinks and dishwashers, are prone to moisture. Wipe immediately and never allow detergents or water to dry on the cabinets.

Avoid Excess Moisture

Edgewood Cabinetry custom kitchen cabinetExcess moisture is the worst enemy of furniture finish. Wet towels shouldn’t be draped on the cabinet doors or surfaces. Towel racks shouldn’t be attached to cabinet door interiors, and tea and coffee makers shouldn’t be placed where the steam hits the cabinets directly. If you notice excess moisture when cooking, open the windows to help it dry off and wipe any remaining moisture.

Avoid Excess Heat

Don’t place cabinet appliances where heat is applied directly or directed on the cabinet surfaces. The wood’s stability and finish are heavily impacted by temperature.

Never Use Abrasives

Never use steel wool, scouring pads, or powdered cleaners to clean the cabinets. These cleaning methods penetrate the cabinet surface, allowing moisture to enter, therefore damaging the cabinets and the finish. If there are stains, use mild soap and warm water to clean but avoid scratching the cabinets.

The proper care practices recommended above extend the life and beauty of your kitchen cabinets. Remember, leaving water on the cabinet surface for a long time harms the finishing, and any warranties do not cover this. Wipe spills immediately and avoid using harsh detergents and scratching methods to clean the cabinets.

For more information on caring for your custom kitchen cabinets, contact Edgewood Cabinetry.  Call 919-339-7300.

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Edgewood Cabinetry kitchen cabinets Raleigh NC

Revitalize your Cabinets With Cabinet Restoration

Maintaining cabinets can be trickier than some people realize. Whether painted, stained, or finished, wooden cabinets will wear with age. This aging is especially true for kitchen cabinets exposed to oils, grease, smoke, and steam. Bathroom cabinets face a similar issue as a result of steam and high humidity. Some people might be tempted to replace such cabinets. However, as long as the cabinets are adequately maintained, restoration remains a viable option.

Restore Old Cabinets

Edgewood Cabinetry kitchen cabinets Raleigh NCRestoration is a good idea for people who find themselves with old cabinets that might fit perfectly in the room but are not the desired design. If the cabinets are in good condition but not matching the perceived vision of the new owner, restoration rather than replacement is an option in such instances.

Refacing Cabinets

Old cabinets can be changed to a new look by refacing. This method effectively replaces the cabinet doors and fixtures to be more in line with the desired look of the room. Repainting or refinishing the cabinets is another way to achieve this. Refinishing is also an effective method of restoration for cabinets exposed to grease and smoke. Even a fresh coat of paint can help, especially when the cabinets have started to peel from humidity. If moisture has caused the wood to warp, refacing can restore the cabinets depending on the extent of the damage.

Save Money & Keep The Same Cabinets

Remodeling Your KitchenRefacing and other restoration methods are often much more cost-effective than outright replacing cabinets. For one, installation and construction costs are avoided. When it comes to cabinets, restoration costs are almost always less than replacement, since there’s rarely a need to install or replace anything besides the paint or the doors. The home user can do a simple restoration. Before performing such tasks, it’s best to examine the cabinets, learn the extent of the damage, and see how easy or difficult the restoration might become. Refacing can be done by the home user as well, but having it handled by experts guarantees a uniform, crisp, fresh look throughout the room in question.

Cabinets don’t need to be replaced as often as people might think. They can be refaced and restored to keep their original beauty and use while still matching new design choices. Peeling paint can be retouched, old hinges can be replaced, and outdated designs can be refaced. All it takes is the right know-how and the right experts.

Get A Custom Cabinet Estimate Today

Want to know how much it’ll cost to give your kitchen a new look with cabinet restoration? Contact the best at refacing kitchen cabinets Raleigh NC – Edgewood Cabinetry. Call 919-339-7300 and set up an appointment today.

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Edgewood Cabinetry cabinets

Squeezing the Most Storage Out of Your Cabinets

Are you looking to pick up the clutter around your home? Most homeowners often complain about a lack of ample storage to accommodate all their items while maintaining the aesthetics of a room. What they don’t realize is that there’s much more storage than meets the eye.

Storage space often comes at a premium! If adding more cabinets is not an option, it’s essential to make the best of the existing space. It’s possible to improve the home organization and increase storage space by tinkering with the custom cabinets. How so? Here are simple adjustments to improve your storage space drastically.

Useful Cabinet Organization Ideas

Edgewood Cabinetry cabinetsModify Double Door Cabinets: Most double door cabinets have a divider (center stile) between the doors. The stile takes up valuable storage space that could otherwise make the cabinet more spacious and accessible. Possible ideas to get rid of the divider include detaching it vertically and fixing it one of the doors (i.e., creating a dummy stile that opens with the door) or installing new double doors that meet.

Organize and Manage Wires: Having wires and cable lying around haphazardly is a painful eyesore – not to mention the risk of tripping accidents and health issues due to dust bunnies! When it comes to wire management, the trick lies in creativity. Think out-of-the-box to find a solution that works best for your space. For items that are rarely unplugged, such as desktops, consider threading the cables along the underside of a wooden surface. Outlets for highly portable devices such as mobile phones should be easily accessible – inside a drawer, on the sidewall, or a countertop.

Sometimes the Places You’d Never Think of are The Best

Cabinet Space Above the Refrigerator: Most pre-made overhead cabinets above the fridge are either too small or too deep for easy access. This odd size and location lead to a waste of valuable storage space. Consider removing the small unusable cabinet and installing new cabinetry that encases the refrigerator. It is more aesthetically, desirable, and easy to reach. Another great idea is to use vertical dividers for the storage of kitchen appliances such as plates or trays

Keep Your Garbage Can Out of Sight: Garbage cans are a necessity in any kitchen – but that does not mean they’re allowed to make the kitchen messy. Stash unsightly trash cans in a ‘makeshift trash drawer’ under your 36-inch countertop drawer.

For ways on how to make the most of your space with custom designed custom cabinets, contact Edgewood Cabinetry.  Call 919-339-7300 for planning your custom cupboards.

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Edgewood Cabinetry home tips kitchen cabinets

Why Do You Need To Buy Kitchen Cabinets Before Appliances Or Anything Else

A beautiful, well-designed kitchen is a showpiece for any household. Now when we talk about a well-designed kitchen, we start to ponder over appliances, tiling, and other details but tend to forget one essential part. Cabinetry is the foundation of the room, and it is mandatory to plan proper shelving and cabinets before proceeding with other details. The sequential order, while remodeling or constructing a new kitchen should be hiring a well-trained designer to design your kitchen, then planning the cabinets and finally purchasing appliances and kitchen goods to fit in the cabinet based on their sizes. If you’re still not sure as to why cabinet designing must be prioritized over other stuff, consider these reasons:

Why You Need to Design Around Your Cabinets

Edgewood Cabinetry home tips kitchen cabinetsPlanning and space utilization: As mentioned previously, cabinetry forms the foundation of any kitchen. You can always exchange your appliances for newer ones, but cabinet building can only be changed while undergoing renovations. Most people are not fond of the exhausting task of redesigning and renovating frequently. Once the cabinets have been designed, overall placement, sizes, and adjustment of everything else can be decided.

Budget-friendly: It’s better to prioritize cabinetry and invest appropriately in quality so that there is no need to spend again and again to make adjustments. Cabinets should sustain throughout the lifetime of the home. Updating the kitchen can then be done by replacing doors, tiles, or lighting as per the resident’s changing mood or the latest interior decorating trends.

Don’t Cheap Out on Cabinetry

Edgewood Cabinetry kitchen cabinets Raleigh NCDo not skimp the budget when deciding on cabinetry. Overall budget allocation to cabinets should be around 30-50% of the total remodeling budget. Don’t exchange the dollar investment on this crucial element for purchasing some sophisticated fridge, microwave, or other feature that has a much shorter lifespan; however, if the budget is very low, save money on the countertops. Countertops are much easier to upgrade and less expensive than changing out cabinetry.

Custom-made cabinetry allows the client to get exactly what they want in the space available. Many space-saving elements can be incorporated into a small space. For more home tips on the best cabinetry for your kitchen, contact Edgewood Cabinetry at 919-339-7300.

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Edgewood Cabinetry custom cabinets

Getting the Most Use Out of Your Laundry Room

Cleaning and organizing the main areas of the house is a primary concern in most homes. The laundry room rarely gets the attention it needs. It often is a dumping ground for clothing and other items resulting in persistent clutter. However, there will come a time when the clutter will start to interfere with the function of the laundry room, and you will be forced to organize it. Planning how to use all the space in the room will help keep it uncluttered in the future. Here are a few ideas for custom cabinets and shelves that will make use of every inch of space in the laundry and keep it organized.

Laundry Rooms Are Meant For More Than JUST Cleaning Your Clothes

Edgewood Cabinetry custom cabinetsWall Space: Walls are the underrated space-saver. In a small space, every square inch is luxury real estate, and walls are unutilized land. Put shelves above the washer and dryer, the door, the standing sink, or any unused corner. If you have space, make those shelves floor-to-ceiling. Use these shelves for storing laundry and cleaning supplies.

Back of Door: If the laundry has a door, use it for storage. There are numerous door organizers on the market. There are metal shelves that use most of the door. There are clear plastic pocket organizers. Add hooks to hang clothes or towels. Use part of the door or all of it. It’s an excellent place for storage.

Baskets and Storage Cubes: Once you have shelving, use baskets or storage cubes to organize supplies. Label the containers, so you and others know what’s in them and where to return items when used.

Utilize All of Your Home’s Space

How To Design The Ultimate Large Appliances StorageDrying Rack: With today’s fabrics, many cannot be thrown in the dryer. So a drying rack is needed. Any laundry room can have a drying rack. If the laundry room is small, hang the drying rack from the ceiling or have one that folds flat to the wall when not in use.

Cabinets: If there are cabinets in the laundry room or if you add them, use all the space in the cupboard. The efficient way to do that is to add wire drawers that pull out — no more lost supplies in the back corner of the cabinet.

Pedestal Drawers: Front-loading washers and dryers can often be placed on pedestals for more effortless loading and unloading. Be sure to use the drawers in these pedestals for storage. Extra laundry supplies or even a supply of paper towels or toilet paper can be placed here.

Folding Station: If you don’t have a countertop place to fold clothes, try a folding station that hangs on the wall. This way, you can use it when folding but then collapse it against the wall when not in use.

Standing Sink: A shelf added between the legs of a standing sink can be useful for storing cleaning supplies. Make this dead space useful.

So get in there and start decluttering and organizing. You’ll be glad you did, and when done right, you will never have to do it again.

Need some custom cabinets for organizing? Contact Edgewood Cabinetry. We can turn your laundry room into storage heaven. Call 919-339-7300.

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Edgewood Cabinetry custom cabinet

Getting the Most Use Out of Small Spaces in the House

Whether you live in a large house or a studio apartment, there is underutilized space. Many people complain about not having enough storage in their homes, but seeking out and using these “hidden” spaces can solve this problem. These small spaces are often in plain sight in smaller rooms such as the laundry room, mudrooms, entryways, or utility rooms.  Custom cabinets can turn these spaces into storage.

A Little Ingenuity Can go a Long Way

Persistent clutter around a house will never fix itself. Eventually, this starts to affect the occupants’ psychology. Most people reach a point where they have to declutter and organize. Take the time to plan the organization, so the result is pleasing to the eye, and the build-up of clutter doesn’t get repeated.

There are many articles on how to declutter and organize small spaces in your house. Here are a few of the most popular solutions:

Wall Space

Edgewood Cabinetry custom cabinetWalls are the underrated space-saver in a house. Many homes have clutter all over the floor, but nothing on the walls, but in a small space, every square foot is luxury real estate, and walls are the unutilized land.
Use shelving units that extend to the ceiling. Add shelving above doorways, couches, beds – any part of a wall that is usually blank can be used.

Install sconces instead of table lights for lighting. Table lights or freestanding lamps take up floor space. Free up that space and attach lighting to the walls.

Attach hooks and racks to store sports equipment. Hang bikes on the wall instead of leaving them in a small basement or garage, taking up precious floor space.

Doors

Another underutilized space around the house is the backs of doors. This space is perfect for hanging cleaning utensils, jewelry, towels, bags, shoes – just about any small household item. It keeps these objects accessible but out of sight. Don’t forget the doors of the cabinets. These doors can also provide extra storage space by adding a few hooks.

Skirted Furniture

What To Do With That Awkward Under The Stair SpaceThe space underneath furniture such as a sofa, chairs, side tables, and beds can be used as storage space. If the furniture has a skirt, this space is easily used as storage. It’s not seen due to the skirt, so no fancy storage containers are required. If the furniture is not skirted, used decorative baskets or colored storage boxes for a beautiful aesthetic.

Room Color

The color of a room does not add more space, but it can give the feeling of more space. If adding more shelving to walls (especially if the shelving is floor to ceiling), keep the walls and furniture a light color, so the room doesn’t feel like it’s getting smaller.

So before thinking you have to move to a bigger house to get more storage space, take a good look around your home. There may be more space there than you think.

For more information on creating space-saving custom cabinets for your home contact Edgewood Cabinetry at 919-339-7300.

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Edgewood Cabinetry kitchen cabinets

Is Your Hardware Making Your Cabinets Look Dated?

Home decor styles can become outdated very quickly, especially in the kitchen. Practically overnight, the colors, appliances, countertops, and cabinets can look old. Have you noticed cabinets with visible hinges are all in older-looking kitchens? And if it’s been a while since you’ve renovated your kitchen cabinets, you need to become familiar with the latest features to make your kitchen stylish. One of these fresh features is European Hinges.

Cabinet Hinges

Edgewood Cabinetry kitchen cabinetsEuropean hinges, commonly known as the “invisible hinge” or “concealed hinge,” is a modern form of cabinet hinge that, upon closing the cabinet door, becomes invisible providing a sleek and clean look to a kitchen. You cannot see the hinges on the exterior of the cabinet. These hinges are mounted on the inside of the cabinet so they can be used for a wide selection of door types.

Bulky, traditional metal hinges work well for rustic styling but can disrupt the smooth surface of some cabinets, plus they may also collect dirt, dust, and moisture. This quality of being hidden makes these hinges a great updated design choice for any kitchen or bathroom.

Hearing a high-pitched squeak or creak isn’t an issue with European hinges when the cabinet door is opened and shut. These hinges never need to be oiled because there is no metal against metal contact – making them silent when used. With the soft-closure feature, European hinges also don’t let the door bang shut.

Door Knobs & Drawer Pulls

Knobs and pulls are the quickest and easiest to update a kitchen. Metal colors frequently change with kitchen styles. One year brass will be hot; next year, brushed nickel is the style. Without changing the kitchen cabinets (an expensive proposition), you can change their look by changing the hardware. Cabinet and drawer hardware comes in a wide variety of styles and price ranges. Anyone can afford this change, plus this is a definite Do-It-Yourself job.

Talk to a Professional to Learn More

Work with a design professional (free at local home stores), as they not only can help you select the best hinge and hardware solutions but also help with any questions about installing them correctly. You can create a neat and sleek, finished look of your kitchen space by installing making some small changes.

For more information on updating your kitchen cabinets, contact at 919-339-7300.

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Edgewood Cabinetry remodel

Tips for Staying on Budget During Your Remodel

If you are planning to remodel your house for future resale or to upgrade the home to improve aesthetics, increase functionality and efficiency, careful planning, and budgeting is essential. Budgeting assists with decision-making to accomplish desired goals with money to spare. Failure to do so can result in doing more harm than good to your house or, worse, empty your wallet.

Planning and budgeting for any remodeling project must go hand in hand. During the planning stage, you first need to figure out which portion of the house requires remodeling to improve convenience and functionality. Your wants and luxury preferences should be considered last.

Once you have decided what the remodeling project will entail, budgeting is the next task. The purpose of budgeting is to have an overview of how much money is needed to accomplish the project. There are numerous factors required to be considered to come up with a precise budget. A miscalculation in this part can result in unexpected costs. Here are some tips on how to budget:

Create A Rough Estimate Of The Overall Costs

The first thing you need to do is estimate both material and labor costs. Doing this gives you a bird’s eye view of the scale of expenses you will carry. This calculation will be your ceiling and reference in evaluating bids from your contractors.

Selecting a Contractor

You must have at least three contractors included in the bidding process; otherwise, you are left with no other choice if you cannot agree on terms with one contractor. More contractors in the bidding process give you the bargaining power to lower the bid cost further due to competition.

Factors that you must consider in shortlisting your contractor include low unit rates, completed projects, technical expertise, client customer care, and available workforce. If these factors are met, you are now ready to sign the contract.

Search For Materials At A Bargain Price

As a homeowner, one angle you can take in staying on budget is having the materials “Owner-Supplied”. Consequently, this allows you to control material prices completely. Doing this gives you more leeway in saving money in the form of less material costs. However, you need to guarantee that you can find materials at a bargained price. You can look for salvage yards, second-hand stores, or ordering in “bulk” with suppliers who can give you discounts.

Do It Yourself

While there are remodel projects only suitable for professionals, there are other tasks ideal for homeowners with moderate DIY skills. The only downside of this is the risk of producing an unsatisfactory result, which can incur additional costs on rectification. But if you do well, you can save significant savings in the form of decreased labor costs. Therefore, if you are confident about your DIY skills, then this is something worth considering. Here are some projects suitable for moderate DIY skills: painting walls, installation of wallpaper, light demolition, or wall finishing.

Wait For Sales Before Making Significant Purchases

If you are supplying the materials to your contractor, you can make significant savings by making big purchases only if there are big sales available. You can wait for American holidays for appliances, Black Friday for electronics, and every summer for furniture. Having the discipline to wait on big purchases can help you save significant savings.

Stick To The Approved Contract

The approved contract must be strictly followed to the letter to stay on budget. The ambiguity of some items must be cleared to prevent unexpected problems that may arise due to confusion. And as much as possible, avoid design changes once the contract is awarded to ensure ease of execution and preventing other mundane tasks such as revising the contract, formulating a new work execution plan, or allocating additional manpower, which can incur additional costs. If you do make changes, make sure those changes are reflected in the written contract signed by both you and the contractor. Verbal changes will not hold up legally if it comes to that.

For excellent, high-quality custom cabinetry for your remodel contact Edgewood Cabinetry.  Call 919-339-7300 for more information.

 

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Solutions For Your Kitchen Pantry

Edgewood cabinetry custom cabinetsKitchen pantries have existed for centuries; they are where chefs store their essential items and recipes. The pantry started as a separate room for storage and evolved into a built-in cabinet within the kitchen. Today’s kitchen pantry design revolves around the concept of saving space while maximizing functionality.

Generally, there are two types of kitchen pantries. One type is a walk-in pantry that is a separate room. The second is a built-in pantry. Today’s built-in pantries are the most common, and it is what we usually see in homes.  Here are some types of pantries to consider when designing a custom cabinet for your kitchen.

Pull-out Pantry

Pull-out pantries are designed to utilize the vertical space of the kitchen, reducing its footprint area. It has a mechanism wherein you can pull the entire shelving unit (usually two-sided), allowing complete storage access in one opening. Its ease of storage access will enable you to organize better items, reducing clutter, and making your kitchen tasks more manageable. Various things can be accessed that otherwise would have gotten lost in the corners of standard cabinetry. For those homeowners requiring more storage, especially avid cooks, a pull-out pantry can be designed as a full-height cabinet with thick shelving.

Roll-out Pantry

Roll-out pantries are an oversized drawer. Each row can be independently pulled out, which allows partial storage access in one opening. However, you need to pull each row to access storage completely. For this reason, organizing and retrieving items can become more tedious. Roll-out pantries can be expanded the same way as pull-out pantries; however, each row must be labeled and properly organized to avoid the painstaking task of pulling each row out. Roll-out pantries are a step down in functionality as compared to pull-out pantries, while its storage to footprint area is the same as pull-out pantries.

Standard Cabinet Pantry

Standard cabinet pantries are shelves inside a cabinet. It is designed horizontally and with reduced depth to accommodate storing items and have ease of access. Its design reduces deep corners, which are difficult to reach. To save on wall space, one can opt for a full-height cabinet. Its only downside would be items are not within an arm’s length.

Portable Pantry

A portable pantry is only used in kitchens with tight space. This unit is a small cupboard mounted on wheels. Its mobility is useful in a small kitchen wherein it can be placed anywhere, depending on the need. However, it has limited storage capacity and is suited only for homeowners that rarely cook.

If you are considering remodeling or upgrading your kitchen, consider the needs and preferences when choosing a kitchen pantry. There are numerous choices available. The right choice will significantly improve your kitchen lifestyle and can save you precious time in handling and accessing items.

For more information on designing a custom pantry for your kitchen contact Edgewood Cabinetry at 919-339-7300.

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