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Handcrafted Living Space

How often do you just go with pre-built cabinets, shelves and furniture as a quick and easy way to complete a room?

The truth is, a handcrafted living space might take a little longer, but it can completely change your world. From how you feel when you first come home to never having to fight with IKEA directions again, handcrafted does make a difference.

Think of it as an investment in a better living space and a happier you. And yes, it really does make that big of a difference.

Create A Stress-Free Area

Did you realize your living space can actually affect your mood? In fact, it can affect how you feel each day and how well you sleep, among other things. Wouldn’t it be nice to come home to a stress-free area? Handcrafted furniture allows you to create something specifically designed to boost your mood. For instance, the soft scent of cedar furniture might make you feel calmer or even more energized.

The right paint color or custom embellishments might be just the thing to make you smile every time you walk into the room. Plus, when everything’s made just for you, you feel more like you belong, which helps reduce stress too.

Get Exactly What You Want

If Burger King lets you have it your way, why shouldn’t you have furniture that’s exactly what you want too? With a handcrafted living space, you get the privilege of walking into a room that’s built just for you. Want specialty cabinets to display your unique collection of vintage action figures? No problem. Love an eclectic mix of different styles and colors? Handcrafted has you covered.

Design For Your Personality

A handcrafted living space also lets you design specifically for your personality. It’s not just about adding some funky pillows or ensuring you have the perfect color scheme. Your furniture makes a difference too. A chair that’s built to perfectly fit you and your two furry friends showcases your love of animals. A cube-style bookcase with various sized cubes might show you’re a bit of a wild child that doesn’t conform to normal shelving.

No Obsession With Constantly Changing

When you don’t get exactly what you want, you always have that nagging voice in the background saying “change this, change that.” No one wants to deal with that. Plus, you always feel like others are judging the room. After all, if you’re not happy with it, why would anyone else be?

A handcrafted living space helps eliminate that obsession to constantly change things in the hope that it’ll be better this time. Instead of hoping, get exactly what you want the first time around.

Create A Lasting Look

Since you don’t always have to change your furniture, you have a lasting look. You’ll create a space that everyone remembers as that perfect spot. It may even be the room that inspires others. Your handcrafted pieces become the centerpieces that bring the room together, no matter how many different design trends may come and go.

There’s a reason so many people go after antique furniture. It’s handcrafted and built to last. Even if you decide to move, your furniture easily comes with you since it’s made of real wood. Use it to create the perfect room no matter where you happen to move to.

Feel More Like A Home

Most importantly, a handcrafted living space makes your house feel more like a home. Even in a tiny apartment, handcrafted designs help make the space feel larger and homier. It might seem overly simple, but there’s something about coming home after a long, stressful day and feeling like you’re in a place where the rest of the world just melts away. It’s this distinction alone that makes handcrafted worth paying a little more for.

Ready to start creating your own handcrafted living space? Start by contacting us today to learn more.

Image: Clint McKoy

Alternatives to Wood Cabinets that You Can Find in Raleigh

Even as more and more homes pop up all the time, our homes keep getting more busy. This is increasing the need for attractive and low maintenance products for things like cabinetry. Wood substitute cabinetry is the new talk of the town and with good reason. Wood or not, we can put together any kind of cabinet you may need or want!

Most of the mediums and colors offered are similar to the appeal and texture of wood finishes and they are almost as good as the real thing. Innovative applications and technology have advanced over the years to produce a new brand of replica wood products offering an even more authentic feel and look. Solid colored thermofoil and laminate use to be the only available wood cabinet alternatives but other materials have resurfaced and are becoming increasingly popular particularly with regards to full access cabinets. TSS gives you a subtle texture and wood-grain look in addition to the durability offered by a laminate. HG or High Gloss foils and acrylics are ideal for a contemporary sleek and shiny appearance, especially when used with supper matte foils or metal doors as an accent. Greenlam high-pressure cabinet laminates make use of recycled materials and alternative fuels. If you are looking for cabinets in Raleigh offering you contemporary style while allowing you to stick to your budget, high gloss laminates are the perfect match.

CUSTOMIZABILITYRemodeling Your Kitchen

The technology advancements have given rise to various style improvements. Most of the wood substitute cabinets in Raleigh can be found in mitred door styles or modern 5-piece shaker styles further translating the appearance of a genuine wood cabinet door. Raleigh cabinet wood grain is aligned in the same way as a real wood door. All the joints on cabinets in Raleigh are reinforced using Double Dowels, Tenon and Mortise joinery, or Cope and Stick joinery to offer the strength required for years of daily use.

Alternative wood cabinets in Raleigh are an excellent way to save money on upcoming kitchen renovations. You will find products such as NEXTGEN to be a good solution for consumers looking to save a few extra coins without sacrificing much at all in terms of style or quality.

Alternative wood cabinets in Raleigh are very durable in that they are resistant to heat, scratches, and scuffs. Even with years of exposure to sunlight, they will only experience minimal laminate fading. Keep in mind that natural, veneer or real wood cabinets tend to patina and discolor over the years.

Most of the alternative wood laminates for Raleigh cabinets are integrated with antimicrobial protection that helps to reduce the transmission of diseases in institutions, schools, hospitals, and homes. We can also add in any of our custom cabinet accessories and storage options if you desire!

If you are looking for something that is not stressful to clean then textured laminate Raleigh cabinets are the way to go. All you have to do is wipe the cabinets using a damp, clean cloth and you will be good to go. If you want to get rid of those stubborn stains, then a small amount of mild dish detergent and warm water will do.

Your go-to cabinet company in the triangle is Edgewood Cabinetry. They’ve been providing the highest quality cabinent design, building, and insulation for over 30 years now, so you can trust them to get the job done and get it done right. Since they make all of their own stuff, you can work with them to deisgn the perfect cabinets for you!

Ready to design your own space-saving solutions? Contact us today to find out how we can help turn your small spaces into larger ones (919) 339-7300.

All it takes is a stroll through your local hardware store to realize there are numerous types of wood. However, all types aren’t ideal for all projects.

Choosing wood means thinking about your design and interior theme, wood quality, budget and how staining or painting affects the wood. Knowing your options for handcrafted furniture helps you choose the best wood for you.

With hundreds of woods available, use this guide to narrow down your choices and get your dream furniture faster.

Understanding Interior Design Themes

Before diving into the types of wood, it’s important to carefully consider your interior design theme. For instance, a contemporary design works best with a wood that holds paint well, while a rustic design should use a wood with a darker grain, which creates that more rustic style.

Plus, some themes require a lighter color wood, such as pine or white oak, while a theme like transitional often incorporates darker woods, such as cherry and mahogany. Rochele Decorating does an incredible job of explaining the different nuances of the most popular interior design themes. It’s also a good way to see which theme you like best or whether you want to get creative and mesh themes.

Pine

Pine is often a popular choice for rustic or country themes. It’s both lightweight and inexpensive. However, one problem is it dings easily. It does hold paint well, so it’s perfect for contemporary themes too.

Oak

Oak is often used for custom furniture that’s prone to abuse as it’s a solid hardwood. Plus, the natural grain looks beautiful in almost every design. Red oak has a darker tone, while white oak offers a brighter counterpart. It is slightly difficult to stain due to the darker grain, which creates an odd two-tone color you might not want.

Maple

Maple is ideal for themes that require a brighter wood. The white hardwood is even harder than oak, which makes it ideal for frequently used furniture, such as cabinets and dressers. It’s a budget-friendly wood that holds stain well. Many people actually use a darker stain to make it seem like a more expensive wood.

Cherry

Cherry is often sought out due to its beautiful reddish brown color. It’s perfect for more elegant furniture, such as carved chairs. It is one of the more expensive woods, which means it’s usually used to create centerpiece style furniture or heirloom pieces.

Cedar

Cedar works well with most any theme. It’s a softer wood that works perfectly with stain or paint. It’s also naturally resistant to rot, so it lasts longer. Most people prefer it for chests and closets due to its natural scent that repels insects.

Walnut

Walnut is often used to in interior designs that require dark furniture. Contemporary and mid-century modern may feature walnut furniture. The dark streaks stand out, making any project look stunning. However, it is one of the more expensive types of wood.

Ash

Ash tends to bend easily, which is why it’s often used in furniture parts. Despite being a hardwood, it’s easy to work with. Plus, the color varies from a light white to a reddish brown. It’s not widely used, but it’s moderately priced and serves as an alternative to more expensive woods.

Birch

Birch is considered maple’s more expensive counterpart. The two have a similar look. It’s best for lighter themes, such as Scandinavian styles. Much like maple, it’s easy to customize with stain.

Sycamore

Sycamore is a moderately priced wood, which makes it popular for all types of furniture. It’s most often used in less expensive furniture designs. The natural pink to red tint makes it ideal for a wide variety of styles. Darker reds work well with a French country style.

Mahogany

Mahogany isn’t a budget-friendly wood and as such, is typically used for fine furniture only. The deep brown and reds create beautiful pieces. Much like sycamore, it would work well for a French country style or as a standout piece in a transitional theme. It’s a durable hardwood that’s made to last, so it works well for any furniture you’d love to pass down to later generations.

Elm

Elm stands out for having noticeable light and dark areas. It would fit perfectly in a shabby chic style. Due to its popularity, it’s become harder to find. This makes it a more expensive choice.

Are you considering using any of these woods for your cabinets, hutch or library shelving? Contact us today to find out which works best for your dream design.

Image: Stefan Cosma

You could go with a cookie-cutter hutch design, but it’s the handcrafted pieces that truly stand out in your home or office.

Extra care goes into handcrafted wood furniture. A custom hutch instantly adds an extra elegance to any room and continues to look great for generations.

Plus, you get the benefits of a hutch designed specifically for your needs. Pre-fabricated hutches never quite live up to what you need them to be.

Stand The Test Of Time

Why choose a handcrafted hutch design? Instead of particle board and plexiglass, handcrafted hutches are made from real wood. The hardware is made of durable metals. The end result is a hutch that will stand the test of time. Instead of you needing to buy a new one in 5-10 years, you have something that you’ll be happy to pass down to your children one day.

Choose An Experienced Builder

Not everyone can build an elegant hutch customized for your home. The first step to achieving handcrafted excellence is to choose a proven builder. Not only should they know how to work with a wide variety of woods and finishes, but they should be able to take your design idea and turn it into a reality.

At Edgewood Cabinetry, we work extensively with every client to help turn their visions into stunning finished products using only the best wood and hardware.

Unique Designs

Your hutch design should reflect your personality and the atmosphere of your home. It’s only with handcrafted hutches that you get unique designs that fit your home perfectly. From the most simple hutch to intricately carved molding, you choose the look you want to last a lifetime.

For instance, you may want doors with glass panels or solid doors. You may want drawers in the bottom half or just shelves. Some have a roll-top desk style, while others simply have a flat top in the middle. It’s all up to you and by working with an expert builder, you get the design that best suits your needs.

Choose The Right Wood

When you buy directly from a store, you don’t get any options as it pertains to the wood used. Many furniture stores use pine because it’s cheaper, but pine tends to scratch and dent more than other woods. Plus, different woods tend to change color as they age or they may react to stains differently.

It’s important to carefully consider what type of wood you want to use for your hutch design. Before you fall in love with any specific wood, look over the pros and cons of different woods. In most cases, oak and walnut tend to be popular, but are more expensive. A more budget-friendly wood is maple, which still holds up well over time. Cherry is a nice option, especially if you like the natural red color, but it tends to be much more expensive.

Another thing to consider is the look of natural grain. Pre-fabricated pieces don’t have the same natural look. The grain never looks right, if there is any grain at all. Part of the beauty behind handcrafted hutches is the unique personality the grain gives each piece. It’s easy to create an elegant or antique style just by choosing the right wood.

Custom Finishes

The final step to achieving the handcrafted excellence that makes your hutch design stand out is choosing the right finish. Depending on the wood you choose, you’ll want to be careful about what type of stain or paint you choose. For instance, some woods tend to absorb more stain, which may result in a much darker color than intended.

Experienced wood builders know which stains and paints work best with which woods. They also know how to give you a matte or shiny finish. You could also choose between a more modern finish or go with an aged antique look.

Are you ready to add a handcrafted hutch to your home? Contact us today to see how our expert builders can bring your design to life.

Image: Wikimedia Commons / Daderot

cabinet feet cabinet legs cabinet apron

One of the simplest ways to add style to your house is by adding feet and aprons to your cabinets. These two simple additions can change the feeling of your house.

An apron is a piece of wood that connects legs. It can be very simple addition or it can be very detailed. An apron can be custom created to support a variety of different cabinet styles and designs. 

An apron can be added to the bottom of cabinets to dress them up. Adding an apron gives cabinets a more classic and streamline look.

Aprons are also an excellent choice to dress up your kitchen island. They can be adhered under your countertop overhang. A cabinet maker can create a custom apron that accommodates the height of your island or bar.

You can make the new apron you added to your island or bar look even classier by adding legs. You can choose from a variety of styles and design details. Custom designed legs can add architectural detail to your home.

Another simple way to add architectural detail to your is by adding decorative feet to the bottom of your cabinets. They can be attached under the toe kick. They provide a more pleasing visual look to your cabinets. You can add decorative feet under only one cabinet to make it stand out or under all of your cabinets for a streamlined look.

Please contact the experts at Edge Wood Cabinetry to help with your decorating needs. We can design new cabinets that incorporate feet and aprons into your cabinet design. We can also help you update your existing kitchen with a few extra special touches.

custom maple cabinets

Be Inspired: Bring Your Dream Redesign to Your Home with Quality Craftsmanship

Here at Edgewood Cabinetry, we want our customers to be inspired in creating a cabinet design in their homes that truly fits their style. It might be easy for someone else to come in and recommend what you need in your home. But we want to work closely with you to customize our cabinetry to create fun living spaces you’ll love for decades to come.

What ideas can you bring? With custom cabinetry, your creativity can be unlimited in any room of your home.

Kitchen Islands and Breakfast Nooks

It seems no kitchen can be without an island or a breakfast nook to look modern. While many of these have standard design, have you considered customizing yours with specialized cabinetry and storage space? Numerous options can be built that give you plenty of storage for pots and pans to avoid having them out in the open. And the built-in cabinetry can be done in various styles, including as pull-outs for easy retrieval of kitchen items.

Modern Bathroom Vanities

Bathroom vanities can also be made to look overly bland as some kitchen islands are. Why not update with yours and add some modern cabinetry design? We can build anything from built-in cabinetry to separate cabinetry placed on top of a stand-alone vanity space. Also, try some different vanity shapes for something different. Once the cabinets are built, we let you choose the color you think works best in your bathroom.

Handcrafted Office Desk

Why stick with a store-bought office desk that doesn’t give you half as much storage space as a customized one can? Get yourself inspired and think of a custom desk we can design for your home office. Think of one with various storage capabilities so you can store even more office supplies than you could before. We’ll make the desk out of the finest wood so you’ll have a durable and stylish family heirloom.

Entertainment Centers

One great thing about custom cabinetry is the ability to create entertainment centers in virtually any part of the house. Nobody says you have to keep your TV in your living room. With some inspired thought, we can design shelf space or cabinetry that holds a TV in any part of your house, whether in a bedroom or a kitchen. Using surrounding cabinetry design gives you an attractive spot that provides more than blank walls to look at around your TV.

No matter where you decide to place your custom cabinetry or shelving, we want you to keep feeling inspired when redesigning. We can even help create other custom ideas for you from mantels to bookshelves.

Contact us so we can start working on a cabinet design that’s made for you. You’ll be working with our gifted craftsman, Pete Rafferty, who has additional expertise in drawing so he can illustrate your ideas before they’re built.

cherry bathroom vanity

Attention to detail is important in just about any industry, and cabinet making is no exception. Fine craftsmanship and excellent appearance only come with an experienced hand, and attention to detail is a part of that. Cabinet making is an art, and like any other art, this sort of attention is crucial to getting a good result. Here are some reasons why.

Longer lasting products

Products made with good attention to detail are products that last longer. When the joints and seams of an entertainment center or a vanity are put together with exacting tolerances, they’re less likely to come apart. A vanity, cabinet, bureau, or other product purchased from Edgewood cabinetry is likely to last all the way up until your grandchildren are buying their first houses, and even beyond.

Better looking cabinets

Anyone can tell the difference between a flat-pack cabinet and a piece of high-end furniture. But what makes the difference between high-end furniture and an amazing cabinet? Attention to detail is the answer. Good attention to detail means that no aspect is missed, and the visual elements of your furniture will pull together into a fantastic result. Anyone can tell a gorgeous cabinet from a ho-hum one, and the cabinets from Edgewood cabinetry use attention to detail to achieve gorgeous results.

Inspirational pieces

Handmade furniture is one-of-a-kind. Each piece has subtle differences in color, little nuances, and small differences that make the piece unique. Pieces from Edgewood cabinetry are no difference. Craftsmanship and attention to detail come together, and the wood speaks to the artist to result in pieces like no other.

craftsmanship,

So the next time you’re thinking of replacing your cabinetry, or you want a new bureau or entertainment center, look to Edgewood cabinetry. The attention to detail here is second to none, and you’re guaranteed to get a beautiful product at a great price. Don’t settle for less than the best: purchase your cabinets from Edgewood cabinetry.

To find out more about our cabinetry and other furniture, contact us today.