Seems old Ben Franklin was ahead of his time. With the nation in
economic turmoil, in no other day and age has the adage, “A penny saved
is a penny earned” been more relevant. And while it may seem like an
impossibility in today’s financial climate, there are many ways to save a
pretty penny when it comes to revamping your kitchen. To simplify
matters, let’s focus our cost-saving efforts on the heart of the room:
the kitchen cabinets.
In a recent article titled “Be penny-wise
with your kitchen,” the Post-Bulletin offered some “common cents” tips
to bring about satisfying kichen results. Among their advice was:
Paint/Finish
– “Not only is it (painting) the least costly of almost anything you
can do, it can have the largest impact. Changing the color will create a
fresh canvas for updating the look in just a day or two.” That advice
is fine and dandy if your existing kitchen cabinets are in sound shape,
but what if they need an overhaul? Look for a kitchen cabinet
manufacturer that provides preassembled and ready-to-assemble cabinetry
in a variety of finish colors. Cream and white cabinet finishes give a
fresh, clean appeal to your kitchen. Warm woods like cider, oak, bay and
hickory lend a cozy kitchen cabinet appeal. Darker woods like Nile
gloss, burgundy and Ruxton brown lend a rustic cabin flavor.
Cabinets
– “Shop stock items or semi-custom cabinets that can give you custom
craftsmanship.” Opting for preassembled and ready-to-assemble kitchen
cabinets saves you not only money but also time. That means you’ll be
able to start enjoying your new kitchen much more quickly than you would
if you had to wait for custom cabinetry options. Don’t, however, feel
that you’ll lose out on that personalized attention to detail by
choosing preassembled or ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets. Select a
kitchen cabinet manufacturer that offers a variety of customization
options on its preassembled and ready-to-assemble cabinetry. Some of the
add-on features you can still expect to enjoy include decorative
molding, lazy Susans, roll-out trays, fillers, light rails, matching toe
kicks, specialty end panels and heat shields.
Increasing storage – The Post-Bulletin’s expert “sees
clients changing from a U-shape design to an L-design and adding an
island or increasing the size of the island to include an eating space.
… the homeowner can get a new look and more storage and efficient
usage of space.” To that end, seek out a manufacturer of
ready-to-assemble and preassembed kitchen cabinets that offers an online
design tool. That way, you can plan your new kitchen right down to the
last detail, thereby ensuring that your new preassembled or
ready-to-assembled kitchen cabinets fit correctly. In this case, there’s
another old adage you can ignore: “Measure twice, cut once.” That’s
because the well-prepared kitchen cabinet manufacturer take all of the
guesswork out of the equation for you!
By adhering to the
aforementioned helpful hints and planning guidelines, you can create an
attractive, functional kitchen, as well as ensure your project is
completed as smoothly as possible … all without wasting a single
penny. Our sage founding father, Ben Franklin, would surely approve.