Ideas To Use When Installing Or Transforming Kitchen Cabinets

Traditionally, a kitchen cabinet is a storage area for food, tableware and in some cases, electronic appliances. Again, these are most often ornate. Contemporary designs however have a 'cleaner' look. Whether you stick to the conventional or modern style, these can always be improved or changed.

1. Add Or Replace Veneer

Bare wood can be layered with detailed and colored veneer for an impressive look. Go dark where the wood or pre-existing veneer was light colored and vice versa. Polish the veneer often to give it a fresh and glossy look.

2. Use A Pull Out Organizer

Install a railing-like plank or rod to hang pots, spatulas and such other crockery. Lids can have their own organizer in a separate drawer in the cabinet.

3. Paint

A dark color over wood is minimalist and sleek at the same time. Bright colors like blonde wood make the room bright and cheery.

4. Use Free Standing Cabinets

Get one with legs that can accommodate wheels for ease of movement if or when you change homes. Using one like this may be an advantage when redesigning your home or you feel like changing the face of your kitchen. It could of course be extra storage space for more food and appliances, when used together with built in cabinets. If it proves bulky, or with time, it comes to look awkward in the kitchen, you can always wheel it out and convert it to be used in another room, like a bookcase for shelved cabinets.

5. Light Up The Cabinet

The importance of light cannot be over emphasized. If you can, though not a very safe method, install a tiny safe fixture at the back of the cabinet to light it up, or under the cabinet. The safest way, as recommended by Standards Australia, is to have task lighting to illuminate the area around the cabinet.

6. Material For Drawers

Dark cherry wood is sophisticated, while light colored wood like bambooare best to achieve a sunny rustic feel. The organizers for the drawers could be made of metal like chromium and steel. Metal generally gives a 'cool' look to the kitchen. Other materials to consider are oak, which is very expensive yet top quality, birch and glass for the doors.

7. Doors And Drawers

Contemporary drawers are soft close and are pushed in a clicking motion for them to open. Handles are eliminated in these cases, though if you prefer the traditional look of having fancy ornate knobs, the options are endless.

For the highly organized, or those having employed a sitter or nanny, tag the drawers and cabinets with writing on paper encased in clear and detachable plastic, showing where different utensils are.

Instead of pulling them out, you could opt for drawers that are opened vertically or slide horizontally.

8. Custom Made Cabinets For Kitchen Appliances

Position them discreetly, and make them large to accommodate both small and big appliances

9. Outdoor Cabinets

These are commonly fixed with a grill set on top, and are either built in or freestanding outside, prevalently placed near the kitchen, so they can be used outside for barbecues, hence the description 'outdoor'.

10. Over-Cabinet Hook

This is a must have accessory to fit onto the surface of the cabinet, for hanging tea and hand towels or glass cloths.

While installing/designing, It is important to adhere to the standards set by the Livable Housing Design Guidelines, developed by the Australian Department of Social Services, which state that for a gold level kitchen, there should be at least 1200millimetres of space between fixed benches and appliances, while for a platinum level kitchen, at least 1550 millimeters space should be reserved for easy movement.

Make your kitchen cabinet an extra storage space in the house. At the bottom, on base cabinets, you could include drawers to store reading material like cookbooks, magazines and books on healthy living and dieting. While you 'watch the pot' you could entertain or educate yourself with a book or two.

A kitchen sometimes needs a facelift, and the devil truly is in the detail. Why not work on your stock cabinet and see just how much transforming a seemingly insignificant area of your kitchen can have a tremendous impact on the whole room?

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Jeremy is keen on interior decor. He pays attention to the tiniest detail as a designer and installer of kitchen cabinets who only gets his fixtures from Apollo Kitchens. Their kitchen cabinets are an accurate reflection of their slogan, designed to delight, built to last. kindly visit our website at http://www.apollokitchens.com.au/kitchen-cabinets-nsw.html to know more about kitchen cabinets.