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Kitchen Door Style Options
Text by Blair Korchinski
The single element that defines a kitchen the most is the doors on the cabinetry. The design, colour, choice of materials, style of pulls, and even choice of hinges all affect the look and feel of your kitchen. If you want to update your kitchen, changing the doors on your cabinetry can be a relatively inexpensive option. If you are getting new cabinetry, your choices will likely be with you for some time, so it is important to choose carefully.
You may prefer the sleek, modern look of laminate or the more traditional look of wood. A flat surface may be more to your tastes than an embossed door; you may like bright chrome handles or pulls that are part of the door. There are a lot of options available, so making a choice can be difficult. To make the decision easier, there are some things to you should consider.
The first is the basic style of the door. A flat surface where the doors meet in the middle and the inner cabinet is not visible is easy to keep clean, although not as visually interesting as more ornate doors. A more complex door with recessed panels and embossed trim may suit your tastes better. You may also choose an open design with glass panels for some or all of your upper cabinetry. This allows you to show of fine dishes while protecting them from dirt, wear, and breakage.
Materials vary widely as well. Wood veneer and laminate doors are usually made from materials such as plywood or particleboard. As a rule, particleboard is the least durable and least expensive, while plywood costs slightly more. If you prefer an ultra-modern look, you may choose stainless steel doors or go for a sleek-looking laminate finish.
Another option is colour. Wood doors can be finished with stains of various shades. While most wooden cabinet doors are stained to bring out the natural look of the wood, painting them is also an option, especially if the trim in your kitchen is painted. Laminate finishes are also available in many colours. This allows you to match or contrast the colour to trim, countertops, or even appliances.
Something that is often overlooked is the effect that the style and colour of pulls and handles can have. Chrome and brightly coloured pulls on painted cabinetry evoke a retro feeling, for instance, but don’t usually go well with stained cabinetry. When considering pulls, it is often helpful to buy one or two of the styles and colours you are considering so you can compare them on your cupboard.
The choices you make when choosing cabinet doors will depend on your personal tastes, the style of your house, and your budget. Visiting your local home centers and cabinetry retailers will help you make a choice you will be happy with for many years.
Symmetry Suits
Striking symmetry is the signature of this custom designed kitchen. Heirloom Cabinetry’s Larry Koop and Barry Penner worked closely with their clients and designer Olenka Antymniuk to achieve a highly efficient workspace with great visual appeal.
Geometric planes convey a minimalist look. Ample natural light, augmented by generous under- and over-cabinet lighting, is reflected in the gleaming stainless steel accents. The bulkhead over the sink is pushed out, creating a bay window that appears to light up the whole room. Glass tile that complements the stone chosen by the owners, wraps around corners and ties into the window, further brightening the kitchen.
A commercial gas stove and oven and four-foot side-by-side refrigerator/freezer indicate this is a practical workspace. The acid-etched, steel framed glass doors on upper cabinets flanking the stove afford a whimsical break from standard design while offering practical access. The doors swing upward on special hinges that keep them open at a 90° angle. Rich espresso stain on maple kitchen cabinetry and the warm tones of the tile floor work well with the steel.
True to symmetrical goals, the stove is centered between 28” cabinets. Ordinary kitchens often have one 24” and one 26” unit next to the stove. All the hardware lines up, following the flow of the workspace. There is an abundance of lower cabinets, featuring “Blumotion” tandem stainless steel self-closing hardware.
Lift and roll out inserts enhance the pantry. “In the kitchen world, there are so many things to make it practical and user friendly. My partner and I work with the clients to achieve a kitchen that suits their personal needs and tastes,” Larry explains.
Dark charcoal stain on the pantry unit, instead of the kitchen’s espresso, hints at other surprises. One might expect a high definition television; rather, the focal point is a fireplace. It suggests warmth and enjoyment for those gathered at the table.
On the left of the table two pedestals – a bank of supporting drawers, provide convenient storage for things like cutlery and napkins. The right leg of the table is the same width as the tabletop. From the patio doors, one sees a flow of granite from the floor upward and across the tabletop, which is large enough to provide seating on both sides.
The ceiling in the eating area is higher than the rest of the kitchen and cabinetry above the pantry extends beyond the lower section. The columns and bulkheads were fabricated to add to the sense of flow.
The working island ensures meals can easily be passed to the table. The island has a bar sink and to the right of the sink, an under the island convection/microwave oven. The wine cooler under the island counter is convenient to both the granite table and the formal dining area.
Functional components and geometric artistry comprise a practical and enjoyable kitchen. Larry concludes, “When you look at this kitchen, you are not seeing pieces; you get the whole picture.”
For more information visit Heirloom Cabinetry Ltd.
Text By Pat Gerbrandt
Photography by Fred Elcheshen
Build Your Own Modular Storage
Text by Blair Korchinski
For the purposes of this article, we’ll assume that you have a space four feet wide and eighteen inches deep to work with, and want to include the more commonly sought after features of a modular storage unit. If not, you can vary the measurements and design to fit your particular space and needs.
Note: Because we are using wood in an area where moisture is an issue, all surfaces should be primed and painted with an oil-based or waterproof paint or stain before assembly. This will prevent rot.
Step 1: Building the base.
Cut two pieces of ¾” plywood, 4 inches wide and 36 inches long. Cut two pieces 16-1/2 inches long.
Cut one piece of plywood 16-1/2 inches long and 3-1/4 inches wide. This will serve as your cross-member.
Cut four triangular gussets from 2×4 lumber.
Arrange the plywood pieces so they form a rectangle. Place the gussets in the corners, ¾’s of an inch from the top edge of the plywood and attach with outdoor wood glue and screws. Place the narrow piece of plywood in the centre of the base and attach with glue and screws.
Cut a piece of plywood 34-1/2 inches by 16-1/2 inches. Place it within the base and attach it with glue and screws.
Step 2: Open Shelving.
In this case the open shelving will be 12 inches wide and 18 inches deep. It will be five feet high and sit on the base. It will have six adjustable shelves.
Cut two pieces of ¾ inch plywood 18 inches by 60 inches. These will be the sides.
Place the sides even with each other and clamp them together. Measure up 12 inches from each end and mark a line across both sides at once. Make another line every four inches. Measure in two inches from the front and back of each board and mark a line from the top to bottom. Drill holes where the lines intersect, being careful not to drill all of the way through the plywood. The diameter of these holes should match the shelf supports you chose.
Cut two pieces of ¾ inch plywood 12 inches by 12 inches. These will be the top and bottom.
Cut one piece of ½ inch plywood 12 inches by 60 inches.
Attach the top and bottom to the sides using glue and finishing nails.
Attach the back using glue and finishing nails.
Cut shelves and install using metal or plastic shelf supports.
Attach trim to edges of plywood using glue and finishing nails.
Install shelves on base.
Step 3: Closed Cabinet
Cut and assemble sides, back and shelves following the same procedures as in step 2.
Cut a piece of 1/2 inch plywood 60 inches by 12 inches.
Install hinges according the instructions on the hinge package (method will vary with hinge type) and install door on cabinet. Install the door pull according to the instructions on the package.
Install completed unit on base.
Step 4: Cross Member and Towel Hooks
Cut two 1×6 boards 24” long.
Measure down 6 inches from the top of the cabinets and mark both cabinets. Install the top cross member flush with the back of the cabinets by driving two screws through each cabinet and into the ends of the boards.
Measure down 12 inches from the top cross member and out 6 inches from the back of the cabinets and install the lower cross member.
Install coat hooks on cross members according to the instructions on the packaging. If you prefer, a towel rack can be installed on one or both cross members.
QUILTING WITH GRANNY
Text by D. Spalding
Many centuries ago, people learned that they could keep themselves warm by putting layers of material together to make clothing, coverings, and bedding: in Latin, the word for quilt (“calcite”) meant “stuffed sack.” In the past, quilting was not considered an art, because it was a necessity. The textile industry was not developed and there was no central heating, so quilts were the only way to keep warm. When it became possible to buy machine-made blankets, quilting was no longer a necessary skill.
In the 1960s quilting became trendy as an art form, its comeback coinciding, ironically, with the women’s liberation movement. I cannot hear the term ‘quilt’ without being flooded with memories of my grandmother, who lived independently until the ripe old age of 106 in an isolated rural community where most people had a very low income. Quilting was a necessity in this community, and women got together at the church hall to quilt. Since my grandmother did not get out much in the winter, she looked forward to spring when she could socialize at these quilting “bees” with her friends. During my childhood, I spent my summers with Granny and was fascinated by her vast knowledge and skills. Her philosophy, resulting from the times she lived in, was that anything you make with your own hands is superior to what you purchase, and I think this is why she took on the task of showing me how to quilt. This was not an easy job as I am severely left-handed; even my mother had early on recognized the hopelessness of trying to teach me hand skills. But Granny did not live to be 106 without being headstrong. She was determined I would quilt, and she never gave up on me.
Traditionally, girls were taught needle skills at age five or six, so in 1947, when I was five years old, Granny began the arduous task of helping me become a woman who could take pride in her needlework skills. I loved being with my grandmother, and my ineptness with a needle did not interfere with the bonding that took place during these lessons, which were extensive. There were three phases to quilting: piecing material for the top of the quilt; then layering the top, batting, and material for the bottom; and finally binding the layers together.
In preparation for the quilting bees, Granny would get lambs’ wool in the fall from a neighbour, and in spring she would spend days soaking and washing the wool, which was dirty and smelly. After the wool was dry, I would help to untangle it by pulling a carding rake through it to make sure it was smooth and clean. The wool was used for filler or “batting” in between the top and bottom material. Sometimes Granny used batting made of goose down feathers. She saved the designs from flour bags and colorful bits of rags or cloths, and I used to help her collect old pieces of cloth for the quilt top. We would wash the pieces of cloth, iron out the wrinkles, and cut them into different shapes, which we then sewed together. Although Granny could have purchased material, she would not give up the old way of quilting and took pride in the design created by the bits and pieces of cloth that became the top of the quilt.
Granny would spend hours teaching me how to do basic stitches. After I learned to thread a needle and to stitch (if you could call it that) I was allowed to go with her to the quilting bee. I couldn’t wait to go because all my cousins would be there. After a winter of relative isolation there were many interesting stories going around the table, so it was never boring. At the quilting bee, the backing for the quilt was clamped on a wooden frame, a layer of wool was spread out over it, and finally the quilt top was laid over all. After pinning these three layers together, the women would begin sewing them. Most of the ladies would look at what the children were doing and show us how to make even stitches. Unfortunately, none of the ladies was left-handed and my stitches were a disaster. After much conversation, the group decided I should learn to stitch with my right hand. However, it didn’t take long for the ladies to realize that I could not create even stitches with either hand. The other children could not help but feel superior to me and they teased me about my sewing. The only person who did not give up on me was Granny. She did cheat a bit, as she would guide my hand in order to keep the stitches even. She would then proudly show these squares to the members of the quilting bee.
