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 If you choose wood, you have the choice of solid wood or wood veneer. The latter is cheaper and is less influenced by weather conditions.
The humidity and temperature outside have an effect on your solid wooden kitchen doors, but the biggest influence comes from the changes in temperature and humidity in the kitchen.
Veneer can also give a more uniform look to the fronts (if this is what you want) as the pieces of wood used are cut from a larger piece in thin strips to cover all the doors.
Wood itself is available in all kinds of colors, but it can also be glossed, painted, colour washed or waxed to give it the finish you prefer. Look at the pictures on this site and on the Internet for more ideas and examples.
Cabinet Woods
Pine:
Has a casual, rustic look, some graining, color variation and knotholes. It is the softest of cabinet woods, so hinges may need to be tightened periodically as they tend to pull out of the wood after use.
Oak:
Has a casual look, a lot of graining and an even color tone when stained. It is a very hard wood and looks great [...]
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 The first decision when selecting cabinets is whether to go for stock cabinets, semi-custom, custom units or frameless cabinets.
All have their own advantages and disadvantages.
There are the three basic classifications of cabinet manufacturing: Stock, Semi-Custom & Custom, and this can be further subdivided into Framed and Frameless.
Pricing will vary depending on your layout, the manufacturer, wood, finish, door style and the interior accessories you select.
Stock
Lowest price range
Limited selection of door styles, woods and stain colors. Solid woods and veneers are both used. Wood selection is usually oak, hickory, maple, cherry and MDF doors in white or off-white thermal-foils (see ‘Kitchen Cabinet Terminology’ below).
Usually offers three different grades of construction. Standard consists of particleboard sides and a 4-sided drawer box that is dadoed, stapled and glued. Mid-range upgrades the drawer box to wood with dovetailed joints and usually thicker shelves in the wall cabinets. Best offers all this plus plywood sides instead of particleboard. Hinges used are concealed, drawer glides are an epoxy side-mount. The finish is machine sprayed and sanded (finish quality will vary between various stock lines)
Cabinets are pre-made in standard sizes that increase in 3″ increments from 9″-48″ and [...]
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On AMC’s Mad Men, attention to detail includes appliances in the Drapers’ kitchen
 Much has been written about the painstaking detail that goes into every costume, set decoration, and cocktail on Mad Men, the hit drama on AMC about the advertising industry in the early 1960s.
We’ll leave it to the fashion scribes to decide whether the lapels on Don Draper’s suit and the furniture at the Sterling Cooper ad agency were appropriate in the season-three premiere on Sunday, August 16.
What we’re interested in are the appliances you see on the show. From that admittedly narrow perspective, a standout image from the premiere had to be the electric cooktop that Draper, played by Jon Hamm, is seen standing over in the opening sequence as he warms some milk for his pregnant wife, Betty (January Jones). The photo, courtesy of AMC, shows the Drapers’ kitchen.
The way the camera lingers over the glowing-red coils, the appliance definitely conjures a specific place in time. (As do those knotty-pine cabinets and the plaid wallpaper in the kitchen.) We didn’t test cooktops [...]
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Washing machines and other hardworking appliances seem to know the worst times to breakdown. With the economy causing most of us to be careful with our spending, replacing a major appliance is not high on anyone’s to-do list. Sometimes your just need a few more months out of the machine before a big move or remodel, but then it happens, the squealing, leaking and motor problems – time for a new unit.
A second-hand washer, dryer or refrigerator can be just what you need. We’ve got some suggestions on where and how you can get what you need.
Buy used appliances at furniture stores. Most of these stores have a section for used appliances and furniture that people have traded in. Check to see if there is a warranty left or if it is “as is.” Some stores offer their own short return period of thirty to sixty days.
Check the want ads in your local newspaper for used appliances. If you see an ad for something you want, make an appointment to go inspect the appliance. These will be “as is” so make sure the appliance is fully functional before you buy.
Go online to [...]
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Hard times don’t mean college students have to give up healthful, tasty food.
These appliances will come in handy whether your son or daughter lives in a dorm or an off-campus apartment.
And while this gear won’t turn your college-age cooks into an Iron Chef, they can save them some money and add variety and spice to their diet.
Be sure to check your school’s guidelines about appliances, and see the rest of our back-to-school coverage.
Compact Refrigerators
The “dorm-room refrigerator” moniker shows how closely compact refrigerators have become identified with college life, but only some of the models we tested made the grade. Many models have a single temperature-control dial, so you can’t find an ideal temperature between the refrigerator and freezer sections. And all that we tested for this report are comparative energy hogs.
Only two refrigerators we tested had freezer sections that were able to keep frozen confections from turning to mush, and the 3.7-cubic-foot Avanti 308YWT, 0, flunked basic refrigeration. Choose the 4.6-cubic-foot Frigidaire FRC05L5D, 0, if your student will be a frequent frozen-food diner. Tell your kid to discard frozen foods that have been stored above 40°F for more than two [...]
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Furniture and accessories add the finishing touches to your kitchen and help to enhance its overall effect. Buying new accessories is the easiest way to change the look of your kitchen.
However, it is important not only to choose items that complement the style and feel of your kitchen but also ones that meet your needs.
Appliances and accessories made of stainless steel are very popular right now, such as blenders and toasters, refrigerators and pro-style oven ranges. To get the all-steel look without the price, look for steel finished appliances and accessories.
Kitchen seating and lighting is covered below. Also, there are some hints and tips on kitchen cleaning and suggestions on what to look out for when choosing a kitchen to make these tasks easier.
Tools and gadgets are a personal choice and should reflect your personal taste.
Kitchen Seating
With many people spending significantly more time in their kitchens these days, this room has now become one of the most lived in rooms in the home.
Seat Height Selection
Choosing the correct size stool or chair is very important as there are several seat heights available. Remember, stools and chairs usually come in three standard heights.
Chairs
These usually have a seat height [...]
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A fridge is one of the most important appliances in your home, influencing your eating habits and ensuring food hygiene and taste.
Refrigerators are available with different door configurations, with either the doors side-by-side, or with one door on top of the other, or as drawers.
In a top/bottom unit the freezer can be on either the top or the bottom. In a side-by-side configuration the freezer is on one side.
Some are available as built-ins, which can be disguised to look like just another cabinet. Others are the same depth as the countertop to mimic the built-in look.
Prices start at around $300 and can go up to $7000 or more for commercial or built-ins.
Top/Bottom Layout
Capacity (about 25 cubic feet) is not as much as a side-by-side
With the freezer on top you may find yourself bending down a lot to get to items on the lower refrigerator shelves.
A bottom freezer style is becoming more popular as the most accessed area (the fridge at the top) is also the most accessible.
Side-by-Side Layout
Capacity is more than a top/bottom, about 30 cubic feet.
These have narrower double doors, which is important if opening [...]
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There are so many choices where cabinets are concerned, such as the door materials, style, color, frames, etc., and so much variation in price that the whole area can be confusing at times.
Hopefully, this section should give you a good place to start.
You may also want to consider the option of having your cabinets refaced. You will be surprised at the results you can achieve by doing this, and also how inexpensive it is, especially if you can find a good deal with a reputable company.
Definitely check it out first, get some quotes and see if makes sense for you. There are plenty of good cabinet refacing advice sites out there, for example, this one.
Cabinet Manufacturing Classifications
The first decision when selecting cabinets is whether to go for stock cabinets, semi-custom, custom units or frameless cabinets. All have their own advantages and disadvantages.
There are the three basic classifications of cabinet manufacturing: Stock, Semi-Custom & Custom, and this can be further subdivided into Framed and Frameless. Pricing will vary depending on your layout, the manufacturer, wood, finish, door style and the interior accessories you select.
Stock
Lowest price range.
Limited selection of door styles, woods and stain colors. [...]
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The next step in planning your new kitchen is to plan enough storage to suit your needs.
As already explained in Kitchen Shapes, different shapes of kitchens automatically provide different amounts of storage space.
Although most of us think of plain cabinets when we think of storage, there are a lot more options these days.
In this section you will find solutions to various storage problems and useful tips to make the most of even the smallest of spaces. Cabinets will be discussed in the ‘Cabinets’ section.
Below The Countertop
It is obvious that the bigger the countertop, the more you can store below it. After you have planned the position of your sink, fridge and cooktop/oven, the rest of the space below the countertop is yours to play with, because plain cabinets are not the only option.
Storage below the countertop is especially convenient for heavy items such as electrical equipment and heavy pots, pans and oven dishes. Think about how many of those items you have and how much storage space you have to give to those items. Remember to leave enough room for expansion as in the future you will buy more utensils and the items you already have [...]
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With so many choices in materials, appliances and accessories, sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start when choosing the components that make up your new kitchen.
A good designer should be able to point you in the right direction and sites such as this can give you some good hints, tips and ideas, but ultimately the choice of kitchen style is entirely up to you.
If you have any questions about kitchen design that are not covered in these pages then visit our Kitchen Design Guide site here.
Planning
Obviously, planning is the first and most important part of buying a new kitchen.
The main steps involved are usually the following:
List the reasons you want to remodel, or the problems with your current kitchen. These can be such things as:
old cabinets
limited storage
old style
too cramped
Measure it fully and accurately. Remember to include the following:
the width of all windows and doors
the position of the window or door from the corners of the room
the height of the bottom of the windows above the floor
the height of the ceiling
the height, width and depth of the appliances you want to keep
the height, width and depth of the appliances you intend to buy
the [...]
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