Storage Cabinets

Archive for March, 2010

The difference between kitchen cabinets and bathroom cabinets are subtle. Bathroom cabinets are a bit shorter (31” rather than 34 1/2”), shallow (21” vs. 24”), and don’t have quite so many options as kitchen cabinets from the same manufacturer.

But, being labeled “BATH” cabinets, it’s the section of a catalog many designers flip to when sitting down with a customer to come up with a plan. Yes, there are specific bath cabinets that don’t have a kitchen counterpart, but often times you can get away with swapping things out, and you may end up with a more functional bathroom in the end.

Thinking about this hypothetically…

Suppose you have a 72” bathroom wall that you need to occupy with cabinets. Also suppose that you already have a closet for clean towels and so forth, so you’re only concerned with space where people can wash up and prepare for the day. Hypothetically, you want a place for dirty laundry in the center, and a sink on each side.

Scenario 1: Bath Cabinets

In the center is a hamper pull out cabinet, 34 1/2H x 18W x 21D. That is the only width these hamper pullouts come in, so if you want something wider, you’re in the “Out of Luck” department, with this manufacturer anyway.

On the right and left are sink bases, 34 1/2H x 27W x 21D. They have no drawers (just fake fronts) and no shelves. Being narrow, that’s just how they come.

Scenario 2: Kitchen Cabinets

In the center, in place of the bathroom hamper pull-out, is a simple kitchen base cabinet with a roll out tray. It measures 34 1/2H x 24W x 24D, and essentiallyy performing the same function as the hamper pull out.

To the right and left are your sink bases, 34 1/2H x 24W x 24D. They’re a little narrower than the bathroom vanity sink bases, but deeper and less expensive.

Using list prices in your hypothetical bathroom, the total for using bathroom cabinets is $1517, and for using kitchen cabinets it’s $1506. What you actually pay in a cabinet shop will vary, but the difference between the two should be proportionate.

And while the savings are small, you’ve gained an additional 3.75 cubic feet of storage space The counters will be up a little higher, which you should be used to if you spend any amount of time in your kitchen, and there will be another 3” of depth to them for putting things like toothbrush holders, soap dishes, and so forth.

For more information about bathroom vanities and using kitchen cabinets in bathrooms, or even to request pictures of different vanity designs, visit http://www.thecabinetfolks.com or email [email protected]

Craig Parker
http://www.articlesbase.com/bath-showers-articles/kitchen-cabinets-as-bathroom-vanity-use-kitchen-cabinetry-instead-of-bathroom-vanities-693884.html

Top kitchen products come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Sometimes the items that amaze us with innovation work the best. In other instances we are amazed by simplicity and streamlined construction. There are several ways to decide whether a specific product is the best selection for keeping your kitchen organized. Many products are available to help organize your kitchen.

One item that can sweep you off your feet is the Small Message Mate. This device is a simple wooden box with a drawer at the bottom. However, the door of the box is corkboard on the outside. This allows it to serve as a simple bulletin board that can be placed right on your kitchen counter. The inside of this door is whiteboard, perfect for important notes. On the inside of the box, there are hooks for keys, space for ID cards and wallets, and even room for a small notebook. The drawer is perfect for miscellaneous items that you want kept safely stashed, but accessible. By seamlessly combining many elements that frequently have a place in the kitchen, the Small Message Mate proves to be a perfect result of ingenious designers.

A more obvious, but similarly useful product line is wire drawers/shelves. Wire shelves come in a variety of models, and have been enhanced over the years. One set of wire containers fit neatly on the inside of a cabinet door and nicely holds your aluminum foil, plastic wrap and other similar containers. Another wire shelf designed to hold the same objects is made to latch to the underside of permanent shelves in your kitchen. Expansions on these designs extend to shelves that fit along the inside of a pantry door. These shelves can be adjusted and customized so that they can hold a wide variety of objects. These are perfect to store anything from peanut butter to pasta to powdered mashed potatoes. Wire is simultaneously light and sturdy. This makes it ideal for efficient storage. Proper use of these products can allow you to exponentially expand your kitchen shelf space. The wire drawers are easy to use and they are an extremely practical solution to efficiently storing your important kitchen products.

Another organizational tool that fits into the obvious idea category is the expandable kitchen drawer divider. Yes, you could use just about anything to organize your drawers, but many of them fall short. You may end up with small objects in large spaces, and larger objects crammed into small places. Serving spoons may become mixed with spatulas because of the lack of storage space. The problems are limitless. However, an enterprising designer decided to make dividers customizable in size so that you can have them fit how you want them to. Now you can streamline your drawer space and no longer have to fumble endlessly to find the correct product.

There are also countless space saving furniture sets made specifically for kitchens. It makes sense to have a table and chairs which can be stowed away in a closet after use. There are many occasions when you will prepare food in the kitchen but eat it elsewhere, such as in front of the TV. For these occasions the table and chairs can be kept in the closet and out of the way.

The Spice Stack is another excellent product for keeping your kitchen supplies organized. Countless attempts have been made to help individuals organize their spice racks, but none of them appears to be as efficient as the Spice Stack. Shelves are too limited in space and shape, a Lazy Susan leads to issues with stacking spices and having products fall easily, and trying to store your spices on a shelf is asking for disaster. The Spice Stack, however, has drawers that hold your spices. Each drawer is partitioned to fit spice containers of a variety of sizes, and will keep them organized. What sets these apart is what they do once open. Each drawer is on a hinge. When you open the drawer, it falls out to display the labels of the spices it contains, and then easily closes back into place. These drawers come in a set box that can be stacked. A stack of these drawers can give you endless amounts of space to store your spices. The Spice Stack can save you a lot of frustration in the kitchen by making your spices easy to find and store.

There are many products out there to help you get your kitchen organized, but only a few can do the job effectively. Be smart while shopping, and you can be well on your way to a profitable purchase. The Small Message Mate, wire shelves and drawers, extendable drawer dividers and the Spice Stack are a few examples of products that can help you redefine your kitchen space. Creative methods for using your space are coming out all the time. Be sure to keep your kitchen up to date by choosing from the many available products. By looking around at the selection of available products, you are sure to find the best solution to keep your kitchen organized.

Nick Kakolowski
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/top-kitchen-organization-products-695762.html

It can also be hard to find a space where you will have everything you need and also be able to work without everyone distracting you.  It is something that can be done, though.  With some key ideas and concepts you can build your home office in the smallest of homes and make it work.

Figure what you Need

You need to start planning your home office by figuring out what you need.  You may not need a huge desk with a copier, printer, fax, phone system and filing cabinet.  What you need largely depends on the work you will be doing.

You should go with the minimum that you need.  Also look for combination products that you can use, like printer and copier models that are all built into one unit.  You should also choose a desk with plenty of storage space.

You need to also consider that you will need adequate access to an electrical outlet and, depending on your internet connection, a phone line.  Make sure you can easily run what you need to and from your workspace without inconveniencing anyone.

Criteria to Consider

One of the main things you have to consider about where to put your office space is how you will work in that space.  You have to choose somewhere that will allow you to work without being bothered.

You may find that the living room is not going to work and your bedroom may be a better choice.  You have to figure in how well you will work with the factors you need to run your computer and make it work.

You have to find a space that will allow you to work or it will never be a place you can use.  That can be hard when you are limited on space, but you can do it with some careful thinking.

Making it Work

The hardest part of trying to make a work at home office in a small home is making it work.  You just have to avoid getting frustrated.  You have to make the space useable.  As you get working you will develop your own sense of organization and function that will allow you to use the office to its maximum benefit.  You will be able to make it work as long as you are dedicated. 

Having limited office space can be annoying at best, but if you are serious about working at home then you will be able to make it work.  You just have to plan carefully and be focused on making it successful.

Do not let a lack of space bring you down.  Anyone can work at home as long as they have the drive.  Your small office is nothing to be ashamed of because you took the initiative to make it work despite the odds you faced.

Jeffrey S. Dutt
http://www.articlesbase.com/online-business-articles/create-a-home-office-in-a-small-home-745000.html