Cabinet Hardware – A Simple Way To Personalize Your Kitchen Renovation
Designing your new kitchen includes many different items, and it is easy to overlook some of them. One very important aspect of kitchen design which can add a personal touch to your kitchen is the choice of cabinet hardware. This choice is so important that most builders do not even put hardware on the cabinets, leaving this critical choice up to the buyer.
I will almost guarantee that you are not aware of all the choices available to you for cabinet hardware. From simple knob pulls to custom made, personalized cabinet hardware, your choices are unlimited. The finishing touch provided by your choice of cabinet handles and drawer pulls can be the item that truly sets your kitchen apart from your friend’s or neighbor’s kitchens. Let’s look at some of the options available to you.
The simple knob drawer pulls and simple door handles are still the mainstay. These classic hardware items can be of any metal, painted to match your cabinet color, or made of wood to match you cabinets. You can keep your kitchen simple, yet elegant with simple classic designs, allowing for easier resale down the road.
You can define your personal style that makes a statement. Simple designs made of unusual materials will make your kitchen unique. Knobs made of crystal, colored glass, or exotic woods will ad visual interest to your new kitchen. You can use unexpected shapes for your drawer pulls to make your kitchen fun and whimsical. Balloon shaped drawer pulls, paper clip door handles, or crayon colored hardware will keep your kitchen a fun place to cook.
Cabinet hardware can proclaim to the world your special interests. Hardware in the shape of grape clusters can tell the world of your love of wine, chicken shaped hardware will match the rooster collection in your country kitchen, or rose shaped drawer pulls proclaim your love of gardening. Anything you can imagine can be used as cabinet hardware to personalize your kitchen.
You can let your inner artist create truly unique hardware for your kitchen. I’ve seen actual fishing lures used as drawer pulls by an avid fisherman. I’ve heard of a geologist who had his kitchen cabinet hardware made from agates that he had collected over the years. This type of personalization will make your kitchen a one-of-a-kind kitchen, and may bring you a tremendous amount of satisfaction every time you use your kitchen.
I’m just trying to broaden your horizons to the endless possibilities available for a truly unique kitchen that’s personalized. For additional ideas on the types and styles of cabinet hardware available, contact a kitchen designer or cabinet manufacturer. They may be able to find exactly what you are looking for, or give you ideas that you may not have considered before.
It may seem like the decision on the type of cabinet hardware that you add to your kitchen is a small item, and I am making far too much out of it. Maybe I am, but this little decision can turn a good kitchen decor into a great kitchen decor. And most people won’t even know why your kitchen seems so put together.
A Simple Do-It-Yourself Bathroom Remodel in 5 Easy Steps
Even for a Do-It-Yourself novice, these 5 easy steps to remodel your bathroom is easy for anyone to do without spending much more than a few hundred dollars and a Saturday afternoon. Remodeling your bathroom does not have to mean breaking things up, replacing all the big ticket items in your bathroom, or hiring a contractor do perform the work for you.
Plan a weekend and focus on these 5 easy steps to remodel your own bathroom and save money:
Lighting
Faucets
Cabinet Hardware
Mirror
Towel Bar and Toilet Paper Holder
Lighting:
Change your bathroom lighting – simply changing your bathroom lighting can give your bathroom a new look. Especially if your lighting isn’t bright enough to light up your bathroom, or your lighting looks outdated. Some really great looking lights can be purchased and quickly mounted in about an hours time. Remember to turn the electrical power off during any electrical work and follow the directions that come in the light packaging. I usually gauge how big a light I will need by looking at the total area needing the light. The larger the area, the more important it becomes to use a larger light.
Faucets:
Replace your bathroom faucet – with just a few tools such as a wrench, pliers, screwdriver, and plumbers putty, you can change your faucet in about an hour as well. Many times faucets begin to show signs of hardened water deposits or other discoloration. A new faucet can go a long way to making your bathroom sink look new. In some cases you may need to replace any water supply cut-off valves and drain lines that may have become worn or somewhat deteriorated.
Cabinet Hardware:
Your cabinet hardware is another easy way to upgrade the looks of your bathroom. This is certainly true if you purchased an existing home. Changing the cabinet hardware can easily give your cabinetry a facelift. Just be sure to find hardware with the same screw patterns as the old hardware to make the exchange very simple. You often can find new hardware for just a few dollars a piece, and when most bathrooms only use less than a dozen pieces of hardware, the cost is minimal and the improved looks can be substantial.
Mirrors:
Changing the mirror can also change the looks of your bathroom. If your bathroom has damaged mirrors, rusty frames, or just a bad mirror setup. Change the mirrors size or shape to give your bathroom a whole new look. Mirrors can be purchased in big box stores for a few dollars or you can have a glass installation company install a mirror for you. There are lots of choices such as plain flat glass, beveled glass, etched glass, colored glass, framed or unframed glass and much more to choose from.
Towel Bars and Toilet Paper Holders:
Finally, if you have towel bars or toilet paper holders that could use a facelift, consider changing them into something more modern or stylish. Each of these items have only a couple of set screws and a small handful of screws to remove. If you are placing a larger or smaller towel bar and need to cover the holes. I have taken a 51/2 inch wide board that is just about 3 inches longer than the towel bar to screw to the wall first, and then installed the towel bar over the board. Before installing this board I take the board to the cabinet shop to have the edges routered with a simple design. Looks great and provides a strong backing.
Just imagine a few dollars and a few hours and your bathroom looks better already. Without a doubt you can do these 5 easy to do steps to remodel your own bathroom all by yourself on a weekend and make a big difference.…