If you're still wracking your brain trying to think of what to give your “Mom” this Mother’s Day, why not consider handy kitchen organization gifts?
Kitchen organization tools are the lifesavers of mothers every day of the week. They help mothers multitask, save time and stay focused during meal prep and cooking, and while interacting with others. Kitchen organization tools also help protect mothers from injuries, such as burns and cuts, that happen accidentally when disorganization frazzles their nerves.
What type of organization gifts do moms value?
Pull Out Spice Racks
If your mother loves seasonings and spices, then a pull out spice rack will definitely make her day. A pull out spice rack is narrow or wide shelving in a vertical box frame that slides on rails in and out of a section of top or bottom wall or standalone cabinetry. Typically, the rack is made of a type of wood (“mom’s” choice) with three or more adjustable shelves. The shelves feature metal bars or slats that prevent spices and other items, such as canisters or spice tools, from sliding around. A variety of standard or custom fronts and hardware are available to match or contrast with existing cabinetry or a kitchen theme.
Custom Pantries
Mothers love extra kitchen storage that is well organized. What better way to give her what she loves than with a custom pantry attached to existing cabinetry or crafted as a standalone piece? Pair the unit with add-in organization tools, such as one or more Lazy Susan style shelves, or pull out racks. If you don't want your mother lifting, and perhaps dropping, heavy canisters, you can even take the customization a step further and design the pantry to have lined pull out bins or drawers for herbs, grains, nuts and other foodstuffs. Throw in some metal measurement scoops, and she will always be able to get what she needs at hand without the extra labor.
What are you waiting for?
Out of time? Don't worry. You can contact a Kitchen Magic specialist for ideas and a free estimate today.
On Mother's Day, add a description of your idea to a gift coupon and present it to your mom. Explain that you want her input about the custom work you've planned. When you’re both ready to proceed, contact Kitchen Magic to turn your gift into a reality she will value for years to come.
Today’s kitchen cabinet designs are everything but standard. Maybe your kitchen is small and you seek to double your storage space, or your modern style is in need of some contemporary cabinet accessories. Whether it’s a technological advance that makes daily activities more enjoyable or a fun piece of cabinet flare, we’re sure that there’s a kitchen cabinet feature to fit your needs. Here are my four favorites:
1. Slam-Less Solutions by Blum, Inc.
Tandum plus Blumotion runners and door hinges are a slam-less solution for kitchen cabinets and drawers. Blum, Inc., a German-based company, has perfected the improvements in motion technology for drawers and door hinges, making each close sleek and silent. Upon closing a drawer or cabinet door, Blumotion technology slows down your slam and quietly closes the door or drawer for you. The Blumotion product line reduces wear and tear, keeping your drawers and cabinet doors in perfect condition. Because the drawer glides and cabinet hinges won’t slam, there is no risk of injuring your fingers or hands, making it the perfect feature for a busy kitchen.
2. Cabinet Pullout Shelves
Cabinet pullout shelves are one of my favorite cabinet features because they are great for the homeowner who seeks more organization in her kitchen. Available in wood or chrome, pullout shelves can help you customize the storage space inside each cabinet. Rather than pile pots and pans inside a lower-level cabinet, which can cause your pots to scratch and can cause damage to the interior of your cabinets, pullout shelves organize the clutter. Best of all: they are affordable and easy to install.
3. Lazy Susans
Corner cabinets can be a tricky space in the kitchen, and commonly become a space to store—and loose—everyday cooking items. Lazy Susans are becoming increasingly popular among homeowners, because they can quickly double the storage space in a particular cabinet. I love them because of the design. A Lazy Susan allows you to easily access all of your small kitchen items without sifting through bottles, boxes and jars.
4. Pullout Spice Rack
Pullout spice racks are another cabinet feature that help you organize the smaller cooking items in your kitchen. Just as a Lazy Susan makes it easy see and grab that bottle of olive oil, a pullout spice rack offers the same ease, but is specially shaped to fit all of your spices. My favorite part about a pullout spice rack is that it can often fit in a small space, like next to your stove, and can be disguised as a decorate statement, with a corbel, for instance.
Adding moldings to your cabinetry can instantly update the most simplistic of styles and give your kitchen a truly customized look. Because they are available in a variety of types and designs, molding can help personalize your kitchen without breaking your wallet.
1. Classic Crown Molding
When thoughts of moldings come to mind, classic crown molding is usually the picture that comes up first. Because the distance between the top of your kitchen cabinets and the ceiling can vary throughout the room, traditional crown molding is perfect to fill that empty space. Only 3 to 6 inches of classic crown molding is needed to fill the gap in kitchens with standard ceiling height, making it a cost-effective solution.
2. Interior Crown Molding
Interior crown molding is installed around the perimeter of the kitchen’s ceiling. This automatically draws the eye upward, giving smaller kitchens a larger appearance, and bringing the design of the whole room together for a unified look.
3. Stacked Crown Molding
Stacked crown molding is just what it sounds like—classic crown moldings stacked on top of one another for a highly decorative and uniform design. This molding style works best in larger kitchens, or kitchens with vaulted or varying ceiling heights. But stacked crown molding can quickly become pricy, because molding is primarily sold by the linear foot and the more decorative the piece of molding, the more expensive.
4. Shoe Molding/Quarter Round
Shoe molding is usually installed to the perimeter of the base cabinets in your kitchen, connecting and adding a decorative element to the space between your cabinets and your flooring. Quarter round molding can instantly give your island or cabinets the design appeal of furniture, and it can be matched to either your cabinets or your flooring. Shoe molding is also a great option if you choose to install new flooring after installing your cabinets, because it can hide any flooring imperfections.
5. Light Molding/Light Rail
Light molding is perfect for the homeowner looking for some extra style without spending too much money. This kind of molding is installed on the bottom of your cabinetry to help conceal any under-cabinet lighting, and is often a standard cabinetry feature. Light rail moldings come in a variety of types and styles, meaning they quickly add a customized design to your cabinetry for little cost.
Earth Day is an annual event commemorating the birth of the “green” movement in the 1970s. It was first proposed at a UNESCO conference in San Francisco and then a year later the United Nations sanctioned it. Earth Day, and its subsequent Earth Week, is now celebrated in over 192 countries throughout the world.
Fortunately today Americans have become more eco-conscious than in the past and we now commonly reuse materials and look for energy-efficient solutions to protect our planet. Did you ever think that refacing your cabinets could be a great way to support Mother Earth? The following are three environmental reasons to reface instead of replace:
Reason #1: Hey Waste, “In Your Face!”
There is nothing more wasteful than demolishing good cabinet boxes when you could reface. In addition, the resource-saving benefit of refacing is that discarded material can be recycled into MDF for another homeowner’s project. Less garbage in landfills and more money in your pocket - Earth Day remodeling - pay it forward!
Reason #2: Air Quality Control
Some plywood materials contain formaldehyde resins that can cause respiratory problems for those suffering from asthma or chemical sensitivities. For your Earth Day remodeling project, chose refaced cabinet doors and drawers with finishes of water-based compounds that eliminate the worry of petroleum-based toxic off-gassing.
Reason #3: Bamboo You
Some of the traditional materials of the past were not exactly “eco-friendly”, however, today many new products are less noxious, don’t involved deforestation, use less energy and are longer-lasting than their previous counterparts. Some of these products are:
- Bamboo is a very popular alternative to classic woods because bamboo is sustainable - it loves to be cut – in fact, it thrives. The honey-colored appearance is warm and beautiful in both cabinetry and flooring to boot!
- Lyptus is similar in appearance and hardness to maple but is more sustainable. Made from eucalyptus hybrids in Brazil, there is also no deforestation involved in its production.
- Melamine is made into thin veneers from wood particles and resins, which render it strong, durable and warp-resistant. Today it comes in a wide array of colors and styles.
Earth Day, Every Day
Let the experts at Kitchen Magic help you design and implement your Earth Day remodeling project. Contact us for a free consultation and learn how easily and affordable refacing your kitchen cabinetry can be. Earth Day remodeling – save the planet now for the future.
Does your kitchen feel uninviting?
Lighting and appliance styles and colors, and even the size of the space, can detract from a kitchen’s warmth. Kitchen themes, such as certain modern themes with too many sharp-edged geometric shapes and cool colors, can also make a kitchen unfriendly.
Most homeowners and renters would agree that a table in a kitchen adds warmth. Whether it’s used for prep food, a quick meal or to socialize, it invites you, and your visitors, to feel comfortable and relaxed.
Yet, many kitchen renovators won’t add tables to their kitchens. They often believe they don’t have enough space, or that tables stand out too much.
A breakfast nook is the perfect answer to these concerns.
What is a breakfast nook?
Simply put, a kitchen breakfast nook is a secluded spot, part of the kitchen yet separate, which contains a built-in or portable table and seating for one or more people. It provides a one-stop solution for all of your extra work, dining, rest and social needs without taking up a lot of space.
Locations
You can add a custom breakfast nook almost anywhere in a kitchen, including in corners or alcoves, near standard or bay windows, or in small storage rooms connected to the kitchen. Spaces with bright artificial or outdoor lighting are preferred, as lighting enhances the feeling of warmth.
Designs
During your kitchen renovation, an experienced cabinetmaker can evaluate your space and help you design the right size and style of breakfast nook for it, as well as match it to the kitchen theme and cabinetry. Kitchen nook designs often include small or large tables with chairs, or benches customized in a straight line, or shaped like an L, U, or a semicircle. If you want an open space enclosed on three sides, a cabinetmaker can also make one or more partition walls or use cabinetry to separate the nook from the rest of the kitchen.
Extras
Sometimes a cabinetmaker will recommend incorporating storage space into the nook. For example, he might recommend box-style benches with under-seating storage you can access via drawers or a lift-style seat lid; or the addition of inset or wall-mounted, open or closed cabinets or shelves in or near the nook.
With all of the custom design options available for bringing warmth to your kitchen with a breakfast nook, why wait? Contact a Kitchen Magic specialist today for assistance.
One of the beautiful aspects of kitchen remodeling is that you can redesign your kitchen to fit your organization and storage needs.
When a house or apartment is initially built, storage of smaller kitchen appliances isn’t always a priority. As a result, homeowners and renters are often stuck storing their smaller appliances on wall counter, island, table or refrigerator tops.
This type of storage poses several problems:
- Smaller appliances become dust and grease collectors.
- Smaller appliances take up valuable food preparation space.
- Smaller appliances are an eyesore if they don't match kitchen decor.
To store smaller appliances out of sight, consider these options:
Lazy Susan Shelving
Similar to circular Lazy Susans used on counters and tables, Lazy Susan shelving consists of heavy-duty plastic, wood or metal shelves that rotate 360- or 180-degrees, or less, to give you quick access to items hidden inside cabinets. Styles include full circle, half-circle, “pie cut” and blind corner. For example, with a half-circle blind corner Lazy Susan, the shelves attach to the cabinet door. When you open the door, the shelves rotate out. For additional stability with heavier small appliances, you can ask a cabinet specialist to attach the shelves to a metal post secured inside the cabinet. When you open the cabinet door, you grasp and tug a shelf and it pivots outward.
Pull Out Shelving
Pull out shelving is a sturdy, durable metal shelving unit that pulls out of a bottom cabinet and then extends further out to provide you with fast and convenient access. A cabinet specialist can install a single bottom chrome pull out shelf; or, depending on the height of your cabinets, top and bottom, or “double,” pull out shelves. With this shelving, you might place small appliances you use during typical daily food prep such a handheld mixer on the top shelf and less commonly used ones, such as a Panini maker, on the bottom.
Customized Cabinet Cubbies
Instead of standard upper wall cabinets that hang above counters, consider custom cabinet wall cubbies -- one or more sections of cabinet that extend down the walls to the countertops -- as hiding places for your small appliances. With a cabinet cubby that features a folding, smooth-glide or roll-up door or panel, you can hide any small appliance, including a toaster or coffeemaker, and the ingredients used with that appliance's food or beverage prep, such as a bread loaf or coffee cups.
Cabinetry can take up to eighty percent of the visible space in your kitchen, and can be one of the more costly investments during your remodeling process. While wood kitchen cabinets are sturdy, and contain a layer of finish for durability, it’s important to take care of your cabinets to keep them looking new for as long as you have them.
Today’s blog will provide you with some helpful hints for the proper cleaning and caring of your kitchen cabinets.
Be sure to avoid excessive moisture, which can cause warping and damage to any wood products. If you are storing your cabinetry before installation, be sure to store it in a cool, dry place, do not store them outside where your cabinets can be left to brave the weather.
Remember that temperature and humidity levels may differ in different rooms in your home, so if your cabinets are stored in a garage of basement, slight adjustments might be necessary before installation.
Any commercially available wood cleaning polish is fine to use on your cabinets. Wood polish will help protect your cabinets from damage and provide them with a nice shine.
Avoid using wax polishes, which can result in a wax film buildup that can damage your cabinetry’s finish. Also avoid silicon polishes, which can also damage the finish and expose the wood underneath to dirt and grime.
Try an emulsion-type cleaner that won’t harm your cabinetry’s finish; we prefer natural wood polishes, like Murphy Oil Soap.
If some spaghetti sauce splatters onto your wooden cabinets, a damp cloth is perfect for cleaning common household spills. Simply wipe thoroughly, and dry the surface with a lint-free cotton cloth.
Maybe you’ve waited a few hours, and that spaghetti sauce has become a red glob that’s now stuck on your cabinets. For stubborn stains, it’s best to use a mild detergent with some water. Be sure to always rinse and dry the surface once you’ve removed the stain. Stay away from abrasive or powdered cleaners and scouring pads, as they can damage both the finish and wood underneath.
When you hear (or read) the word Basement, what happens? Do you shudder with the image of a cold, dark, and damp location you never get around to cleaning out? Do you become nostalgic for all the plans "that could have been" and haven't, thus far, materialized? There is a quick, efficient, and affordable way to transform both of those reactions into feelings of complete satisfaction: A Cozy Wall basement insulation system.
These are the top three reasons we hear from others about why they've never transformed their basement into the best entertainment space in the house:
It's Too Complicated
Here's what's complicated - getting bids, hiring contractors, dealing with insulation, sheet rock, and drywall, etc. Here's what's easy as apple pie - a Cozy Wall DIY basement insulation system. It puts a two-fer-one deal to shame because it's more like a four-fer-one. They include the framing, insulation, and vapor barrier in one product, plus you can easily install it yourself!
It's Too Expensive
Doing a basement remodel is usually too expensive. That is, without an affordable option like the Cozy Wall basement insulation system. This unique, acoustically sound, waterproof, and durable product is the answer to your affordable basement conversion prayers. Use the custom Cozy Wall price calculator and see for yourself. We've even factored the costs for sealants and adhesives so you won't have any surprises down the road - and shipping is FREE for most folks in the northeast.
We Don't Have the Time
The entire Cozy Wall installation process is complete in six simple steps that take from one to four days to complete. Do you have two weekends? How about one weekend day for four weeks in a row? That's the most it should take you and a friend to start and finish your basement insulation system installation, and that's if you have a large basement space. Have more than one friend? Even better! If you time it right, you can hang your flat-screen TV, once the last panel is in place, and treat your helpers to some afternoon pizza and a baseball game. That's right; Cozy Wall panels can easily accommodate up to 160 lbs, which means your flat screen TV - or two - will have a secure place to hang out for your convenience.
So, What's the Catch?
There isn't any. As long as your basement is waterproof you are good to go. Have questions? Please give us a call at 866-430-2847. Let your cozy basement fantasies begin!
Walk into your kitchen and look around.
Do you have knives thrown haphazardly into drawers?
Is there a scouring pad, brush, sponge or bar hand soap on the sink top?
Are your herbs and spices wherever you last used them or near heat sources?
If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions then your kitchen lacks an organized cabinet storage plan.
Organized storage goes beyond placing specific items in certain kitchen cabinets or drawers, or kitchen areas. Affordable modern cabinet storage solutions exist that can reduce storage-related kitchen accidents and health risks, as well as improve food prep, cooking and cleaning efficiency.
The ones you shouldn't live without?
Drawer Inserts
When you throw knives into a drawer, you risk damaging the cabinet frame exterior above the drawer and the drawer interior. You might also have difficulty finding the knife you need during food prep or cut your fingers. A custom knife board or cutlery drawer insert is the best solution for these problems. A drawer insert provides slots and sections for different sized knives and blade rests designed to force you to store knives carefully.
Tip Out Trays (shown above)
A steel wool scouring pad or steel brush, besides being an eyesore, creates rust stains on a sink top over time. A wet sponge or bar of soap leads to bacterial growth. Plastic tip out trays are the perfect solution. A cabinet face at the sink has two fake drawer fronts that only serve a cosmetic purpose. Tip out trays fit conveniently behind these fronts turning them into functional, hidden storage solutions for small items commonly used at the sink. No one will ever see the rust stains and you can remove and clean the trays effortlessly, as needed.
Pull Out Spice Racks
You know it’s time to organize seasonings when you can’t find the salt shaker or, worse yet, injure yourself while rummaging through cabinets or tearing around the kitchen. Herbs and spices can also lose potency, and suffer bacteria or insect growth, without cool, dark storage. A pull out spice rack in a lower cabinet away from heat sources conveniently places all of your precious food flavor enhancers in one location. A cabinetmaker can even customize this type of rack with bins for small bottles and shakers, and shelving for large bagged or boxed items and seasoning-related tools, such as a pepper mill, garlic press or mortar and pestle.
Pure convenience meets seamless style with Blum’s Touch-to-Open cabinet and drawer systems.
Blum, Inc., a manufacturer of functional hardware for kitchen cabinets and commercial casework industries, is a leader in developing state-of-the-art motion technology in the kitchen. The company offers homeowners many cabinet and door accessories, such as lift systems, concealed hinges, runner systems and storage solutions.
Kitchen Magic has provided its customers with the Tandum Plus Blumotion runners and drawer glides since 2006, and has been offering homeowners this same Blumotion technology for cabinet hinges since 2012. Blumotion runners and door hinges are slam-less solutions for kitchens, bathrooms and closet spaces. Blumotion cabinet door hinges, runners and drawer glides are sleek and silent. Upon closing a cabinet door or drawer equipped with Tandum Plus Blumotion motion technology, the door or drawer will slow down, making for a safe and quiet close. Because Blumotion keeps the doors and drawers from slamming, homeowners won’t risk injuring their fingers or damaging their cabinet doors and drawers.
This amazing technological advancement, developed for seamlessly closing cabinet doors or drawers, is now available for easily opening them as well.
Blum, Inc. first developed the Servo-Drive for Aventos electronic opening system for drawers some time ago. This technology makes it easy for homeowners to open their kitchen drawers with just one finger. This makes it the perfect solution for homeowners with mobility or motor challenges, or simply those of us looking for a little extra help in the kitchen.
The Servo-Drive for Aventos electronic opening system has not been extended to include upper cabinets. It allows homeowners to open their cabinets with an effortless touch of their finger.
Aventos doors are known for being lightweight, and when combined with Blum’s Servo-Drive technology, the cabinets lift upward with ease. Just a light touch of the door and it opens upward, lifting the door up and out of the way.
A wireless switch closes the door and is typically mounted at the bottom of the cabinet for easy reach. Servo-Drive motors are easily attached to the Aventos lift mechanism by hand. They share the same transformer used by Servo-Drive for drawers, which makes planning an entire touch-to-open kitchen a breeze.