Von Löwen Designs

It seems as though family life has always been centered around the kitchen. Whatever culture or country you may be in, socializing takes place in the kitchen; from parties to family meals, an occasional snack, even just a simple chat with friends over coffee, often takes place in the kitchen.

Fitted kitchens have gone from being considered a luxury to an expected standard. They are a fashion trend unto themselves, and many a verbal battle has ensued behind the scenes with both husband and wife and family and friends over their kitchen pride. Yes, the fitted kitchen as we know it sure has come a long way in the last 100 years.

One of the most striking developments and one which has transformed the average modern kitchen for most people – is the revolutionary change that has taken place not only with its furniture, cabinetry and accessories, but with its equipment. The desire for efficient and reliable cooking and cleaning facilities in the kitchen has of course been long standing. By the early nineteenth century the kitchens of the wealthy were striking testimonies to human creativity in pursuit of the means and equipment for producing ever more complex and elaborate culinary styles. The forms of power available for achieving these styles however, did not stretch much beyond hand and fire until very late in the century. The twentieth century saw a rapid acceleration in harnessing electric and gas power to many of the cooking and cleaning processes formally done manually particularly since the Second World War. Much of this would not have carried much significance however, if it had not been for the explosive technological inventiveness of the post-war years which led to the demise of the traditional unfitted pieced together kitchen and introduction of not only the fitted kitchen we know of today, but a wealth of advanced powered cooking and cleaning aids.

The kitchen is easily the most used space in the home and should be addressed as such; a well thought out and orchestrated kitchen design and layout is critical. Next to the actual construction costs your cabinetry almost certainly will be the biggest ticket item you purchase for your entire kitchen remodel, and without a doubt have the biggest aesthetic impact on the overall end result.

Before even considering a kitchen design or remodeling project I think it’s best to have my clients dedicate some time to examine and determine what they truly want to accomplish with the new design and floorplan – setting goals with regards to looks, function, and budget. Doing this work up front to clarify the purpose of action and outcome ensures not only a better end result, but a happier and more satisfied client.

What don’t you like about your current kitchen cabinets?

Pin down exactly what it is you dislike about your current cabinet situation so that you’ll be specific when looking for solutions in your new cabinets and kitchen design.

Do you not have enough space or maybe it’s poorly allocated space (like that corner cabinet that just seems to have some sort of black hole that things fall into and never return)? Maybe your current kitchen cabinets are just the wrong style (just say no to those huge reveals and old arched oak uppers) or perhaps they just don’t have usable and well thought out organizational features.

The more specific you can be about what it is you want to have or change, the more focused you’ll be about targeting the right options from the myriad that are available with new kitchen cabinets.

How long do you plan on staying in the home – are you updating for the purpose of reselling or do you plan on staying long term?

The answer to this question may determine the price you’re willing to pay for your kitchen cabinetry as well as the level of customization, uniqueness and quality of construction you want to consider. If you plan to stay in your current home indefinitely, you may want to spend more of your budget on durable cabinet construction and materials. On the other hand, if you’re just out to flip for a quick resale, you may want to limit your investment to a functional but more cost-effective cabinet style, cabinet door, and construction.

Be sure to check out my Kitchen Remodel Calculator for help with putting together your budget.

What is the style of your home and your current kitchen?

The existing decor and traits of your home will customarily play a major role in the type and characteristics of the kitchen cabinetry you choose. The converse is also true too – the style of cabinets you select will influence the look and spirit of your kitchen.

Do you want to continue with the existing style of kitchen cabinetry or are you looking to change it? Period cabinets are appropriate for classic antique homes where retaining the style of that era is desired; while updated styling like European frameless cabinetry might be better suited for more of a transitional or contemporary kitchen design.

Regardless of which way you go, identifying the overall stylistic approach you’re shooting for will help narrow the focus on cabinet selection and also provide some guidance for a more thorough and comprehensive kitchen design and layout.

Are you looking for environmentally friendly kitchen cabinet choices?

As the green movement continues to grow and regulations continue to change from state to state, so do your choices for interior materials and finish selections. As mentioned in my earlier posts Greening Your Kitchen Remodel and Green Remodeling in Practice – Part I & Green Remodeling in Practice – Part II – your kitchen is full of opportunities to select sustainable eco-friendly materials, including kitchen cabinetry. With options like bamboo, FSC certified materials, reclaimed wood, etc., greening your kitchen remodel is definitely gaining popularity.

The Box.

The number one distinguishing feature of a green cabinet is that the box material is free of urea-formaldehyde. Urea-formaldehyde resins are used in conventional plywood and particleboard adhesives and can off-gas formaldehyde gas, a carcinogen, into homes. Formaldehyde gas can affect people in various ways, but when present in the air at levels at or above 0.1 ppm, acute health effects can include watery eyes, nausea, coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, skin rashes, and burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat. Manufacturers have been quick to address the formaldehyde issue, with many replacing formaldehyde with a soy-based protein binder.

Formaldehyde-free box material is the minimum you should expect in a green cabinet, and there are two categories of formaldehyde-free box material available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

• Particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF). Particleboard and MDF cabinets cost less than plywood. Most particleboards also incorporate some recycled content, but the quantity varies. The biggest drawback to these materials is that they are heavier, harder to hang, and more fragile.

• Veneered plywood or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified veneered plywood. The FSC is the primary accrediting agency for sustainably managed forestry operations. Plywood boxes require a greater initial investment but will perform better and for a longer time. FSC-certified plywood can be more expensive than non-certified wood, but it is assured to be from a sustainably harvested source.

To read more about VOC’s, formaldehyde, MDF, and controlling indoor air pollution be sure to check out my posts Indoor Air Quality – Part I and Indoor Air Quality – Part II.

The Door.

Cabinet doors should either be built entirely from hardwood or have a hardwood frame with a veneered, formaldehyde-free center panel. We’ve already addressed the sheet material component. Let’s take a look at our hardwood options.

• FSC-certified North American hardwoods. FSC certifies sustainable loggers and tracks the timber through the supply chain. Every sawmill, plant and distributor must be an FSC-certified organization for the end product to carry the FSC eco-label. FSC-certified hardwoods and sheet materials are possibly the greenest solution because they are guaranteed to have come from sustainably harvested forest products.

Be warned: Most green cabinet builders offer FSC products, but it is not the default selection. If you want FSC trees in your kitchen, you must specify that. There is usually an upcharge on FSC materials for cabinet manufacturers that is passed on to the consumer.

• Uncertified North American hardwoods. Only 3 percent of domestic timber carries the FSC label. It would be inaccurate to assume, however, that the remaining 97 percent is old-growth clear-cutting. As the Hardwood Council points out, “The volume of hardwood in American forests is 352 billion cubic feet, and they are adding growth of 10.2 billion cubic feet a year. This compares to annual removal of 6 billion cubic feet. We are not running out of trees.”

Traditionally sourced American hardwoods tend to be less expensive than their certified counterparts. Sourcing American hardwoods, especially those species native to your region, minimizes the gas and oil needed to get these materials to the manufacturer near you. However, the trade-off is that there is no guarantee the hardwood you are getting came from a source that practices sustainable harvesting techniques.

• Alternative non-native hardwood species. There are many materials not native to North America that are rapidly renewable and sustainable. German beech, a light hardwood native to Europe, with qualities similar to maple, is extremely sustainable due to practices implemented 200 years ago by European forests.

The Finish.

Finishes are the component of the green kitchen package where most green cabinetry companies fall down. Low-VOC finishes often take quite a bit of extra work to apply, require a skill set that is very different from the application of conventional finishes, and many manufacturers aren’t set up for the process.
But it’s important to understand VOCs are chemicals that readily volatilize under ambient conditions and react with sunlight to produce smog. The EPA cautions that exposure to VOCs can produce the following health effects: eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches; loss of coordination; nausea; and damage to liver, kidney, and the central nervous system.

Many manufacturers will try to sidestep this issue by telling customers they use water-based finishes. Water based does not necessarily mean low-VOC. There are many water based finishes that are not low-VOC with the overall durability debate still raging. Be sure to ask. In addition, you need to take adhesives into consideration. Adhesives are often overlooked in kitchen cabinets and they too, should be low or no VOC.

Again to quote my post Indoor Indoor Air Quality – Part I: “Approximately 160 million Americans are breathing unhealthy air; with 29 million of these Americans under the age of 14 and 15 million over the age of 65.” Understanding the effects of VOCs and poor indoor air quality on human health has never been more important. We spend about 90 percent of our time inside where accumulations of interactive chemicals can cause concentrations of pollutants that can be as much as 50 – 100 times greater than our outdoor air, but yet still less than 20 percent of Americans actually believe it!

What amount of storage space do you need? Is it greater than what you currently have?

Look at what you currently have on your kitchen countertops or in other places that you’d like to have storage space for inside the cabinets. Knowing how much stuff you need space for in your kitchen cabinets will help you get an understanding of the amount of cabinet space you’ll need. Remember that the fewer items you permanently store on your countertops the more working space you’ll have.

What is most important to you – aesthetic appeal or durability and quality construction?

Let’s face it; all of the advertisements and magazine articles we see depicting kitchen cabinets are usually high-end, expensive designs with lots of up-charge options. Achieving your dream kitchen is a worthy goal but be realistic. When there’s a limited budget it may not be possible to afford high quality materials and construction as well as exotic woods and finishes. Be wise about allocating your money between quality materials/construction and aesthetic items like door styles, finishes and ornamentation. And realize that between 40 – 60 percent of the overall cost of your kitchen cabinetry will be determined by the cabinet door style and finish. Usually there’s a happy medium somewhere.

Do you really need completely new cabinets or will a face-lift suffice?

If your current cabinets are in good condition and you don’t need or want to change the current layout of your kitchen, perhaps all you need is a refreshment of the current style.

Although it’s not for everyone and usually not all that cost-effective anymore, cabinet refacing is one way to put a fresh face on your existing kitchen cabinets. It involves re-skinning the cabinets with a new wood or laminate veneer and replacing the doors. There are other cabinet refurbishment options too.

And lastly for those of you on a really tight budget, there’s always consideration for just the replacement of your cabinet doors and hinges to provide a new look and style to your existing kitchen cabinetry.

Just replacing the cabinet knobs and pulls is another way to change the look of existing kitchen cabinets and can be quite dramatic on the entire room. Don’t think that entirely new cabinets are necessary if the only problem with your existing ones are some tired doors or a style that no longer appeals to you.

As I mentioned in my post Kitchen Design & Remodeling – Kitchen Cabinet Basics before starting a kitchen remodeling project it can really help to familiarize yourself with general kitchen remodeling and basic cabinet terminology to learn your options and what will work best for your particular situation, be sure to do your research and educate yourself a little bit before you begin.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.