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Spin Room: "Custom"
Like many young adults, I paid more attention to the Presidential elections this year than ever before. One of the revelations that I had during the process is that no matter what either candidate said, particularly during the debates, the media could “spin” the dialog to have a thousand different meanings. What was especially amazing was the fact that this information came from the “spin rooms”, so basically by labeling these rooms as such they were admitting that the information that they were conveying had been filtered and “adjusted” to convey any point that they wanted to make…usually with very little association to the original context. Maybe it’s just me, but I found myself wondering on many occasions exactly why I was even paying the media any attention at all.
Here are some of my…..ummm, opinions about “CUSTOM” cabinetry. There are basically three options to consumers:
Custom Factory Built: (my preference 90% of the time)
Advantages:
o The very best quality finishes available, particularly when it comes to painted finishes, due to the larger factories’ ability to procure the best finishing equipment.
o Scheduling – Because these factories operate on very regulated schedules, our ability to deliver product on time with fewer “surprises” is greatly improved.
o Talent Pool – With many wood-workers, finish specialist, and other craftspeople, these factories can produce almost anything I can draw while maximizing quality and efficiency.
o If a part becomes damaged, you can rest assured that there is someone behind the scenes that can match and replace that part perfectly, even decades later. (Warranty!!!!)
Disadvantages:
o Sometimes perceived as lower quality because the cabinetry is often produced on an assembly line (I don’t agree with this)
o Price point – sometimes higher than the alternatives (sometimes true, but you certainly get what you pay for)
o A perception that problems on the jobsite take longer to fix. This is really more about the quality of the installers putting the cabinetry in verses that actual quality of the cabinetry.
2. Custom Local Shop:
Advantages:
o Sometimes faster production cycle (sometimes not – depending on the workload at any given time)
o Sometimes a 10-12% cost savings (for certain lower traffic areas this may be an option that allows you to put your resources in factory cabinetry where there will be a greater chance of product or finish failure)
o Excellent local craftsmen – I work with several local woodworkers that would give Norm a run for his money….availability sometimes is a problem though
Disadvantages:
o Sometimes unreliable when it comes to delivery schedule and product quality (having a bad day Mr. Woodworker?)
o Less buying power often results in inferior construction or material selections to stay competitive
o It’s up to YOU (or me, if I’m your designer) to make sure the craftsman CLEARLY understands your design intentions so that you don’t end up with something that only resembles your drawing.
o Finish – Stains….a good local guy can do a good stain on a good day, Paint – very iffy, glazed or artistic finishes – forget about it, hire your own faux finisher.
3. Jobsite built Cabinetry:
Advantages:
o Usually most cost effective option for Custom cabinetry
o Ummmm…. I can’t think of anything else
o I just added this line to make it look more fair
Disadvantages:
o Just trust me, you don’t wanna go down that road unless it’s something like a pantry or other secondary area that you just want something fast and inexpensive & don’t care about the quality that much.
I think it’s pretty obvious which of these options that I am partial to, but I am open to any discussions or debate concerning the three. These are my opinions based on my experience with cabinetry manufacturers over the past decade. Of course there are exceptions to every run….but I would put money on most of these opinions.
Appliances....ohhh precious Appliances
As a youngster my grandfather was one of my favorite people & I loved his prediction of my career path….working at SEARS!!!! I kid you not, that is exactly what he told everyone he met about me….”Dylan will be working at Sears one day selling appliances”. That was because if there was even a mention of going to Sears I was the first to the car, buckled up, barely controlling my excitement to see what new appliance buttons were in store for me. Buttons were my favorite up until they received their first shipment of the coolest refrigerator ever….it had a FLIP DOWN DOOR ON THE DOOR!!! You didn’t even have to open the refrigerator to get into the refrigerator! Genius!
Well, to my parent’s relief, I have yet to enjoy a position at Sears (not that the thought doesn’t cross my mind from time to time), however my love affair appliances has yet to falter…in fact it now borders on obsession! I can still spend hours looking through the appliance section wherever they’re offered and one of my favorite parts of kitchen design is helping my clients determine the best selections for their new kitchen. How natural you might say…a designer specializing in kitchens that loves appliances, but alas….I have learned that I am somewhat a rare breed in that regard. Little known fact outside of our industry, the cabinet guy and the appliance guy are usually mortal enemies. Ok, ok….that’s an exaggeration, but if you want to talk about finger pointing be warned, both are usually trigger happy and I’m surprised that there’s hasn’t been a disorder of the likes of carpel tunnel plaguing our industry. HOOOOOLD on Mr. Appliance Installer, before the steam starts shooting out of your ears, hear me out. It’s not just you; the “cabinet guy” just got the same slap across the face.
The fact is that today’s kitchen has evolved into a new animal where refrigerators & dishwashers are increasingly shy and don’t want to reveal themselves, ranges want to steal the show by being the biggest and most impressive piece of eye candy in the room, and ovens do things that should be reserved for circus freak shows. Cabinetry is certainly not going to let the appliances steal the show! Instead of simply being fortunate enough to have adjustable shelves two decades ago, you now have things popping up & out of places that sometimes make you stop and scratch your head trying to figure out “ummm….why?”.
You want to know what I say to Mr. Cabinet & Mr. Appliance…..PLAY NICE! Yes, yes, Mr. Cabinet – we know that you have the power to betray us the satisfaction of releasing our frustration by slamming a drawer or door & we know Mr. Appliance, you can spit out a roasted turkey in lighting speed thanks to your NASAish technology, but neither of you are going to do anything unless you put your fingers in their holster and work together. You are both components of something much greater, the kitchen. The place where we humans usually enjoy spending the bulk of our time when we’re not sleeping or working (well, sometimes when we’re working too). Either you work out your differences and come to a good compromise, or you’re never going to be able to “show off” in a way that we would appreciate you.
Wow, I’m not sure where all that came from, but I started this rant in an effort share with you an interesting article that I recently read on CNNMoney.com titled “When good appliances go bad”. I thought it was interesting & though you might too….so here it is! Happy reading! If you find yourself looking for an appliance expert who leaves her finger pointer holster at home, talk to Mrs. Toni Brown at Wholesale Appliances in Mt. Pleasant. She’s great and if she doesn’t make you smile and tell you something you didn’t know about cooking….find a good doctor, something’s wrong.
Yours Truly,
The Kitchen Nerd
Update: Email from my father after reading this blog posting....
Dylan,
Remember as a child, every time we went somewhere in your granny's car, you would take the chrome grill from her refrigerator door and sit on the center console and use it as an imaginary steering wheel to drive the car. Little did I realize back then . . .
Dad
Showroom Art - Joan Alden
Joan Alden, writer turned painter, has lived in Charleston five years and teaches at The Citadel. Before Charleston she lived in the Hudson Valley of New York with her late partner Catherine Hopkins, photographer, and wrote full time, producing three published novels and a children’s book. It is Hopkins’ photographic prints that Alden uses in her paintings. Alden pastes the black and white prints to canvases and paints them with the same oils she uses to create extended backgrounds for the photographic images. In some cases the photographic image is more obvious than in other cases in which it is almost hidden under the paint, and except for the sharper focus that the observer will discover in the center of the painting that provides the clue that the print is there, one might not know. Although Alden works with oils of every color, her paintings now on display in King Street Kitchen Company are all in hues of brown and cream and shades of blue and green. On display at Med Bistro, Alden’s work incorporates brilliant yellows and greens and reds. Her subjects at both places vary from landscape and architectural details to people and pets, sometimes mysterious and oftentimes humorous such as the painting titled Calligraphy of two dogs on the beach. Their position, naturally canine, is of one sniffing the butt of the other, suggesting a graceful pen stroke. The largest painting (30X40) at KSKC is titled Blanket. It is a dramatic seascape with the back of a swimmer sitting at the surf while a wave, appearing like a blue blanket, covers her outstretched legs. Another large painting is narrative in form with four separate prints of children at a quarry, suggesting an afternoon swim from another century. All total there are 21 paintings hanging at KSKC, 12 at Med Bistro, and 6 at Chart. Alden has had two shows in the area, a one night show October of 2007 at Gage Hall and a month long show at The Alchemy Café this last September. Both shows were well received, selling fifteen paintings each. Alden keeps her prices affordable.
Making Room....Display Sale!!!
It's hard to believe that Phase 2 of our build out is just around the corner, but we're already getting started with the plans for our next creative display kitchen. Lucky for you, that means an excellent opportunity to get a GREAT deal on current display cabinetry. This beautiful custom designer hutch was produced in the heart of Amish Country - Lancaster Co, PA by craftsmen whose skills have been in their families for generations.
Hutch Details:
- Burnished Cherry wood with tasteful distressing options
- High end furniture finish
- Authentic solid Cherry flush inset face frames, drawer heads, and doors
- All wood construction w/ solid wood countertop
- Pull out waste basket and internal roll out shelf behind right base door
- Wood cutlery divider and pegboard drawer divider
- Heavy duty can storage pull out with adjustable shelves
- Beautiful valance detail in open hutch area with plate grooves on each shelf
- Decorative end panels (both sides)
- Furniture crown and baseboard moldings
- Several options for internal display lighting
- Unit is currently installed on a mobile wall and floor system that can be easily moved
- Additional matching cabinetry available
- Can be refinished with a darker stain color or a pained finish
Retail Price: $16,715.00
Display Price: $8,357.50 (50% off)
All reasonable offers considered
Other displays available, e-mail or call for more information
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