Frameless Kitchen Cabinets- A Strong Choice

Being an interior designer who also designs kitchens for my clients, I often get to have this conversation about the difference between framed and frameless cabinetry. Yes, there is a big difference, but it's not the one that so many deceiving cabinet manufacturers have led you to believe.

Up until the early 1990's kitchen cabinets came in only one construction- framed. Cabinets had 2 sides, a top and bottom, a back and a wooden frame in front on which your doors hang. This was just how it was done. Then, a revolution in cabinet construction soon began to take over in the American market, Eurpoean, frameless construction. On the East Coast, frameless cabinets took off as a popular choice for maximizing space within your kitchen. Frameless cabinets offer you full access to every inch of space inside your cabinet walls. There is no center stile (the strip most homeowners hate in the middle of their cabinet doors), blocking you from placing wide items into your cabinets. Frames also prevent you from filling your cabinets with the much larger styles of plates that have become a mainstay in our kitchens. Wall cabinets are 12" deep plus your door. A cabinet frame is typically a 1/2" thick, which you lose from the interior of your cabinet. You also lose a anywhere from a 1/2" to a full inch of width on your drawers when attached to a framed cabinet. It doesn't sound like much but it all adds up. Even more than that, for me, it's about the look.

If you look at framed cabinets today, you will notice a huge trend- full overlay doors. This means that the cabinet door nearly or completely covers the frame of your cabinet. Homeowners desire the look of a larger door and wish to see less or none of the frame surrounding the cabinet. With this trend in cabinetry, what is the point of buying a framed cabinet? Simply put, there is none; unless you ask a stock cabinet manufacturer. Some will lead you to believe that a cabinet's frame adds extra stability to the cabinet and a frameless constructed cabinet is weaker than it's counterpart, but this could not be further than the truth. The structure of your cabinet comes in the construction of the box itself. A stronger box will have thicker sides and be screwed together versus glued and stapled, as many cheaper cabinets are assembled. A frame doesn't do much other than add to the cost of your cabinets, as a frame is made of solid wood, versus the cabinet itself, which is made of either melamine or plywood. Other than a frame, the only other part of a cabinet which is actually "SOLID" wood is the door. Please don't ever listen to anyone who tells you a cabinet is made of solid wood. Plywood is not solid wood. Very little of an all wood cabinet is solid wood- the same amount of a cabinet made of laminate or melamine (the frame and/ or the door only). 
 

So why isn't everyone making the switch to frameless cabinetry? Well, lies, misinformation and old habits die hard are the main reasons. Cabinet manufacturers continue to make them because homeowners continue to buy them and homeowners continue to buy them because manufacturers continue to make them, presenting them as the "stronger" option. It's just been done this way since the beginning of time and that's how our industry works- good, bad or indifferent. (I still struggle with the grip that Tuscan furnishings has on Arizona residents... sheesh, enough already ((but that's another post)). As for me, I prefer to educate my clients on the differences, showing them the construction of the custom cabinetry that my cabinet company, J&M Custom Millwork & Remodeling creates and allow them to make their own decision. Once they get to see the benefits of a larger interior, more space and the beautiful aesthetic of full size doors, most select frameless cabinetry on their own. They save a little money and get the look and space they desire and a gorgeous kitchen with full access. After all, you're paying for those cabinets, might as well get use of every nook and cranny in them!

If you'd like more information about kitchen cabinetry or are in the Arizona's Phoenix- metro area and planning to remodel your kitchen, please take a look at www.jmcustommillwork.com. Jay Dunbar can save you money on your kitchen or bathroom remodel, while delivery impeccable quality, high end cabinets at a great price point. 

Missoni Styling- Designing with Chevron Patterns

I'm sure we all recall just a few months ago when shoppers went mad at Target, once again, grabbing every zig zag patterned ANYTHING made by famous clothing designer Missoni. The well promoted 'Designer for Target' sales have become a bit of an obsession for those who have found that they can resell the items online and those who truly have a love for designer labels at a discount. What I loved about this last promotion was that it revived a classic style that has become the staple of designers Ottavio and Rosita Missoni, who originally founded their fashion house in 1953 in Varese, Italy. Misonni is known for their bright color palette and, as of late, their amazing contrasting chevron patterns. And yes, Target sold out within hours, but you don't have to pay thousands to obtain looks for your home in this style. There are SO many places to shop and add this great punch of pattern to your home or wardrobe.

2-D board created by Michelle Dunbar, Fashion House Interior Design on www.olioboard.com

Click on this link to check out where to buy all of the wonderful items on the board above.http://olioboard.com/boards/82945-missoni-stylin-chevron-love . One of the nicest things about Olioboard is that you can click on most items you see on design boards and get the information you need to SHOP for that item right there on the screen. 

Chevron patterns are a fun, yet classically stylish way to update your room's decor. It's a timeless look,around since the early 60's and reinvented every decade with fresh color combinations and wavy patterns. From a standard zig zag, like the crisp, white and gray sheet set on the left of the board above, to more geometric patterns like the white, gray and black fabric square near the center of the board, chevron offers no shortage of decorative options.


Etsy.com has some ABSOLUTELY stunning examples of chevron that would make Missoni blush! The best thing about Etsy is that you are purchasing hand made items ( you can even make sure they are made in the U.S.A, if you'd prefer). I love supporting local artists and creatives who are trying to make a living creating beautiful things for us! I love the uniqueness that it can add to your room and this bold printed pillow above is a good example of adding chevron to a sofa or bed. You can find it here for just $25.00 http://tinyurl.com/6qkpgsp or just go to www.etsy.com and search for it's creator, JolieChicago.


 
This wall applique can not be sweeter! If you so dare, go bold on your walls with a chevron print like this one by singlestonestudios, also a member of Etsy.com. This style is SO versatile. You can use just one pair as a stripe going down the wall or repeat the pattern on one entire wall as an accent. For a more subdued look, create a tone on tone effect by selecting an applique color and then painting the wall one shade lighter or darker for a slight variation and a stylish wall! Find this look at  http://tinyurl.com/7nfme7q. 


 

How about this fantastic table runner that has chevron printed on the entire piece? The price is right at just $15.00, made by reneeorr at http://tinyurl.com/7txmd83.

For a dun piece of decor, try this frame made of recycled paper and make global awareness a decorative statement on your walls! This cute frame by LaAlicia can be found for just $12.00 at http://tinyurl.com/7sa9z28. 

 

Consider adding a little zig zag to your decor with some fresh and fun chevron patterned decor. Shop at the stores found on the above olioboard or the with the fantastic artisans on Etsy and throw some pizzazz in the mix! Add bright pops of spring color, or classy black and white. Whichever you choose, you can't go wrong with chevron!

Coffee Table Talk- How to Select The Right Coffee Table

It happens so often that I enter a home and see an odd pair- a mismatched sofa and coffee table. Alas, the couple are not speaking to each other because they have nothing in common. One is too large, the other too small, one is contemporary, the other traditional, or the shapes don't work together... It happens all the time, homeowners put sofas and coffee tables together that are not a perfect match and they end up looking like an unhappy married couple sitting in the center of the living room giving each other the evil eye!

Creating the perfect balance of these furnishings takes understanding scale, shape and style and there are certain basics which should not be ignored. The most basic math you will need to know is that a coffee table must sit close enough to your sofa that you can use the top to place your drink or reading material where it is easily reachable, yet far enough away that you can easily walk around the space. You want to make sure that your coffee table sits comfortably at 16"-18" away from the front of your primary seating group- whether it is one sofa or two sofas sitting adjacent from each other, or a sofa and loveseat or chair. There are also end tables that can come into play, but let's focus on the coffee table first.

There are different reasons designers select one style of coffee table from another to create the perfect mood. A glass table in any setting will give the illusion of more space, but you wouldn't place a glass table in front of a heavy or bulky piece of furniture because they are not evenly matched visually. The "weight" of your pieces must be similar. In this same scheme, do not pair a table with slender legs or thin metal base with a chunky sofa. You get the same undesirable result. So, your first rule is:

#1. Match the weight of your sofa to that of your coffee table. 
If your sofa is thick, get a table with thicker base. If the sofa has clean lines, go for clean lines in your table. If your sofa is more delicate in look, search for thin, swooping features in your table. The pieces do not have to match, but do have to compliment each other and proportion is the start.

#2. Select the right style for your table. While it is certainly fun to create an eclectic mix of styles within a room, you must be careful to understand the two styles you are combining together when creating your eclectic vibe and then know how to balance out that look with other pieces in the room to create a theme. In other words, you cannot take a country style table and put it in front of a contemporary sofa without carrying out that same mix of these two odd styles throughout the whole space; and even then, it can easily be done badly. The easiest way to achieve a cohesive space, when going it alone is to use similar styles together. If your room is modern, go for a streamlined table, if it's Mediterranean go for a chunky, ornate piece, if your room is rustic, go for natural, earthy wood...I'm sure you get the idea.

#3. Remain with this style for your end tables, but they DO NOT have to match. One idea that is difficult for homeowners to break out of, is that all pieces in their home have to match. Simply put, they don't... they just have to coordinate with each other- and there's a difference. Check out the pictures below and notice how the coffee tables and end tables are different shapes, but they are similar styles, so they work well together.

#4. Make sure it's the right size. This is a very common mistake that homeowners make when pairing a sofa and coffee table- the wrong size or scale. Not only does style have a say in this, but you have to select an adequate width and depth for your room and the pieces framing (around) it. The general rule of thumb is that your table should be no smaller than approximately 3/4 the width of your sofa. Thankfully coffee tables come in such large widths that they can now accommodate the many longer sofas that exist on the market today; but if you can't find one that's large enough, there is another way! Use more than one table or even several ottomans to create the look, and width you need. Below I used 2 end tables to create an interesting coffee table.

#5. Ottomans make great coffee tables, but don't forget the tray. I love to use ottomans in front of a sofa, and I have a great deal of fun creating looks with different colors, fabrics and shapes grouped together to add interest to a room. 

Here is a living room design showing a nice printed large ottoman but see what else you can do with this space.

Here I've taken the same nailhead drum ottoman and duplicated it with enough to span the width and depth appropriate for this sofa and room. With them all packed closely together, it's easy to place a tray atop of several without worrying about it tipping over.

Above is a third way to work with this same space, by using two mid-sized round ottomans, spaced a bit apart from each other to take up the necessary width for a table space.

Using ottomans instead of a coffee table can serve as both functional and beautiful. Not only are they soft enough to rest your feet upon, but, with the addition of a nice tray above, they are practical and supportive enough to hold your drinks or snacks, which may spill on the fabric without them. You can find a great supply of trays at furniture stores, accessory shops and even art supply stores. 

I hope these tips and visual aids have helped you to find that PERFECT coffee table or perhaps play with other looks for your existing living space.