Taking Care of My Kitchen Cabinets

I installed my first kitchen cabinets a few years ago. I had recently gotten out of college and I had the adulthood jitters really bad in the sense that I wanted to get my independence by moving out of my parents’ place. I got an apartment with a great living room, bedroom and bathroom. However the dining room and kitchen didn’t look nearly as spotless so I spoke with the owner about this issue and he said that it was a fixed rent deal and that there was little he could do, (bummer). Having just graduated with great negotiating skills, I managed to convince him to deduct the cost of a new cabinet from my rent. I found a great selection of cabinets with all kinds of colors and beautiful finishes. The most common materials you will find are wood and a combination of plastic and wood. Both materials are very sensitive to moist so taking measures to protect their surfaces is pivotal to ensure durability and a healthy appearance.

What I used to do to protect my cabinets was to install a layer of protective film inside the cabinets

and on the drawers. I didn’t have a dishwasher back then and some days I felt a little lazy to dry my dishes completely so sometimes (perhaps unbeknownst to me) those dishes would go in with a little bit of water drops around them, but since the cabinets were protected, it would never absorb the moist!

I was also very careful about maintenance, I remember I used to polish the copper handles and wipe the cabinet doors with spot removers and a wypall. These are products you can find in the hygiene aisle of your local supermarket. Looking back, in hindsight, the apartment owner may have gotten the best part of the deal since I took care of that cabinet so well, but then again, I never heard a visitor come on over asking for a glass or plate and commenting, hey! Your cabinets smell funny! 

Laundry Room Cabinets

Doing laundry used to be my most dreaded task of the week when we lived in an apartment. I had to lug everything to the laundromat and wait there for hours washing, drying, and folding my clothes. But now that we have a new house, my husband decided to build a laundry room in the wide hallway leading to our garage. At first we just put our new washer and dryer in the hallway. When we had saved a bit more money, my husband installed a wall with a doorway to separate the room from the rest of the house. His last step was to put in pre-made cabinets.

It’s necessary to have things like detergent, dryer sheets, stain remover, vinegar and an iron close at hand when you’re doing laundry. Until that point, we had been keeping those items in a basket next to the appliances, which wasn’t ideal. I wanted shelves or cabinets to complete our laundry room. My husband didn’t know a thing about cabinetry, so he ordered our pre-made cabinets online, using the measurements he took of the space above and around our machines. I chose a pleasant off-white color to match the machines and keep our laundry room looking fresh and clean. Within a few days, the affordable pre-made cabinets had arrived, and he put them together in a flash.

Our new laundry room is orderly and convenient. Getting the laundry done is not such a chore anymore - I just throw in a load and go about my business in the house. The pre-made cabinets are great for our laundry-related stuff, and also gave us extra storage space. We use the cabinets to hold miscellaneous household items such as cleaning supplies, tools, spare batteries, etcetera. I will certainly never complain about doing laundry again!

Art School Cabinets

 Recently, my best friend retired from her office job and fulfilled her lifelong dream - opening her own art school. She has a Master’s degree in fine art and always wanted to work with art full time. Thanks to years of saving for her goal, she was able to rent a large space in a strip mall and remodel it to her business’s needs. All art teachers know that a studio needs three things: good lighting, adequate space, and appropriate storage options. My friend didn’t want to spend a fortune, so she used ready to assemble cabinets for her storage needs.

After sizing up the perimeter of her large room, my friend checked out cabinet options online. She found this amazing website that allows you to enter the measurements of your area and see a mock-up of the way your room will look after installing the cabinets. She ordered several cabinets, drawers and large closet style storage in a practical timeless oak shade. While she was waiting for her order, a plumber came to make sure that the piping was correct for a sink to be put in along with the cabinets, providing a convenient place for students to wash their hands and clean paintbrushes.  When the cabinets arrived, her husband and a few of his friends put them together and had them attached to the walls in no time. They then connected the sink in the spot the plumber had prepared. It fit perfectly into the pre-measured cabinets. A few days later, the school was open for business.

My friend’s art school is now thriving, due to the combination of her excellent teaching skills and the school’s professional appearance, including the ready to assemble cabinets. I’m so proud of my friend and I hope she will serve as an inspiration to others in the community who want to reach their goals.

Kitchen Cabinets for a Cause

Last year I started working with a non-profit organization that helps people rebuild their homes after natural disasters strike. My first project was with a house that was structurally sound, but the inside had been destroyed by flooding from a terrible hurricane. We started by completely gutting the interior, fixing the plumbing and electricity, and replacing the drywall. After painting, it was time to work on the individual rooms. I was part of the team assigned to the kitchen. We put in a basic linoleum floor and then began to tackle the ready to assemble kitchen cabinets.

As most of the homes in the affected area had the same layout, the organization needed lots of the same sized cabinets. So they had bulk-ordered the cabinets online, receiving a significant discount on the already reasonably-priced furniture. Despite their low price, the cabinets were made of good quality wood and looked great. The ready to assemble kitchen cabinets came with simple, clear instructions on how to put them together. Even the people on our team who had very little experience in construction had no trouble installing them. The cabinets fit perfectly in the kitchen, as the organization had sent the exact measurements to the online cabinet retailer.

Within a day, the kitchen looked almost as good as new, thanks to the ready to assemble cabinets and gently used fixtures and appliances. Of course, there was still lots to be done. After a few more weeks of hard work, the entire house was once again able to be lived in. The displaced family’s reaction upon seeing their remodeled home was priceless - the mother of the family was nearly in tears. I definitely encourage everyone, whether you have experience or not, to take part in a rewarding volunteer project such as this one.