Guest Blogger – Innovative & Affordable Kitchen Cabinetry

Guest Blog Entry #26, Entry #298, October 12, 2010

I always love talking about kitchens on Stagetecture.  From innovative plumbing fixtures to countertop materials, the kitchen is the #1 room that home buyers make a decision about buying a home or not.  In the past I did a post about choosing the right kitchen cabinetry color for your home.

Arlington – RTA cabinetry

Today, our guest blogger from Instock Kitchens joins us and discusses the importance of buying good cabinetry that is affordable and looks great!

The kitchen is probably the most used space in the home. With the formal dining room virtually extinct, the kitchen is becoming the focal point of the home; a place to spend family time and to entertain. With that said, it is no wonder that the kitchen is the first on the “remodel list”.

All those that have done a kitchen remodel know that the bulk of the cost is in the kitchen cabinets, and rightfully so. Kitchen cabinets are the main feature that defines the style of the space. It adds to its functionality and aesthetics thereby making it one of the main decisions. Unfortunately, due to the economic downturn, many cannot remodel as originally planned. The good news is that it can still happen! In the last decade a new fad ofRTA(ready- to-assemble cabinets) has gained popularity for their numerous style options available, durability and perhaps most importantly, fabulously low price.

Danbury – RTA – Cabinetry

In recent years RTA cabinet manufacturers have been improving their cabinets by making them comparable in quality to custom cabinets. Dovetailed drawer boxes with soft-closing under-mount glides in a solid wood and plywood cabinet is now a typical description of an RTA cabinet.  In addition, in order to compete with custom cabinet manufacturers, RTA cabinets now offer a variety of matching decorative cabinets and unique storage solutions. Those that prefer a simple and functional kitchen may opt to go with a shaker style cabinet with deep drawers which easily maintains and organizes the items stored there. The avid cook may prefer a lazy susan and large drawers to house pots and pans as well as a cutlery divider to organize cooking utensils. Those that bake will benefit from an appliance garage and narrow base cabinets to organize baking sheets and pans. Spice racks, wine racks, turnposts and plateracks are all now available to match. In addition, decorative moldings such as various sizes of crown molding, light rail molding to hide undercounter lighting, dentil molding, furniture base moldings, corbels, fluted fillers, decorative end panels and overlays are offered to complement every kitchen style.

After listing the advantages that RTA cabinets offer, you will be happy to hear that they are extremely economically priced. It is not uncommon for RTA cabinets to cost 30%-50% less than custom cabinetry or even stock cabinets.  It is possible to find cheaper cabinets constructed from particleboard but be wary. The old rule of “don’t judge a book by its cover” is very much applicable when it comes to cabinets. Particleboard may look just as nice when purchased but will begin to wear early on as it tends to sag and swell easily due to moisture. This in turn will cost more due to the frequent repairs it will require.

Park Avenue – Full Kitchen

Instock Kitchens both manufactures and distributes their own line of cabinetry direct to homeowners. In addition to their own lines, they distribute cabinets from another manufacturer, JSI International. Their goal at Instock Kitchens is to provide homeowners with solid wood and durable designer cabinets at wholesale prices. Their complete line of cabinets can be viewed on their website, instockkitchens.com. You can also visit their showroom at 915 Pennsylvania Ave, Feasterville, PA  19053.

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