Closet Design with Denise Butchko – Shoe Storage – What's Your Pick?

Cubbies Aren’t Just a Chicago Baseball Team – Or Are They? So what do baseball and Chicago have to do with design? Well, with baseball, I’m not sure yet.

But in reference to design, the answer is a lot. There’s ton of great design and architecture in the windy city and fair amount has been driven by famed minimalist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. If you’ve ever heard the saying that “less is more” – it came from Ludwig.

Being a Chicago gal, his philosophy and mine are quite harmonious. So, while embellishments are beautiful and I really appreciate and admire the look of a space (say, kitchen or closet) that has base and crown moldings and columns and detailed designs on the doors and drawers, I love simple.

And if you boil down simple into designed closet solutions, in my book, shelves are better than cubbies. They’re also more functional and space-saving than angled shelves.

And here’s the “science” (Butchko science, that is) behind that:

Lots of people see – and then want – angled shoe shelves.

I can see why. They’re pretty. They also allow you to see more of your shoe at a glance, which is a plus.

The counter sides to pretty are:

-Angled shoe shelves are more expensive than flat, adjustable shelves

-Angled shoe shelves take up more space than flat, adjustable shelving

-Angled shoe shelves can pretty much just be used for shoes – and perhaps magazines – and who stores magazines in their closet? (If you do – I do NOT want to hear about that!)

So if you need to maximize every inch – and/or the client thinks they will re-sell their home in the next five years – I recommend flat, adjustable shelving.

Regarding “Cubbies” (unless you’re referring to that Northside Chicago baseball team) – the short answer is that I am not a fan. I’m all about being organized (and have said for years that an organized life is easier to live) but cubbies are “over organized”. When shoe styles change and now you have wedge sandals – you can only fit one per cubbie. And what else can you store in those cubbies?

Don’t say magazines. And don’t say “world series titles” either (although in reference to the Chicago Cubs, there’s plenty of space for that!).

I’ve done one – count em – one – master closet with shoe cubbies in my +ten years of designing and that was because the client absolutely insisted.

Just because an idea looks like a good one doesn’t always mean that it is.

So here’s to making your closet designs more effective. And if you’d like to keep learning more, join me in the platform of your choice so we can connect!

Google+ Community – Marketing Interior Design

Facebook – Butchko&Company

You Tube – Denise Butchko

What’s that you say? You don’t have a platform of choice? Oh my! Check out some insights on any of mine and get rolling. You’re “burnin’ daylight” as Dr. Phil would say.

About our Guest Blogger: Ms. Denise Butchko

By merging a unique background of custom storage design and marketing, I’m able to share great, industry specific tips to help you with your business, whether that’s designed solutions or social media marketing guidance. I’ve been designing closets for over a decade and serve as a judge for our industry “Top Shelf” Design Awards. I’m also a member of the first graduating class of Registered Storage Designers through the Association of Closet and Storage Professionals. I love teaching and sharing – in person and online – and look forward to connecting with you, so join me on any (or all) of my social profiles.

: Teaching You Social Media Best Practices

Kitchen Remodel of the Day

This beautiful 1930’s Tudor home had charm throughout but the kitchen just wasn’t functional for them. The kitchen had been remodeled in the 50’s and updated in the 80’s and didn’t provide the storage, countertop space or flow they wanted. But with this age and style of home they wanted something that fit the home well and looked like it had always been there. We got to work!

Problems/Challenges:

Kitchen was tight cramped.
They couldn’t fit a full size fridge in and didn’t have any countertop space around the range.
Not enough storage.
Lighting was poor throughout.

The eat in nook while full of character – was too small for their family of 4 and closed off the space. They still wanted an eating area in the kitchen.
They loved the leaded glass doors and wanted to find a way to incorporate that into their new kitchen
Wanted pantry space.

It was important to keep with the character of the home during the remodel.
The kitchen houses 3 doorways, all of which felt very tight and cramped especially since it is a major thoroughfare.
A place for a built-in microwave off of the countertop and for wine.

Solutions:

Opened up the eat in nook to the rest of the kitchen making both spaces feel larger and bringing more light into the kitchen.

Modified the depth of the built-in in the hallway to allow for the range wall to recess, effectively expanding the kitchen.
Expanded the openings into the dining room and the hall and repeated the arches seen in the rest of their home.
Hanover Cherry Light cabinetry provided a rich warm wood that compliments the style of the home well. Simple Shaker details and crown were used to complement existing woodwork in the home.

A narrow, furniture island provides a great work space and extra storage while not looking too bulky
Removed the soffits to bring the cabinetry to the ceiling providing more storage in the space
Leaded glass door cabinets on either side of the window retain the character of the old kitchen

Added a shallow pantry with open display area for extra storage that doesn’t look heavy.
An angled pantry between the kitchen and nook provides extra storage without infringing on the dining space.

Efficient storage space was important in this kitchen – we added blind corner pullouts, spice racks on the doors, pullouts, a wine rack, garbage pullout and even a compost bin on the back of the sink cabinet door. Tray dividers above the refrigerator organized their trays, platters and casserole dishes.

Under cabinet lights and recessed can lights throughout illuminate the entire area.
Messouri Black granite countertops and hand-made subway tile finish off the classic look in their kitchen.

When the project was finished the clients were thrilled with the feel and function of this new kitchen in their old home!

Designer: Crystal Kennedy
crystal@pnwcab.com
503-652-1268

Photographer: Shannon Butler
photoartportraits@gmail.com
503-891-9354

2013 Design Contest Winner: Katrina Hosea – Other Rooms: Honorable Mention

Designer: Katrina Hosea

Dealer: BeeTree Homes, Jacksonville, Florida

Problem: A kitchen that didn’t function well for entertaining. If you sat at the island, guest could
not maneuver behind you. The breakfast nook was small and could only house two and it also
blocked the view of the water. Client had a challenge with refrigerator location, when you
opened the door, she would hit the kitchen chair.
Solution: We removed the breakfast nook and squared of the back of the house, we removed the
exterior wall opposite the bar area and extended the kitchen 4 feet into the covered lanai.

Problem: One entrance two and from kitchen thus preventing a flow for entertaining; and also preventing lighting from entering the kitchen.
Solution: We created an opening between the kitchen and dining area, to allow for cross lighting,
and it allowed for a better flow for entertaining When we went into the covered lanai we also
gained two feet to widen the current entrance from 26 inches to 40. This helped immensely.

Problem: Client was downsizing from a 6,000 house into a 2600 sq ft zero lot line home on the
water way. She was so concerned with the lack of cabinetry storage.

Solution: The exterior wall that we bumped out allowed us to have a larger walk way for a bar as
well as it created an extra 18 inches. We designed a cabinet that was reduced depth that would
house her cook books, designer glass wear and serving platters for entertaining.

Problem: Client wanted china hutch but the view of the waterway was so spectacular and were I
placed the kitchen sink caused a problem with her viewing a wall or cabinets.
Solution: I designed a wall that allowed for access to the water view and storage. I ordered
peninsula cabinets void the glass doors on the back. Installed plexi glass on the back and placed
the cabinets over a frameless window. Now, the client has storage and a view.

2013 Design Contest Winner: Matthew Adler – Other Rooms – 2nd Place

Congratulations Matthew!

Matthew Adler

Schell Brothers, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Design Goals and Details:

There were a number of goals to this space. We need to create a study that could accommodate
both her and him, provide lots of storage and allows him views out the back of the house towards
the water even when privacy is needed.

The study was designed with built ins flanking each of the shorter walls while leaving space in the center for a desk for him. On the side walls we created a desk area for her, lots of file drawers and storage for all the items they have. This was finished with light rail and bullet lighting to provide undercabinet lighting for the countertops.

The ceiling was lined in stain grade v-groove wood boards in a barrel so we added Wellborn
crown to each wall run and hid ambient lighting behind it to illuminate onto the ceiling. The rich,
Sable finish offered a nice contrast to the knotty cedar on the ceiling and let the cabinets stand
out. The client wanted a desk to match the cabinets so a freestanding desk was created with base
cabinets and a Wellborn wainscot panel. We finished off the desk top with a Wellborn top and
applied the edge molding in the field giving the whole room a cohesive look.

2013 Design Contest Winner – Other Rooms – 1st Place

Crystal Kennedy

Pacific Northwest Cabinetry; Milwaukie, Oregon

This is the 3rd project we were asked to do for this couple. We had helped them with their kitchen – and
now their pantry was in dire need of help. It had become a catch all for various items that didn’t quite have
a place in the main kitchen and consequently had become almost useless. We were tasked with cleaning out
and organizing the space, adding storage and function to this underutilized space

before

Problems/Challenges:
-Very cluttered, everything was shoved into place and very visible
-They wanted this to be an area that could house a microwave and second oven for overflow cooking during
the holidays
-Wanted an area to house his espresso maker and accoutrement since it didn’t fit in the kitchen
-Wanted a sink for quick access to water and an extra place to clean up
-Wanted a space for bottle storage up and out of the way
-Lacked any kind of countertop space at all so no real work could be done in the space
-Didn’t want it to look too dark or heavy
-Their existing door swung into the pantry, making it hard to maneuver inside

after

Solutions:
-Added enclosed cabinet storage with Wellborn’s Prairie Maple Painted in the Divinity finish. Giving the
pantry a bright feel overall
-Bookcases that sit on the countertop provide open storage for a tight space. Clear mason jars provide an
attractive and functional way to store them
-A sink was added at the end of the pantry under the window, right next to the espresso and coffee makers
-An unused chimney was removed and recessed in the space we installed a new convection microwave and
second oven. Giving them plenty of extra cook space and getting it out of the way and off the countertop
-A shelf was added running along the kitchen wall to house their bottle storage where it won’t take up space
used by everyday items
-Added granite that matched their kitchen for a cohesive look
-Changed the door to a pocket door and added glass for a more open look and more light

Wellborn Cabinetry in the Houzz

Not sure if my Houzz Addiction has reached the “Pinterest Level” but it’s pretty close….. One of the most enticing aspects of Houzz is how beneficial of a marketing tool it is for our industry and our dealers. More and more of our dealers share with us how actual leads are generated from the site, and that’s refreshing news for us all to hear.

So here’s our salute to a few traditional projects that caught my eye this week.

Enjoy.