Wellborn Cabinet, Inc.
Vienna Maple finished in Pimento creates a cozy mudroom entrance.
Designing an island of your dreams has never been easier. Cabinets + Imagination = Island of your Dreams.
Islands can be Permanent or Mobile
They can be Big or Small
You can create Workspaces or Display Spaces
By: Denise Butchko
We’re not talking about personality here – we’re talking about the shelves in your closets and storage spaces. 🙂
When people show me closet spaces – they often feel compelled to “use every inch”. So whether the closet is 24” deep (standard depth for a reach-in closet) or 38” deep (space left over that a builder turns in to a closet), they want shelves that are as deep as the closet itself. Bad idea.
Extremely deep shelving is not only more expensive, but it creates what I refer to as “the big, black hole”.
If you want to remember it with a rhyme – deep shelving “increases cost and things get lost”.
Here a couple rules of thumb:
-The deeper the shelf – the farther apart the shelves should be spaced.
-Small items work best on shallow shelves. An ultimate luxury is being able to see every item that’s on your shelves. So if we’re talking about your pantry, let’s avoid having 37 cans of tomato soup with expiration dates from 2007 hidden behind today’s juice box purchases. Think: open door – look at shelf – find needed item – grab and go. Closets aren’t gardens – we don’t want digging.
-Larger items can work on deeper shelves – things like pillows and blankets or furniture cushions. But be aware – the deeper the shelf – the greater the propensity for the client to overload the shelf. The added weight could be a service call waiting to happen – so reinforce those deep shelves whenever possible.
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
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.
And if you’re looking to go deeper in to closet design – I’ve got your solution. I’ve created the FIRST EVER INDEPENDENT closet design course – ON LINE!
If you’re wanting to learn about closet design, or become better at closet design – this the opportunity for you to make that happen!
https://ruzuku.com/courses/458/signup
As a Family Owned and American Made company for over 52 years, Wellborn is proud to announce its partnership with Southern Living and This Old House on the All American Cottage.
Inspired by the nationwide groundswell of interest in American-made products,Southern Living and This Old House are joining forces with Wellborn Cabinet, Cabinets & Tops of the Upstate and Dillard-Jones Builders to construct an All-American Cottage.
Located in the quintessential southern community of Verdae in Greenville, South Carolina, The All-American Cottage will be a stunning showcase and testimony to the ingenuity and quality craftsmanship of products made in the U.S.A.
Wellborn Cabinet, Inc is the supplier of all cabinetry featured in The All American Cottage. The building process of the home has begun and the cabinetry made in Ashland, Alabama is soon to be completed and delivered to the home.
Tour The All American Cottage:
May 2nd – 19th, 2013 (Thursday – Sunday)
Thursdays 1pm-6pm Fridays 1pm-6pm
Saturdays 1pm-6pm Sundays 1pm-6pm
Before we dive into our Design Contest Winner post for this week – I wanted to recap and highlight some key elements to remember about our design contest and the wonderful extras that can come from winning – not just the money – even though that is pretty awesome too!!!
Our Yearly Design Contest has several different categories; Large Kitchen, Small Kitchen, Bath and Other Rooms – you can pretty much enter any space designed with Wellborn Cabinets. Each category has to follow the same guidelines for submission and design guidelines for the spaces that are being designed.
To me one of the greatest aspects about our design contest is the professional exposure that you as a designer can gain by simply entering your design work. Your winning designs could be featured in all of our marketing efforts; publications, websites, advertising, training, and social media. With the digital world we now live in – – – your work could be visible on a “global platform”!
So remember that when you are designing and building your portfolio consider entering your designs – you never know – you could be a “Wellborn Design Contest Winner” too!
Now it’s time to learn about Maggie Burns and the “Opportunities” she faced in designing for the Terry Family. So enjoy her design story.
Opportunity: How to integrate the awkward corner space left over after building on a new family room addition. A home addition provided the client and his family more space to entertain and relax in. However, the rear of the existing home, when opened up to the new space, became an awkward pass through.It was too small for a furniture seating group, but too large to waste as a hallway.
The solution was to build an entertainment bar, which would enhance entertaining, and highlight the space as a point of interest. We nestled cabinetry into the angle of the corner, and designed a radius bar that would curve gently out into the room. Angling it served two purposes. It kept it compact, as well as introduced it frontally to both spaces, further blending them together.
Opportunity: The homeowner wanted the cabinetry in the new spaces to closely match the home’s existing cabinetry. Matching existing cabinetry is almost always impossible, but because we were around a corner from the existing kitchen, we used the Wellborn door style (Bedford Square Poplar finished in dark) that most closely resembled that in the rest of the home. We also used the same dramatic granite, Oceanic Bordeaux in both areas to tie them together. The result is that as you move from one area to the next, the differences are imperceptible.
Opportunity: The client wanted this project to not only be functional, but very unique and conversational. We decided to offer something that was unexpected. The client wanted a flat screen television in the rear wall, but we decided to mount it under two way glass, so that when not in use, it was still an elegant mirrored bar. He loved that he could change the whole feel of an event by just “turning on the game.”
Opportunity: How to trim the curved bar wall. We ordered Wellborn finished panels, Wellborn matching stain, and flexible base molding from a building supplier. The 3/16” panels curved around the half wall, and the flex molding was stained to match and applied over the panels.
A great design that took a unused corner what was seen as a waste of space and turned it into a focal point of this great family room addition. Great design work Maggie Burns and kudos to your installation team on the island!!!
Maggie Burns
maggielburns@aol.com
407-497-8479
This week we spotlight the talent of Audra Lamb ASID, with Sunset Tile and Bath who won big in 2010-2011’s Design Contest in the Bath Category.
Enjoy!
Design Mission: Create a more contemporary Master Bath for the McNail Household without adding more space or breaking the bank.
Design Mission Statement:
This Master Bath’s builder grade configuration limited possibilities of elongated vanity as well as tub area. Reducing the vanity size allowed for enlarging tub platform and installing a tile surround.
The customer wanted to allow for a taller tub splash due to the roman tub faucet being modified into a wall mount diverter and spout.
The counter top backsplash was incorporated into the tub splash by continuing the travertine ogee molding and tumbled mesh to create a cohesive look through the bath.
In order to give the customer and more contemporary look, Prairie Maple cabinetry with a Sienna finish was used and allowed the bathroom to have balance between the light and dark finishes.
The drawers were upgraded to wood dovetail drawer boxes to give the customer a higher quality finish, but still keeping the cabinet economical.
The shower layout was reconfigured to allow the customer to incorporate and shower bench connecting with the tub platform.
• The customers incorporated an adjustable shower arm to allow for customization between their different heights.
• We used natural travertine tiles in two colors and multiples sizes to give visual interest without being overwhelming in their space.
• We also incorporated a frameless heavy glass shower enclosure with clear glass to allow for easy visibility of the new tile patters as well as increasing the feeling of a larger bathroom.
The large format mirror was also replaced with two custom framed mirrors to give a more inviting look to the vanity area.
A slab travertine counter top with under mount sinks gave a neutral look to the vanity area and made the cabinetry more of a focal point in the room.
Mission Accomplished – Great Work Audra!
Audra Lamb, ASID
sunsettile.audra@qwestoffice.net
602-789-8700
Sunset Tile & Bath
sunsettile.audra@qwestoffice.net
602-789-8700
James Stratton of DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen is a Dream Kitchen Designer and a Wellborn Design Winner!
James entered his “Townhome Treasure” in the (Large Kitchen (>42 sq ft of Countertops) Type: Remodel) Category and won.
We are proud to share his work with you! Enjoy the images and his design statement below.
When you walked into this Townhome you were faced with an outdated and cramped kitchen.
The customer wanted her guests to be greeted by a bright, “up to date” space which incorporated a warm classic style.
Now, as you enter this townhome you are drawn into the sophisticated, modern kitchen with its touch of European styling.
The diminutive space and placing of skylights made opening the kitchen difficult. By expanding the room into the laundry room both obstacles were overcome. The washer and dryer had to be placed inside the kitchen which created a blemish to the design.
By “hiding” the washer and dryer behind matching Wellborn cabinetry customized bi-fold doors, a balance and continuity was established which ultimately contributed to the design of this space.
With the extensive choices of door styles and accessories that Wellborn offers, cabinets that were oak and ordinary were replaced by Monterey Maple Cabinetry finished in Glacier. This made a homely kitchen come to life with sophistication and warmth.
White tile countertops were replaced with beautiful granite.
Using the colors in the granite a distinctive backsplash in a three-dimensional design was an artful addition, a pleasing change from the plain blue and white tile backsplash that existed before.
The design of the workspace is redefined by changing a closed “u” to a more open design.
The island has an elegant 6cm OG round over edge, giving prominence to the black granite composite under mount sink.
The heated tile floor provided a literal warmth which allowed the customer to function a little easier on those cold winter mornings, as opposed to the vinyl floor which existed before.
Recessed lighting, classy pendants and natural skylights created general and task lighting which made
a dreary kitchen more brilliant and workable, and added to the panache of the design.
Attention to detail was followed all the way down to the hardware on the cabinet doors in a collaboration of different
styles.
This created a customized look, which the client loved!
Designer: James Stratton
jim@vhplans.com
(801)476-4222
DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen Photographer: nate@vhplans.com
