Space savers: other-room cabinetry provides storage solutions beyond kitchens and bathrooms

Building Products, July-August, 2004 by Stephanie Herzfeld

While built-in cabinetry has long beautified home offices and entertainment centers, other-room storage is now equally in demand. From mudrooms and laundry centers to family rooms and home theaters, furniture-like cabinetry is providing extra storage in both new and remodeled homes.

One of the hottest new ways to bring this trend into the mudroom or utility closet is with lockers, according to JoEllen Wilinski, a Green Bay, Wis.-based cabinet designer. "People like assigning individual spaces for clothing articles," she says, and a row of neat lockers fits the bill.

Wilinski's firm, Wilco, designs and installs mud and utility room cabinetry that often takes the place of a coat closet. "Using a hook system in the lockers is much easier than dealing with hangers in closets and it also is a good place to store sports equipment," she notes.

In addition to locker space, Wilinski's mudroom cabinetry typically consists of bench seating with drawers, side units with doors, double rows of coat hooks, and storage baskets on top of any of the various pieces. Other components include open shoe shelving with trays underneath to catch drips and extra bins and drawers to store items like balls and Frisbees.

For ultimate organization, these spaces are being located off garages and combined with laundry rooms.

"I've been seeing a lot of cabinetry in the laundry room with large islands for folding and mending," comments Kate Schwartz of www.cabinets.com, an online resource for cabinet design, installation, and manufacturer information.

MASS MEDIA

Rooms that combine an entertainment center, stereo, big-screen TV, and computer station also are targets for storage solutions. A key to organizing these rooms is the use of concealing elements that keep electronics out of sight when they're not in use, says Harold Martin, rice president of Quality Custom Cabinetry's sales and marketing.

Experts recommend using sliding-panel door styles that easily conceal or reveal electronics and apothecary drawers to house smaller gadgets like remote controls. Builders should sometimes consider freestanding cabinetry for these rooms because it can be relocated if the design or use of the room changes, adds Martin.

According to industry experts, cabinet choice is a matter of personal taste and no single design or finish reigns supreme. This has allowed pros and consumers to blend cabinetry styles throughout the home, something Connie Edwards, director of design for Timberlake Cabinetry, calls an "evolved" look.

"Cabinets come together over time and complement each other, but they don't have to exactly match," she says.

In fact, juxtaposing finishes is quite popular, notes Schwartz. "Coordinating your perimeter color with a different paint/stain on your molding adds visual interest and helps to break up blocks of cabinetry," she says.

The only exception to this open attitude is the great room concept, says Dianna Holmes, design manager for Canac cabinetry, a Kohler company. "In the case of great rooms, where the family room and kitchen are open to each other, it's important for cabinetry to match. In the rest of the home, other rooms set their own scene and can be distinctly different," Holmes suggests.

Currently, tight-grained woods, like alder and birch, are hot, although classics like maple and cherry still are in vogue. And finishes vary widely, from dark, espresso-hued stains to glazes that highlight every nook and cranny.

CABINET COSTS

With options ranging from stock to semi-custom to custom materials and designs, cabinetry is available for other-room uses at a wide range of price points.

"It can range from $100 for something simple in a laundry room to $5,000 for an entertainment center," notes Aristokraft's Marty VanDoren, senior vice president of builder direct sales and operations.

As with other installed products, cabinetry costs vary according to region, project size, wood and finish selection, and customization; Wilinski's locker creations, for instance, are approximately $350 a foot.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Wine cellars, home spas, and bedrooms will be the next rooms to get swept up in the cabinetry craze, and kids' rooms will be a separate focus within bedrooms, those in the industry predict.

"We'll see built-in desks and shelves, window benches, and other storage to keep things organized in kids' smaller bedrooms" Edwards predicts.

In addition to keeping toys off the floor, built-ins in children's rooms offer additional benefits. "You won't have to worry about pulling furniture out and cleaning behind it," she says.

Diamond. More than 200 style and finish options are available to create unique storage areas throughout the home. Cabinetry comes in oak, maple, hickory, and cherry species as well as MDF. Accessories include decorative legs and feet, shelves, moldings, rosettes, and more. 812-482-2527. www.diamond2com. Circle 215.

HomeCrest. Bayport maple cabinetry, shown in caramel with a mocha glaze, can be used to organize bedrooms as well as kitchens and baths. The beadboard-look cabinetry consists of tall utility cabinets to store clothes and accessories, drawers next to the bed for nightstand needs, bookshelves, and desk space. Molding and trim are optional. 574-535-9300. www.homecrestcabinetry.com. Circle 216.