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Monday, July 16, 2007

Building Cabinets 1 - Introduction

Project Introduction

Building Cabinets 1 - Introduction

Everyone enjoys the look and feel of fine wood furniture. It has a warmth and elegance that

enhances every home. With the prices of quality wood furniture increasing, many do it yourselfers are making their own custom pieces. In this article we are going to show you the correct way to build a cabinet in your own workshop. We will take you through step by step, from initial planning to the finished product. As you build this project, remember, every new skill and technique you learn building this cabinet can be carried over into other wood working projects.

Planning

Review the checklist thoroughly before proceeding with this project. Go through the tools and materials and study your plans carefully. Know the safety standards for the project. Before you begin, plan to gather the items that you will be using, and place them where you will build the cabinet.

You will find an extensive list of ALL tools and materials necessary to build your cabinet in the tools and materials checklist, but let's simplify things a little and look at the basic components you will be working with to build your cabinet.

Basic Cabinet Components

  • Kick-plate
  • Carcass
  • Strong-back
  • Face frame
  • Doors
  • Drawers (optional)
  • False Front

It really is a simple project, when you divide it into manageable components!

Terminology

Before you begin your project, you will want to become familiar with the wood working terms shown below.

  • Miter Cut - Angle cut across the width or thickness of the board
  • Rabbet - L-shaped cut
  • Dado - Channel cut across the board, into which a second piece of wood is fitted
  • Kerf - Width of the blade
  • Countersink - To set a screw head at or below the surface
  • Dowel - Wooden pin used to provide strength and alignment
  • AA Lumber - Lumber which has a good finish on both sides.
  • Ripping - A cut with the grain
  • Crosscutting - A cut across the grain
  • Shim - A thin, wedge-shaped piece of wood used for leveling or spacing.
  • But Joint - The square end of one piece butting up against the flat surface or end of another piece.

Materials

Because of the size of the lumber involved in this project, you need an extra person to help with cutting some of the wood. Plan ahead so your "Assistant" is available at the appropriate times.

Wood Selection

Before you purchase your wood and select a finish for your cabinet, you should ask yourself some simple questions about how you plan to use and display it in you home, Where will the cabinet be located? Do the dimensions of the cabinet fit properly in the space you have allowed for it?

NOTE: Because this cabinet is small and will be pushed flush with the wall, we will use a strong-back to add strength and hold the cabinet together. You may decide to add a plywood back depending on the use and size of the cabinet.

The selection of Wood in our color photos is oak plywood with a thin layer of veneer of solid oak on its surface. You can use a plywood that has a furniture grade veneer on only one side (AB plywood), since only one side will be visible. Plywood with a finished veneer on both sides (AA) can also be used for a top quality look. face frames of solid oak will be used to cover the plywood when necessary.

Similar to laying a pattern out on a piece of cloth, often you can cut several different pieces of the same thickness of wood out of a single piece. It is a good idea to add up the total number of boards, being careful to make sure you group short pieces in with long pieces to minimize waste.

Now that you have reviewed safety hints, learned the mistakes to avoid, reviewed the basic components and gathered your tools and materials for your bookcase - you are ready to BEGIN!

Move or improve?

Soaring property prices and the prohibitive cost of relocating are preventing many people climbing the housing ladder. Now more and more of us are instead opting to extend our homes. Hannah Booth reports

Monday July 16, 2007
The Guardian


Thinking of moving house? Think again. The next rung of the housing ladder may have been within reach a few years ago, but it is becoming increasingly hard to upgrade to a larger property: the apparently unstoppable rise in house prices, the lack of decent properties, the sheer expense of moving house - from stamp duty to solicitors' fees - are making us question whether it is worth it. It is no surprise that a growing number of homeowners are deciding that enough is enough: we move house primarily to gain space; why not stay put, save on moving costs and spend the money on improving what we have?

So why are we finding it so difficult to move house? According to the Halifax, the average costs are as follows: valuation, £300-£600; conveyancing, £400-£600; and estate agency fees, usually around 1-2% of the property's value. Then there's stamp duty: 1% on houses from £125,000 to £250,000; 3% for houses worth £250,000 to £500,000; and 4% for houses over £500,000. The average house price in the UK, according to the Halifax, is now £196,893; in London, £297,132: that's £1,969 in stamp duty (or nearly £9,000 on the London average). So, at the most conservative, we're spending £4,700 just to move (£12,700 in London).

It doesn't stop there. There is wasted money if a sale falls through and bridging loans if you have to pay two mortgages simultaneously. Your house may not fetch the asking price. You may end up having to offer more for the house you want, or resort to sealed bids. There is the cost of physically moving your belongings (depending on how far you're travelling and how much stuff you have, upwards of £300). In fact, research by Abbey suggests that factoring in these costs takes the total cost of moving to nearer £16,000 - and says the average homeowner then spends a further £6,000 in the first year doing up their property, furnishing and decorating it. That's £22,000 - ouch.

More importantly, as prices continue to rise, we're not getting significantly more for our money. "Moving up the ladder is very difficult," says Jeremy Leaf, an estate agent and also spokesman for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). "Often, people are looking to make two 'jumps' - a bigger home in a better area - which makes it doubly difficult. They're increasingly thinking, is it worth the effort? The leap between a three-bed and a four-bed house is particularly hard. Four-bed houses are popular, relatively rare and usually considerably larger and in better areas. And you're competing with people who are settled in the area, with good friends, schools, jobs, who are prepared to pay the extra."

The alternative? Spend the money on a loft conversion or extension. Aside from saving on moving expenses, you get to keep your neighbours (which may or may not be a good thing), your schools, and the vegetable patch you have worked so hard on. A growing number of us are doing just this. Planning applications have nearly doubled in the past 10 years, according to the government. In the past 12 months, says the Halifax, just 3% of home improvers converted a loft; next year, 10% are planning to do so.

"People can't afford to move these days," says Neil Yemm, director of Midlands-based loft specialist Main Pride Lofts. "Most want an extra bedroom and, increasingly, an office as so many work from home now. What my clients do is work out what they'd have to pay in stamp duty and costs if they were to move, and spend it on an extension instead."

The government's proposals are designed to improve the quality of extensions you can make without permission - ministers are concerned about the time involved in deciding minor, uncontroversial applications. At present, homeowners have to pay up to £1,000 to obtain planning permission for almost all rear and roof extensions, a process which can take between eight and 16 weeks. Under the proposals, no planning permission will be needed for these types of extensions if they have little impact - rather, there will be self-assessment or direct negotiation with a local authority to ensure extensions comply with height and depth restrictions. And there are no limits on the number of extensions you can build - under current law, if you have extended by 10%, you have used up your limits and must seek planning permission.

The average cost of an extension, according to RICS' Building Cost Information Service, is anything from £14,000 for a modest loft conversion to £50,000 for a large kitchen extension.

Lance Stock, who runs Barnet-based Stock Construction, usually allows £30,000-£35,000 for kitchen/dining room extensions and loft conversions on an average three-bed semi. "Loft conversions are more popular than garden extensions because you're often getting a third or fourth bedroom, and even a second bathroom - and that's more attractive when you eventually come to sell." He says people who convert their lofts can usually expect the value of their house to rise by two or three times the price of the extension. Costs rise if you employ an architect: on average, a bespoke kitchen or basement extension starts at around £40,000. You could equally spend £200,000 for a larger extension with a high-spec kitchen.

"The single biggest cost when considering an extension is VAT. Our clients often forget to factor it in - a quote always excludes VAT so it can come as a bit of a shock," says architect Alun Jones, whose practice, Dow Jones, has built several extensions. On a £40,000 extension, 17.5% VAT is £7,000. But you're adding value to your home. "You get more value for money by extending your property," he says. "Stamp duty is such a waste - particularly on expensive properties. On a house worth £750,000, you'd pay £30,000 - the cost of a loft conversion."

So is it worth it? "If an extension is well designed, yes, every time - it will always add more to the value of the house than what it cost, usually at least double what the extension cost," says architect Paul Archer. "But the cost must be proportional to the value of the house. You wouldn't spend £200,000 on a £150,000 house; and equally, you wouldn't spend £30,000 on a £2m property. But beware: a poorly designed extension may devalue a property."

Stock recently built a loft conversion in a three-bed semi in north London for £30,000 plus VAT, with an additional £5,000 spent on decorating (total cost, around £40,000). "My client had his house valued four weeks later, and it was worth £82,000 more. And that's a pretty standard uplift."

The proposals are stricter on loft extensions you can undertake without permission. The government is keen to reduce the visual impact of bulky dormer windows - they are one of the biggest causes for complaint between neighbours - by limiting their size. Under the new proposals, discreet extensions built below the ridge of the roof and away from the edge may not require permission - and conversions with no external changes, including skylights that open out, are allowed without planning permission.

"The proposed changes take into account the impact of building work, rather than being prescriptive for the sake of it," says a spokesman. "For example, how far buildings are from neighbouring properties, whether they drastically alter the look of a house, whether they are the appropriate size for the size of the house." Planning permission will, however, still be needed in certain cases - where they are larger than allowed, in listed buildings, and in conservation or protected areas. Final proposals should be published later this year with a view to being implemented next year.

But not everyone's happy. "For kitchens and conservatories, the proposals are good news," says Brian Berry, director of external affairs at the Federation of Master Builders. "But for anyone thinking of converting their loft, it's really bad news. The proposals essentially shrink the size of a permitted loft conversion, so you have to get planning permission anyway."

"Under the government's proposals, people will find that home renovation is harder, not easier, to achieve," agrees Jeremy Leaf of the RICS. "Requirements for loft conversions will make it difficult to create sufficient space for a new room, and will force people to apply for formal planning permission, which defeats the purpose."

"We appreciate those with a vested interest, such as builders, may be concerned," says a government spokesman. "But we're aiming for a balance between homeowners and their neighbours. People can extend their lofts, it's just that for larger schemes that may impact on others, they will have to seek planning permission."

The basement conversion

Architect Paul Archer converted a redundant lightwell in this north London Victorian end-of-terrace into a rear glass basement kitchen/diner with steps up to a garden - and also created a sixth bedroom with shower room at the front of the basement. "Our original scheme was much grander," says Deborah Collins. "But this was allowed under 'permitted development' rules."

Total cost: £160,000 (including a high-spec £40,000 kitchen and extra costs incurred to repair flood damage)
Value before: about £1.1m
Value now: about £1.4m
If she had moved: At this end of market, extensions really make sense: stamp duty is crippling (a whopping £56,000 on a six-bed house worth £1.4m) and the returns are sweet - by spending £160,000, Collins has added around £300,000 to the value of her property.

· Paul Archer Design (paularcherdesign.co.uk, 020-7729 2729)

The two-storey extension

This five-bed detached house in Milton Keynes, built in 1996, was extended earlier this year by a third - a two-storey extension incorporating a large lounge on the ground floor, and a bedroom, dressing room and bathroom above. "We calculated that stamp duty to move house in the same area would be around £30,000, which put us off," says Sue D'Mello.

Total cost: £110,000
Value before work: £650,000
Value now: £800,000
If she had moved: Stamp duty on a six-bed house in a similar area worth £850,000 would be £34,000, plus the cost of moving. As it is, D'Mello has got her extra bedroom and enlarged living space, and added £150,000 to the value of her home.

· Workhorse Builders (workhorsebuilders.co.uk, 01908 648240).

The loft conversion

Sharon Murphy had the loft of her three-bed semi in Quinton, Birmingham, converted from a messy storage space into a large bedroom - now the largest in the house - and a shower room. "I needed another bedroom, but with the cost of moving, I didn't think it was worth it. To buy something in my area is silly money - I'd have had to pay tens of thousands more than what I'd paid for mine (£136,000 in 2004). The extension has dormer windows at the back; a neighbour objected but the local authority agreed it all."

Total cost: £32,000
Value before work: £160,000
Value now: £180,000
If she had moved: Four-bed semis in Quinton go for around £250,000, which Murphy couldn't afford - and that's before stamp duty and moving costs. So she spent £32,000 on a fourth bedroom and increased the value of her house by around £20,000 overnight.

· Main Pride Lofts (mainpridelofts.co.uk, 0121 522 2007).

Up, down or out - what extensions can cost Lofts 6mx5m with two Velux windows, £14,000; with four, £18,000
6mx5m with two dormer windows, £23,000; with four, £37,000

Basement conversions
3mx3m, £6,800-£15,000
4mx6m, £9,500-£24,000

Source: Building Cost Information Service, The Property Makeover Price Guide (RICS)

Rear extensions
Single storey with one window: 3mx3m, £14,000-£17,000; 4mx6m, £24,500-£29,500
Two storey with two windows: 3mx3m, £23,000-£30,000; 4mx6m, £40,000-£50,000

Conservatories
3mx3m, £8,000-£10,000; 4mx6m, £19,000-£25,000

Interior Design: English Country Style

Cayman Net News
Published on Friday, July 13, 2007


A sumptuous four poster bed that looks too comfortable to ever get out of.

By Interior Designer Elizabeth Howell-Jones

It’s no surprise that English Country Style endures and is appreciated by many not only with a British connection but anyone who cherishes a comfortable relaxed coziness that welcomes.

It’s also a very personal style in that it allows for a lot of self expression. If you are a collector it’s probably the best style for you which include some of my clients who have purchased fine china here and haven’t found the best way to display it.

Displaying your shell collection, botanical prints, family pictures, straw hats, porcelain dolls or old silver pieces will show off your enthusiasms and tastes which is an essential ingredient of this look.

No need for restraint because English Country’s charm is its accumulated, layered look. And best of all unlike Contemporary design in which every element of a room is carefully considered before being put in place, English Country can be added to as you go along. Important elements to this style are:

English chintz fabric which is usually a polished cotton fabric with a wonderful flowered pattern and should have a superb depth of colour. It can take up to twenty colour screenings to give the material its richness.

This can be a springboard to build your colour palette and your selection of drapes, upholstery material and slipcovers. Other fabrics often used are cotton broadcloth, velvet, damask, lace and even ticking.

The furniture usually consists of a big, traditional sofa with loose back cushions, an overstuffed armchair, and massive ottoman. Also appropriate are leather pieces such as wing chairs, four poster beds, upholstered headboards and in general everything big and super comfortable. Wood pieces can be either antique or good quality reproductions with a historic appeal.

Window treatments are often the focal point of an English Country room and tend to be lavish, sumptuous and often multi-layered touching the floor or puddling at the bottom.

For this style dark wooden floors are appropriate as is wood paneling on walls, wallpaper, or bright colourful painted walls, even special paint treatment finishes used with crisp white trim.

And let’s not forget the all important presence of many books stored in free-standing or built in bookcases and luxurious carpets.

If you are lucky enough to own a Cayman cottage style home this look would work perfectly.

If you feel life is too- hurried and too-busy and long for the comfortable and relaxed, you might be well suited to this style of comfortable splendour and gracefully accumulated whimsy.

Elizabeth Howell Jones has worked as an Interior Designer in Toronto Canada and here in Grand Cayman for the past 3 years. Her clients are international and local. She can be reached at Woods Furniture & Design (345) 949-5933 or elizabeth@woods.com.ky

True Rustic Old World Home Design Doesn't Come from a Catalogue

True Rustic Old World Home Design Doesn't Come from a Catalogue

Handworked detail of true old-world craftsmanship along with custom woodworking and design is the key to an authentic look.

(PRWEB) May 30, 2007 -- In today's cookie-cutter world of laminate flooring and polyurethane molding, achieving an authentic old-world style, such as Tuscan or Mediterranean, can be difficult. Tuscan style, with its full arches, tiles, textured walls, and rough-hewn wood floors and surfaces makes a bold and artistic, yet extremely comforting and welcoming statement. Although the look can be approximated with modern building techniques and mass-produced flooring, cabinetry, and woodworking, the key word is approximated.

kitchenstove_wholehouse400.jpg

I did a project not long ago where they had a very old, beautiful armoire in the family room which was connected to the kitchen space
Crucial to creating a whole-house feel with a look such as Tuscan, says leading San Francisco Bay Area kitchen designer Kimberly Larzelere, is working with a company that delivers complementing one-of-a-kind home design details which can only be achieved by woodworking artisans skilled in custom woodworking and design. "All the different surfaces--the countertop materials, the flooring materials, the textures on the walls, the hood element, the tiles, the hand hewn beams--it's all of those elements that complete the old-world character of the space. These need to integrate with the architectural features like the arched openings and high ceilings, ironwork and lighting fixtures."

When possible, Larzelere also appreciates dealing with a single resource for the individual elements in a home, because they can provide a cohesive look throughout. "I deal with one specific company whose finishes and home design techniques, which many other companies cannot achieve, flow throughout all the different elements and tie them together," she says.

"There are a lot of companies out there that mass-produce carved, detailed moulding and woodwork on a laser machine," Larzelere continues. Working with Renaissance Old World, Inc, a designer and manufacturer that utilizes European age-old hand [custom carving, planing and distressing techniques long lost from the modern world allows her to give her clients a distinctive look.

"With this company, I have the ability to create a custom carving detail that suits my client perfectly and gives them a one-of-a-kind look at about the same cost as high-end mass produced items." The company even provides clay carvings for approval from the designer and client prior to production.

Sometimes homeowners want to base their interior home design on an existing piece of furniture. "I did a project not long ago where they had a very old, beautiful armoire in the family room which was connected to the kitchen space," Larzelere says. "We created a kitchen island to compliment that piece so they were very similar in texture, color, door style, and hinges. We were able to recreate all those different elements in the island so it also had that very old-world feel."

Along with a unique, old world look, functionality is also high on Larzelere's list. She suggests working with a company that specializes in precise duplication of antiques that are also equipped with state-of-the-art accessories and are extremely functional. High-tech elements such as automatic self-closing drawer slides, pull-out shelves, and high-gloss interior finishes that require no shelf paper are hidden away and combine the best of the modern world home design with the old world appearance.

Cliff Hammond
Renaissance Old World, Inc.
http://www.carving.com