What are "Fillers" in Kitchen Cabinets

A lady called me this morning inquiring about having a kitchen design done. She asked what a filler piece is when it comes to the kitchen cabinets. She had heard many cabinet companies use them and wasn’t sure what they are. Many, many kitchen cabinet manufacturers have standard boxes sizes they use, like 24”, 30”, 32”. No such thing as 32 5/8”. The reason for that is that they can be built much quicker due to the fact they never have to stop to change the sizes on the cutting equipment. That is good for them, not so good for the client. That means that you will have some and in a number of cases many, of what they call, fillers in your kitchen. What a filler is, is a piece of trim that they put between two cabinets to fill in left over space or space between cabinets. The cabinets do look larger from the outside but when you look inside that cabinet you will see they are not as wide as they appear. Of course this impacts the space available in the cabinet. When you have a true custom kitchen done, there will be no or at least very few fillers. The reason is a custom cabinet maker will make the box size exactly what is needed to fill the space, hence no fillers. If a box size of 30 5/6” is needed that is what they make. It creates a huge difference in what can go into your kitchen cabinet layout. I have designed kitchens where I used 3.5 inches of leftover space, where a filler would have been used, but because I deal with a custom cabinet maker, I was able to put in a slide in spice rack. No wasted space. I really recommend using a custom cabinet maker to do your kitchen; you will be amazed at the difference and the often the price difference is very minimal. But remember a good design is the place to start.

Every now and then a design element comes along that I just fall in love with. Such is the case of the corner drawers in a kitchen. This design feature has been around for a while but not many people seem to know about it. Instead of having the large double hinged door in the corner you can actually put in a bank of drawers. When closed it looks like you have two banks of drawers touching each other. But when you pull on the handle it opens into a corner drawer. You can size the drawers like any bank of drawers so that you could use them as you see fit, such as pot drawers. It eliminates having to crawl into the back of the corner cupboard, which I hate to do. I love to use them when I can when I am designing a kitchen. Now a word of caution, I have run across some kitchen cabinet makers who say they can’t be done. Well, I am here to tell you they can be done. That is the beauty of working with a custom cabinet maker, they don’t take no as an answer.

What Does an Interior Designer Do?

When I meet people for the first time and they find out I am in the interior design business, I am often asked what is it an interior designer does. I tell them, simply put; residential interior design is working with people in their home environments.

Primarily I do residential work along with smaller commercial projects. Professional office spaces, apartment lobbies, and model homes for a builder.

Selecting a sofa or choosing new carpeting can be hard enough, but when it gets into a whole refurbishing, upgrading your kitchen and bathroom or purchasing a new home with an opportunity to start every room afresh, with the number of choices available, even the most decisive person can feel they have been set out to sea, not to mention doing a major renovation. That’s when you need the services of an interior designer. A professional approach will pull the project together and help you create an environment that reflects your taste while meeting all the needs of you and your family. Many times it is in ways that you may not ever think of, either decorating or spatial problems.

Decorating a space can take considerable time, but a designer can help save you a large chunk of it because you don’t have to spend your own valuable time going from store to store searching for furniture, and fabric samples, or tracking down competent trades and suppliers. That’s part of our job. In the long run designers save you money. Not only in a time investment, but also in avoiding costly mistakes and disappointments. No matter what the scope of the job is, whether just selecting paint colours, or decorating a whole room, designing a new kitchen or doing a 2 storey addition, professional guidance will save you time, money and frustration.

Not all jobs require creating a whole new environment. Sometimes a change in paint colour, rearranging furniture or fluffing up with a few new accessories can give you the fresh look you are after. Some people are only looking for advise on what to do and they will do everything themselves. I can spend two hours with them and make suggestions and give colour selections. This usually is a one-time consultation, but sometimes they grow into larger projects or the client calls back and goes the next step of embarking on a whole project.

What we do is very subjective. It all comes down to personal taste, and usually not ours. Listening to the client, hearing what they say allows us to work with what the client has, to create what the client wants. Personality is important; we work with clients in their personal space. Good communication and trust are paramount

How do we do this?
First meetings are important, and that everyone involved knows from the outset what is happening. Questions and more questions.
The interview comprises many aspects, lifestyle, children, pets, hobbies, colour preferences and dislikes. Many people are quite certain of what they don’t like and never want to see.

Where to begin, focusing on a particular project or problem gives immediate focus to the job.
Ideally the client will have done some initial homework, with magazine pictures, ideas and an indication of budget. By talking with them I can make suggestions to direct them to the home of their dreams.

One last piece of advice on choosing a designer to work with; be sure that you make a “connection” with your designer. It is a personal thing and you must work well together.

Thinking outside the box

Wow, another beautiful day in Ottawa, so far!! We haven’t had many days like this so enjoy it while you can. I wanted to tell you today about an interesting project I worked on recently. This client has an 80 year old house and has done the upkeep over the years so it is in very good condition for its age. Like so many people over the last few years he wanted more space but wasn’t willing to give up his large beautiful yard to move to a new larger home. He has always wanted a den and space that his daughter and his grandkids could use while they visit from away. The solution, why not make the one space serve both purposes? This home had a very large attic space that would do the trick. So we designed the space with both functions in mind. The biggest challenge we had is how to get furniture up the very tight stairs. Ideally he would have liked a sleeper sofa but that was out of the question without doing some major redesign of the stair case which the client was not willing to do. Which, by the way, I agree with. In my opinion the stairs, as they are and as they were originally built, add so much character that changing them just to get furniture up the stairs would have been wrong. What I proposed was a davenport style sofa where the back folds down turning it into a bed. I found the smallest one I could that would still allow it to be used as a bed. There was still an issue with size so on the delivery day I had a re-upholstery company (who better to know how to do this) go to the house and take the davenport apart and take it up to the attic in pieces and re-assembled it. The client was thrilled. Take a look at the before and after pictures. I think you will agree it turned out beautifully. The reason I am telling this story is to let you know you have to think outside the box to make things happen. Another such story happen a couple of years ago. One the designers with our company worked with a client and he wanted this large wall unit for his living room. The problem again was stairs. The condo townhouse unit was a split level where you come in the front door to a large foyer but then you have to turn and go up the stairs into the living room. There was no way this was going up. So the designer spoke to Jerome, my husband and business partner and he told her it could be done if the client was open to an idea. All we had to do is rent a boom truck (with the driver) and lift the unit (well protected with furniture blankets) over the back yard fence on to his deck and walk the unit into the living room through the patio door. The client was thrilled. Think outside the box!!

Summer Time in Interior Design

As I look out my office window I finally see the sun. It seems like we have had rain every day since the 1st of May. I know that is not true, it just seems that way. It strikes me that many in Ottawa take a good part of the summer off, especially in our business where so many designers and decorators work for themselves and don't have a "boss" to answer to. I am so please to tell you I don't do that. Of course I do take vacation, usually 2 or 3 weeks a year but I love this business so much and I have so many clients depending on me that I wouldn't take the whole summer off. Maybe as I get older I might change my mind, but I just don't see that happening any time soon. As a matter of fact, July and August is often two months that are very busy for us at CPI Interiors. It is a great time to meet with clients during the days that they are off and to get projects under way so that they are finished in early fall long before Christmas. Yes I said it, Christmas!! So many of our clients don't realize how long it takes to finish a project and come to us in late October or November and want it done for Christmas. I hate being the one having to say you can't have it for Christmas because you didn't come to us soon enough. So don't put off your interior design or decorating projects until the fall, call us now and we will get them started for you. Enjoy the sun today!!

Where to Begin your Decorating Project

I have had it said to me 100's of times over the 21 years I have been in the interior design business that I don't know where to begin. Starting a decorating project is often a daunting task for many people. Where to begin, how to pull things together, and what should I really be considering. What is necessary? All good questions, and to help put it into perspective we can examine 10 areas that will help with any decorating project. These are in no particular order of importance, but do make a world of difference to our interior spaces.

DeClutter

Clear out the things you don’t use, want, or like. If you haven’t used something in the last year, chances are you really don’t need it. Give it away, or toss it out. Clutter is one of those things that make us anxious and tired of looking at our space. Magazines, books and papers take up space and in many cases are not ever used. Donate unused items to professionals for their waiting rooms or long term care facilities for the enjoyment of the residents. The more you can clear out your space the better the opportunity to see it in a different light.

Focal Point

Look at your space and determine what do I want everyone to notice first when they walk in this room. Do you have a wonderful window with an amazing view, a beautiful fireplace or soaring ceilings. Determine what the focal point will be and begin arranging things around and towards that attention getter. If a beautiful garden awaits, use that as a springboard for your decorating scheme. A grand fireplace calls out for comfy chairs to curl up in with a good book beside a warm fire.

Scale & Balance

While not always the easiest thing for the amateur decorator to understand, scale and balance in the room is most important to how the finished look feels. If a couple of pieces are disproportionate to the rest of the room or the furniture, you will feel the imbalance, even if the rest of the room is well put together. Look at how the room feels empty and start putting pieces into it that a right for each other. Also look at the artwork and notice if it is too large or in most cases too small for the area it sits in. Hanging art too high will also throw off the balance of a room. A good rule of thumb, hang pictures so that the middle of the picture is at 60” from the floor. Even if you have high ceilings same rule applies. Pictures hanging over fireplaces should be at 4” above the mantle at the most.

Lighting

Probably the most forgotten element that goes into decorating a space is lighting. It sets the mood for the room. Use pot lights for ambience on dimmers, table lamps with tri-lights to give minimum and maximum coverage. Floor lamps and uplights provide not only task lighting but when on dimmers can create a wonderful glow throughout the room. Light the corners with small canister lights that shine up the walls. Put them behind plants to add texture to the walls around it. Not only does it take away from the darkness we find in corners, it adds warmth. Use good wattage bulbs in all task or high traffic areas. You can again, add dimmers to give light control for all of your different room uses.

Greenery

Bring the outdoors in. We hear this term used all the time, but it really does make a difference to how we feel about our space. And it takes more than just one tree. Loose greenery on shelves, in jars and boxes adds decorative touches and fills spaces. Not only using tall trees fills in the blank areas, but smaller bushes with other decorative items around can add so much to your room. Use a variety of species as well. There are so many beautiful and interesting looking trees that you don’t have to have the usual ficus in every corner. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, not to worry, trees with real wood trunks and authentic looking silk leaves can challenge even the best gardeners to wonder if they are real. Fresh and silk flowers adorning tables and counters create a garden indoors that can add cheer even on the dreariest days.

Window Treatments

Even when we have a wonderful view out the window, treating the interior with appropriate finishing treatments add to the finished look of your room. With so many options available today to cover our windows, choosing the right one can be quite a chore. Look to how much coverage to you want or need. Does the sun create problems with heat and glare? Do you have a privacy issue that needs addressing or look out into an open field. Even with the open fields and trees, it can be uncomfortable, particularly at night, when the blackness can make us unnerved by the reflections of ourselves or feel colder than it really should. Soft treatments can add warmth and decorative fabrics combined with the balance of the rooms décor create a beautiful finished look.

Quality

What does this mean? Buy quality. Whether you are purchasing a sofa, area rug or bed, the quality of the piece will be what gives the longevity you want from your furniture. If you buy a quality piece that will last you for many years and provide you with enjoyment at the same time, it will be well worth the price you pay to have that satisfaction. If you consider the cost of replacing items many times over, you will soon discover that the difference is quite remarkable. There are many trends in the marketplace today that come and go, but looking to good pieces will ensure a ground for your room as well as the ability to changes things around it as time and styles change.

Accessories

The finishing touch, the icing on the cake, the jewelry for our rooms. So many times we see rooms put together with nice pieces, but nothing to dress it up. Think of your wardrobe and how your finish dressing with the perfect earrings, watch or broach. It is also an important thing when completing your decorating project. To add finishing touches, trays, bowls, wall décor or sculpture all complete the look and make the space feel truly complete. Colour coordinated items, special knick knacks, original art and decorative candles all add so much to our rooms. Toss pillows on a sofa, large floor pillows for kids or pets to sit, or that extra bench for a seat are all part of that finishing. Group items together in uneven numbers 1, 3 or 5. Place them together even if you don’t have many things as a grouping they look so much more like they belong rather than having them scattered about. Have groupings of like things, a flower, vase and candle with a candle snuffer beside. Try unusual things that relate to you and your family. Photos with a ball in front, a trophy with a golf ball and tees. Use your imagination. We all have things that can be used without making major purchases.

Colour

If there is one thing that is essential to any decorating project this is it. Colour is the thing that binds everything together. It can create an environment so warm and inviting or cool and soothing. We can use colour to bring mismatched things into focus and give balance to everything in the room. It can make a space feel larger or smaller. Be brave, don’t be afraid to use colour. Most people when they view a space that is inspiring and comfortable, it is usually the colour that is doing it. When choosing colours, always do so during daylight and without artificial lighting on. Depending on the direction your room is facing, north, east, west or south, will dictate the colours you should select. Look at colours in the specific space they are going to be used, since colours will change as you move from room to room and even from wall to wall within the same room. View colours in both day and evening lights to see how they will change. Have fun with it. Paint is the least expensive and most effective tool in your decorating project.

Style or Theme

For those wanting to create a look based on a theme or particular style the first thing to consider is how will it fit with the rest of my home. If it is a bedroom, it can be done easily since it won’t affect any other areas of your home. However if you want the circus to come to your family room, it may impact the décor of the rest of the house in a not so nice way. When choosing a style, look through magazines, books or model homes and get a sense of whether the particular style you want will actually do justice to your home. Wanting a very contemporary look in a Cape Cod style house will probably not have the best of effects however introducing seaside cottage or French Country would be a wonderful combination. Get a sense of direction and use pieces you have to create a look that is truly unique to you. It is your home and should be representative of the people who live there.

In closing, enjoy the experience, take the plunge and start that decorating project today. You will be thrilled with the results and love your home even more.