Interior doors are the unsung heroes of our homes. It’s true they play many functional roles – they offer privacy, provide sound dampening, and (maybe most importantly!) hide messes. But, they are also a design element that allows you to augment your personal style. Often they are chosen by the contractor when he builds the home – sometimes with little forethought other than cost. If you are lucky enough to have a say in door selection – perhaps you are building a custom home or remodeling – read on to learn how to choose interior doors.
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A few months ago, my husband and I spent a Sunday looking at new construction homes in a neighboring town. We were unsure where our oldest son would be attending high school in the fall and were exploring all of our options. The area of the country that I live in has some of the highest housing prices in the country – Massachusetts is consistently ranked in the top five of most expensive states to live in according to the Council for Community and Economic Research’s Cost of Living Index. We live outside of Boston but still within commuting distance (if you consider 30+ miles commutable) and the towns we were interested in had strong school districts, so we knew our housing dollar wasn’t going to go too far. But even I was surprised at just how little nearly $1M gets you these days.
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Thinking of hiring an architect for your next project, but want to understand the process better first? Learn how to hire an architect with this free guide from the Boston Society of Architects (don’t worry, the guide is relevant for anyone who is thinking about working with an architect).
Source: Boston Society of Architects
Each year, the Boston Society of Architects updates the guide and offers it free to homeowners thinking about undertaking a home improvement project. Called the Homeowner’s Project Handbook (HPH), it’s designed as an introduction for anyone using an architect for the first time. In it they cover topics like:
- Working with an architect
- Budgeting a project
- 10 Questions to ask your architect
- The role of the builder
- Energy management…
…and more. If you’ve thought about bringing on a professional to help your design ideas become reality but are unsure how to proceed, this guide is a great first step to understanding how to work with an architect.
And, for those living in Massachusetts, to help you start your search, the guide also includes a clickable list of BSA member architects who do residential work.
You can view the HPH online at the BSA’s website or request a printed copy by emailing: hph@architect.org.
There are two main types of construction for cabinets: framed and frameless. So what’s the difference and more importantly, should you care? Let’s dig in…
The backstory
A long time ago, I worked for a millwork company that had a custom division. As head of marketing, it was my job to get pictures of the beautiful, high end cabinetry they created for the division’s portfolio. I remember walking into the multi-million dollar residences that would be home to the millwork and being in awe. I’d go home at night and daydream about how I could infuse a bit of that aesthetic into my more modest floorplan.
So, one year, when the guys at the shop mentioned they were a little slow and asked if I was interested in any cabinetry to keep the schedule full (read: at a price I could actually afford), I jumped at the chance. Back then, I didn’t pay much attention to the construction of the cabinets – but I knew the look I was going for from my photo shoots.
Since then, I’ve had another set of built-ins created (with a different shop) and my kitchen remodeled using cabinetry from a commercial custom cabinet manufacturer. But each time, I choose the same construction type because it fits my Colonial-style home: framed with inset doors. And I couldn’t be happier with the result.
So, what’s your cabinet construction style? (more…)
