Staring out at the blanket of white surrounding your home may be getting a little old as of lately, but whether you choose to be depressed or inspired by it – that’s up to you. We choose the latter.

Use the winter blues as an opportunity to look forward to spring and all the colors it brings. In a week and a half, we’ll be turning the clocks forward for more daylight hours, and spring will be only a week and a half after that. Let’s hope the Chicagoland weather mellows out with its arival.

A bright outlook

Here at Brakur Custom Cabinetry, Inc., cabinets are clearly our bread and butter – but we wouldn’t leave you high and dry without anything to complement your beautiful cabinets. We also offer a wide variety of counter tops with installation services.

Through the years, one counter top material has proven to be desired by the majority – and while it has some competition lately from a similar counterpart (pun intended) – it is still one of the reigning champs: Granite.

What’s great about granite

As you start your cabinet remodeling plans, it becomes clear early on that:

A) Similar looks are available in many price ranges
B) Not all cabinets are created equal (even if they look alike)

All cabinets are constructed of a few basic structural components – the box, which is the main portion or backbone of the cabinet (the part that looks like a box), the drawers, and the shelves. Where they differ are in materials, construction and customization options. Let’s take a look at the most common materials and construction basics you should be familiar with when looking at cabinet structure elements.

As you’re making plans for your new kitchen design, it’s easy to get caught up in trends and impulses that make you happy right now – but that isn’t always the best way to go if you’re planning to relocate in the somewhat near future. It’s no surprise that buyers tend to allow their decisions to be influenced heavily by the condition of the kitchen, and while everyone has different tastes, some details are generally more accepted than others.

Find out what people want

Buying a home is a huge commitment, which is why it is important to make sure yours has qualities that are going to keep you happy through the years. Sometimes, you have to dig deep to see the potential, but that rings true when it comes to any long-term relationship.

When the economy fell a few years back, people were forced to look at life differently; to whittle out the wants from the needs, and to make more careful decisions.

As much as you try to stick to the budgeting guidelines you and your remodeling professional worked hard to break down, it can get difficult. Maybe you budgeted for the “Good” but you fell in love with the “Better” or “Best.” The heart wants what the heart wants, right?

Luckily, if you’re in the midst of planning a Chicago area remodeling project with us, you can’t really go wrong, as we work hard to get you the look you want within your budget comfort zone. Alas, you may find yourself wanting to splurge in one area, and forced to cut back in others. So, what should you leave out?

Cutting back to save budget

Anyone who has previously set a budget and remodeled their kitchen or bathroom will probably agree – if you’re not careful, it’s easy to overspend and bust your budget. With so many products and stylish pieces available today, you have to make a conscious effort not to let things get out of control– which is why we advise you to pull apart all the pieces that will make up your remodel, and assign a certain amount of your budget toward each section.

If your median budget is $30,000 and you plan to do a complete overhaul of your kitchen, you shouldn’t be spending $20,000 on cabinets (unless of course you want to and you plan everything out accordingly). So what should you be spending in each area?

Remodeling costs uncovered

Occasionally, throughout the life of your cabinets, you may find some of your more frequently used cabinet doors beginning to look the slightest bit crooked - and they may even feel a tad bit wobbly. To top it all off, some of the hardware may seem loose. Is it time to panic?

We have good news and bad news when people come to us asking how much cabinetry costs. The bad news is…we can’t give you an accurate quote before getting to know a lot more about your project and the materials you prefer. The good news is…cabinetry costs can range based on your budget. Brakur produces cabinetry from basically any budget range (within reason).

Since we know the vague answers to your cost questions are unfulfilling, we’ll at least give you some helpful information that may come in handy as you start your project.

Generally speaking – where does price differ?