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NORTHJERSEY.COM ❚ THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020 ❚ 1H
A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION OF THE RECORD
Homescape
Designed For Living:
Mixing it up -- ‘70s glam
and contemporary elegance.
4H
INTERIOR DESIGN ❚ HOME IMPROVEMENT
Spring cleaning
ritual takes on
more significance
HOME REMODELING
Recruit ‘at-home’ family
members to lend a hand
By DONNA ROLANDO
E
Kitchen cabinet doors constructed of laminate material, such as the Satin White Kershaw Style cabinets and island
above, are attractive and, like solid wood, a popular choice for kitchen remodels.
Selecting kitchen cabinets
— materials matter
Let style, budget and maintenance be your guide
By KATHIE ROBITZ
of beauty and quality. But it can be
expensive, and, depending on the
type of wood, it requires more main-
tenance in an environment subject to
itchen remodels are a big
moisture, grease and grime. If wood
undertaking, and cabinets
is your choice, you’ll have your pick
will eat up a major portion of
the budget. So, it’s important
between species such as oak, maple,
to choose wisely when selecting a
hickory, cherry, ash, pine, or even
material that suits your taste, your
teak, as well as numerous finishes.
pocketbook, and your lifestyle. It’s a
Says James Mayers, assistant vice
material world, but you’ve got options: president of Operations for Kitchen
Magic, a
kitchen remod-
eling company
with several
locations in
New Jersey,
“Most real
wood doors
are composed
of solid wood.
Sometimes,
particularly
with painted
applications,
doors are a
hybrid of real
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KITCHEN MAGIC wood and com-
posite wood.
Solid wood kitchen cabinet doors are of high-quality and
There are cer-
made from several species of wood with a variety of finishes.
tainly different
wood, laminate, acrylic, and stainless
grades of wood — value, standard
steel. Some people will mix and match. and premium — so it is important to
It depends on your preference, the
know what is being used by the manu-
design style you hope to achieve, and
facturer.”
your pocketbook.
Color-wise, today’s look is on the
WOOD, NATURALLY
light side. Says Linda Fennessy, Public
Wood is always a favorite, in terms
Relations manager for the company,
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
K
“The trend we see in today’s wood
kitchen projects is lighter, as in
creamy maple or grey stains for a dis-
tressed farmhouse-style. That being
said, darker species are making a bit
of a comeback, for a rich and sophisti-
cated style.”
But as the company’s director of
Business Development and Product
Innovation, James T. Norman, says,
“Of course this varies by individual
homeowner’s preferences. But clear,
natural stains are popular and allow
the natural wood grain to show
through. Other popular wood stain
finishes include walnut, ebony, chest-
nut, pine, and gray.”
PRACTICAL LAMINATE
Another, and perhaps the most
popular material for kitchen cabinet
doors today is laminate. According
to Fennessy, “A vast majority of
homeowners opt for laminate doors
for their remodeling projects. The
laminate door option is far more
durable and conducive to the kitchen
environment than wood. Laminate
doors clean easily and look just as
beautiful years later as the day they
were installed; never fading, cracking
or chipping with normal use.
“Unlike wood doors that absorb
their surrounding elements,
maintenance-free [laminate] doors
do not expand and contract when
exposed to the heat and humidity in
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
ven those notorious for postponing spring cleaning
‘til summer… or even fall… are likely to be embrac-
ing new habits this year during the global health
crisis that has disinfectants flying off retail shelves.
Not only are many Americans working from home where
clutter and dirt are in sight 24/7 but COVID-19 has no
doubt heightened their awareness of the need to protect
their families through good hygiene. And what better way
to rid the house of germs, including the coronavirus, than
well-targeted spring cleaning? This year, it’s more of a
necessity than a chore. You have the time and probably
a small army of family members to recruit for the task. So,
let’s get started with the help of a few professionals, all
of whom offer their services virtually in line with the times.
YOUR GAME PLAN
For many it’s that first step that’s the hardest. But this
year especially, you don’t want to miss a thing, so come up
with a game plan before breaking out the dust mop.
“The important thing is to make it manageable,” said
Ines Cohron, founder of green-focused Total Home
Cleaning in Summit. “Pick one room at a time and give
yourself a time limit. Mentally you’ll know that you are only
doing it for a specified period that will be rewarded with a
little break.”
If you’re easily sidetracked, Barbara Maniscalco of
Barb’s Home Organizing in Bergen County suggested a
checklist to “ensure that you don’t miss the areas in each
room that need the most attention. Start with the easiest
place to clean so that you have a feeling of accomplish-
ment.”
Today, with family
members of all ages
stuck in the house
due to the pandemic,
high-traffic areas like
bedrooms, kitchen
and family room are
no doubt seeing more
action; so, kick off
your cleaning effort
where it will have the
greatest effect, says
Lisa Harris, founder
of Organize With Lisa
LLC in Bergen County.
Let your game plan
include, as Cohron
PHOTO COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES suggested, a central
Cleaning and then disinfecting sur- gathering spot where
faces is recommended, particularly all family members
in gathering areas like the kitchen. can have access to
cleaning supplies with child oversight, of course.
And make the plan realistic. “People usually under-
estimate the time a fridge cleaning can take,” said Cohron.
WORK SMART, NOT HARD
The pros shared a few tips on how to conquer the
cleanup without it conquering you. Cohron, for example,
likes to let soap and water do much of the work. That could
mean dampening dried spots on the stove or elsewhere
with a soapy sponge and letting it sit for a few minutes to
loosen dirt; or how about boiling a large cup of water in the
microwave? The steam will make cleaning a snap. Other
time-consuming elements of the room to tackle first might
be airing out bedding or soaking sheets.
See CABINETS, Page 2H
See SPRING CLEANING, Page 2H
Arbor Day and Earth Day both arrive in April
By TERI GATTO
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
I
t’s April; the daffodils are blooming,
bird-song abounds and the days are lon-
ger. And appropriately, this is the month
we celebrate both Arbor Day and Earth
Day.
In 1872, a Nebraska newspaper editor
suggested that a day should be selected to
stress the ecological importance of trees.
The first Arbor Day was held on April 10
of that year and Nebraskans were encour-
aged to mark it by planting a tree. This
year, Arbor Day will be marked on April 24,
preceded two days earlier by Earth Day,
which began in 1970 and is celebrating
its 50th year. Considered the birth of the
modern environmental movement, Earth
Day was designed to bring awareness of
the increasing problems of air and water
pollution.
Today, as we try to adjust to challenges
of global warming and a growing pandemic,
let’s take a break to appreciate the natural
world that endures, and find ways to help
nurture it. For example, while we all shelter
at home, we can start planning our flower
and vegetable gardens, order seeds and
start them germinating inside the home.
And remember, there are cool weather
veggies such as kale and Brussels sprouts
that can be sowed now.
LIFE-GIVING TREES
“Trees are like our oldest, dearest
friends: we rely on them for so much, yet
often take them for granted,” says Peter
Smith, Urban Forestry manager, Arbor Day
Foundation.
The longest-living organisms on earth,
trees give us countless gifts, including shel-
tering people and animals, filtering rain-
water, slowing urban runoff, and removing
carbon dioxide from the air and giving back
oxygen for us to breathe.
“As one old forester friend used to say,
‘we need to plant them faster than we cut
them down,’” recalls Smith. “No tree lives
forever, and we need to be vigilant to ensure
that the ones overhead are safe. Some trees,
upon inspection, will need to be removed. But
unfortunately, we still see that tree removals
exceed new tree plantings.”
According to the Arbor Day Foundation,
spring is the perfect time to check on the
health of mature trees. Since canopies are
not completely filled, you may check to see
if the structure of your tree was damaged
by a winter storm.
When planting a new tree, make sure
you select one that will thrive in the chosen
spot. “Your location, topography, and cli-
mate are just a few of the challenges faced
when selecting a tree to plant near a home
See ARBOR DAY, Page 2H