Merillat cabinetry is sold through a nationwide network of dedicated cabinetry professionals and builders. Among the factors critical to the success of a pleasing design and a flawless installation are proper measurements, detailed mechanical specifications, and construction know-how. That’s why we sell our cabinets through professionals who have the skills and tools to design, order and install cabinetry with the utmost of accuracy. They are dedicated to helping you find the right solution for your home, whether you are remodeling an entire kitchen or replacing a few parts.

So instead of selling cabinetry online, our website is dedicated to providing (free) product brochures you can download and planning tools and photo galleries that will get you thinking about what goes into a successful kitchen or bathroom remodel.

That said, we do sell a limited number of accessories online that you can use to retrofit your existing cabinetry. Our drawer organizer kit, cutting board kit, spice tray insert, Lazy Susan revolving shelf kit, vanity hamper rollout, touch-up kits, and hardware are among the items available in the Shop section of our website.

For the rest, we encourage you to use our handy Find a Dealer tool to contact a skilled professional. Thanks for asking, and keep sending the great questions our way!

1. Set out a stack of fluffy towels on the bathroom vanity or elsewhere in a basket. Top it with a package of monogrammed hand soaps tied with ribbon and a tag that says, “Welcome!”

2. Be sure your guests have a hook or two to hang towels, robes or pajamas. If your guest bathroom doesn’t have enough hooks or towel bars, temporary hooks can be applied to walls or doors without damaging paint.

3. Create an attractive place for storing extra toilet paper where it will be visible to guests, like a basket on the toilet tank. Or stock up the vanity cabinet and let your guests know where to find it so they don’t have to ask you later. Include a box of tissues, too.

4. Place a pump of hand lotion next to the sink. A light scent is nice, but consider that your guest may have a fragrance allergy so avoid anything too strong.

5. Leave a new toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, and a small bottle of mouthwash inside the medicine cabinet, with a note that reads, “Help yourself!”

Your guests are so sure to feel welcome, they might even clean the bathroom before they leave!

6 Steps for Organizing Your Pantry for the Holidays

Turkey. Cornbread stuffing. Pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving will soon be upon us, ushering in the holiday cooking season. Which means that now is the time to get your kitchen—and especially your pantry—organized! An hour spent before the cooking flurry begins will save you many more in the weeks ahead. Follow these steps for a clean and well-organized pantry.

1. Clear the countertop closest to your pantry area of any small appliances or other items.
2. Remove the contents of your pantry cabinets and stack everything on the countertop.
3. Gently wipe down the cabinet doors first and then the insides of the cabinets. Use a damp cloth with mild soap or a cleaning product designed for wood furniture. Dry with a clean towel or rag. (See a previous blog post for more information about how to clean your Merillat cabinets.)
4. Reorganize the space by thinking about how often you reach for each item. Designate one area or shelf for baking supplies and another for soups and vegetables. A corner cabinet with Lazy Susan may be a good place for cereal and breakfast items. If space is at a premium, install a spice rack on the inside of a door. Group together any items you use only for holidays, like Christmas cookie sprinkles or cupcake liners.
5. Assess each pantry staple as you move it to its new home. Check expiration dates on spices and canned goods and toss anything old. Empty any half-full bags of pasta or flour into a canister to consolidate space and to keep them from spilling.
6. Make a shopping list of any supplies that are low or out, especially those items you’ll need for your holiday recipes. Be sure to leave room for these items in your newly organized pantry so they can be put away as soon as you return from shopping.

All that’s left to do is wipe down the countertop and take out the garbage. Your pantry is ready to tackle any cooking the holidays bring!

Just for fun: what’s an item found in your pantry only during the holidays? Leave a comment and let us know.

We have taken the latest styles and trends and put a Merillat twist on them.  Our new door styles reflect the emerging design trends toward Heritage, Modern Farmhouse and Soft Modern decorating styles. These three trends come to life in the Merillat Masterpiece line and are customizable to fit every homeowner’s needs.

Merillat Masterpiece® Temora™ door style with a Cherry Kaffe finish.

Heritage

A Heritage style home is one where homeowners enjoy the finer things in life and might choose to entertain guests with fine food and wine. Embellished with details, the home is classically elegant and tailored. Heritage door styles commonly have heavy frames and molding, mitered corners and raised panels that can be accentuated with a luxurious glaze and other finishes to create a traditional, high-end look

Perfect for a Heritage style home, the new Merillat MasterpieceTemora™ door style offers a “flat edge” on the stiles and rails.  Notice the clean and elegant lines here that give this traditional look a modern twist.

Modern Farmhouse

Modern Farmhouse designs infuse metropolitan and suburban homes with diverse icons of industrial living, family tradition and the great outdoors. The style emphasizes the charming contrast that contributes to a casual family setting. Door styles that typically fit this trend have wider stiles and rails, a cope and stick construction with a flat center panel.

Merillat Masterpiece® Gallina™ door style with Maple and Parchment finish

Two Merillat Masterpiece door styles complement this trend. The Gallina™ door style is an eye-catching transitional approach that fits anything from a casual country look to a more contemporary feel depending on the finish. The combination of the wide outside bead, partial-raised center panel, and clean stiles and rails adds a sophisticated touch to the Gallina door style shown here.

The Lucca™ door style presents another option for homeowners who want a more elegant look for their Modern Farmhouse kitchen. The delicate pearl bead outlining its recessed center panel gives the Lucca door style a gentle highlight, suiting this trend perfectly.

Merillat Masterpiece® Lucca™ door style with Maple and Parchment finish

Soft Modern

Homeowners with an appreciation of art, travel and current fashion might be attracted to Soft Modern designs that mimic a Zen, spa-like retreat.  Clean, contemporary lines pair with an organic palette of wood, stone and metal to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Characteristics of the Soft Modern trend often feature a clean slab door, veneer finish, sloped frame or pillowed edges. The crisp lines of the Breland™ door style create a trendy metropolitan look with a warm appeal for today’s Soft Modern homes.

Merillat Masterpiece® Breland™ door style with Oak and Onyx finish.

When it comes to kitchen design, we know homeowners want styles that offer longevity and versatility.  The Merillat Masterpiece line is another example of how Merillat cabinetry strives to provide beautiful, functional products for the way homeowners live; all while allowing you to customize your cabinetry to fit your personal taste.

Make sure you visit the Masterpiece product page to see what’s new and to find your cabinetry style.

I was recently honored to work on a very special project with Midwest Living magazine along with one of our dealers, Sunderland Brothers Company; a project that will benefit hundreds of families in need each year.

L to R: Doug Year (Sunderland Brothers), Ronald McDonald, Charlie Fiedler (Merillat Account Manager), Ron Bauer (Sunderland Brothers) and Joe Williams (Williams Remodeling) celebrate the grand opening of the Midwest Living Idea Home at the Ronald McDonald House.

As a sponsor of the 2011-2012 Midwest Living Idea Home, Merillat cabinetry provided cabinetry for the complete renovation of the Ronald McDonald House Charities® Des Moines, Iowa home.

For Merillat cabinetry this was a perfect fit.  Why? Merillat strives to make life in the kitchen easier; and if we can in anyway make life easier for these families, we consider that a privilege.

I attended the unveiling of the project at an Open House party in late August. The party was open to sponsors and local residents, and included a ribbon cutting ceremony and a tour of the completed home.

During the tour, one thing was clear, the room designs were inspired by the families living there; especially the rooms with Merillat cabinets including the media room, library, bathrooms, and of course the kitchen.

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Merillat Senior Designer Paul Radoy designed these rooms. I could see immediately how Paul’s hard work might help make the families feel as comfortable as possible and a little more like “home” during their stays.

These two kitchens mirroring each other in one space, allow more than one family a functional space to prepare meals.

This “home away from home” was especially personal for me as I had a close friend spend months at Methodist Hospital across the parking lot from the Ronald McDonald House.  My friend’s son had a brain injury in 2009 and spent over two months at Methodist.  In 2010, my friend himself was diagnosed with cancer, spending numerous weeks undergoing chemotherapy at Methodist.  They were fortunate to live in the area and could sleep in their own beds.  I was extremely proud of Merillat Cabinetry’s contribution to give families that are not from the area a place that might feel like home during their stay.

The complete transformation of the home will be featured in the March/April 2012 issue of Midwest Living.  Can’t wait that long? Watch for updates on the project at midwestliving.com/rmhc.

“Designing in small spaces requires functional innovation and the maximum in storage solutions,” said Radoy. “Merillat cabinets were the perfect solution for this small home to make the best use of the space in all areas of the home, including the kitchen and bath.”

In the Habitat “Merillat House,” Radoy brings this concept to life. Taking full advantage of the space, Radoy added additional cabinetry above the refrigerator in the kitchen, a place many homeowners forget about. To maximize pantry space, Radoy included roll out trays in all the base cabinets as well as drawer dividers, letting homeowners get exactly what they need quickly and efficiently. Finally, Radoy included a trash and recycling area close to where mess will occur, keeping the countertops as clean as possible, maximizing countertop space.

You too can design in small spaces! Sarah Reep, director of designer relations and education for Masco Cabinetry, offered the following tips for designing in a small space in any home, primarily in the kitchen and bath.

The Kitchen

• Placing the kitchen sink at a window view allows for the kitchen to feel more spacious, giving the illusion that the kitchen is larger.
• Provide landing space on both sides of the main cooking source to make preparing meals more effective and to offer the greatest use of the appliance.
• The refrigerator should be placed closest to the dining area, making drink serving easier and preparation near the main cooking source.
• Angled front cabinets present a nice transition in to the room, giving added depth to the small kitchen.
• The inclusion of crown-molding in a small kitchen allows for a great design look, something small kitchens often leave out.

The Bath

• Selecting a light or white vanity will ensure the room will stay as open and large as visually possible.
• A vanity base drawer offers additional drawers and a door storage area – giving more function and compartmental storage in a small space solution.
• Adding a vanity shelf over the water closet allows for additional storage that matches the vanity – giving a more cohesive look to the space, once again making sure it looks visually larger overall.

It’s taken months and months of hard work, but I am pleased to say The Kuppersmith Project is complete and looking better than ever!  You have been able to witness the full transformation of this 1920s Tudor style house in Mobile, Ala. on my show, Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford.  Now it is time to see the final reveal of the entire home, including the Merillat cabinetry and DeNova countertops used throughout the home.

As you know, at the start of the project the Kuppersmith home was a 1900-square foot home without central heating or air-conditioning, the plumbing and wiring were outdated and the kitchen and bathroom were small, outdated and needed to be completely redone.

We were lucky to work with our friends at Merillat and DeNova to provide cabinetry and countertops solutions for various rooms throughout the home.  Even though the Kuppersmith house was a huge undertaking, in fact my biggest yet, Merillat and DeNova’s integration made for quick and easy installation.  We used this cabinet + countertop combination all over the house to help simplify the remodel and make each room beautiful and more functional.

Merillat cabinetry, filled with innovative storage solutions, brings a new dimension of style and functionality to the Kuppersmith kitchen.  Some of my favorites are featured in the kitchen and include the CoreGuard™ Sink Base—there is no better way to help avoid under sink damage, plus it is durable and easy to install.  The cutting board kit and deep drawer peg board are perfect and convenient for keeping your kitchen organized while you cook. This is a family friendly kitchen that will be easier and more enjoyable to work in.

The Kuppersmith Project is a great example of how Merillat kitchens are more functional with ingenious features that make life in the kitchen easier.  Plus, the integration of Merillat cabinets with DeNova countertops lends itself to a more seamless remodeling process.  I’m speaking from experience and know that all contractors will appreciate this!

Check out my web site for more information about the Kuppersmith home.  And if you missed the unveiling of the home or any of the other Kuppersmith episodes, you’re in luck because we are re-airing the 13-part series.  Click here to find out when the shows air in your area!

The survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive^®, polled 1,027 U.S. adult homeowners aged 18-65 years old about their generational influences and needs in a home.

We discovered some interesting things about homeowners across the country:

1. Pets are a priority. 22% of homeowners aged 18-65 felt that a place for feeding pets is a top-three kitchen extra, compared with only 10% who felt they needed a space for wine storage.
2. Remodeling may be the way to go. While 63% of Baby Boomer homeowners, aged 45-65, plan to stay in their current home over the next five to 10 years, 75% don’t feel that their current kitchen is universally designed to meet their needs.
3. People are staying put. Gen X homeowners, aged 35-44, are staying put and nearly half (49%) think they will spend up to a decade in their current residence.
4. The youngest generation is thinking ahead. 40% of Gen Y homeowners, aged 18-34, embrace the concept of multigenerational living and expect their parents will live with them in the future.

With this study as a guide, Merillat is continuing to help customers consider the best options for to meet their current and future needs in the kitchen.

Sarah Reep speaks at the Dealer Symposium

As part of that experience, Merillat designers discussed new design techniques that allow homeowners to see the intelligent and functional design of their new space. Participating designers also explored the many ways a kitchen can be designed to fit the everyday personality and way of life of clients.

With the help of a functional and innovative designer using Merillat cabinetry, you can design dream rooms for the real world. Merillat designers truly are great designers, but don’t take our word for it, meet our designers for yourself on our Facebook page and see how they’re making dream designs come to life!

That’s why when homeowners told us they wanted the area under their sink to be durable and easy to clean, we came up with the Merillat CoreGuard™ Sink Base — a smart solution that helps to protect your kitchen investment.

This revolutionary sink base cabinet is made of an engineered polymer material that helps protect against common under-sink damage that can be caused by minor leaks, drops and spills. It’s durable, requires minimal maintenance and alerts homeowners of minor leaks and spills.

If you are sick and tired of the mess you’ve got going on down under your sink, then CoreGuard™ is right for you – and now is the time to do something about it with our Down Under Promotion.

What’s the Down Under Promotion?

When you purchase Merillat Classic^® kitchen cabinetry and include a CoreGuard™ Sink Base in your new kitchen, you become eligible for a $100 mail-in rebate! However, time is running out.  This great deal ends May 28, so be sure to visit a Merillat dealer by you today.

Visit your local Merillat dealer or browse Merillat.com for more information about how to make your dream kitchen a reality.