Bob meets with Mark Van Sickle from Merillat who is installing hardware on the new semi-custom kitchen cabinets. The Merillat cabinet doors and face frames are solid cherry in a cider finish. The cabinet end panels can be specified by the homeowner or architect to either match the cabinet fronts or to be made of plywood. Mark has set up a drilling jig for drilling holes for hardware to keep all holes on the same 5-inch center. He shows us the contemporary profile stainless steel pulls that will be attached to the doors. This set of cabinets has an unusual setup; it consists of 3 wall cabinets stacked on top of each other and built up on a platform for a toekick. This is an unusual installation creating a whole wall of cabinets like a butler's pantry while saving money buy using standard overhead cabinets. Solid end panels will be added to cover the seams of the stacked cabinets. Bob and Mark move over to the other wall where they notice the orgonomics - the extra organizational features that can be added to cabinetry - including a built-in wastebasket, a pull-out for cooking oils, a sink tray for scouring pads and sponges, an under sink tote for cleaning supplies, and a dishtowel holder. The pantry unit also incorporates orgonomics with slide-out wire baskets that are easy to install and adjustable to different heights - perfect for dry goods, cans, and cereal.

Bob Vila takes us from the shower that will also have a toilet and lavatory, through the dressing area with space reserved for a bench and cubby space, two small closets, and a sink and vanity. Brad Brewster of Princeton Custom Cabinetry joins Bob for the installation of a LesCare vanity that will be floated 12 inches above the floor, using a cross-braced configuration on the side wall, and a full cleat for support along the back. The floating installation was necessary because of the desired height of the vanity and the pipes that were detected in the walls. Brewster shows Bob the glued-dowel construction of the cabinets and the undermount hardware from Blum that will make all fasteners and cabinet hardware invisible once installed. Ernie Wernecke of Princeton Custom Cabinetry installs the vanity that has been pre-cut to accommodate plumbing, inserts drawers that were marked when removed for easy installation, and snaps on the doors of this lichen-green Formica-faced vanity.

Bob watches Tim Berky cut the mortises for the hinges on the solid-core, cherry-veneer door from Woodport. Berky uses a Hinge Mate from Precision Tools to guide his cuts for the three hinge mortises on the door. The oil-rubbed bronze butt hinges from the House of Antique Hardware will match the decor, handles, knobs, and pulls throughout the remodeled space. Berky then uses a jig to cut the mortises on the jamb, checks for plumb, and attaches the hinges and doors.

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Bob moves to the kitchen in the Melrose remodeling project and talks with Jay Martel from the International Association for Child Safety about kitchen safety for toddlers. Martel reviews new products that can help make the kitchen safe. Martel shows an adhesive latch to prevent a child from opeining the refrigerator. Martel then shows a product that magnetically latches cabinets and prevents pinching. When activated, cabinet doors will not open until a magnetic "key" is used. The product can be disengaged by adults with a flip of the switch. For stove safety, Martel recommends parents use the backburners with handles turned away to prevent children from spilling heated foods and liquids. Martel explains that dishtowels draped over the stove's oven handle often invite children to pull on them and should be removed to prevent an accident. Stove knob covers should also be put in place. Martel shows how electrical outlets can be replaced with sliding covers that automatically slide shut when electrical plugs are removed. Bob and Martel then move to the staircase to review baby safety gates that have been installed. Martel says nothing is more important for children's safety than installing gates at the tops of stairs. Martel shows how the swinging gate requires two motions to open, a squeezing action followed by lifting. Martel reviews how the gate has been properly installed with affixed mounting hardware and inswinging action.

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. If your kitchen s begging for a facelift but your budget begs to differ, try focusing on some key details instead of a major overhaul. If the cabinets are still in good shape, you can change the look of your kitchen just by changing the color of the walls and re-surfacing or re-painting the cabinets. Cabinet re-facing, which involves replacing the veneers, is more expensive but still saves 50 percent over a complete remodel. As long as your cabinets aren t laminate or melamine, you can re-paint them yourself. De-grease them with a citrus oil-based household cleaner, remove the doors and hardware, and apply a primer-sealer first though you might still have to sand them down before painting. New drawer and door pulls will make a huge difference as well. In rethinking your colors, go for a 60-30-10 color scheme, which means 60 percent of a main color, 30 percent of a complementary color and 10 percent for an accent color like a backsplash or a trim detail. Recommended kitchen colors often include shades of tan, peach, yellow and all the many off-whites. Keep the big-ticket items like cabinets on the neutral side and accent with easily interchangeable elements like wall paint, window treatments and small appliances. That way, changing the look of your kitchen in another few years won t have to be a major investment. Florescent under-cabinet lighting strips are an easy and inexpensive way to brighten up. And since you use it so often, spending a couple hundred dollars to upgrade the kitchen sink or even just the faucet can also go a long way for short money. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

To hang heavy cabinet doors and to conceal the hardware, use mortised European-style hinges. Use a 35 mm drill bit and set your drill press to half inch depths. Place the holes a quarter inch from the door's edge and be careful, when you set the depth, not to drill through the door. Attach the hinge to the mortise, and then attach the door to the cabinet box. When the cabinets are installed, the hinges will be completely invisible.

Ernie Wernecke of Princeton Custom Cabinetry is back to show Bob how the vanity top is customized to accommodate a bulging wall. Wernecke scribes then sands the back edge of the vanity countertop so that it will fit snugly against the wall before receiving the backsplash. Bob points out that gaps could be hidden with the backsplash, but Wernecke explains that the undermount sink already touches the front rail of the cabinet. If the vanity top were pushed forward by the bulge, it would keep the vanity doors from closing completely. Wernecke sands the vanity counter and sets it in place, making it ready for the backsplash. Bob remarks that once installed the full wall mirror will hide any gaps between the backsplash and the wall.

The new kitchen space in the Miami condo has been opened up and brightened. Bob meets with LesCare cabinet representative Brad Brewster, of Princeton Custom Cabinetry, who explains the features of this semi-custom cabinet line. Bob has selected a standard white, contemporary style that features invisible hardware, undermount drawers, and edge-banded finishing that completely encases the fiberboard core. The cabinets look seamless, and almost completely eliminate off-gassing thanks to the edge-banded design. Brewster shows Bob the kitchen layout and the lazy Susan that spins 360 degrees to provide full access to the corner cupboard. Bob prices out the kitchen cabinetry and counters per running foot and finds it to be an affordable, elegant, easy-care solution for the getaway kitchen.

Bob meets with Greg VanGrover of Ketcham Reflections to observe the finishing touches in the bathroom shower. VanGrover works with architectural drawings to custom fit the shower doors and glass walls. In older homes his factory-trained installers make a site visit prior to fabrication to insure the space is plumb and level. If its not his team will make the piece to fit whole so once its made the installer is not trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Downstairs Bob meets with Barry Driscoll, the electrician to discuss the importance of Carbon Monoxide detectors. In the basement Bob shows off his mini Wine Cellar with a Marvel Cellarette. Also in the basement is a Wood Waiter from Bruce Fowler Industries of Quebec, Canada. This nifty device saves your back from having to haul wood from the basement to the main floor. This wood elevator transports wood from a basement storage area to a cabinet near the fireplace.