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NYKB’s Steve Babus in the NY Times

Perry Hiiman
December 6, 2007
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NYKB’s Steve Babus in the NY Times

Here is the story, about replacing built-in metal hampers in older, 1950s-era kitchens.   

Steve Babus, a designer at New York Kitchen & Bath, recommends removing old metal hampers because their narrow configuration can make them difficult to use. “It’s a great concept, but it’s only so deep and it’s very hard to get things in and out of there,” he said. “No one’s come up with anything really modern that works in that space.”

Mr. Babus prefers to replace hampers with custom recessed cabinets. The added space should let you clean out your existing vanity, where you can hide a laundry basket like Umbra’s Crunch can, above ($21 to $26.50, from 800-387-5122 or umbra.com), which can be adjusted in height.

New York Kitchen & Bath (800-780-8700 or nykb.com) will build a custom cabinet for a hole occupied by a hamper for about $800. The company can also increase the height of the hole to fit a larger cabinet for a total cost of between $1,500 and $2,000.

For those who have pedestal sinks or are looking for a more sophisticated solution, Mr. Babus suggests borrowing space from an adjoining closet and installing a recessed linen tower with a pull-out hamper basket. “It’s not a huge remodeling thing,” he said. “You basically cut a hole and slide the linen tower in. We do that a lot. You lose a bit of closet space, but most of the time people are using that closet for their linens anyway.” The cost, he said, is about $1,800.

It’s a cinch for pros like Steve and other designers at NYKB.

The goal of renovation and remodeling is to ensure satisfaction upon completion of your project. Construction can be very frustrating, and without a professional contractor, things can go wrong.

About Author

Perry Hiiman

Perry Hiiman was born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel. He planted his roots in Manhattan, New York in 1992. A few years later, Perry met his wife and had three lovely daughters. Perry has always been excited about home improvement and design. He has been in the service industry for over 25 years. Perry and his partner founded New York Kitchen and Bath in 2001. They pioneered the One Stop Shop concept of home improvement and design firms. In addition, Perry is a New York State licensed contractor, OSHA certified, and a New York State licensed mold assessor. He specializes in custom design and is genuinely passionate about what he does—bringing people’s dream projects to life.

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