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.
