Cabinetry lets your creative side run wild while saving space and adding elegance — from the formal dining room to the mudroom.

"With busier lifestyles, growing families, gourmet kitchens, home offices and diverse hobbies, consumers are purchasing more items than ever before," said Laurie Galbraith, design manager at HomeCrest Cabinetry. "As a result, people are discovering more creative uses for cabinetry, such as lockers in mudrooms where kids can store their valuables after school, sports and other activities."

The design and storage possibilities are only as limited as your imagination.

And it really helps with organization. What might appear as clutter on top of a piece of furniture becomes what it should be: Prized possessions when placed inside a curio cabinet.

Another popular trend is replacing old dressers and that unwieldy bedroom furniture with standard or custom furniture that lines walls or fits snugly into closets.

In smaller homes, how about placing bookshelves as room dividers to add to the illusion of more space as well as actually giving you that much-needed extra storage space? Or create a cozy country look and feel by placing closed cabinets and open bookshelves around a mantle.

Take advantage of any window in your home by adding a window seat with built-in storage and marble-topped cabinetry on both sides, creating a comfortable nook for reading or just plan relaxing — maybe with a cat on your lap and a nice glass of cabernet.

HomeCrest also allows you to make your home customized without customized prices. Homeowners can add modified options to standard cabinetry to achieve custom looks and functionality without those hefty price tags.

Using standard doors and fronts, Custom Choice can accommodate wider cabinets, deeper drawers, additional panels or doors, and lots of other options for a perfect fit anywhere.

For more information, visit www.homecrestcab.com.

Maggie Reed may be reach at trocar2000@hotmail.com. To find out more about Maggie Reed and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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