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Home improvement isn't necessarily spelled do-it- yourself. Let's face it, some of us have four thumbs. We'd rather do the planning, and let someone else do the work -- especially when a room so complicated as a kitchen with all its built-ins and hook-ups is the room to improve. Help is at hand, in the form of a professional whose sole business is the design, supply and installation of residential kitchens and baths. Look under Kitchen Cabinets & Equipment in your phone book, and the chances are you'll find more than one listed. Any firm identified with the American Institute of Kitchen Dealers trademark is a good bet, because to belong to this national trade association, a kitchen firm has to meet certain standards. One of these is to main­ tain a showroom with at least two complete display kitchens, and another is to have at least one competent designer on staff. Any individual identified by the initials CKD is a Certified Kitchen Designer. This means he or she has qualified by examination and affidavits of perform­ ance for accreditation by the AIKD's Council of Certi­ fied Kitchen Designers, and is a real pro. Assuming you'll be in good hands with whoever you ultimately retain on the basis of professional quali­ fications, references and preliminary conversations, what services will this kitch­ en planner perform? Just about everything, from ideas to installation. Working from your answers to a long list of questions, he'll develop a floor plan; help you select cabinets and appliances; figure how much and what type of lighting you need; order all the components; supervise con­ struction and installation; make sure all of the equip­ ment operates as it should. The great advantage to working with a pro is that he offers one-stop shopping. Whatever price you and he agree on, it's all-inclusive if that's the way your con­ tract is written. If you prefer to combine the pro­ fessional with the personal, he'll handle the functional and technical aspects of kitchen design and instal­ lation, and leave the decor­ ative to you. i There are different ways to work with a kitchen spe­ cialist and, obviously, many prices you can pay for a kitchen. Don't think, just because yours is a VW in­ stead of a Cadillac job, you Kitchen carpentry offers wide choice of cabinet styles When it comes to the car­ pentry of your kitchen, you have a wide choice of man­ ufactured wood cabinets, steel cabinets, or local cus­ tom-made cabinets. If you choose plastic fin­ ished tops, specify tops in which the surface has been bonded to hardwood ply­ wood and the edges are made of the surface mate­ rial beveled flush, rather than metal stripping. PAGE 19-McHENRY PLAINDEALUK-FRIDAY, MARCH 15,1974 You're paying for experi­ ence when you entrust a kitchen remodeling to a professional who does it day in, day out. Compare this with your once or twice in a lifetime, and don't apolo­ gize if you don't want to do it yourself! Put kitchen remodeling in the hands of a professional can't enjoy the services of a specialist. You can -- and it's likely to cost you less than re­ modeling your kitchen your­ self, unless you're a practic­ ing do-it-yourselfer with a well equipped workshop and a handyman husband. For one thing, the pro eliminates trial-and-error costs. He knows what's new, what's best for your budget, and what is most practical for your family's way of liv­ ing. He also knows where and when to cut corners, without sacrificing quality or appearance. Where to put the stove and what kind to get seemed to be the other major prob­ lem. Using a GE Microwave Oven, and with a General Electric Toast-R-Oven, a small two unit cooktop stove seemed to fill the needs ad­ equately and the space be­ neath the stove could now be utilized for a trash com­ pactor. The results, as shown in the photograph, are func­ tional as well as attractive despite the mini-space. The pegboard, sprayed with Kry- lon Gold spray paint and trimmed with green Mystik tape now holds general cooking utensils as well as an old time "grocery grab­ ber." Revenge seems to be the first solace of narrow minds. Recycle four heme . . . with a FIRST NATIONAL BANK / Spring is near and there are many ways of recycling your home for greater comfort and spacious living. Sliding glass doois bring in a sense of the great outdoors. Air-conditioning creates a clean, cool, comfortable indoor environment A larger living room allows more space for living. A new family room with a sound-resistant wall provides a wonderful new freedom from noise and distractions. /These are a few ideas, and we are sure you have your own. Improve your home with Timepay Home Improvement Loan. together, we can make it happen THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF McHENRY THE BANK OF FRIENDLY SERVICE F.D.I.C. 3814 WEST ELM STREET McHenry, Illinois Phoner 815-385-5400