Tag Archives: renovation

Turning a Small Kitchen into an Eat-in Kitchen

Just last week I visited a home that had the most amazing Tuscan-inspired kitchen, complete with the designer tile. The thing that struck me most, after I stopped drooling over the above tile, the dark hardwood floors and the smooth black granite countertops, was the way that the kitchen was more of an entertaining kitchen. Our own kitchen in comparison, while larger than what we had before, is still more of a place to prepare food, rather than to hang out. These days, large entertaining kitchens sell houses, not to mention the fact that they are fun and welcoming to … Continue reading →

Think Twice Before Installing a Vintage Sink

Farmhouse sinks are really a big trend at the moment. Everyone loves the look. Many homeowners have fun finding a real vintage sink to fit their home, whether it is a farmhouse style or not. Older sinks can really add a sense of style, nostalgia and a feeling of being true to your older home. But before you install your vintage sink, take a look at this article. You may just think twice. Let’s start with that farmhouse sink, as an example of a vintage sink. While the style is definitely in demand, you might find that the trend has … Continue reading →

Three Global Designs for Baths

International design is becoming domestic style with the clean simple lines, the classic features and the new to us innovations that have been around in other countries for quite some time. Let’s take some bathroom ideas from three well-proven styles and adapt them to our modern sensibility for beautiful, functional and innovative bathrooms. Middle Eastern Flair A bathroom that adapts the flair of the middle east is full of interesting texture and design, from exotic tile patterns that echo the ancient past to bright and vibrant oranges, blues and reds that spice up a space. A focus on seating areas … Continue reading →

5 Kitchen Cabinet Materials

If you don’t know where to start when considering a remodel of your kitchen cabinets, you’ll love this article. It is all about the five different materials you can use to create your kitchen cabinets. You are no longer just limited to wood (although we’ll cover that, too), instead check out all of your options in these five different materials before you design your dream kitchen. Today’s kitchen cabinetry comes in a wide variety of options to suit anyone’s tastes and budget. Here is a quick description of the options in kitchen cabinet materials. You’ll be surprised by all of … Continue reading →

Matching Kitchen and Bathroom

One recent trend in home renovation and design that I have been seeing lately is the matching of kitchen and bathroom to create a sense of continuity in the home. This idea expands on the modern sense of open space in a home, with wide open areas and a sense of flow throughout the home. In the past, kitchens and bathrooms were treated as separate islands in the home. They were functional spaces that were often isolated from the rest of the home. A bathroom might feature colors, such as bright pink, or a kitchen bright yellow, that you would … Continue reading →

Be Wary of Trends in Kitchen Renovation

As you may know from following along in my recent blogs, we are in the process of choosing materials, colors and finishes for a kitchen update. One aspect of this whole journey is a desire to make sure that we choose materials, finishes and accessories that will withstand the test of time, or at least the test of ten years. While we plan on staying in our current home for quite some time, circumstances could always change, leading us to sell our home. If we are caught with something that looks outdated, it could hurt a sale. We also don’t … Continue reading →

7 Common DIY Mistakes (7)

This is it! We at the end of our series on the seven most common mistakes that people make when doing projects around their home by themselves. It has been a long road, and we have covered so much. If you have missed any of these articles, just take a look at the links below this one. You’ll find everything there that you need to catch up on the discussion. And we can come full circle talking about a common mistake that can really be overcome within any of the other mistakes. What I mean is, that avoiding this mistake … Continue reading →

7 Common DIY Mistakes (5)

What common do it yourself (DIY) mistake can really get you into trouble? You could be hit with fines, lose weeks or months of time, or even lose your home sale if you have your house on the market. Don’t let it happen to you. The fifth most common DIY mistake has to do with permits. I am always surprised at home many homeowners don’t realize that they need to apply for and have permits granted for many renovation and remodeling projects. Overlooking permits can ruin your project and set you up for some expensive challenges. Permit requirements will vary … Continue reading →

Renovation: Is it Worth it?

Renovation is a huge step. It requires careful thought and consideration. In many cases, renovation is absolutely worth the chaos and the cost. This is especially true in older homes. In other situations, it may not be worth it, and it may not even be necessary. The condition of your home and its contents play a major role in making this determination. If your home is in great shape and cabinets, fixtures, etc., are highly quality and well maintained, you may just need some simple updating. A few cosmetic changes may go a long way and you may realize that … Continue reading →

Home Improvement: Reclaiming Unused Space

If you have an unfinished basement, you may have lots of space that is currently underused or perhaps not being used at all. When this area of the home is dark or unattractive, it is frequently used only minimally for storage. Wouldn’t it be great if you could transform your basement without enduring a total renovation? You can! Instead of storing boxes, bins, and bags of stuff in the basement, you can make into a functional, livable space, with less time, effort, and expense than you might think. If your basement or another unused space is structurally sound, but rough … Continue reading →