KitchenRenoAdvice...Been there Done that

Planning a kitchen reno in the near future? I am sharing helpful advice from others who have been there, done that...

RULE #1 for any remodel, not just kitchens...No matter how much time the contractor estimates to get the job done- always double it! Yes, double it or even triple it! It always takes longer, costs more (because you never know what might be hiding behind those walls), and changes your routine..

One big piece of advice is to find space somewhere else to cook while the kitchen is out of commission. Could you move the microwave to the dining room or basement and fix meals there? Those of you with mini bars in the rec room have a step up as there usually is counter space and maybe even a small fridge or microwave. Another thought is to purchase small toaster oven- these not only toast bread, but can cook pizzas as well.

Do you have a slowcooker? These can be a great help and you can start your dinner before you leave for work. Recipes for a slow cooker can be found online or cookbooks.

Try to set a routine...get the slow cooker ready before you leave for work..cook your weekend breakfast of pancakes and eggs every weekend...or change up the menu a little to accommodate the remodel.

Plan for your shopping trips- boiling water for pasta may be too hard or non-existent, so decide ahead of time what you can cook. This will make the shopping easier to plan.

Try to spend time with your friends or family. Even if it is at your home ask the others to bring food so you aren't doing all of the cooking. It might be a great time to take a vacation or day trips...although I wouldn't leave my reno unless I trusted my contractor to do the job the way it was planned.

I love the cleaner, more modern look to the kitchens pictured here. As most of you know, we are in the planning stages of a new kitchen for our home, and I am always looking at kitchen ideas. What would you like to put in your kitchen? What would you change for your lifestyle?

With the current economy, more people are remodeling where they live rather than build a new home. And that is where we are at with our home- why build when I have lots of square footage with neighbors who have beautiful yards and keep things maintained, etc. We know there is no guarantee that we will recoup all of our remodeling money spent, but know that updating always pays off in some way. Could you update a few things without having to spend too much? Things to ponder...

Remodel update: Siding is going up on the 3 remaining sides of the house. (It was amazing to me just how many people didn't realize that for the last year our house had 2 different sidings on it...the new Hardie cement board khaki colored siding on the front and the old gray vinyl siding on the other sides...new patio door to be installed soon! Kitchen cabinet builder to visit soon also!

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Design by the Numb3rs

Measurements to live by?? Yep, there are a few numbers you should remember. The top 10 measurements you need to decorate with are listed below. Of course we learned all about these in design classes, and the July/August issue of House Beautiful included them.

1. 36" The easiest 1 for me to remember is that a dining room chandelier should hang about 3' above the dining table. This prevents light from shining in anyones eyes.

2. 36" Light switches should be installed 36" above the floor and 1 1/2 to 2" to the side of the door trim.

3. 1 : 1.62 Forever and ever, the golden ratio or perfect proportion is 1 : 1.62

4. Mount curtains as high as possible to give the room more height. If you want them to break at the floor allow 1 1/2" extra length.

5. Size of an overhead light fixture is the sum of the length and width of the room in feet. Then turn this into an inch amount. So a 10 X 12 room would use a 22" fixture.

6. 400 sq. ft. That is the amount of paint that 1 gallon of paint will cover 400 sq. ft.

7. 38" high. Kitchen islands should be 38" so that food prep is easier. Other countertops are usually 36" high.

8. 36", 48", 60" The 36" round table to great for conversations, a 48" round table seats 6 and the 60" round table will seat 8 standard dining chairs or 10 ballroom chairs.

9. 2 1/2 to 3 times. The extra width you should multiply the window width by. Buy a rod 10 to 12" wider than the window frame for the stack back and to make the windows appear wider than it is.

10. 14 yards of 54" fabric. The amount needed to reupholster a standard 84" sofa. Add 2 yards for a skirt.

Wondering what the pictures are all about? I found them on the Better Homes and Gradens website and loved them all instantly! Purple seems to be showing up in alot of different places!

Remodel Update: New back door, new siding, and new sprinklers...starting today! I know that may not sound exciting to all of you, but it sure is to us!

It's August- ice cubes and breakfast nooks!

What's with the pictures? Just some bling in case you are thinking about a breakfast nook for your own home or even future home. I found them on the Better Homes and Gardens website. Whether you have space for a breakfast nook or not, take in the colors used in each space. They are inspiring to me in that they are refreshing and/or calm to start and maybe end your day with! Think about what you might use...

Okay, this may be a departure from my usual blog, but I thought it was such good information that I am including it this week. What is so exciting? Well, maybe not exciting, but useful...

new uses for ice cubes....yes, you read it correctly, ice cubes...these hints are from RealSimple magazine, written by Julia Edelstein and Ashley Niedringhaus in the August 2011 issue.

First, use it as a soup skimmer by putting ice cubes in a metal ladle and skim it across the top of the soup. The fat will stick to the bottom of the ladle.

Second, use them to water your house plants slowly so you don't have to drain them in a sink. Third, use the corner of the cube to smooth the edge of caulk to leave a clean edge without sticking.

Fourth, and this is for the girls, rub a cube over your eye brows a few minutes before you tweeze them to numb the skin. Also use it after the tweezing to reduce redness.

Fifth, throw a handful of ice cubes and a pinch of baking soda through your garbage disposal to get rid of built-up grease and smell.

And sixth, place a piece of ice on the underside of your wrist to slowly drop your body temperature as the blood flows through that chilly pulse point.

Did you learn anything? I know I did...

Remodel Update: Sprinklers installed in yard 2 weeks ago, last 3 sides of house siding installed starting Monday. New carpet for great room area was delivered-more on that later.

Design Quote of the day: "You should have a picture of yourself as a kid in your home so that you remember where you came from."—Musician John Mayer, September 09 Elle Decor Magazine

Small Space Suggestions

I decided to share some info I found in an article about how to make a small apartment seem larger than it really is. I know some of my readers live in small spaces or apartments and I think you may find this helpful! Now if you own a small space some of these suggestions may be easier to implement than if you are a renter. These suggestions can even be applied to a small room in your house.

The suggestions came from Apartment Therapy's founder Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, who lives in a 725 square foot place himself.

His suggestions include: Leaving some empty space in a room so your eyes have room to travel- in other words don't pack it all in! Edit, edit edit... Take doors off of closets or doorways as they take up more space when open, than if you had hung a curtain up instead. Keep your closets organized and well-lit. (I have bought small puck-like LED self-stick lights-battery operated just for this purpose.) He suggests that there be at least 3 points of light to create an illusion of more space and depth. Buy LED rope lighting and use it in a closet, under a wall cabinet, or on top of wall cabinets. Use mirrors to increase light and make it feel larger. Contrast your colors to help your eyes move around the room. Curtains can be floor to ceiling to make your windows seem larger or taller. (Shower curtains can be used the same way.) AND, be sure to keep your windows clean as dirt stops your gaze from moving outside.

The lighting and mirror suggestions are represented above.



Anything helpful there that you can use??? I had to include the last photo as it reminded me of my dorm room days!!! (Only a "few" years ago...)

Remodel update: Okay, this is our 18th year in this house and we talk about a sprinkler system each and every year...I suggested (yes, I know, my fault..LOL) we put in the sprinkler system instead of the new kitchen cabinets. And, my husband agreed, then suggested that we finish some of the smaller items on the to-do list like the surround sound, whole house music system, the rest of the siding, and a new area carpet for the great room. What he didn't know-and it has not been decided- is that I want to replace the back sliding door with a patio door and add windows across that same wall to allow a better view of my garden. We have gotten most of the estimates back...the biggest decision is the windows and back door as it will involve temporarily removing half of the cabinets presently in there, sheetrock work, putting in a new header for support of the windows as the wall is a supporting wall....AND this has to be done before the siding goes up. What I didn't elaborate on was the fact that we would put the cabinets back in place until next remodeling season...could be next May for us. Whew! Lots to think about!

I have included a picture of the wall the way it currently is arranged...What would you do if you were me? Get the windows or leave the wall the way it is?

Interior Design Quote of the week: "Great brands don't chase customers; customers chase great brands". Said by Gary Friedman about Restoration Hardwares revamp, in the Wall Street Journal.

Got re-purposed?

(Kind of like Got Milk?)How do you get a new piece of furniture without spending too much money? How do you update an antique commode to fit into today's interior?

You paint it of course! And by doing so, you are also recycling an unwanted piece of furniture someone else wanted to get rid of.

These are the new pieces I decided not to buy. They cost anywhere between $300 and $700 each.

With the measurements in hand, I started by visiting a local antique mall. I actually found 3 different commodes that were the right size. The commode I chose was partially painted(shown below); it was oak, but had a new towel rack(btw this lessens the value) and the sides were splitting from the main body. It also had quite a bit of paint in the grain of the wood so I felt okay about painting it. I also removed the new towel rack. What I got was a combination antique with a modern, updated look perfect for my great room.

The finished product is below. It cost me $100 for the commode, $20 for the wood paint, and a couple hours of my time.

I have done this before with a French Louis the 16th violin-backed dining set and buffet. (The dining set was a mahogany stained wood with a veneer on the table top. The table top was damaged by fingernail polish spilled when we were kids.) After spending time painting, the dining set fit in with my then French Country interior. With a coat of paint...actually 3 coats of paint or more, as I dry-brushed the tops of the dining table and buffet to make them look like real wood, then used a brown glaze on the rest of it to make it looked a little more rustic and the details show up better. See below the finished product for yourself.

I never pass up a good piece of furniture if it can be painted or changed to work somehow. There is a side of me that loves to "repurpose" items that others have written off. Don't pass up the old mirrors if you like the frame but not the finish. I have even used metallic paints to freshen up a mirror in the remodeled bathroom on the main floor of my house.

I have also used willow sticks and pieces of a tree trunk to create a king size headboard. Some screws and rope helped make this for my master bedroom. (I have since replaced that headboard and created an upholstered headboard with nailheads outlining the edges.)

I hope that I have inspired some of you to "repurpose" an item you currently own or to go out and find one at a garage sale or an estate sale that will fit your needs!

What have you repurposed? What could you repurpose?

WHAT ABOUT A GREY?

I can honestly say that I have never been a huge fan of the color grey...charcoal, dusty colors(which are made with grey, by the way), were okay, but not a true grey. I have to admit after overdosing on dark brown and black as neutrals, I have grown to love grey! I think colors can be re-worked and look fresh again! Which reminds me of the resurgence of hot pink and kelly green...very preppy, but very fun and fresh! I can't believe I was so judgemental in my younger years...(Of course, I will not wear grey very often near my face as I look dead! Just not a good color for Verna...jewelry is another story as I love silver!)

Think about all of the grey in nature..clouds, elephants, rocks and how beautiful they are! So I guess we can change our mind about colors...



Grey is a mix of white and black in its purest form, but any other color can be added to it to make it warmer or cooler. Silhouette has red undertones, Metropolitan has cool blue, and Revere Pewter has warmer undertones. I have recently(during the remodel) painted a sofa table gray and have stained my new 72" table top with both grey and brown...to look kind of weathered. I like grey with other soothing colors- aqua and sage to apple green.


These are Cape May Cobblestone and Kendall Charcoal.



Revere Pewter and Metropolitan




Silhouette.



So what do you think? Could you like grey a little more? Paired with a lilac or purple like the carpet picture courtesy of the Flor Carpet Tiles website. www.flor.com I fell in love with this carpet- and carpet tiles can be changed out if they get ruined or stained.

A sidenote: I am awaiting samples from the concrete countertop craftsmen that will be a charcoal grey with a brown or bronze accent. I will let you know how they turn out!


Designer quote: "Remember, color is not just color, but mood, temperature and structure." - Van Day Treux

Oo-la-la backsplashes...

Because I am working on my own kitchen design I have been researching backsplash materials. These caught my eye for one reason or another..good or bad!

The 3D copper backsplash pictured below is rather cool- I have a copper kitchen sink and this might be a good choice to tie the 2 together...


This rock backsplash is not something I would use...I just can't quit thinking about how you would clean it! And trust me you want a cleanable backsplash! Whether it is food or grease or even just water splashed on it...and what about dust?!?!?

This picture is just plain awesome! I don't know that it would work in my design, but just seeing the outdoors come in and the light shining thru the glassware is pretty cool...

Lastly, I like the clean crisp look of this backsplash! I love the contemporary, modern shape of the tiles and the subtle color changes. The open shelves would be great to show off my dishes and platters! (And I do have a kind of dish fetish...shhh...don't tell my husband! I just can't seem to pass up a beautiful platter or serving dish!)

What material would you like to use? Any particular colors? Send me pictures of yours and I will post them!

Design Quote of the day/week or month (what ever you choose!): "There's alot of misinformation about marble being too porous and impractical. I still think it's the best kitchen counter material. Put a marble poultice on a watermark for 24 hours and it will be completely restored." Robert Bakes, owner Bakes and Company, Sag Harbor, NY