Storage

When trying to maximize the amount of storage in your house think of going up. The project below of a linen hall closet uses the height of the tall ceilings. The space had 12' high ceilings. So I stacked three cabinets to maximize the space. I used an 88" high pantry cabinet with shelves (this model also has pull out shelves); but for my purpose, I wanted shelves for linens and other household items so stationary shelving was used. I then had a 30" high cabinet hung above the 88" and secured it to the wall and the cabinet below. Then I topped it off by adding a 15" high horizontal cabinet on the very top. The cabinets are then trimmed out with fillers on all sides and scribed to the ceiling.

 

Toiletries, extra toilet paper or feminine supplies can be stored in wall cabinets hung above the toilet in a bathroom.

Shelves above the garage door and on the wall across from garage door makes great storage space  for your holiday decorations.



 

Back Splashes for Kitchens

Back Splashes for Kitchens

A friend asked me about backsplashes for her kitchen. She had had a leak and found that the previous owner had painted wood for a backsplash (not recommended).

There are many choices out there for kitchen back splashes:  tile, stone, ceramic, glass, granite, quarts, marble, and metal are some of the most popular. You also can use 3M products made of resins and sheet metals in many textures and finishes.

I'm seeing a lot of metal subway tile used in more modern kitchens. This look ties in the stainless steel appliances that are very popular. This is the option my friend has decided upon. While doing some research for her, I found that they do make peal and stick stainless steel tiles. This is a good alternative if you want a quick and inexpensive way to update your backsplash, especially when you know that in a few years you will be redoing the kitchen.

(Found on the Home Depot web site)

 

I also see the more traditional ceramic tile in a variety of colors, textures, and shapes for kitchen backsplashes. Below is an example with a linen pattern that makes for a more modern look.

 

(from the Contempo tile web site Linen Series Lines Grigio)

 

Stone tiles like slate, sandstone, travertine

 

(Found on the Lowes  web site)

 

Glass tiles are also great for backsplashes

 

(from the Ann Sacks website)

 

With all backsplashes you want something that can be easily cleaned. Especially around the stove area where grease and splatter will collect on it. I suggest something with a smooth surface.

Counter Tops

Counter Tops

There are several new trends out there for counter top styles. Counter tops are being made of laminate, solid surface, granite, concrete, and quartz.

A very modern look is the water fall were the counter top on two sides extends to the floor. The above drawing depicted this trend on the island. This space is modern with the use of dark woods, Natural Wenge, and white counter tops in white Zeus Extreme by Silestone. We used open shelves with closed in cabinets and glass doors cabinets.

This drawing also features another trend for counter tops which is quartz. "Silestone is a compound made of natural quartz, which makes it extraordinarily hard and resilient. This is the one and only countertop made of quartz with bacteriostatic protection, giving it hygienic properties that are not to be found anywhere else on the market. It is an excellent surface for kitchen countertops, bathrooms, floors and wall cladding using the minimum number of joints." from silestone web site

Another trend is not having a high bar but a standard table height that surrounds the island.  This is great for those that hate the high bar stools, like my family. We are short people and our feet never hit right.  It is also great for families with small children. The above drawings shows this trend with the use of gray cabinets and Lyra Silestone Nebula Series, a white counter top.

Also the thickness of counter tops are changing.  A new trend is to have a very thick counter top. Standard are 3/4" and 1 1/4" thick but as a designer I'm seeing a lot of clients asking for 1-1/2", 2" and 3" thick.

Above is a collection of standard counter top edges top edges that can be done in solid surfaces, granite or siltstone.

These are just a few ideas for those of you considering counter top changes in your future.

Floating Bathroom Vanities

Floating Bathroom Vanities

A new and modern trend being seen these days are floating vanities. They have different variations. Some have hardware and some do not but use touch latches. They have doors or  drawers. Floating vanities have a spa like feel when teak and other exotics woods are used. They can also be alto modern with high gloss bright finishes. This type of vanity can be purchased per configured or by sections. They can be custom built or retro fitted.

The above drawing features a double vanity in Natural Wenge.  It has slab panel cabinet doors and is suspended off the floor. The counter top is Vortium Silestone, which is white with gray and clear flecks which reflect the light. The lighter Silestone offsets the dark color of the vanity.  The sinks are Vox® square Vessels above-counter bathroom sinks by Kohler and the faucets are 90 Degree in chrome from Moen.  They are sleek with one-handle and a low arc. This is a design I worked on at Great Spaces for a client that wanted a modern sleek look. We used one large mirror framed in matching wood trim.

For the same client at another location, I also did the above design.  It also features a double vanity but it also has a pull-out trash.  It has Linear Graphite Gloss slab panel cabinet doors that is suspended off the floor. The counter top is Lyra Silestone which is like a white marble with a tile back splash in a light gray. The sinks and faucets were the same as the first design.  We used two Kichler Hendrik two light bath lights in a modern design over each mirror.  Again the mirrors were framed in matching wood trim.

Muilti-purpose furniture.

Muilti-purpose furniture.

I enjoy entertaining, but my dining table only seats six comfortably.  To accommodate larger groups, I bought a gateleg table from IKEA that allows me to seat six additional guests.  It also has drawer storage for extra serving utensils. The main area of my home has a great room consisting of the living room, dining room and kitchen.  When the sides of the table are collapsed in the down position, I place it behind a living room chair so it adds more definition separating the dining and living room areas. It easily moves and folds out when I need the extra table and seating for dining.

I also love window seats.   Window seats give you storage for linens and a nice place to curl up with a good book. You can also use a hope chest at the end of the bed to provide extra linen storage and a place to sit and take off your shoes after a long day.

Need an office but also need a guest bedroom try using a day bed or Murphy bed in the office area. Storage cubes on wheels can be easily be moved around and act as night stand for guests when they come to visit.

I have a two drawer filing cabinet in my office below one of the windows. I bought it thinking it would provide extra seating as well as filling; but JoJo, my cat, has taken it over as his own personal window seat to lay and bask in the sunshine.

These are just a few suggestions of multi-tasking furniture to increase your storage space or make your home more user friendly.

Father's Day

When I think of all the things my Dad did for me over the years. I think of the furniture he made me. I wanted a Barbie house (I was thinking the plastic kind from the store seen on TV).  He made me a bookcase with a roof stained to match the rest of the living room furniture. I loved it, no one had a six story doll house. It grew with me becoming a bookcase, now my mom uses it to store her yarns.  He made me a hope chest that I used as a window seat and stored all the treasures Grandma gave and now sits at the end of the bed as seating to take off my shoes and holds my linens.  He made me a bookcase/entertainment center for my stereo when I was in my teens. Mom uses it now for her shoes. Dad made me two laminated bookcases and two rolling storage cubes that match for my home office.  They went to my first apartment in college and now they are in my home office at my house. When I moved  into my house in Arizona he made me three big bookcases in a classic style painted white and trailered them from Michigan to Arizona, along with some other furniture I wanted. Mom and I always joke that Dad makes things to weigh a ton but last a hundred years. I do know that I've treasured the things he made me over the years.

Art

Art

Decorating with art doesn't mean you have to use expensive one of a kind pieces of art.

This entry has an original painting titled "Horse head" It was created using multimedia of tea and watercolors by my good friend, Jessica Albrecht.

Support your local artist and buy art from art shows, small galleries usually co-ops, art institutes, etc.

Decorative art can be as simple as vacation photos in simple black frames. This type of art personalizes your space.

The above photo is an example using Sedona Arizona photos from past family vacations in simple black frames over the TV entertainment center.

You can also use vacation photos with family photos. The above photo uses photos taken during a trip I took to Italy in high school and my grandparents' wedding photo. These

photos go together in the fact that my grandfather was from Italy. I'm very proud of my Italian heritage and love Italy.

If you're somewhat crafty here are a few do it yourself art ideas which can also make good gifts:

1.  Frame scrapbook paper. Scrapbook paper and/or fabric comes in some modern prints a collection of three in a row or four (two rows of two columns) is an example of a simple modern art collection.

2.  Make your own modern art collection.  Start with a blank canvas.  Use styrofoam cups, plates, paper towel roll, anything that is round and disposable dipped in paint to make circles on your canvas.  Use several colors that are already in your room.  If you drip, spatter, or have blobs it's ok it gives it character.

3.  Monogram canvases over your bed. Take two or three smaller canvases. Paint stripes (use blue painter tape and tape canvas angled, vertical or horizontal) or stencil pattern to the whole canvas and let dry.  Next stencil letters in a different color or shade to the canvases.

4.  Make an embossed canvas. Take a blank canvas and sketch out a pattern. Trace the pattern with Elmer's glue and let dry.  Next, paint over the whole canvas.  Use a color that is in the room. (I suggest painting outside unless you live in Arizona.  In June it's too hot and everything dries too quickly.  You may not get the effect you want.)

Laundry Room

Laundry Room

The above drawing is the floor plan for a laundry room that is 11' x 10'-6". It has a built in ironing board that fits in-between the studs and is covered by a cabinet door. There is also a shelf with a hanging bar to the right of the washer and dryer.  The room is painted a light sage color. All hardware and faucets are nickel finish that coordinates nicely with the warm tones of the wood cabinets. The counter top is a solid surface material that picks out the green and blue in the room. The neutral tone tile flooring is continued throughout the house. A laundry room is not just for washing clothes, but also a place for extra storage for paper products, small appliances, kitchen gadgets, and other dishes not used on a daily basis. It takes the place of the butler panty in the modern day house.

This laundry room takes advantage of the high 12' ceilings, with storage that goes almost to the ceiling. A library ladder helps to get to the higher shelves, while wine shelves break up the wall of shelves and add interest along with storage. The LG steam washer and dryer sit on matching LG storage drawers. Two horizontal frosted glass pull up door cabinets give a modern touch to this room and a lazy susan is used to take advantage of the corner space.

The laundry room has a porcelain utility sink with an movable spray faucet. This is great for soaking or washing delicates. This laundry room has several special features hidden in a 24" wide 24" deep cabinet. One is a hidden cat litter box. The cabinet opens to be able to change the litter box. There is a smaller opening for the cat to get in and out. This is nice for a cat that likes privacy (like mine who glares if you go into the laundry room when he's in the litter box) and an owner that does not want to see the litter box. The second neat feature is the drying racks for sweaters that pull out from the cabinet. Each rack is a mesh material stretched over a metal rod and secured by Velcro. The metal rod is attached to a wood frame that has drawer slides. The third feature is the use of several pull out shelves for storing crock pots, electric fryer, etc.

Jack and Jill Bath

Jack and Jill Bath

Above is an example of a Jack and Jill Bath that consists of two spaces: the sink area which has pocket doors on each side leading to bedrooms and the bath/toilet room.

The sink area has glass subway tile for the backsplash and boarder and a quartz countertop.  It also has white above-mount sinks with wall mount faucets in brushed nickel. Nickel mission style lights complement the faucets as well as the bar hardware in nickel on the white cabinets.  White wood trimmed mirrors complement the sinks and cabinets. The cabinets for each child contain a set of drawers, a sink cabinet that has a pull out step in the kick space, and a pull out hamper. The counter space is divided by a cabinet that sits on the counter that has three drawers and a cabinet door with shelves.

The bath area has white tile with glass subway tile as a striped accent. The shower has a fixed and movable shower head in nickel. A white linen closet is next to the tub with pull out shelves. The toilet has a metal shelf above it for towels. The shelf is moveable up and down and has hooks below.

All bath accents are in a nickel finish. The bath decor is neutral with a green accent. This is good idea if a brother and sister have to share or if a child and the guest bedroom share the bath. It also will grow with the children to adulthood.

Fireplaces

For part of the country fireplaces are a sources of heat as well as atmosphere, where many homes use fireplaces simply to add ambiance to a room. Fireplaces can be wood burning, gas or electric. You can also have a wood stove versus a fireplace. I grew up in Michigan with a wood burner in the living room. My Dad could heat the whole downstairs of our home with just the heat from the wood stove.  It kept those cold winter days cozy or took away the chill in late fall or early spring.

Below is a CAD drawing of a fireplace with built-ins; elevations, plan view and section. This is an example of a see-through fireplace, it divides the living and dining room with built-ins on each side.  

The kitchens are usually the heart of the house were everyone congregates, so why not add a nice fireplace. Gas fireplaces are a nice touch in the kitchen to warm the room on cold mornings or chilly nights and many have remote controls.

Scared of color? Think you will get tired of a color, say in your bedroom. Try an accent wall. Below is an example of a blue accent wall. The wall highlights the bed and the bedding bringing in different shades of  blue and white.



If in a year or so you get tired of the color and want a change you just have one wall you have to paint. This is also a great way for renters to incorporate color and make their apartment more personal.



Here is an example of painting one wall in a great room. It gives the room a warm intimate feeling without painting the whole entry, kitchen, dining and living room but ties all  four area together.

This kitchen is a good example of using vertical and horizontal cabinets. It also portrays that varying heights gives the kitchen interest.  I did this design at Great Spaces for a client that wanted a modern look using zebra wood doors and frosted glass with stainless steel accents.

This kitchen also used several neat storage accessories.  Rev-A-Shelf Mixer/Appliance Lift Mechanism

Pull out trash and recycle Hardware from Blum



Pull out drawers from Blum





AutoCAD drawing of Library - floor plan and wall elevations.

See the notes about rope light used for lighting the pottery displayed on top of bookcases along with outlet placements. Bookcases have adjustable shelves with fluted side trim topped with a rosette. Bookcases surround a window making a cozy window seat reading area. Flooring is tile that looks like wood planks in two colors, a light and a dark wood tone. Walls are painted sandy tan to make the white bookcases pop.

My first SketchUp Project - a library with custom bookcases with pottery displayed on the top shelf, moveable later, window seat, and using tile that looks like wood on the floor.