Stove Hood Vents

Stove hoods can be stainless steel, plaster, plaster with tile, tile, wood, and a microwave/vent.                 

                               

Stove hoods can be against the wall or floating in the middle of the room for islands and peninsulas.  When they are floating in the middle of the room they usually referred to as free standing or floating hoods.  Another type of vent is a down draft which is usually used for island cook-tops.

                     

All hoods should be vented to the outside either through the roof or outside wall.

Small Condo

                When working with small spaces try to utilize the spaces as best as you can and make the space have a consistent flow.

                In this small condo we used industrial finishes such as a bookcase made of metal pipes and wood planks. We repeated the style in the office with the desk and a hanging bookcase above the desk. The owner is going for a light laminated wood floor throughout the space except for tile in the bathroom and carpet in the bedroom.

                To maximize storage space I stacked 39 inch and 30 inch cabinets to give them more storage and use the height of the space. I also used a lazy-Susan in the corner for the base cabinet and the upper cabinet. The pantry is to the left of the refrigerator to give the refrigerator a built in look with a cabinet above. Black granite top was used on the L-shaped counter. The 3 foot by 6 foot island has a bar on two sides with butcher block counters top. Modern stools in black and stainless were used to complete the look. The island also has a pull out trash cabinet, a wine fridge, and a cabinet.

                The living room has a custom bookcase made out of pipes and wood planks at 8' high on the north wall. The east wall has a flat screen TV mounted on the wall.

(Picture from: Tribeca Bookcase by Hand Made Furniture Design at CustomMade.com )

                In the office we opted to go with a custom corner desk, that has a box-box file pedestal and a file & file pedestal on the left hand returned. As with the living room we used a pipe and wood bookcase but hung it from the ceiling and wall over the desk. The desk is made from steel and wood planks. Using the same industrial theme. We left the space open for projects and when guest come an air mattress can easily fit in the middle of the room. The owner is replacing the existing sliding doors with French glass doors.

(Picture from: York Pantry Cupboard - traditional - bookcases cabinets and computer armoires - Block & Chisel)

 (Picture from: Sylvie Liv Industrial Rustic Shelf Tutorial)

High end detail at a lower cost

                When picking finishes be aware of your budget. You can get the high end look without breaking the bank. 

                 Find what you like  should it be tile (look at other manufactures see if there is another line that has something similar in your price range.) Dal tile is a good source with several price points. Or splurge on the border tile but use a less expensive filed tile.

                In the example below we used an upgrade mosaic tile with picture molding and subway tile. We used Dal subway tile, picture molding tiles and AKDO Mosaic-Imperial Carrara tiles to emphasizes the tub and one wall in the shower. This gives a detailed look but also keeps in mind the budget by using cost effective items with splurges.

 

                The same concept can be applied to furniture in a room as well. Splurges on items that will be used often and last a long time like a bed, dresser, dining table, etc.

 

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.