This one is a perfect 10 if you ask me. I found the picture at one of my favorite haunts Houzz.com, and the kitchen is by Valerie Pedersen who works in the SF Bay Area.

Wow! I love, love, love it! I was searching for window seats and I came across this shot. I really love the built-in seating (storage inside would be cool). And while we’re talking seating… I love that bench seat too! The whole thing just works for me.

A Closer Look

I see much more than just the seating here though. One great thing about this kitchen is that it’s timeless. not much here is going to be outdated in five years. The white cabinets and black granite look awesome with that white subway tile wall splash.

(trivial info: traditionally, the “backsplash” was only a few inches above the counter. When the whole wall between the upper and lower cabinet was done it was referred to as a “wall splash”… not so much nowadays)

I also love the farm sink in this kitchen. To me, the whole kitchen almost has to be designed around a farm sink for it to look right. This one looks great! Great faucet too.

Great Trimwork Too

One of the other things that make this room look great is the use of “normal” but beautiful trimwork.

• Standard 5.25″ Crown
• Simple window casing
• Upgraded, but simple, baseboards
• Small Crown on upper cabinets

Some Great DIY Ideas Here

When I look at this picture, I see a list of individual projects that most beginners can handle.

• Painting – the biggest thing in this picture almost gets missed. That is a great contrast between wall color and cabinet and trim color. You can do that right now in your house!
• Light Fixture – the next step-up the DIY difficulty ladder is installing a cool light fixture. Installing a fixture is something you can learn to do with a Google Video search. It makes a huge difference (just don’t skip the “turn off the breaker” step)
• Cabinet Hardware – Maybe easier than the light fixture is to change out your pulls, knobs, and hinges. Heck, once all that is off, maybe you want to spray paint your cabinets!
• Run that trim! You can so do this! Start with the easiest thing, probably the window casing; maybe the baseboard. When you want to try crown molding, do that little crown on the cabinets first so you can figure out how to hold it upright in your saw for easy angle cuts.
• Build A Window Seat! – Once you get your skills to the point where you can run that crown, you can tackle the window seat. Then you’ll be in high-style!

Have fun!

Have you ever worked with wood veneer? I recently fell in love with the stuff when we ordered some really exotic material for a big job. It’s just SO COOL to be able to use thin little strips, that work almost as easily as cardboard, to make all sorts of projects.

That’s why a recent feature on veneer from DIY Ideas caught my eye. There are projects large and small included in the series of photos they’ve put together using veneer. Some of them were pretty neat! I even liked these little flowery shape things…

Cover An Ugly Light With Wood Veneer

I have one picture that I’ve been hanging on to for about a year. I found it on the website for Sunset Magazine. I knew when I saw it that I wanted to do this one of these days. Check it out:

I really like the way this looks. Especially against that red wall. You can tell that underneath is just a simple old-fashioned light fixture.

Where To Find Veneer

I’ll tell you…this stuff is not that easy to buy. There are so many species that local suppliers often have very little. If you live in a major city you can probably find someone who stocks a good selection. Look for a hardwood supplier or specialty lumber company.

The way I found the supplier for the job we were doing was by asking Google. If you search for a particular veneer, or just wood veneer in general, you’ll find suppliers. The only problem you’ll find is that most of the sites are directed at pros and might be hard to deal with. But, on the bright side, if you can work a deal direct with a supplier, you might save some bucks.

The best part is, you can cut it with a razor knife! (…sort of)

Have fun!

I was looking for some inspiration the other day and came across this beautiful kitchen. It had so many details that I thought could be incorporated into a remodel of any size or budget, I thought I’d highlight a few of them for you.

Check this out:

Pretty inspiring, huh? I have a huge collection of photography like this and sometimes when I need inspiration I can find it there! This picture, in particular can get me going in about a hundred directions! Let me highlight a few. Maybe you’ll find some ideas you can use yourself!

Mixed Cabinet Tones or Colors

Check out the way this design uses two different cabinet finishes. I’m sure you’ve all seen this before, but it’s worth looking at again!

I’ve often seen this done the other way around, with finished wood tone cabinets on the walls and a painted island.

I’m working on a design right now that calls for a dark painted island, maybe a deep blue or a black. It’s really looking outstanding!

No matter how you decide to do it, the contrast is the point.

You can do this with existing cabinets by refinishing in two different finishes. Even if you don’t have an island, there is usually a natural break if you look for it!

Appliances (of course)

I’m right there with the majority that really can’t just run out and grab all the latest appliances.

Maybe one day, I’ll find an appliance company that wants an ad on the Remodeling Guy blog so bad that they come looking for me!

In my dream(s), they’re tripping over themselves to see who can be the first to give me run of the catalog!

Cool dream isn’t it!?

When that happens (or when I break down and decide to just pay for them), something like this is what I want.

We’ve recently installed this exact arrangement in a new kitchen for a client and I really love the way it works out.

Notice how low they set everything. This keeps the oven and microwave at a manageable level. Saves some problems on Thanksgiving!

The warming drawer is a great feature.

Take a closer look at her drawers! (Ha!)

I like the use of the large pots and pans drawers to the right of the oven cabinet.

Details, Details, Details

Where do I start? There are so many things going on in this close-up!

• Wall Splash – Great use of tumbled marble! This is a material within the reach of most DIY crews, yet retains its great high-end look in the fanciest of homes! A great project for an existing kitchen!
• Stepped out base cabinet – A nice detail without adding much cost! I especially like this look when using granite counters.
• Lighted Stained Glass Uppers – I love this look! It’s one of my favorite features in this kitchen. Very inspiring! Super Cool!
• Crown Molding – Hard not to mention the molding in a job like this. Adding some molding to your existing cabinets is another quick job.
• Great Looking Veggies – Just kidding…

Look Past the Cabinetry

This is obviously a fancy place. But many of these features are easily within reach of most homeowners.

In a recent post on lighting, I highlighted a fixture that you could buy at Lowe’s for $17.00. Something as simple as that can really change your look.

There are four design details here that can be used in almost any design to make it better.

1. Lighting – these pendants look great, while recessed cans provide general lighting.
2. Doors and Trim- I love these doors! And the transoms are a beautiful feature not found in many newer homes. Look at the detail in the trimwork.
3. The Ceiling – ceilings are so often neglected in design. I don’t know why as they are the largest unbroken surface in most rooms.
4. The Floor Tile – the color here isn’t my favorite, but the use of the multiple sizes of tile really looks great! You can do this!

Here we’ve taken a very high-end kitchen and broken it down into the individual components that make you go “Wow!”. The benefit of doing this is that you can then apply one, two, or all of those to your kitchen or the design you’re working on! It doesn’t have to cost a fortune!

So, what do you think about this cute little kitchen?

I’ve seen the light!

This is one of the light fixtures the electricians were installing on one of my jobs today.

This is the PH Artichoke by Louis Poulsen. It’s an amazing work of functional art!

Is it for everyone? No, probably not. Not in terms of style, size or price point!

I won’t even say how much this thing cost…its one of those situations where “if you have to ask”…!!

Light up My Life!

Yesterday we talked about painting being a great winter project because it can be done indoors and out of that biting cold. (They are forecasting SNOW IN FLORIDA!! tonight)

The best paint job in the world, the best architecture, the best interiors, the best furniture…all looks the same in the dark!

The importance of lighting is hard to over stress! It makes a difference!

Three Types of Light

When considering lighting, it has to be considered from three separate and independent sources. Each one will be utilized in different ways at different times. These are:

• Natural Light
• Permanent Fixtures
• Lamps, Candles, Fireplaces (alarm clocks)

Just kidding about the alarm clock, though there are times…

Natural Light

I wish I had a way to make this picture glow, as a message from on high! I can’t even remember what I’m writing about…I think this is going to bump off my wife and kids as my new desktop background.

Oh yes, natural light! Whether you live in a place like this one, or in any place anywhere (except maybe NORAD) you can take advantage of natural light! And you must!

In general, the biggest problem with natural light is simple: not enough of it!

Make A Hole

As a remodeler this is one of the most frequently encountered problems with a “stock plan”. In a perfect world, every house would be designed for the site on which it sits. It would take advantage of the sun, the views, the breezes (in season!), etc.

Since this is not the way it’s always done, there may be a huge opportunity here for you. Cutting a window into a wall isn’t as hard as you think it might be. You have a sledge hammer don’t you?

Wait…don’t do that just yet. Email me first and show me some pictures of where you want the window to go and lets discuss it a little bit. Wouldn’t want the second floor bathroom coming down on your head.

Look Up!

Is the wall too important? Maybe you need that wall for the bed or the dresser. Maybe the closet is even on the exterior wall, which is not an un-solvable problem by the way!

A skylight is a great way to get natural light where windows aren’t an option.

If you can get both, all the better!

Now these aren’t usually a D.I.Y. project. Unless you’re highly proficient with most construction trades, you want to bring in a pro here.

I could go on, and on, and on. Other options include glass block, transom windows, French Doors, glass in your existing doors. That closet I was talking about…go ahead and put a window in it and then change the closet doors out to something with frosted glass. The impact can be incredible! But alas, I must move on to:

Permanent Fixtures!

No, I’m not talking about the in-laws!

Light fixtures can make up for an otherwise bland design and there aren’t many easier quick projects!

We’ve all heard about the different uses for light fixtures, ie. general lighting, “task” lighting, etc.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but it’s important to consider what you need and where. Not only for functional purposes, but for the beauty of your design!

I found this chandelier to the right over at Hooked On Houses. It’s a Martha Stewart design and it’s clean and traditional. Much the opposite of the first fixture I showed at the top of the post!

Pendants are Hot!

The use of pendant lights can really liven up a design while doing a great job of providing light for a surface area such as a kitchen counter, a dining room table, or a bar.

The photo above has another type of fixture as well: wall mounted.

Wall mounted fixtures come in all shapes and sizes. They are among the easiest to replace (since you’re not working over your head), and anyone can run up to Home Depot or Lowe’s and get a great fixture for less than $50.00.

Case in point:

This fixture is available at Lowe’s for only $17 bucks!

You can take that old fixture off the wall in your hallway and put this one up in about ten minutes!

Ten minutes and $17 dollars and you’re stylin’ already!

As with natural light, I could go on, and on, and on like the energizer bunny. There are SOOO many things to talk about; ceiling fans, recessed cans, cabinet lighting, indirect lighting (way cool), and so much more. If anyone wants help with something specific, email me. The idea for this blog is to be interactive and real, so I want to hear about your project! But alas, I must move on before I:

Get Fired!

Whatever you do, don’t forget the oldest light source of all: Fire.

Fire, in the form of a candle, fireplace, firepit, match … whatever, is some of the most beautiful light you can get after dark.

Maybe some of you who have been feeding your fireplace for a couple of months now are a bit “over it”, but from a lighting perspective it’s huge!

If you want to stop messing with the wood pile, you could always go with gas, like this fireplace on the right.

I stole the picture from The Nester and she has a pretty funny story to go along with it. I mean, to me it was funny; she probably didn’t think so at the time!

Tommy Bahama

I can bring any subject matter back around to Tommy Bahama. It’s a gift. Last, but not least, don’t forget the candles! You can place them in a wall sconce, in a candelabra, even in those little floaty thingy-ma-bobs…what are they called? Tealites? Tiny candles.

The best, in my humble opinion, are:

Now THAT is a light fixture!