kitchen makeover after

The combination of wood and white brings beautiful contrast to a kitchen. The natural look and feel of wood cabinets adds warmth, and mixing in bright shades of white creates a fresh, balanced look. Check out these before-and-after photos to see how pros designed three luminous kitchens with wood and white leading the way. Then let us know in the Comments which one you think had the biggest transformation.

 

1. Wood and White in the Light

kitchen before makeover
Before: An active family of five in New Jersey had been making good use of their existing kitchen, but it had issues. The homeowners desperately needed to replace a bare plywood panel on the dishwasher that was being used as a temporary fix. Upper cabinets were crowding the window above the sink, contributing to a lack of adequate lighting. There was insufficient counter space due to the layout. A small granite-topped island with seating for three didn’t function well for the family, and the uneven heights of the upper cabinets didn’t look good.

The couple hired interior designer Ioana Curovic to remodel their kitchen. After browsing photos on Houzz for inspiration, they decided they wanted a bright room with wood and white surfaces, clear lines and better flow.

kitchen makeover after

After: Curovic pushed the kitchen 5 feet into the backyard to create an additional 80 square feet. This let her bring in a more robust island with seating for four and incorporate a large three-pane window to flood the room with natural light. The new sink wall has a more open feel with no overhead cabinets, matte paint (Winter White by Benjamin Moore) and a hidden wood-paneled dishwasher.

Shaker-style white oak cabinets painted white and a modern white tile backsplash with bright white grout focus the eye on the oak-lined vent hood and custom gas cooktop wrapped in the same white quartz as the countertops. “A lot of the inspiration photos from the client included white with wood accents, which bring some nice warmth to the space,” Curovic says.

Stained red oak flooring throughout the kitchen and backless oak wood stools with iron bases help give the room new character. The upper cabinets and modern kitchen accessories add to the wood-and-white motif without adding clutter.

 

2. Wood, White and Blue

kitchen makeover 2 before

Before: Having lived in their Colonial-style Massachusetts home since 2000, these homeowners felt it was time to give their kitchen a new look. The couple hired designer Amanda Ortendahl and Maynard Construction to complete their kitchen remodel, including dealing with the overwhelming amount of wood cabinets and wasted floor space.

A ceiling soffit was causing the upper cabinets to sit low, leaving less space for the tile backsplash and food prep. Dark granite countertops that nearly circled the kitchen gave the room a heaviness. A peninsula with overhead glass-front cabinets separated the kitchen and formal dining area.

“I definitely think the layout before was functional for [the female homeowner], but they wanted to enlarge the kitchen, update the style and gain the functionality of all the accessory options you can get in cabinetry today,” Ortendahl says.

kitchen makeover 2 after
After: The design team started by stripping the kitchen down to its bare bones and removing the ceiling soffit. Ortendahl pushed the kitchen wall out 2 feet into the backyard and axed the peninsula and overhead cabinets. The additional 200 square feet allowed for a fluid U-shaped layout with an 11-foot walnut island topped with white quartz. Creamy white cabinets and a contoured walnut range hood set the tone for this wood-and-white kitchen.

Navy stools with gold legs as well as blue knobs on the stainless steel range add splashes of elegant color to the white countertops and rich walnut surfaces. The wood floors were refinished in a lighter color to add to the kitchen’s new look and feel.

“She wanted the opposite of the wood cabinets she had before — to keep things light but bring in the wood tones of the hood, island and floor for some warmth,” Ortendahl says.

 

3. White with Rustic Wood Touches

kitchenmakeover 3 before
Before: Seventeen years ago, when Todd and Tina Gifford were ready to transform their muddy brown kitchen, life and young children got in the way. Once the kids were grown up and out of the house, the couple hired designer Gina Loewer to give the space a new wood-and-white look.

Honey-brown floors that nearly matched the oak cabinets, along with laminate countertops and an aging cooktop on a narrow island, defined the old kitchen. A large desk area and a protruding fridge that hindered kitchen traffic became daily sources of inconvenience. “The kitchen just felt drab,” Loewer says. “It was enclosed, compartmentalized, and the aisleways were tight.”

kitchen makeover 3 after
After: Loewer started by opening up the back wall to expose a hidden dining room, adding 24 square feet and more natural light to the kitchen. Greige walls and maple cabinets, ceiling and trim in various shades of white brighten the space. A larger island with a hickory base, white quartz top and wood stools adds rustic charm.

The old honey-hued floors were refinished to complement the new island and decorative hickory beam. A stainless steel hood, range, soda fridge and double ovens provide a nice contrast to the neutral colors of the kitchen. A covered fridge that moved to a new wall maintains the design’s crisp white surfaces and black hardware.

 

 

 


This article was originally
published at houzz.com

“Open-plan layout” is a generic term used in interior design and architecture for any floor plan that makes use of large, open spaces and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms. They are, for the most part, free of interior walls or partitions. Open floor plans became popular in the 1970s, but over the past year, as people have been isolated at home, all that openness is causing some to reconsider. It turns out those walls, partitions and other barriers are useful for minimizing noise and giving a visual and physical sense of privacy. Here are 15 ways you can create that separation in an open floor plan.

1. Arrange the Furniture

This is definitely the place to start when it comes to defining zones for your interior, and it likely won’t cost you a thing.

Turning the backs of chairs and sofas to the rest of a space is an immediate way to signal a separate area. Rearranging your furniture to carefully create cordoned intimate sections may be the most powerful tip for redefining an open layout.

For example, if your living room is alongside your dining room, make sure your sofa has its back to the table or that your chairs are facing the fireplace, like in the space shown here. This will create a notion of separateness.

Having textured portions of wall, like the dramatic stone fireplace here, also helps visually signal different areas.

Adding surfaces behind furniture zones can also create a barrier. A console table behind a sofa, like shown here, is a nice way to add height and definition.

The more height you add to your console table in terms of accessories and items you place on the surface, the more of a visual barrier you’ll create. Consider tall vases, high stacks of books and table lamps.

2. Add an Area Rug

Another strong way to create a visually distinct area is through the placement of rugs on floor surfaces. They also enhance your decor and add softness to the overall space. Rugs are also great for absorbing noise, which is helpful when multiple activities are happening in one space.

Be sure you select a rug that is the appropriate size. It should at least fit the main piece of furniture, such as a sofa, on it.

If you’re unsure on what style of rug to go for, my recommendation would be a bold pop of color to really define the zone and give it a radically different personality.

3. Introduce a Folding Screen

One low-commitment way to divide a space is with a decorative folding screen. These vertical barrier pieces can also inject pattern and color into a room. And they can be easily moved around to other areas of the home or taken out completely when you’re ready for a full open floor plan again.

Notice how the screen here creates an intimate seating area while adding color and pattern. The striking light fixture carries weight and also helps define this space. At night, the light will punctuate the zone even more.

4. Accent the Ceiling

Sometimes the best ideas come from above. The inset ceiling in this living room is dressed in wallpaper and finished with multiple bulb lights. This feature stylishly characterizes the sitting area.

For a more subtle but still effective approach, consider enhancing a ceiling with paint or molding

5. Use a Bookcase

I love the idea of using an open bookcase to separate areas because it serves double duty: division and storage. Be cautious how you dress the shelves, though. I highly recommend that you do not stuff your bookcase to the gills. Leave some open space to allow brightness to filter through and highlight the objects.

Also, choose a high-quality, sturdy unit. This is not a piece to skimp on because you do not want this unit to tip over. You should always anchor and secure a freestanding unit that you’re using between spaces. Or, as in the example shown here, the bookcase unit is attached to the ceiling above and a pony wall below, ensuring it stays in place.

You could also consider a solid bookcase, which will create a more definitive separation. In that option, you could place two bookcases back to back, so you have storage on both sides or hang art on the back of one bookcase.

6. Put In Drapery

Curtains can go far beyond just dressing your windows. They can make a plush room divider too. It’s a look that will create softness and enhance a room’s ambiance. But because there’s no standard size curtain and rod for a room application, going custom is probably the best route.

7. Install a Decorative Divider

A stylish fixed screen divider is an elegant way to break up a room. It can also add an arty feature to your space. Consider your surrounding design and architectural elements when selecting the pattern, color and material for a fixed screen. You want it to feel intentional, as if the divider was always part of the space rather than an afterthought.

Here, classic midcentury modern-style breeze blocks coordinate with the Eames-style dowel leg chairs and other midcentury-inspired details.

8. Incorporate Plants

A large leafy green tree can add a lively optical barrier. The ficus tree in this home in Austin, Texas, helps separate a living area from a dining spot. Also, notice how the homeowners painted a single wall on the left a different color than the other walls to signify a transition space.

9. Put Up a Glass Partition

A glass partition helps block noise while letting light pass between spaces. If you want to obscure the view to further separate rooms, consider etched or textured glass.

10. Build a Wall

It might seem counterintuitive to put up a wall where one was previously taken down or add one to a new-build home intended to be open, but sometimes you have to be honest about how you use your home and what your needs are.

And you don’t have to add a full wall. Sometimes a pony wall or a partition wall like the orange one shown here that stops just short of the ceiling is enough. Plus, a simple non-load-bearing wall made with two-by-fours and drywall is relatively easy to put up and take down.

11. Take It to the Next Level

Changing the level of a room or creating a sunken room is a method that will definitively separate spaces within an open layout. A level change down from a main floor area can offer increased headroom and a feeling of spaciousness. A level change up will create a more intimate space.

Keep in mind that level changes in homes can be difficult to navigate for people with mobility issues, so always consider handrails or other support structures.

12. Create a Kitchen Island

If your kitchen feels too open to surrounding rooms, like if you’re trying to cook and guests or family members keep coming in and getting in the way, investing in an island could be right for you.

An island forms a barrier that keeps people on one side and the chef on the other. It also visually denotes the separation of spaces. Counter stools will further highlight the boundary point, but also consider placing a small beverage fridge on the outer side or end to let guests grab a drink without needing to come fully into the kitchen to the main fridge and potentially get in the way of the cook.

For a less permanent option, consider an island on casters that can be locked or unlocked, allowing you to push the piece out of the way to create a more open feel as needed.

13. Design an Artsy Feature

If you lack wall space to hang artwork because of an abundance of windows (not a bad problem to have), consider creating, or hiring an artist to create, an art installation that separates rooms.

In this Montana home, an installation of what appears to be birch trees and trunks cordons off the dining area from the living room. Also, notice how the level change defines the spaces, as does the large light fixture over the dining table.

14. Incorporate Sliding Panels

Sliding doors are popular for fully opening up interiors to outdoor spaces, but the concept can just as easily be applied to interior spaces.

In this San Francisco home, sliding panels can completely shut off or open up a workspace to the main living areas.

For this arrangement, you need bulkheads or another system for supporting the tracks from which the panels hang. If tracks are going in the floor, that’s something that will require extra thought and planning. Also, keep in mind that some setups might be more difficult to clean than others, so it’s worth doing your homework. If the panels permanently overlap, for example, it can be hard to clean the space between them. If the tracks are on the floor, dirt and other debris can settle in the nooks.

15. Construct a Two-Sided Fireplace

A two-sided fireplace is perhaps the coziest and most inviting option of the bunch. Fireplaces always create a striking focal point, and a two-sided option has the advantage of distributing heat and ambiance more evenly to two areas than if it was against one wall at the end of a large open room.

You can also consider bio-ethanol or electric options that don’t require a chimney.


This article was originally
published on houzz.com.

With some smart planning, small outdoor spaces can easily be transformed into beautiful, productive fruit and veggie gardens. Come take a look at 10 inviting edible gardens tucked into front yards, side yards, decks and balconies that show how you can really do a lot with modest square footage.

1. Front Yard Beds

Sitting pretty outside a Cape Cod-style cottage in Wellesley, Massachusetts, a pair of raised beds filled with frilly lettuce heads, broccoli and tomatoes look just as ornamental as more traditional flowers beds. While we usually think of placing kitchen gardens in the backyard, a sunny front yard can also be a great spot for growing fruits and veggies, and can also help maximize space in smaller lots.

2. Stock Tank for Crops

Galvanized metal stock tanks provide small-space kitchen gardens a deep soil reservoir for planting. This opens up growing options for larger-scale crops like artichokes, indeterminate tomatoes or dwarf fruit trees and allows for more layered planting in a single container. In this Oakland, California, backyard, a stock tanks holds tomatoes, mixed herbs and strawberries.

3. Contained Kitchen Garden

Measuring just 12 by 13 feet, this veggie garden in Newton, Massachusetts, is a great size for having plenty of produce without too much maintenance. The owners circled the veggie garden with a 4-foot-tall fence made of hardware cloth stretched between cedar posts, and they planted the raised beds with tomatoes, broccoli, beans, herbs and flowers.

4. Edible “Room Divider”

Even though most of the square footage of this 540-square-foot urban backyard in Seattle is taken up by a raised deck and lower fire pit, the landscape architect came up with a smart way to carve out growing space for seasonal veggies and herbs. A series of triangular raised beds act as an outdoor room divider and ease the grade change between the deck and the lower fire pit area.

5. Classic Raised Beds

A pair of 8-by-4-foot raised beds tucked into the backyard of a 1950s beach cottage in Manhattan Beach, California, grows supplemental veggies and herbs for a family of four. “We grow everything from tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, peas and even corn,” says homeowner Julie McMahon. The raised beds are hooked up to a drip irrigation system set on a timer to help cut down on maintenance and ensure consistent watering.

6. Mixed Veggies and Flowers

Crops and seasonal flowers grow side by side in this English gravel garden punctuated by small raised beds and in-ground planting beds. The flowers stand out like islands of color and attract beneficial pollinators to the veggies.

7. Window Box Edibles

Proving that no space is too small for veggies, this window box on a Northern California balcony is filled with bush beans and pollinator-attracting flowers.

8. Front Yard Farm

Chunky stone raised beds march down a slope in this front yard in Portland, Oregon. Bursting with foliage, including multicolored lettuces, mustard greens, collards, kale and peas twining up a trellis, the beds are as decorative as ornamental landscaping and offer more reward for the effort.

Note: Not all municipalities allow for planting veggies in the front yard. Check before planting, and always keep your plot neat.

9. Vertical Veggies

A vertical planting system edging a deck in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood offers a solution for planting in a small space. The four-tiered system provides planting pockets for a mix of herbs, edible greens and perennial flowers. The combination makes a lush, green backdrop that acts as a stunning focal point of the deck.

10. Multilevel Raised Beds

Incorporating a split-level system in raised beds makes for a more dynamic design in a small space by introducing more height variation. Use the different levels to corral crops based on mature heights — planting tall vegetables like tomatoes and corn to the back of the double-height bed where they will benefit from a larger soil reservoir. Plant lower-growing crops like lettuces and herbs in the lower front raised beds.

 


This article was originally
published on houzz.com

Color preferences vary as much as personalities. Some folks love the bright and the bold, while others feel most secure surrounded by neutrals. The good news is that when it comes to color, there really is no “correct” palette.

That said, we’ve all been inside homes where an explosion of color created a choppy feel between rooms — and sometimes, the urge to run. A great way to avoid this result is to hire a designer or color consultant, either to guide your entire remodeling or decorating project or simply to advise you on the best colors for your spaces. We asked pros to share their tips for creating a cohesive flow of color throughout a home. Read on to find out what they said.

1. Pick a Flow-Through Paint

One simple way to create a cohesive feel is to use a consistent paint color on the walls of connecting spaces. “Particularly in homes that have more of an open floor plan, it’s best to choose one color that is going to serve as your main color or your neutral,” says Kelly Porter, an interior designer based in Washington, D.C. “That doesn’t mean it has to be beige or white or gray. But the foyer, the hallways and that main connector room should all be the same color because you want to have that dominant color in your space.”

2. Pay Attention to Sightlines

San Francisco interior designer and color expert Jennifer Ott frequently works with clients who want more variety in their wall colors. When that is the case, she suggests considering sightlines. When you’re standing in the living room, what other rooms will you see? If you have a view into the kitchen, the dining room and the foyer, then the colors for those spaces need to work well together. “It can start to look really wacky if you have a different color scheme in each room,” Ott says.

3. Choose Color Groups

One way to increase the likelihood that a color scheme flows from room to room is to limit yourself to colors in the same temperature family. “Some people will stick to a warm color palette — reds and oranges and yellows or a cool scheme — grays and greens and blues,” Ott says.

Another option, Ott says, is to select one or two colors and then use variations of it. If the main color is blue, you might select a gray-blue, a pure blue and a navy paint as you move from room to room. The same concept can be used for decorative accessories.

For wall paint, you can ask the paint store to create a “tint” of a particular color, perhaps knocking down the main color by 50 percent, which the mixer will do by adding white. “They can create a lighter or darker version of it,” Ott says. “That’s a good way to unite without putting the same color everywhere.”

“I also tell people if they’re going to do their wall in this color, go two or three shades lighter for your ceiling so it doesn’t look like a sore thumb because you painted it white,” says Keith Wardlaw of Plus Modern Design in Kansas City, Missouri.

Paint decks can also be a good inspiration source for finding colors that work well together.

4. Restrict the Edgiest Colors to Enclosed Rooms

Rooms out of the sightline of other rooms are good places for going wild. Master bedrooms, powder rooms, kids rooms and any other room encapsulated by four walls are great places to indulge, says Carl Mattison, an Atlanta-based designer.

“If you turn the corner and go into a little powder bathroom, which you don’t go in all the time, who cares? Paint it black!” It works, Mattison says, “because it’s its own little box.”

5. For Bold Colors, Use Accessories

Accessories are a less expensive way to introduce dramatic colors than purchasing a couch or rug in the same tone, and they’re also easier to swap out should you tire of a color. Limiting bold colors to accessories also helps you avoid the shocking effect that can happen when a dramatic shade is painted on all four walls. “The key is finding a way to inject the color that makes rooms interesting and exciting without feeling like you need to escape,” Ott says. Bright color is good when you want to highlight a piece worthy of notice.

6. Tie Rooms Together With Accents

Accent colors can change from room to room, but continuing one consistent color throughout the home can help create a sense of continuity. “Let’s say you have green and blue in your living room,” Porter says. “Perhaps for the dining room, you use one of those two colors, maybe just the blue. Or you could do blue and yellow. So the blue is what will tie those rooms together.”

7. Use the 60-30-10 Formula

Another way to create a cohesive flow from room to room is to think of the palette for your home as a math problem. “Use a base color that you really like as 60% to 70% of what you’re going to paint for your interior,” Wardlaw says. “Your next color needs to be 25% to 30%. Then you can do your accents of 5% to 10%.”

In this photo, which shows one of Wardlaw’s designs, gray is the 60% color, blue the 25%, orange about 10% and brown maybe another 5%. “I really try to make people only go with about three colors, four at the max — at least on the interior,” Wardlaw says. “Otherwise it just feels chaotic.”

To pull the colors throughout the home, you might use a variation on the scheme in an adjacent dining room. The walls might be painted blue, and perhaps gray could be used as an accent, with a few small orange accessories providing the 10 percent dose of color. “As long as you keep it cohesive throughout your entire home, it’s going to make more sense,” Wardlaw says.

8. Consider Using Color-Planning Tools

Those who love delving deeper into design principles may want to read up a bit on color theory — or at least ask your interior designer about it. “One of the main things I explain to my client is the color wheel,” Wardlaw says. “To keep that cohesive feel throughout your home, one of the main things you can do is consult that.”

A basic rule of thumb is that using analogous (or adjacent) colors on the wheel will create less contrast and a more calm feel, while choosing complementary colors (across from one another on the wheel) will create greater contrast and a higher-energy room. Understanding the relationships between colors will help you see why certain combinations have certain effects on you.

Designers have studied color and can offer invaluable guidance when you’re decorating or remodeling. You can hire one to take your project from start to finish, or simply as a consultant to troubleshoot a specific area like tweaking your home’s palette so that the colors flow well throughout your home.

Porter, who does a lot of color consultations, says her clients tend to know what color they want to use but need validation that the shade they are considering will produce the desired effect. She did a long-distance consultation with a client who passionately loves orange. “The colors she was telling me about were very bright and childlike,” Porter says. The designer suggested a more adult rusty orange instead. “She tried it and loved it,” Porter says.


This article was originally
published on houzz.com

Beautiful porch by the coast.

Summer officially begins June 20 this year, but why wait until then to get into the summer spirit? Get a jump-start by prepping your home and garden for warm weather, setting up the perfect drip-dry spot for beach towels, reorganizing the kitchen (hello, smoothie bar) and more. These 21 to-dos cover all the bases, so you can enjoy the season to the fullest.

Things to Check Off Your List in an Hour or Less

1. Make your summer must-do list. Beach days, lemonade on the porch, pick-your-own fruit farms — with so much to look forward to in summer, don’t let it zip by in the blink of an eye. Be sure you are making the most of your season by creating a list of your personal must-dos and posting it where you can see it. A big chalkboard or family bulletin board would be ideal.

2. Empty standing water regularly. The best way to keep mosquito populations down is by regularly checking your property for standing water and emptying it. Even a saucer of water can become a mosquito nursery, so leave no pot unturned!

3. Set up a spot to dry beach towels and bathing suits. Soggy, sandy beach towels getting dragged through the house is a mess waiting to happen — but you can easily prevent this with a bit of planning. Choose a dedicated spot, either just outside the door (a covered porch works well) or in the mudroom, as shown, and hang a row of sturdy hooks for wet towels and bathing suits. Once dry, sand can be easily shaken off outdoors, so it doesn’t end up in your washing machine.

4. Corral summer necessities in a bowl or basket. Stash extra sunscreen, shades and bug repellant in a container near the front door for easy access when you’re in a rush.

Tackle These Tasks Over a Weekend

5. Install screen doors. If you use them, now is the time to take down the storm doors and put up screen doors to let the summer breezes pour in. Be sure to inspect screens carefully, patching holes as needed — even a tiny hole can be enough to let in a mosquito.

6. Check play equipment for safety. Over time, wood, ropes and fastenings can degrade, making outdoor play equipment potentially unsafe. Check swings, zip lines, slides and other structures for safety; repair or replace as needed.

7. Hang a clothesline for summer energy savings. While the weather is nice and warm, consider skipping the dryer and hanging your clothes to dry in the fresh air instead. It may not always be possible, but even occasionally putting a clothesline or drying rack to work will save energy.

If hang-drying isn’t an option, you can still reduce your energy bill by washing in cold water, cleaning the lint trap and having your dryer vent serviced to increase airflow.

8. Reorganize your kitchen. The change in seasons is a good time to rethink how you have things arranged in the kitchen. If there are small appliances you use more in the warmer months (a blender for smoothies, perhaps, or an ice cream maker), move them to a more accessible spot, and you will be more likely to use them.

Stations devoted to a certain purpose can also do wonders. If you have children on summer vacation, create a self-help station stocked with healthy snacks. Or create an iced-coffee bar or smoothie-making station for yourself with all needed supplies within reach.

9. Make space for summer crafts. A dedicated space for arts and crafts can provide screen-free entertainment and a creative outlet — and it’s not just for kids! Even if you must work all summer, having a space to devote to a hobby can re-energize and inspire you.

10. Organize and put away school papers. If you do have kids, at the end of the school year, it can be tempting to jump right into summer. But taking the time to sort through each child’s school things will help prevent clutter from piling up, and you can start the summer fresh. Sort through the papers, artwork and projects from the year, choosing the best representative pieces (and those that most pull at your heartstrings) to save in a portfolio or document box and then recycling the rest. If you want to preserve more than you can keep, consider scanning the artwork into your computer and creating a photo book with the pictures.

11. Keep cooling systems running smoothly. Take the time before hot weather sets in to dust ceiling fans, install window air-conditioning units and schedule maintenance for a whole-house cooling system.

12. Lighten up decor. Roll up heavy rugs, put crisp percale or cooling linen sheets on the beds and bring in accents in lighter hues for the warmer months ahead. Breezy white curtains look delightfully cool in summer, but if the weather gets quite hot where you live, you may want to leave heavy window coverings in place. Closing the shades during the heat of the day can actually help keep your house cooler.

spring / summer flowers13. Plant bee-friendly flowers. Help give pollinators a place to thrive by adding bee-friendly native plants to your garden now for fall blooms. Which flower species you choose will depend on your region; ask for assistance at a local nursery specializing in native plants if you are unsure.

14. Keep an eye on irrigation systems. A faulty sprinkler or irrigation hose that goes unnoticed can quickly cause big problems for your lawn and garden. Make a habit of checking each component once a week, especially in summer.

15. Give your garage or shed a clean-out. Since you’ll likely be spending more time in your outdoor spaces during the summer, it’s a good idea to take some time at the start of the season to clear out space in your storage area. Take old paint cans to a hazardous waste drop-off point, sell or give away items you no longer want and organize what’s left into zones of use: garden tools and supplies, outdoor adventures and sports gear, and household tools.

16. Get seasonal gear ready. What with camping and beach trips, summertime activities come with a lot of gear. Get it cleaned up and ready now, so you’re not surprised by a leaky tent or blown-out beach umbrella when it’s too late to replace them. And if you plan to waterproof anything (tents or outdoor tablecloths, for example), now is the time.

all white bathroom with splashes of colorMaintenance and Extras to Do This Month

17. Refresh your bathroom. Shower curtain liner looking a little dingy? Bath towels seen better days? Give your bathroom a mini spa makeover, and swap out your tired old bath linens for fresh, fluffy new towels and a new curtain liner. Use a woven basket to corral rolled towels. And contain toiletries on a tray or in zippered containers.

18. Update first-aid kits and emergency supplies. Be prepared for everything from minor snafus to natural disasters with well-stocked first-aid kits in the house and car, plus emergency supplies for your family and pets. Not sure what to include? The American Red Cross has a helpful checklist.

19. Clean gutters and downspouts. If you did not get your gutters cleaned in spring, be sure to get this essential task checked off your list as soon as possible. Leaf- and debris-clogged gutters can lead to leaks and siding damage with summer storms.

20. Schedule major outdoor projects. Whether you are dreaming of a new patio or need to replace a deck, don’t delay booking a landscape architect or contractor for your projects. Their schedules are especially tight right now.

21. Catch up on projects and maintenance. No one is perfect, and chances are there are a few home-maintenance projects you’ve been meaning tackle. Why not make June the month to get caught up?

 


This article first
appeared on houzz.com.

Entry Way

Getting your home organized is a great feeling, but figuring out where to start can be overwhelming. Keep the process simple by zeroing in on these 10 principles of organizing, which can be applied to any space, anytime.

Entry Way1. Get to Know Active vs. Passive Zones

Active zones are the spots in your home that you pass or touch daily (usually multiple times a day), and include the entryway, top drawers and eye-level shelves and cabinets.

Passive zones are the less frequently used spaces in your home, including the guest room, garage or basement, very high and very low shelves, and nooks deep within closets.

A common organizing mistake is to clutter your prime active zones with items you don’t frequently need. For example: Don’t keep your spare lightbulbs in the top drawer in the kitchen when you only need to grab one every few months!

 

modern living room

2. Make Open Storage Beautiful

Every home can use a combination of open and closed (i.e., hidden) storage. But what you choose to store on your open shelving should be visually pleasing. In the living room, this is a good place for books and pretty objects, not beaten-up board games and stacks of video games. Likewise in the kitchen, open shelving is the place to put your matching sets of clear drinking glasses or favorite teacups, not the plastic food storage containers.

3. Keep Things Findable

Out of sight, out of mind is an especially apt expression when it comes to organizing. Clear containers are ideal when you want to be able to see the contents at a glance, and open baskets can corral loose items while still letting you look inside.

If you use containers that aren’t transparent, be sure to label them clearly — or take it a step further and label each with a photo of the objects inside. (Instant cameras are ideal for this.)

 

4. Make It Easy to Put Away

This is most important when it comes to kid stuff, but we can all benefit from this rule.

When you need to go get something, you’ll get it out — it doesn’t really matter where it is — but when it’s time to clean up, we all get a little lazy.

To increase the likelihood of stuff being put back in its place, use easy-to-access bins, baskets and hampers, simple filing systems, and wall hooks for frequently used items.

Are You a Piler or a Filer?

closet organization5. Group By Task

I think of this as the first-aid kit phenomenon: When you need a Band-Aid, you may also need some antibiotic ointment, maybe some tweezers to remove a splinter, and a gauze pad; in a first-aid kit, everything you need to complete the task of caring for your injury is conveniently located in one place.

When you’re organizing your stuff, remember this and group everything you need to complete a task in the same place.

For example, you could make one box for medications, another for spare office supplies, one for holiday cookie cutters and sprinkles, and so on. Labeled shoebox-size boxes, buckets or baskets work well for grouping small items together.

6. Create a Way Station for Items In Transit

We all have a certain amount of stuff that’s constantly in transit: library books waiting to be returned, our bag and keys, the dog’s leash, the casserole dish a friend left after your last party.

Instead of allowing these random items to pile up, create a dedicated space that can handle them and keep them neat.

If you have room by the main entrance to your home, this is the most logical spot — a few baskets on a shelf and some wall hooks should do the trick.

How to Keep Your Home Neat When You Don’t Have a Mudroom

7. Subdivide and Conquer

Wide-open drawers are an invitation to clutter. Anytime you have a drawer where you’ll be storing small items, use a drawer organizer. Use them for cutlery in the kitchen, office supplies in your desk, small and useful household items in your junk drawer, and daily essentials (sunglasses, keys) in a drawer near the entry.

vertical kitchen storage8. Go Vertical

What happens when you go for something at the bottom of a pile? That’s right, it topples.

Avoid this organizing nightmare and go vertical instead. Use shelf risers to increase cabinet capacity, store sheet pans and trays in a vertical holder, and use wall-mounted holders to store brooms and mops so they won’t tip over.

9. Choose the Right Container For the Job

It can be heartbreaking to find that some of your most precious items — old family photographs, Grandma’s wedding gown — have been ruined thanks to improper storage.

Take preventative measures by choosing the right storage container for the job. Photographs and paper memorabilia should be stored in acid-free containers or albums, and textiles should be kept in breathable storage boxes or bags designed for that purpose.

10. Store Heavy Items Down Low

You should never have to balance on a stepladder while trying to lift something heavy.

Keep heavy items at or below waist height, including boxes, kitchen equipment (those dutch ovens and stand mixers weigh a ton!) and anything else that takes some real effort to lift.

And if you live in earthquake country, this is doubly important: You don’t want heavy items falling out of high cupboards and landing on someone’s head.


This article first
appeared on houzz.com.

CA Home - Curb Appeal

Even if you are not planning to sell your home anytime soon, a fresh and welcoming exterior is a wonderful thing to come home to each day. From front doors, house numbers and porch furnishings to color schemes, landscaping and basic repairs, this smorgasbord of ideas will hopefully inspire a few changes around your own home.

  1. Add big, bold house numbers. It’s so easy to swap out house numbers, and this one thing can make a huge impact. Echo your house style in the numbers you choose — a clean sans serif font for a modern house, hand-painted tiles for a cottage, aged copper for a Prairie-style home etc.
  2. Paint the front door. A front door that pops can be hugely cheering.
  3. Add fresh porch furniture. A pair of matching rockers, Adirondack chairs or a cozy glider is a must when you have a front porch that is visible from the street.
  4. Swap out porch lighting. Try replacing tiny sconces with a big, statement-making pendant light, add recessed lighting beneath the eaves or install solar lights along the front walk
  5. Add a hot-red accent. Red has such vibrancy; a little goes a very long way. Try a bright red bench, planter or mailbox to add zing that can be seen from across the street.
  6. Do some hardscaping. Built-in concrete planters, a low stone wall or new paths are all great ways to add structure to your front yard that will last for many years to come.
  7. Spruce up the side yard. Camouflage an eyesore with attractive fencing, clear out weeds and lay out a neat path to the backyard.
  8. Add depth with a fence. A low fence around a property not only adds a welcome boundary between a hectic street and a private space, but it also makes the front yard seem larger.
  9. Replace a lawn with flowers. Dig up part or all of your front lawn and plant perennials instead for a lush landscape that sets your house apart.
  10. Repair the driveway and paths. Cement, stone and pavement all can split and crack over time. Repairing or replacing damaged areas can do wonders to freshen up your home’s street view.
  11. Create curb appeal even in the city. When you live in the city, it can be hard to personalize your home’s exterior. Work with what you have by adding neat window planters, glossy black shutters, good lighting and clearly visible house numbers.

This article first
appeared on houzz.com
12 Ways to Make Your Kitchen Look and Feel Bigger

A kitchen of any size can feel roomy if you know a few tricks. Sticking to white cabinets and walls is a good start, but there are many other ways to create extra room in your kitchen, or create the illusion of a bigger space than you have, all without sacrificing a sense of personality. Here are 12 of my favorite ways to balance storage, style and long sightlines to get a functional layout with a spacious vibe.

1. Consider Shallow Cabinets

Here’s some outside-the-box thinking: Not all of your lower cabinets must be the standard 24-inch depth. Most cabinet lines (even stock cabinets from big box stores) also come in a 12- or 15-inch depth usually used for upper cabinets.

Using slimmer lower cabinets for one area has its advantages. It opens a bit more floor space, which can make a big difference in a tight kitchen. It also reduces your storage slightly, but often the backs of deep cabinets are hard to reach anyway, so the shallower cabinets can be just right for everyday items.

2. Reduce Your Hardware

It’s a no-brainer that eliminating counter clutter is important for keeping a kitchen looking open and breezy, but you can take this a step further by removing the hardware.

Using cabinet doors with touch-activated latches or integrated reach-in pulls reinforces the clean lines of your new kitchen, which subtly helps it appear bigger. It also gives you fewer little items to bump into or get caught on your clothing, so the space will feel easier to move in too.

3. Rethink the Double Sink

Clients often request a double sink — sometimes before anything else. Large double sinks have their uses, but if you’re willing to compromise and choose a single sink (or even a one-and-a-half sink with a slim second bowl), it can open up better storage options and more unbroken counter space.

This applies especially to stock cabinet lines, which include a limited number of size options.

If your sink is centered on the window, without a ton of room on either side, this can create a “dead zone” next to it that can’t accommodate anything. Using a smaller cabinet for the sink frees up room on either side, which can open up new options for adjacent cabinets.

For example, switching from a 36-inch sink cabinet (for a double sink) to a 24-inch cabinet (for a single sink) frees up 6 inches on both sides. This can turn 6 inches of adjacent space into 12 inches, which is enough for a usable cabinet.

If you don’t think you’ll use that second sink bowl frequently, it’s worth exploring what else that space could be used for.

4. Choose a Compact Dishwasher

Most standard dishwashers come in a 24-inch width, but compact or “condo-sized” dishwashers in an 18-inch width are growing in popularity.

Saving that 6 inches can give you a bigger cabinet elsewhere. Naturally, a smaller washer also fills up faster, which means you can run a full load more often instead of waiting a day between washes or running the machine while only half full. For smaller households this can be a perfect option.

5. Put Your Fridge on a Diet

Speaking of saving inches, choosing a slimmer refrigerator can really open up your kitchen as well. Clients usually want the largest fridge they can fit, but these large 36-inches-and-up models often end up full of clutter or simply remain half empty.

If you don’t cook often, or frequently shop for fresh produce, try slimming down your fridge to 30 inches or even 28 inches and leaving more room open for other essentials.

6. Use Panel Appliances

Not prepared to choose compact appliances? You can still get a much lighter look.

Panel-ready appliances (usually fridges and dishwashers) are designed to be able to receive a door front of your choosing so they can blend into the look of your kitchen cabinets. The resulting look is more fluid, which creates an overall larger, airier appearance. It’s usually not an inexpensive upgrade, but it definitely creates a look of sophisticated luxury.
Toronto Interior Design Group
7. Mirror Your Backsplash

When you’re tucked into the kitchen working away on dinner, that’s when the space usually feels the smallest.

Using a mirror for the backsplash opens up the sightlines, making the room seem much bigger, especially from close up. For a smart, moodier effect, use a tinted glass so the reflection is more subtle.

8. Use Shelf Uppers

In a small kitchen, removing all the upper cabinets may not be a practical option, but you can always use as much or as little as you like to house just your most attractive everyday items.

A few open shelves on one wall will perfectly hold daily-use tableware, storage jars and bins, and cookbooks, and give the room a much more open feel. It can also give a beautiful window a little more space to breathe so the whole room feels less stuffed.
Toronto Interior Design Group
You don’t even have to fully commit to shelf uppers. Try simply removing the doors from a cabinet to simulate this breezy look. You can always put the doors back on later if you want to.

9. Add Glass Door Cabinets

Here’s another way to lighten your uppers, but without actually changing your storage. Switch out typical solid cabinet fronts to doors with glass inserts to make the look much airier.

Use this cabinet to display attractive drinkware, or use frosted glass so you only get a faint peek at the mishmash of items stored within.

10. Install Cabinet Lighting

The importance of good lighting cannot be stressed enough, and in kitchens especially the lighting is often insufficient, coming just from ceiling fixtures in the center of the room. Add lighting under, above and even inside the cabinets to make the room feel much brighter and bigger, as the dark shadows around the cabinets would otherwise visually shrink the space.

For a quick fix, add plug-in LED strip fixtures or battery-powered tap lights under the cabinets for extra brightness.

11. Use a Short Backsplash

So you’ve carefully configured your storage, and now you’ve got some beautiful open wall space. To make that wall look 10 feet tall (even if it’s only 8), try using a short, minimal backsplash in a color that blends with the wall. The lack of an obvious dividing line between where the tile stops and the plain wall starts keeps the planes of the wall looking taller, so your open space looks positively vast.

Alternatively, if you have the budget, you can take tile all the way to the ceiling or use a chic slab backsplash for a truly unbroken appearance.

Try a stainless steel backsplash to present a subtle sheen that almost acts like a mirror (as discussed above), giving the room a sense of depth and echoing the finishes of steel appliances or fixtures.

12. Unwrap Your Hood

You may not want to eliminate any true upper cabinets, but the partial cabinets that wrap around a hood fan usually have little function other than hiding ductwork. Choose a beautiful range hood that is meant to be seen, and let it create a little visual break from the upper cabinets. Even this small bit of depth can make a kitchen feel less claustrophobic.


This article first
appeared on houzz.com
Freshly made bed with throw pillows. February Checklist

February is a time of year to indulge in home comforts like cooking big-batch meals, reading in the afternoon and watching movies with the family. Here are a dozen ideas to add to your to-do list this month, from the necessary (clearing sidewalks of snow and ice, say) to the just-for-fun (treating yourself to weekly flowers).

Things to Check Off Your List in an Hour or Less

1. Rotate your mattress. 
Before you put on a fresh set of sheets, take an extra minute to rotate the mattress if you haven’t done so recently. Rotating your mattress every few months will help it wear more evenly and extend its life (and comfort).

2. Pack up a bag of old sheets and towels to donate. If you bought new sheets or towels during January white sales, make some room by letting go of an old set or two. Homeless shelters and some churches will accept donations of bedding and towels in good condition, and animal shelters are often in need of towels. (Check that donations are being currently accepted.) Really worn linens can be cut up and used as rags or dropped in a textile recycling bin.

3. Clean entryway floors. If winters are cold where you are, road salt and melting snow can mean entryway floors take a beating. Pick up clutter and give the floors a good mopping.

To keep floors looking their best between cleanings, stash a few old towels in a basket near the door to wipe up messes.

4. Keep sidewalks and entryways free of ice and snow (even while you’re away). Ice and snow can make walkways dangerous for visitors. Aim to shovel snow promptly, and sprinkle gravel, straw or wood chips to provide traction. Frequent light shoveling is better than letting the snow build up. And if you plan to be away during an expected winter storm, hire someone to clear the sidewalk and front steps of your home while you’re gone. Your neighbors and mail carrier will thank you.

Tackle These Tasks Over a Weekend

5. Cook to stock up your freezer. A few hours of cooking on a weekend can produce major dividends if you focus your efforts on big-batch suppers that can be frozen and reheated later.

Knowing that you have homemade soup, stew, chili or casseroles in the freezer makes facing weeknight dinners much less stressful. Just add crusty bread and a simple salad and dinner will be ready in no time.

6. Organize bookshelves. Pull out volumes that you didn’t enjoy or are finished with and sell or donate them, leaving a bit of extra room on each shelf for new titles. And if you get distracted by beloved old books you had forgotten about, just roll with it. After all, there are few better places to spend a winter afternoon than in a comfortable chair with a good book.

7. Refresh your movie-watching zone. Winter is a good time to catch up on movies you missed in the theater or to binge-watch your favorite shows. So why not make your movie-watching zone as comfy and cozy as possible? Start by vacuuming the floors and upholstery (using a vacuum attachment) and by clearing away clutter. Next, assess your collection of movies and games, donating extras to charity. Finally, make sure there are plenty of comfortable pillows and throws and lighting that can be dimmed.

8. Boost warmth. Stay toasty and save on energy bills by blocking drafty doors with door sweeps or door snakes and warming up with rugs, throws and duvets. For even more energy savings, shut doors to unused rooms, move furniture away from heating vents and close the chimney flue when it’s not in use.

9. Check bathrooms for moisture, mildew and mold. It can be hard to give bathrooms enough ventilation when the house is closed up tight for winter.

Unfortunately, that buildup of moisture can lead to mildew or even harmful mold. Give the bathroom a thorough cleaning, paying special attention to grout, the ceiling and any other areas showing signs of excess moisture.

10. Clean the dryer vent (and check for blockages outside). Having the buildup of lint cleaned from your dryer vent at least once a year is essential to keeping your dryer working efficiently and preventing a potential dryer fire. In winter, snow can block the exterior vent, so take a walk outside your home to inspect the vent and remove snow or debris if needed.

Maintenance and Extras to Budget for This Month

11. Start planning for a spring or summer home sale.
 If you’re considering putting your home on the market this year, it’s a good idea to start the process now. Set a timetable, interview potential real estate agents and make a list of projects that need to get done to help your home show well.

12. Indulge in weekly fresh flowers. With Valentine’s Day happening this month, the markets will be filled with fresh flowers at good prices. Treat your home to a bouquet of fresh-cut blooms once a week to add a little cheer — spring may still be a ways off, but that doesn’t mean your dining table can’t look like a garden in bloom!

This article first
appeared on houzz.com.