Mixing Materials

By Tammy

Today's kitchens are ready for the "best dressed" list.  Fashion staples like stone and wood are being "accessorized" with tile and glass accents, metallic fixtures and appliances, and sculpted, architectural details.  Wilsonart HD designs have been created with those accessories in mind.  And think about the countertop as "jewelry" that finishes your kitchen (look for inspiration on the web - not just on design sites, but also on fashion, jewelry sites).



Seeing is believing, right?  The look of stone can be classic and contemporary at the same time. Wilsonart HD laminate takes the look of stone and incorporates it into new patterns for 2011. We invite you to see how this can look in your home. Visualize it today.

Before and During: Kitchen Nook Style Update

by Tammy

The busy, active family is at it again.  Progress is progress, right?  The kitchen nook is probably the one room that is fairly easy to tackle with our on-going style updates.  Here's a few pictures of the Before:

College table keeps growing with me through the years

 

Faux finish with a tea stain

Pantry - Let's not open it, LOL!

By simply adding a fresh coat of new paint, a colorful table runner and fabulous new chairs (see previous post), it took this kitchen nook from "oh, so not us country" to "make a statement - WOW!"

Of course, there are still things on my to-do list such as sanding and painting the kitchy table the Reflecting Pool blue.  This job my husband volunteered for. Ladies don't you love it when your husband volunteers to do a project for you?  Not sure about your husband, but mine has ulterior motives.  This is his chance to cash in on new power tools.

And what I'm really excited about, my stylist is working on options for my new, cool light fixture... so stay tuned on my continuing reveal.

In the meantime, I would love to hear your thoughts on adding beadboard over the "white faux finish" (the faux is still there but more masked) in this remodel project. This would give the final reveal a more classic, sophisticated look.

The Urban Pioneer: Oh the List

By Andrea

My place was built in 1911, it has been kept in decent to good shape but when a condo reaches 100, it has some fixin’ up to do. Before I even start the decorating process, I have to conquer ‘the list’ and get the bones of my condo in good condition. It’s a given that everything will get a fresh coat of paint…but here’s the rest of the to do’s and a few pictures of the work ahead.

1. Front Door
a. New Lock to cover all the holes

b. New Numbers, I want to make a great 1st impression
c. Re-varnished, it looks like someone took a power sander to the door.

2. Living Room
a. Ceiling fans
b. Crown Molding
c. New Windows
d. Refinish woodwork

3. Dining Room
a. Replace Light
b. Level floor


4. Kitchen
a. Too many to list, I'll tell all about this mess next week.

5. Porch...I'll let the picture speak for its self.

As you can see, I have a project or a million projects on my hands!

An open kitchen starts with an open mind

By Gale

We all agree that the kitchen is the most important room in the house. It is the best reflection of you and your family’s lifestyle.  Do not be swayed by the opinions of others. However, while that is easy to say, it's not so easy to do.

Recently I helped a friend who had fallen in love with the image of an open plan kitchen, and she was trying hard to fit that idea into her older closed kitchen. The clip she had saved from a magazine was really gorgeous, but like a jigsaw puzzle, the piece has to fit into the space allotted. And that is where her plans for the dream kitchen fell apart.  Here are some things to consider if you are pondering opening up your kitchen:

• What walls are you planning to eliminate to create the open plan kitchen? Are they load-bearing walls or can they be safely removed without affecting the structural integrity of your house? A good contractor or designer can help you determine that.

• If you are knocking down a wall, how much cabinet space are you losing as a result? Where are you planning to relocate what is stored inside those cabinets?

• Do you have to move plumbing or electric outlets to achieve your goal? Check on the cost of doing so before moving ahead.

• Will your cooking or cleanup space be visible from the adjoining room? If you are a messy cook, think about creating a visual barrier such as a raised counter so your guests cannot see the clutter.

• Does the new color scheme work with the existing colors in the spaces beyond? You should coordinate the colors from one room to another; they do not have to match but should be in the same family. This applies to countertop selections as well as cabinets.

Obviously, this doesn't cover all of the considerations you should take into account when opening up your kitchen, but this should serve as the starting point to getting you the dream kitchen that you want.

Pin Away

By Tammy

While working through my own home style updates, I have been playing around with virtual pinboards.  And one that I have fallen for is Pinterest.  Check out the beginnings of my Industrial Chic pinboard - I love, love, love it!  It's a whole lot easier than printing out images from online sites or tearing out pictures from magazines (think eco-chic).  I know many of my creative friends and co-workers will enjoy this handy dandy tool just as much.

Here's a little Pinterest 101:

• Collect and Share all those inspirational images you uncover online
• Easily browse pinboards of interest created by other creative minds
• Use the "Search" box to find your style; it's valuable

Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared interests and tastes.  Many of my bloggie friends are using virtual pinboards in so many ways from planning their weddings, decorating their homes, to just plain fun of sharing food recipes and more.  Even pins for Wilsonart Laminate and Solid Surfacing products are showing up on virtual boards.  (Hint! Wilsonart folks - check it out here.) 

The Pinterest team has done a fine job of making pinning easy.  They've even created a "Pin It" button for use with the Firefox Bookmark Toolbar.  That's how I'm easily pinning... Once you have setup an account, check out their "Goodies" link on how to install this and much more.

I hope you'll find this info beneficial and perhaps, it will inspire you to create your own virtual pinboard for sharing.  Happy pinning everyone!