Southern California Kitchen Cabinet News » design tips

A challenge for shorties in the kitchen

larrylarr — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:04:45 +0000

Something that most home builders neglect to consider is the height of their new residents. And why would they? An average home has an average of 6 families during an 80 year life span. Usually designing for the average American is what they have in mind, but what is the height for an average American? In a recent story, homeowners reveal their experience in adding new cabinets to their home.

The cabinets have proven to be more challenging than we first envisioned.

First, when you buy cabinets (one word, right?), you are actually ordering like 125 parts, including screws and hinges and invisible parts. So we had to pay extra for delivery of this jumbo order. We also, dumbly, had to pay extra for storage; we thought we were being smart by going to Ikea 30-40 days in advance, but they charged us for not being able to deliver when the order was ready. You live and you learn. Full Story.

Home Improvement Loan

larrylarr — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:16:30 +0000

Home Improvement Loans? Do Southern Californians still have enough equity to even apply for these? According to the media, I am surprised we haven’t broken out into the soup line of a long ago Soviet Union. A cool article giving those of us that are remodeling with borrowed funds can be found below.

Remodeling areas of your home that are beginning to look dated is always a good idea but money is often the issue that needs to be addressed. this is the purpose of a home improvement loan. Tradesmen such as carpenters, electricians, plumbers, plasterers are an expensive addition to the overall home improvement budget but for many homeowners they have no alternative as their own skills are not sufficient.

A home improvement loan is a borrowing option that is open to most homeowners and there’s a choice for you to take a secured loan or a loan with no equity required. The last responsibility a new homeowner wants is that of it being used as equity for a loan to improve it. The maximum (more…)

To granite or not to granite?

larrylarr — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:45:25 +0000

I myself have often wondered, with all the advertised benefits of Corian countertops, why would people knowingly choose beauty over function? Well part one to that question, is the fact that consumers with financial resources demand uniqueness, that Corian can rarely deliver when compared to granite and other natural stones. In a recent ask the realtor series, the question is put to rest by a professional.

Question: I saw an episode of Flip That House where the house in Thousand Oaks had Corian counters in the kitchen and the flippers didn’t think that looked like a million-dollar house, so they covered the Corian with granite tiles. Later, the real estate agent said (more…)

How to Trim the Countertop Edges

larrylarr — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 15:28:43 +0000

Sometimes, the beauty of your countertop design depends on the details of its edges.

Countertops provide a table for household work and routine. The difference is it is not as mobile as an ordinary table because it is installed permanently in a particular part of the house. It is usually found in the kitchen room to provide means for cooking preparation and aid at actual cooking. It can also be built in the dining room to provide a place where other stuff can be put or decorated. Countertops are essential in the overall impact of the house in terms of interior (more…)

Modern Home Living with Mosaic Designs

larrylarr — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 18:15:36 +0000

Home mosaic designs are the modern interior design that is becoming popular today.

Home mosaic designs are gaining increasing popularity among interior design experts and ordinary people too. These designs are highly regarded and sophisticated in appearance. Home mosaic designs are beginning to become at par with paintings in house design. Art can not be only achieved through brush and paint. Art can now also be expressed through tiles.

Home mosaic designs are made up of different materials. Granite, marble, glass, stone and plastic tiles are some of the materials used for home mosaic designs. The material you choose depends on the theme of your design and, of course, your preference. Granite, for instance, does not give a uniform color because it has veins on it. Glass is transparent while stone is not. (more…)

Home Depot now gives contractors a big hand

larrylarr — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 12:29:31 +0000

In his 15 years in the remodeling business, Kirk Smith has seen more than his share of the Home Depot logo.

The Marietta remodeler says he and his workers hit Home Depot every day — sometimes two or three times a day — to load up the truck and talk shop with the sales crew behind the pro desk.
Lately, there has been a new routine. Home Depot is coming to him.

“I see this guy every couple of weeks — he’s here to check up on things and see if the store is taking care of me,” Smith said Thursday, motioning to a Home Depot sales manager who popped in on a kitchen remodeling job. (more…)

Kitchen Islands Making Waves

larrylarr — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:22:18 +0000

As a gathering place, it’s a most popular destination.

To be sure, the kitchen island has a lot to offer. It bridges the gap between work and storage areas in a large space, saving steps. In a smaller footprint, it offers an always-welcome extra counter for chopping veggies, setting down pots and stacking plates.

It may be a hideaway, but one likely to be noticed. Hip kitchen islands have broken away from their plain, boxy roots. Once merely an extension of all-matching cabinets, perhaps topped by a butcher block for added function, the island today is a standout, a piece of furniture with its own personality, style, finish and details. (more…)

Kitchen Lighting Improves Appearence

larrylarr — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:51:07 +0000

Kitchen lighting makes mood, food better.

Some people like to work in darkened, cozy corners lit by low-wattage bulbs. Others prefer a full bank of ceiling lights to illuminate every corner of the room.

The kitchen, which is both a workspace and living space, might have some of each. My kitchen has an informal eating area, space for entertaining and several work areas that need plenty of light.

In some places I’ve lived, I wondered why I was so uncomfortable in the kitchen. Those kitchens usually had a single ceiling fixture that lit the whole room. There might have been a light over the kitchen sink and a feeble light on the stove or in the vent hood above it, but there was hardly any light in the areas where I needed it the most. (more…)

Remodeling idea, recycle old kitchen cabinets in the garage

larrylarr — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 01:11:14 +0000

Recycling old kitchen cabinets in the Garage, as first seen on Millennial Living

When we did a major kitchen remodeling of our home, we asked our contractor to carefully remove all of the existing base and wall cabinets. Unfortunately some cabinets were severely damaged, but the majority were removed successfully.

We decided to use the old kitchen cabinets in the garage. All we wanted was storage for tools and equipment. We removed the paint, sanded them and then primed and repainted them white. We had the following cabinets to work with:

1) two 48 inch based cabinets and
2) and about eight wall cabinets spanning 10 feet.

Old kitchen cabinets find new use in garage.

We could not use the wall cabinets on the wall as the venting and ceiling in the garage were too low. Also we needed a narrow wall cabinet because of space limitations. A typical base cabinet would have prevented us from using the right side of the garage for the car. Full Story

Are you trapped by the white paint syndrome?

larrylarr — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 17:59:26 +0000

If you have ever been near a beach hotel, I am sure you have seen that an interior made solely of white paint can be gorgeous. But in a very large home with very little design accents, not so much. I must agree with Bill LaHay, white can be done well but only when thought out and executed with a great supporting cast.

You’ve watched dozens of remodeling shows on TV and clipped photographs from countless magazines. You’ve set aside spare cash for months so you’ll have a decent project budget. (more…)