Green Decor

Let's celebrate "The Luck of the Irish" with Green Decor. Welcome the month of March by refreshing your home with green.

Green can be intimidating, but with so many shades it is a beautiful color and very easy to coordinate with your current decor.  Whether you go Bold and really embrace the green or choose a more subtle route and add a few touches here and there - the splash of green will help liven up your space.

Here are some ideas I have found that let you experiment with the Color Green.

ADD A GREEN PLANT TO A NEUTRAL DECOR.                                                                             

ADD A FEW DECORATIVE VASES TO YOUR BOOKSHELVES- EASY TO CHANGE OUT WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH THE COLOR GREEN

PILLOWS IN DIFFERENT SHADES TO ADD A PUNCH OF COLOR

















ONE PICTURE AND ONE PILLOW.  GREAT FOR THE PERSON WHO DOES NOT REALLY WANT TO COMMIT.

EMBRACE GREEN AND PAINT AN ACCENT WALL - ADD GREEN ACCESSORIES

WHAT DOES THE COLOR GREEN MEAN..........................

Symbolism Green stands for balance, nature, spring, and rebirth. It’s the symbol of prosperity, freshness, and progress


Positive Associations We associate green with vitality, fresh growth, and wealth.   We generally think of it as a balanced, healthy, and youthful. We use green in design for spaces intended to foster creativity and productivity, and we associate green with progress – think about giving a project the “green light.”

HAPPY MARCH

ZODIAQ QUARTZ SURFACES

Zodiaq has a new collection - Natura Collection
 http://www.ovsco.com/2015_Zodiaq_Color_Launch_Sell_Sheet.pdf

Their six new colors have an "Old World" feel, yet will complement today's modern home.  Deciding on a counter top is a commitment.  With this collection, you can choose what you like today and be confident that it will stand the test of time.  

Quartz is a great material for your kitchen, bathroom, or on a custom piece of furniture and these colors will help you achieve your vision.

Floor Tile

There are many options for your floor; wood, vinyl, tile.  Once you make a decision on what type of flooring, you have to make more decisions of color, style, etc.  

The entire process can be overwhelming.  Choosing what type of floor is important and you want to make sure you "Get It Right".

Tile flooring seems to have endless possibilities on size, color, texture, style.  In the last few years, ceramic tile that resembles wood has been very popular.  You have the wood "look" with the durability of tile.  The early versions seemed to be a more of a painted on wood grain.  As always, new technology prevails and some of today's wood line ceramic tile is beautiful, realistic with the durability of tile.  Olympia Tile has a line Charmwood.  This tile comes in 6" x 36" lengths and has a rustic look to it.  When you see it, you almost have to feel it to confirm that is it in fact Tile.   

Some do not like tile because it is cold.  An easy fix is to have a custom underfloor heating mat (prices do vary depending on room layout, but should not break the bank).  Any tile store can price out and it is an easy installation for a tile installer or the experienced homeowner.

This is just one example of many for floor tile.  Visit a tile store in your area and be prepared to be overwhelmed but enjoy the journey of updating your home.

Design With The Color Blue

In honor of the Blue Moon here are some ideas to include the color blue in your home.

Blue is a great color to work with.  It is very neutral and can be added to most color schemes. 

Adding color can be as simple as a dash of blue in accessories to make your room Pop, paint one wall a shade of blue, upcycle a piece of furniture with the color blue or take the plunge and go for it - make your whole room BLUE.  Want a retro look in your kitchen - add some blue appliances.  

If you are hesitant, but want to add color to your decor, Blue is a great color to start with.  It is calming and depending on the shade, it can be very "safe".

Below are some pictures I found.  See how you can add blue to your room.

Kitchen Design - Your Sink

When you think of kitchen design, do you think to add color to your sink?  Well Houzer has.  Their porcelain enamel sinks come in a variety of colors and styles.

Here are a few colors and their styles:

These under-mount sinks are part of the Porcela series and are double baked at 1500 degrees F.                     

Their non-porous surface can resist chips, stains and scratches.

Choosing a sink other than White or Stainless may seem

"not practical", but Why Not?  Most kitchen designs are too neutral and need color desperately.  Having an all white kitchen and installing a turquoise sink would be beautiful and unique.   So Why Not - add some color to your sink:)                  

Open Shelves in your Kitchen

Open shelves in your kitchen - do you love it or hate it?
The trend for kitchens is getting rid of upper cabinets and having open shelves for dishes, pots, pans and any kitchen gadget you have. 

 Looking on the web for pictures, I have found that all these kitchens are "staged" very well and the open shelves look Great!  How would these shelves look in the real life of a kitchen?  Most people do not have perfect coordinating dishes, pots and pans.  Would you have the time to make sure the shelves look good each and every day?  What happens to these dishes out in the open with dust, kitchen grease or any other airborne particle?  

Here are some pictures I found on Google.

PERFECT COORDINATION WITH THESE SHELVES

SOME OPEN SHELVES CAN APPEAR MESSY

There is a place for open shelves in a kitchen, I am just not sure if they should replace all your upper cabinetry.

A GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN OPEN SHELVES AND UPPER CABINETRY

KITCHEN REMODEL - SOUTH ROCKWOOD

In this kitchen, cabinetry was mixed light and dark.  This created interest that would otherwise be too "light" or too "dark".  White kitchens have been the norm for some time, but it is time to bring back the stained cabinets.  The counters are also two different colors.  Kitchens do not have to be "matchy-matchy".  Go ahead and mix it up.

Overall View of Kitchen

Glass cabinets with interior lights to display dishes

Farm-style sink, glass drawer fronts 

 

  Added wainscoting and shelf supports to dress up back of island

  

 Pot filler for convenience, white subway tile with a metal deco strip to add interest.

Kitchen Remodel - Brighton

The function of this kitchen worked for our client, but it was in desperate need of a remodel.  We took out the soffits, "Lots" of wall paper and gutted the entire space.
The cabinetry heights are standard, but we added a 6" wood soffit along with crown moulding painted the same as the cabinetry.  This creates the illusion of height using stock cabinets.  All new fixtures and finishes gave this couple a kitchen that fits their life style.

Products used were "Merillat" Cabinetry - Spring Valley Maple Cabinets painted in Chiffon with Tuscan Accent.  Counters are Quartz in Dakota Color.  "Delta" Leland Faucet in Stainless Steel and 4" x 4" travertine tile with glass accents.

 

The Added Details:  We added wood to give back of cabinets a recessed panel appearance

Under cabinet lighting always a must in a kitchen

Mixing up the tile to add interest over the range top

 

Added a wood 6" wood soffit and crown moulding - both painted to match cabinetry

KITCHEN REMODEL

THIS KITCHEN IS A 1930'S BUNGALOW.  

THE HOMEOWNERS WANTED A "BEACH" FEEL BUT NOT A ROOM FULL OF SEA SHELLS.  

THE TILE ON THE FLOOR HAS A PATTERN THAT GIVES THE LOOK OF SAND, BLUE GLASS TILE IN A CLASSIC SUBWAY PATTERN WAS INSTALLED ALONG WITH CABINETRY WITH A GLAZE FINISH THAT CREATES AN AGED LOOK.   

WAINSCOTING IS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SPACE GIVING IT A LIGHT AND AIRY FEEL.                                                 



BEFORE PICTURE - OVERVIEW AREA



AFTER PICTURE - OVERVIEW AREA

                                                   



BEFORE PICTURE - PENINSULA AREA



AFTER PICTURE - PENINSULA AREA







BEFORE PICTURE - TV AREA



AFTER PICTURE - TV AREA

BEFORE PICTURE - DESK AREA

             AFTER PICTURE - DESK AREA

AFTER PICTURES OF DETAILS

"MERILLAT" LABELLE MAPLE CABINETS IN
TOFFEE FINISH WITH PEARL GLAZE 

 


"DELTA" LELAND FAUCET WITH
PULL DOWN SPRAYER AND "CAMBRIA"
QUARTZ COUNTERS



"OLYMPIA" CRISTALLO 3 X 6 GLASS SUBWAY TILE



18" X 18" CERAMIC TILE FLOORING



PULL OUT CABINETRY FOR STORAGE



CUSTOM WAINSCOTING THROUGH OUT SPACE