Two-Cook Kitchens Enjoy Smart Space Chops

Whether you live in an apartment using a 25-square-foot kitchen or possess a spacious house with hundreds of feet to cook in, odds are you’ve experienced the complications that come with too many cooks at once. Cramped counter space, one sink and attempting to cook and clean at the same time can wear patience thin.

We requested ers what their single kitchen/multicook alternatives are — and those seven kitchens are full of imaginative ideas to make cooking with more than 1 individual a breeze.

consumer Anne Marsden resides in a 1940s bungalow near Atlanta, Georgia. The kitchen was a very small galley style average of houses like hers. She and her boyfriend love to cook — although admittedly, she does more cleanup — and often bring in food from their backyard, so that they wanted to design a kitchen which would make cooking together easy and efficient.

The long central island was key to organizing this job area. The butcher block top provides plenty of space for 2 and generates a simple pass-through from 1 side of the kitchen to the other. Each individual receives a side with its own sink to call his or her very own — Marsden functions on the dishwasher and her boyfriend gets the cooker side.

Jbroten’s recently remodeled kitchen changed by a one-person U-shape layout to a space that can handle two or more cooks easily. Multiple counter work stations were musts, two islands anchor the space: 1 for prep and one which facilitates cleanup. The dishwasher to the sink island also faces the cutlery and plate drawers, making cleanup easier.

PARADISE INTERIOR DESIGN

Ione Victoria of Paradise Interior Design designed this Aptos, California, house for two retired professionals. He likes to cook and she is more of a baker, so Victoria decided to separate the cooking and baking areas by putting the main refrigeration and cleaning gear in the centre for shared usage.

The kitchen includes two dishwashers and 3 sinks, which makes crossing paths nearly impossible. Space planning has been complicated by the fact that the wife is less than 5 ft tall, whereas the husband is roughly 6 ft tall. Victoria had the island lowered toward the baking end so that the wife could use it comfortably.

Jamie Walsh’s 150-square-foot kitchen Washington wanted something simple to make it a space where she and her husband can hang out and cook. A seat and a cart located at a local garage sale was shown to be exactly the solution.

Now, when the two are in the kitchen together, 1 person perches in the seat while the other cooks, shifting off from time to time. Walsh also had a metal fabrication shop make a stainless steel top for the cart so that it’s easy to clean and stays in Good shape

Sawhill Kitchens

Sarah Michalowski from Sawhill Kitchens worked using a household of five to design this multiperson Minnesota kitchen. Because they have three busy, young kids, this couple needed a space that will allow for five people to sit down at the staircase, do homework and cook — all without disrupting each other.

The exceptional island layout allows for easy cooking, eating and cleaning. A prep sink in the middle divides the island into two areas, allowing people to do separate things while having access to the sink. An appliance garage close to the fridge makes it possible for children to create smoothies without interrupting the workflow, and the desk stays out of the traffic path but also in plain view.

When user Sue Hausmann remodeled her Ohio kitchen, she wanted it to be an open and easy-to-use space for her and her husband. The sink, with three 2 taps, was a very simple and straightforward solution. It allows two people to prepare meals or clean up at the same moment. Lots of counter space, a spacious layout, a full-size fridge and freezer, and a double-drawer dishwasher assistance too.

Neal Nesbit of Shoreline Cabinet Company also designed this Wilmington, North Carolina, kitchen with just two islands intended as separate work and entertaining spaces. One island includes a prep sink and easy access to the fridge, range and main sink. The other island faces the dining room area and has a beverage center, making it appropriate for hosting guests away in the workflow.

Separate cooktops allow two people to cook at once, and a clear route between the island to the sink in the range causes for smooth traffic flow.

Have a two-cook (or more) kitchen? Inform us about it below!

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Dream Tile, Sensational Design

Did you know that ceramic tile has been dated back as far as 8000 BCE? And though the accessibility and prevalence of glass tile exploded in the 1990s, the first glass tiles have been created over 2,000 years ago.

I am fascinated with tile, also spent several years teaching classes in mosaic artwork in the UCSD Craft Center in La Jolla, California. It amazes me that something that’s been around for so many centuries can have many interesting and new appearances. The options are only limited by imagination.

This story features some of the most amazing, jaw-dropping tile applications I could find. Some are luxurious, covering hundreds of square feet, where others are avant-garde inside their own aesthetic or placement. And there are a few in here which will surprise you when you realize what the material really is.

Not one of those ideas are reduced price. Dream tile like this can run anywhere from $30 per square foot up to a few hundred dollars per square foot. Though this ideabook is not especially about bathrooms, it is no wonder that the majority of the amazing tile is employed in those areas. They are one of the smallest places in a home, so if you are going to splurge on a luxury end, it is possible to go all out. However, these are so beautiful that they are stunning in any area of your property.

It is fine to drool over these (they’re tile, so the drool will wipe right off). And yes, along with the hundreds of square feet of tile, you get hundreds of square feet of grout to clean. But who cares? If you can afford them, you most likely have a housekeeper — or possibly two.

Brandon Barré Architectural Interior Photographer

The heavy hitters in the mosaic tile arena that is high-end are all Italian, and this one is Bisazza. The large-scale patterns and luscious colours are bold, modern interpretations of mosaic artwork.

Stone Habitat

This tile portrait in Bisazza is lasting artwork for virtually any place you’d love to install it. Even though it will cost you a whole lot greater than most tile alternatives, the price is comparable to artwork created by a reasonably well-known artist. The difference? You may put it in your shower, or any other place you want.

Traditional Tile

I said the Italian heavy hitters, also Sicis is another one. This pattern, paired with all the curved-leg console, would be fabulous in any area — minus the sink and faucet.

I would place this in my own entryway in a heartbeat. Should you click on this vendor’s website, be sure you have a little extra time. I was sidetracked for an hour gazing in delight at their amazingly beautiful mosaics of all sorts.

Brani & Desi

This is one very avant-garde usage of tile. The planes and angles of vibrant colour give energy and movement to this hotel room. The designer refers to the tile program as a three-dimensional sculpture.

Brani & Desi

I could not resist showing you another perspective so that you can see how it goes and goes. This is a special program of tile, very expressive of an energetic character. I would really like to meet this designer — I bet he or she would have a fun character and be interesting to know.

Oceanside Glasstile

That is luscious: each surface coated in lightly iridescent gold tile. If Midas had a bathroom, this would be it. The tile is by Oceanside Glasstile.

Oceanside Glasstile

This room feels ancient to me. The colours and the mix of materials are very warm and earthy. Again, every surface is coated for complete immersion in texture.

Kallista Plumbing

This gorgeous wall evokes pictures of water, an entirely suitable sense of the toilet. This pattern is called Azure from Ann Sacks.

Elad Gonen

The large scale floral creates a large impact and seems to glow with sunlight. Looking at this would most likely be much more cheerful than looking at my own face in the morning. I am not a morning person.

Red Deer Carpet One

This floor-to-ceiling mural of lilies is scaled beautifully for this very big bathroom.

Sonali shah

A stunning mural is much better than having a backyard out of your bathroom window. These flowers will always be in blossom.

nC2 architecture llc

I believed this toilet had a fresh look with its carpet of blue penny rounds and dim pebble mosaic on the wall. The blue tile swooshing above that curved surface looks like a large wave.

Artistic Tile

A whole wall of soft blue-green wavy tile is also relaxing. The pattern from Artistic Tile is aptly called Sinuous. The theme is echoed in bright, undulating inserts in the white floor tile.

Pepe Calderin Design- Modern Interior Design

This glitzy set of metallic ribbons is called Festoon by Bisazza. I love the free-spirited movement of the lines along with the reflective shine they add. The mirrored wall doubles the effect — a very good thing, considering that the maker’s suggested retail price is greater than $6,000 per module.

Elevation Architectural Studios

A modern bathroom gets a super punch of style with this bold geometric pattern.

RW Anderson Homes

This mirror-finish tile is completely beautiful in a minimalist bathroom. So often, we tile around the tub or shower and then simply paint the walls. Could not it be great to go all of the way around the room with your favorite tile? It would not necessarily have to be a high-end choice, but go horizontal and a bit big in scale, and set it in a counter pattern to get this appearance.

By the way, the builder says the client bought this tile and the job was finished a while ago, so that I do not have a resource for this specific product. If any tile vendors out there recognize it, please speak up. Readers would really like to know, and so would I.

I am reminded of the murals I saw in ancient Roman ruins I visited in Italy and in Bath, England. A timeless mural similar to this combined with columns brings a sense of timelessness.

Many tile vendors will turn any picture you want into a mural, and you place up consecutively numbered sheets. Are you artistic? You may purchase glass tile called smalti, that’s the exact kind used in Italy for murals, and create your own layout, reducing some of their cost. Take a craft class in mosaic. It is fun and a great creative outlet.

Designer Glass Mosaics

Putting a tile mural inside a market and spotlighting it showcases it for your own work of art that it is. Designer Glass Mosaics creates these beautiful works with fused glass methods. If you go to their own website, you will see examples of artwork glass tiles used in several rooms.

Mercury Mosaics and Tile

A free-flowing, undulating mosaic takes the bling all of the way around the room. You will need a very great tile setter to have the ability to cut back similar curves in the area tile. This creative layout was completed by Mercury Mosaic Design. They analyzed in Italy and have been influenced by Italian masterpieces for this particular installation.

Innovative installations require tile from ordinary to sensational. This mirror sits within an asymmetrical opening in the tile, and even the wall sconces are set at various heights. Individual mirrored tiles are interspersed in a random pattern throughout the shower.

This is a superb idea, but best done by a pro. Using mirrors in wet programs is catchy. Cutting them damages their back coat, allowing moisture to get inside and destroy the reflective surface. You would have to use mirrored tiles created in the sizes you need, in addition to specific adhesives.

Designer Tile Plus

I Marmi – Beauty of marble – Durability of Porcelain

Looks like a weathered marble wall, does not it? Surprise, surprise: It is porcelain. Porcelain has turned into a long way in recent years. It may duplicate the appearance of metal or stone, but without some of these care issues of either of those materials. You can have the appearance of marble on your countertops also, using these large-format tiles using hardly any grout lines without any concerns about cosmetics spills.

Oceanside Glasstile

A barrel-vaulted ceiling is the best place to go all out with mosaic tile inside this galley kitchen. Contrasting bands throughout the ceiling make interest down the long, narrow space.

David Wilkes Builders

These walls seem as they are coated in exotic rock, but this is a floor-to- ceiling, wall-to-wall application of glass tile. Mosaic glass tiles now are offered in sizes as large as 6 x 11 3/4 inches, and some have even bigger pieces.

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR

Chains Blue Glass Mosaic Glass Mosaic Decoration from Bisazza – $267

I really like that this large-scale pattern looks perfect in an office or some other area. The blue chain motif provides it a manly appearance — stunning.

More:

Straight Out Of Spain: Amazing New Trends in Tile

Contractor Tips: How To Install Tile Flawlessly

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Miter

A miter is a joint. In making cuts done using a handsaw, Miter boxes help, and an electrical compound miter saw can make cuts with angles, making a beveled edge. “Miter” is also a verb; if you miter some thing, you bevel the edge or match endings together in a miter joint.

TaylorCraft Cabinet Door Company

The miter joint on this cupboard door is where the rails and stiles fulfill in a 45-degree angle.

Robert J Erdmann Design

Flexible molding may be used over curved walls and corners that were narrow, making miter joints that were complicated marginally simpler to craft.

WA Design Architects

Multiple cuts were made letting them wrap round the wood pole.

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Show Us Your Two-Cook Kitchen

Compromise is a part of home layout. Whether due to budget, space or storage limitations, kitchens can be challenging. Obviously, the compromises heap up much higher when you’re sharing your kitchen with someone else. Running into each other in the stove, countertop and sink appears inevitable, however big your kitchen is. Is argument-free cooking possible?

We would like to know: how can you deal with more than one individual on your kitchen? Share a photograph in the Comments section below, and it could be featured in a future post on .

Actual-Size Architecture

When you’re whipping up a meal with your loved ones, what exactly are the problem areas? In most kitchens, the sink and the stove is able to start to feel pretty crowded with more than one person around.

When it came to remodeling his very own kitchen, architect Geoffrey Gainer knew he would have to do some careful planning to make his kitchen work to get him and his spouse. Two sinks along with an extra set of burners near the window make running into every other less of an issue. “Two sinks make for a great marriage,” he states. “It is seriously worth the extra few million bucks.”

Inform us : Do you have two sinks on your kitchen? Does this work? Share a photograph and tell us about it in the Comments below.

Actual-Size Architecture

Specialized storage doesn’t hurt either. This superb island makes putting dishes and provides away after a huge meal immediately less stressful.

Inform us : What kitchen feature makes cleaning and cooking less stressful for you and your spouse?

Beautiful Kitchen Design

Restricted counter area can make prepping a set meal next to impossible. The owners of the Colorado kitchen chose to nip that problem in the bud by adding an extra island during their remodel. 1 island is for prep and cooking; another is for cleanup and eating.

Inform us : Do you have two islands? An table? Would you ever consider it?

Kate

Obviously, sometimes a remodel is not an option. Renters are often plagued with Granite counters which make cooking as a couple or with friends next to impossible. Kate Taylor of Cookie + Kate developed a fast remedy to make the process easier: bringing cutting boards out to her dining table.

Inform us : Are you a tenant? Or a homeowner saving to get a remodel? What do you do to make your kitchen function with more than one individual? Share a photo along with your story in the Comments section below.

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Stay Free With House Swapping

With the cost of airfare, rental cars and resorts, a summer vacation can quickly surpass the budget. But what if you didn’t need to stay in a hotel or even pay for a vacation rental? House swapping is another choice.

This tendency was gaining steam, and now among the most popular websites for home swapping, HomeExchange.com, has more than 42,000 listings in 150 nations. If this has piqued your curiosity, here is what you want to know to make a swap of your own.

Vanni Archive/Architectural Photography

Can swap a home rather than stay in a hotel? Aside from saving substantial money, staying in a home or apartment really gives you the taste of an area. You’re able to settle in and feel as a neighborhood rather than a person, and the homeowner you are swapping with will probably fill you in on all kinds of neighborhood keys not from the guidebooks. Another big bonus for foodies is being able to use great neighborhood fresh foods to cook dinner in “home” instead of eating out for every meal.

Fabrizia Frezza Architecture & Interiors

Dream about where you would like to go … With apartment and home listings all around the planet, the world is your oyster. A villa in Italy? A whitewashed home on a Greek island? Why not?

… but keep an open mind. While there are lots of foreign listings to choose from, you may be surprised and find something appealing a little closer to home. What about a beach home in Florida or North Carolina, or even a sun-filled apartment in Los Angeles?

JARCHITECTS: AIA, Jim Rymsza

But I just have a regular home in the suburbs. Who’d wish to rent? If you’re concerned that nobody will want to stay in your home, do not be. By what I have heard concerning the house-swapping community, you’d be surprised at how well homes in “ordinary” towns perform. Some people are traveling on business or might have relatives in your region, so don’t discount your home before you start. You might be surprised.

Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects

Play up your home’s strengths. That said, it will pay to highlight what is so good about your home specifically. Why should someone choose it? If you have an especially spacious or newly remodeled kitchen, be sure to describe its characteristics in detail and take excellent pictures in natural light.

Ben Herzog

Learn how to “sell” your region. Pretend a comparative is coming to visit. What will top your list of must-see regional attractions? What do you enjoy about your neighborhood? Perhaps there is a good café or farmer’s market in walking distance, or even a wonderful row of antiques shops, or a mythical stone of a museum. Shine the best possible light on your neighborhood to entice people who might know little about it.

Scot Meacham Wood Design

Spruce up your external zone. When you have a lawn or patio, be sure to have somewhere for people to sit — and in case you have a table for al fresco diningtable, all the better! There’s nothing wrong with a tiny bit of staging, so go ahead and place your table for dinner prior to snapping the photos to go for your home’s listing.

Jill Sorensen

Maximize sleeping area. Especially if you are swapping with a household, the amount of people your home sleeps can be a deal breaker. Make it a selling point rather of squeezing in an extra twin bed or 2, or swapping out a regular couch for a sleeper variant.

Kerrie L. Kelly

What about my dog? Or vehicle? Or precious stuff? Or … ? There are plenty of ifs involved in setting up a home swap, and it’s certainly not for everyone. That said, there are hundreds and hundreds of happy home swappers on the market, and by the coverage on individual swapping websites, issues seem to be somewhat rare. As it’s a reciprocal arrangement, the majority of people may want to care for your home as they expect you are caring for theirs. Just use your common sense and lock up anything quite valuable or which you’d be heartbroken to lose.

As for Fido, a few home swappers make caring for pets part of the arrangement, while some prefer to take the pups elsewhere while the house is currently used. Roughly half of home swappers using HomeExchange.com include their vehicle in the swap, but it is your call.

Prepared to swap? Listed below are a number of tools to check out:
HomeExchange.com. It guarantees you’ll find a swap, or you get the following year free.Craigslist. Look under “home,” afterward “home swap. “Digsville. Additionally, it has a swap guarantee.Intervac. Among the very first house-swapping providers, this site currently offers more than 30,000 listings.HomeLink. Second-year-free assurance; this site is just another of the pioneers of this concept.

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Header

A header is used when framing a large opening in the building of walls, windows or foundations. It’s a thick flat beam that transfers weight from a demanding opening into the parallel studs, joists or rafters.

Vanguard Studio Inc..

The rough-hewn header here is visible, supporting and shifting the weight of the roofing into the unseen studs placed vertically at the ends of the wall opening.

Su Casa Designs

There is a header above this transom window, keeping the weight off the glass panes.

Elad Gonen

Once an whole wall is open just like this, a steel header might be used. The broader the opening, the thicker the header has to be.

The post and lintel structure seen here is essentially the same concept for a header; the horizontal header transports weight to the vertical posts.

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

There is a header under the paneling that is horizontal and the framework.

Lewis / Schoeplein architects

This wood beam is decorative, but there’s unquestionably a header above it supplying the structure of the wall opening.

Browse more header photographs

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Professional Chat: Porch Swings Sway Into Sweet Life

A few summer days it is hard to imagine a more magical place where to see the world go by than a porch swing. Inviting and cozy, porch swings seem to quietly beckon one to slow down and relax for a while. And as seen here, this can be a strong tradition in the southern portion of the United States. These ideas can you help you make the most of a swing.

Frederick + Frederick Architects

Be inspired by historical properties. “Our inspiration was that the Plum Orchard Mansion on Cumberland Island, Georgia,” says Jane Frederick of Frederick + Frederick Architects. “They have huge swinging porch beds that are the perfect place for napping on a hot, lazy summer day.”

MCM Layout

Make the most of the opinion. “This hanging bed is located in the tower of a villa in Jumby Bay in Antigua, West Indies,” says Robert Moreland of MCM Architects. “Jumby Bay is a level island, so the tower provides a fantastic vantage point to miss the island and the ocean. There is also more of a breeze up the higher you are, so the idea of placing a hanging bed here seemed perfect for enjoying the cool breeze while being gently rocked as you nap or read a novel”

Wright Design

Combine in with your environment. “This home is located in a cove on Lake Keowee, South Carolina,” says architect Brad Wright of Wright Design. “The porch pavilion was extended out from the home so as to capture a mountain perspective observable through the mouth of cove. The clients and I agreed that this was the ideal place for a bed swing. The cushions and finish were selected to blend seamlessly with the forest setting and other natural substances utilized on the porch. From the swing, the homeowners can enjoy views of the lake in addition to the remote mountains.”

Group 3

Take a peek from the South. What does each Southern porch want? “A swing, a glass of sweet tea and a dog,” declares Rick Clanton of Group 3, in South Carolina. “If that is not the answer to any question, it should be.”

RSVP Design Services

Make it as large as a bed. “Our clients wanted a porch swing out their master bedroom that has been the size of a double bed mattress,” says Rhonda Vandiver-White of RSVP Design Services. “We made it to their size specifications and had it locally constructed, and utilized outdoor fabric on the pillow and pillows. It looks out over a beautiful English garden, and the owners love relaxing after a hectic day.”

Grounded – Richard Risner RLA, ASLA

Create a Zen retreat. “The inspiration for this design really flows from the design,” says landscape architect Richard Risner of Grounded. “The residence has been designed by architect S. Scott Emsley, also that I desired the outside living spaces to blend seamlessly with the home’s interior and total architectural feel.”

The home is in Southern California, so “we’ve got the opportunity to enlarge our livable area beyond the walls of the home,” he adds. “And for this project I created spaces for my clients to entertain, play, relax, and self-reflect. The result was a modern-style landscape using a slight Japanese influence.”

Soorikian Architecture

Construct your very own little perch. “In the temperate climate of Atlanta you can use a screened porch nearly year-round,” says Karen Soorikian of Soorikian Architecture. “This porch was constructed from the home’s large kitchen/dining area and sits a level over the backyard”

Soorikian was inspired “from the beauty of the deep woodland-like property,” she says. “I expected to give the porch the feel of a perch surrounded by lush trees. It is ideal for lazily lounging in a porch swing, especially in the summertime.”

Coggan + Crawford Architecture + Design

Enhance what you are already obtained. “When we bought the house that the swing was there, and we simply repainted the porch ceiling and floor,” says Annie Coggan of Coggan + Crawford Architecture + Design. Both colors are conventional Southern porch colors. The blue for the ceiling is traditional and practical since blue repels wasps, so the lore goes. The gray floor is porch gray, which hides dirt and pollen in the spring”

Coggan’s favorite color is orange, “so pieces of it are constantly placed about the home we live in, and this chair was a gift from a friend,” she says. “This photo was shot in the first fall during harvest year in a rural Southern community, thus the bucket of gourds.”

HBF plus Design

Help it become sunset prepared. “What could be more satisfying and romantic than appearing out into the sun setting on a water perspective from an expansive porch?” Inquires Bruce Finkelstein of HBF plus Architects. “Maybe only doing it while sitting on a porch swing. It harkens back to more relaxing and gracious eras.”

More great ideas for your porch

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Is an Online Decorator Right for You?

Between house makeover TV shows and also the wealth of online resources available today, there are more options than ever for those people wanting to decorate and improve our homes independently. However, what happens when things just aren’t coming together? DIY projects go awry, paint colours look wrong, color schemes and furniture fashions don’t come together — we have all been there. Occasionally turning to an expert full-service professional or interior designer is the right course; however, if the price of an in-person decorator is out of reach, or in the event that you merely need to have more control over the design process, there’s a new choice to take into account.

“E-decorating” or even”virtual decorating” allows clients to get a decorator from any place on earth, receiving a design program either in a package through the mail or through email. Much less expensive than in-person interior design, e-decorating may consist of everything from mood boards and floor plans to certain resources for furniture and paint colours, and a growing number of decorators are getting on board with virtual services. Here, learn about four decorators on the forefront of the trend and discover if this strategy is right for you.

Burnham Design

1. “Immediate Space,” Betsy Burnham. A leader of the online decorating concept, Betsy Burnham of Burnham Design developed Instant Space, her online design support, to fill a demand she realized: supplying high quality design to budget-conscious and long tail customers.

Full-service interior design from the highly sought-after Burnham can become quite pricey. But when a client is prepared to do some of the legwork, an instantaneous Space box complete with furniture plans, resources, fabric swatches and paint samples, plus specific instructions on the best way best to implement the plan, arrives in as little as a month — and in a tiny fraction of the cost.

Need to know: You send in dimensions and photos of your space plus inspiration photos, complete an online questionnaire and cover the complete fee up front. Four to six months later, you receive a pretty sheet box in the email containing a design board, cloth and paint samples, a furniture plan drawn to scale, a shopping list together with resources available anyplace in your area or online and step-by-step directions for pulling the space together.

Cost: $975 to $1,950

Is it appropriate for you? Immediate Space is a good option for anyone pining to work with a fancy decorator but that want to execute the plan on their own time. If you love the Burnham Design appearance and love receiving a luxe box using samples and skilled design planks in the email (rather than emailed documents alone), this could be the right option for you. Also worth noting, you may choose to add trade-only furnishings and fabrics to your Immediate Space design plan for an additional 25 percent commission.

Watch the meeting with Betsy Burnham

Burnham Design

The Betsy Burnham appearance: famous for the expert way with color, Burnham offers stunning and unexpected color palettes that are really liveable. Expect interiors that are polished and upscale but consistently comfy.

Vanessa De Vargas

2. Turquoise, Vanessa De Vargas. After running her own successful design shop, developing a line of furniture and supplying complete interior design services through her organization, Turquoise, Vanessa De Vargas has garnered a dedicated clientele in the Los Angeles region. Wanting to offer a less expensive option, De Vargas a long time ago expanded her services to include e-decorating.

Need to know: You send in dimensions, photos and drawings of your space, along with inspiration images, your budget and an info sheet, and cover the fee up front. All information is filed electronically. About three weeks later you receive your personalized design program, including suggestions for wallpaper or paint, ideas for design items you own, furniture placement and resources for everything displayed, from furniture to accessories and artwork.

Cost: $500 to $1,050

Is it appropriate for you? Turquoise e-decorating offers the experience of a time-tested interior designer in a less expensive price point, and communicating entirely via email makes things easy and fast. This could be a fantastic fit for your job if you love Vanessa De Vargas’s contemporary glam look and need advice for utilizing some of your current furniture in a new manner.

Watch the meeting with Vanessa De Vargas

Vanessa De Vargas

The Turquoise appearance: Brand New, contemporary and a bit glam, De Vargas’ style blends new and old pieces for a look that feels personal and fun yet polished.

Vanessa De Vargas

Things to expect with design planks: whichever decorator you choose, you will likely receive some kind of design board — either as a hard copy in the email or as a PDF download. In the case shown here, from Vanessa De Vargas, it is possible to see that images of the actual furniture pieces chosen for the client are organized alongside paint color swatches and fabric patterns.

Design boards reveal suggested products and substances, and therefore are meant to help you visualize how the appearance will come together; it is different from the floor program, which (if included) will reveal where to put all that furniture. A written description might also be included to iron out the exact particulars that are not easily displayed on the design boards. Last, you also need to receive a source list with directions on where to purchase everything displayed in your strategy, either locally or online.

Tobi Fairley Interior Design

3. InBox Interiors, Tobi Fairley. Chosen as among Traditional Home magazine’s Top 20 Young Designers in the usa, Tobi Fairley is an accomplished designer offering full-service interior design in addition to an online decorating choice by InBox Interiors.

Need to know: You send in dimensions and electronic photos of your space, inspiration images and also a questionnaire, and cover the full fee up front. All communication happens using a Tobi Fairley team member through email. Six to eight months later, you receive a stunning box comprising a hard-back”look book” with floor plans, sketches and elevations of important details, a concept board, a shopping guide with pricing and detailed directions on implementing the design. You’ll also receive a packet with swatches of your preferred fabrics, paint and wallpapers.

Cost: $1,350 to $2,500

Is it best for you? For those with traditional preference looking for a thorough strategy and hands on materials and design boards from a high-end design home, minus the significant sticker shock, Tobi Fairley’s InBox Interiors team could be a fantastic fit.

Watch the meeting with Tobi Fairley

The Tobi Fairley appearance: famous for her freshened-up conventional appearance, Fairley uses large-scale prints, classic furniture shapes and contemporary pops of color. Her design is simple yet luxurious.

4. Birdhouse Interior Design Consulting, Jessica McKay. Jessica McKay offers in-person remodeling and decorating consultations for those in and around Omaha, Nebraska, in addition to online consultations for customers who just require a little bit of help pulling everything together.

Need to know: Online consultations incorporate an area mood board with resources for furniture and accessories, tips on developing a color palette, ideas for repurposing items and a written explanation of how to execute the strategy.

Cost: $250 per room

Is it right for you? Birdhouse Interior Design Consulting could be a fantastic fit if superaffordable design help from somebody with a fantastic eye is what you are after.

The Birdhouse Interiors appearance: Expect trendy, classic touches and lots of ideas for creatively aligning items. It’s hip and contemporary with an eclectic flair.

Interested in hiring an Internet decorator? Here are a couple more e-decorating companies worth checking out:
Maggie Rose Interiors: Decorator Maggie Morgan offers e-decorating bundles in addition to in-person decorating in the Seattle region.
Kelly + Olive: Courtney Davis and Lauren Paradise offer color consultations and mood boards online, also online decorating decorating for those from the Chicago region.
Nesting: Specializing in baby and children’s spaces, designer Susan Hutchinson offers e-design bundles in addition to in-person design consultation in the Philadelphia region.

Tell us: What do you believe? Can you (or have you?) Tried e-decorating?

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Designer's Touch: 10 Basement Upgrades

Is the clutter in your basement driving you insane? Get your last piece of spring cleaning done and clean out this underused — and underappreciated — space. Rejuvenate your basement with these designer tips and include performance, style and square footage to your property.

Peregrine Design Build

1. All bases covered. Install open shelving together all of the walls of your basement for organized storage. Display household products, games and toys as decor.

Witt Construction

2. Stunning basement. If you’ve got a slightly bigger budget, completely design it to become another usable degree of your property. Insert a wellness TV, cabinetry, furniture and games for that supreme bar and recreation area.

Eisner Design LLC

3. Total basement fitness. Establish a dedicated physical fitness area in your basement to save time and money. Insert an adjacent play area to keep a watchful eye on the kiddies as you’re exercising.

Billinkoff Architecture PLLC

4. Basement exhibition. Convert your basement space into a gallery, together with all of your personal favorite artwork on your walls.

Leslie Goodwin Photography

5. Measures to success. Build a perfectly operational office under the basement stairs with built in cabinetry and handy open shelving to store bills and household paperwork. Save space and keep organized under a single stairs.

DIN Interiorismo

6. Divide and counter tops. Put a counter-level bookcase with exposed shelves and — voilà! Counter space, privacy and easy access to all your books, with a defined television room.

Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors LLC

7. Bookworm addition. Read all your favorites in your own private oasis of knowledge with a built-in floor-to-ceiling library. What a great idea to showcase your piano in the basement, also — if you dare.

Lizette Marie Interior Design

8. Bold basement. Take a danger and paint your basement a dark shade. Bold color equals a dramatic and cozy basement.

Urban Cape

9. Vino vault. Wine lovers can make their dreams come true with their own wine cellar just down the stairs. Stock up on what your palette needs and have your favorite bottle right in your fingertips.

Dream House Studios

10. Billiards basement. Twist your cellar with wainscoting, crown moldings and carpeting, and top it off with an expert pool table. Your energetic game room expects — with or with a wet bar.

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Kitchen of the Week: Casual and Coastal at Ireland

This updated kitchen on the coast of Howth, Ireland, was developed to combine with all the family’s living areas and catch the texture of the surrounding ocean. Durable materials, a beachy palette and plenty of open space were musts for its clients, who hired Joanne Reilly of Mc Adam Kitchens to design a space with a casual dining area, a defined breakfast bar and a layout that opens into the rest of the home.

Mc Adam Kitchens

The sea-green kitchen cabinetry is constructed from hand-painted oak sanded to reveal the wood beneath. Since the kitchen has views of the ocean, courtyard and the rest of the home, Reilly chose soft colours that would use everything.

Particular details help bring the kitchen into life, from the rustic metal hardware into the drawers engraved with all the childrens’ names. “Regardless of what angle you look at, there is something to keep you interested,” says Reilly.

Mc Adam Kitchens

The functional region of the kitchen is in the trunk, together with the sink, trash and dishwasher within an island facing the stove. There’s plenty of counter space on the bar prep area and on either side of the stove.

Mc Adam Kitchens

The kitchen is linked to a living space. A round breakfast bar makes it possible for the household to sit facing whatever direction they like. A small unit for glassware storage joins the pub with the major island. A row of small drawers on the kitchen island holds spices and other regularly used pantry products.

Mc Adam Kitchens

An ocean view is offered by A built-in seat. A table can be inserted to make a casual dining space. Soft limed oak floors and glass pendants finish the appearance that was coastal.

Mc Adam Kitchens

The kitchen is planned to the last detail — there is nothing . “There certainly aren’t rows of cabinets that are endless for gathering plenty of useless items, however there are plenty of pullout drawers to store essential things,” says Reilly. Silestone quartz countertops were chosen due to their durability and effortless maintenance, and the light color feels at home in this beach home.

More Kitchens of the Week:
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Traditional Townhouse in D.C.
Exposed Brick Arches in Illinois

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