Reclaim wood anyone?

January 23, 2020

Reclaim wood anyone??

Reclaimed wood anyone?? Have you noticed just how popular reclaimed wood has become, or that matter of fact, anything recycled? Nowadays, it’s all about being “Green.” I love the look brings an organic feel to any space.

There are more and more places they are selling their version of reclaimed wood. So finding it has become much easier.

There are many ways to incorporate reclaimed wood into any design. Here are some examples.

Use it on a kitchen island.

As an accent wall
On a barn door.
Or as a false beam.
As you can see, there are many uses for reclaimed wood. All you need to do is decide where you want to use it. Less is more when it comes to reclaimed wood, as it may make the room appear dark or “heavy.”

All Images Via Pinterest
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Butcher Block in the kitchen, is it a good idea??

August 8, 2019


Is a butcher block in the kitchen a good idea? A lot of people would be concerned that wood is high maintenance. Others would argue that wood brings warmth int the kitchen.

They would both be right. Yes, wood indeed does require maintenance, but you can seal it with oils. Just be aware that not all oils are food safe, so make sure you get one.

I’m not a fan of using butcher block on all my kitchen countertops, but I am a fan of using it on an island. That gives you the best of both worlds — the warmth of wood but in a smaller area where it’s easier to maintain.

How about using a portion of the countertop as a butcher block? What a great idea.

And you should have no problems. If you do have a stubborn stain that won’t come out, you can sand it down, bringing back the beauty of the wood. Use oils like tung oil or raw linseed oil to maintain it; They bring warmth and a rustic element to any kitchen. As far as maintenance goes, you can beautiful details to add to any kitchen butcher blocks are

Imagines Via Pinterest

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Painting your kitchen cabinets

May 2, 2019

Painting your Kitchen Cabinets



Should you paint the kitchen the cabinets? I’ve seen kitchen cabinets that the only thing that is going to save them is a paint job. The biggest problem, I think is the paint job itself. If it’s done right, it can look amazing, but if an amateur does it, well let’s say, not so lovely.

The other problem is what color to paint the kitchen cabinets. Dark? Light? Medium? Perhaps a color? That all depends on your preference. Unless of course, you are selling your home.

I do like white cabinets. When you are shopping for kitchen cabinets, you will see samples of kitchen cabinets in many shades of natural wood, shades of white, antique white, and some shades of color. 

Here are some samples of painted kitchen cabinets.

As you can see, painting the cabinets completely changes the look of the kitchen. That’s why I highly recommend it.

You can then change the countertops and backsplash to change the look of your kitchen further. Painting your kitchen cabinets is a great way to update the look of your kitchen without breaking your budget.

Are there any colors out there that you have used and found that works well when you’ve painted the kitchen cabinets?

All imagines Via Pinterest
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How to install pendants

January 10, 2019

How to install pendants!

Pendant lighting is trending these days. It serves a dual purpose, offering light in a much-needed area, and changing the design look of the space. Pendant lights come in all sort of colors, finishes, styles, and lengths.

As an Interior Decorator, I often get asked these two questions; how many will I need? And how big should they be? Good questions!! As with anything in design, there are guidelines. 

1. How big requires a little bit of math:
Generally speaking, you want 12″-16″ from the end of the island. The most common is 12″. Let’s say you have a kitchen island that is 120,” and you want four lights. With four pendants, you will have five open spaces, one on each end, and 3 in the middle (one between each pendant). Using 12″ x 5 (open spaces) = 60″.  Subtract that from 120,” and you are left with 60″. Divide 60″ by the number of pendants (4 pendants), and you are left with 15″. This will be the diameter for your fixture. Can you figure out what the diameter would be if you were using three pendants? (Hint 24″)

                    

2. How many?
The Rule of 3. In the design world, odd numbers seem to work the best. That being said, rules are made to be broken. In the example I gave above, I use four pendants. Why? Because the island is very long and can handle four pendants. Just keep this in mind, if you’re going with less, use slightly larger pendants. If you’re using more, use slightly smaller pendants. Above all, scale matters!!

3. Last but not least what height should I hang my pendants? They should hang 36″ to 48″ from the top of the counter. Be considerate of sight lines. You don’t want the pendant to obstruct anyone views, nor do you want them to hit their heads!!

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