By Nancy August 16th, 2013
Many of our clients ask us about, and we often recommend, Cambria countertops for their kitchen and bath projects. Why do we like it? Lots of reasons! First of all, though, what is it? Cambria is not a natural stone, but it is made from natural stone. In a nutshell, it’s approximately 93% pure quartz combined […]
By Nancy August 8th, 2013
I’m having a very exciting afternoon – I received the latest edition of Sherwin-Williams’ publication, Stir. It’s a magazine all about color… trends, new products, organic farming. Yeah, there’s a great article about heirloom vegetables. They’re very colorful! Did you know that early carrots were purple and that you can get blue tomatoes? Who knew. Anyway, there is […]
By Nancy July 25th, 2013
I was talking with a new acquaintance last week, and he told me the most wonderful story. Well, as a kitchen designer, I think it’s a most wonderful story. You just might too, especially if you’re short on pantry space. I know very few people – unless of course they are a past kitchen design client […]
By Nancy July 18th, 2013
This is a post about hanging pictures. We may have written about this before, but it bears repeating! Many people make the common error of hanging their artwork too high. And not just the artwork… clocks, wall sculptures, all the other things that people hang on their walls. Here is a design tip to remember: gallery […]
By Nancy April 24th, 2013
Normal color vision Red-green color deficiency/dichromate Did you know that around 8% of men but only 1/2% of women are color blind? I am not color blind, which is of course very helpful in my profession, but sometimes we work with clients who are. It’s helpful to know what a color blind person sees, or doesn’t […]
By Nancy April 17th, 2013
There are several types of color schemes: complementary, monochromatic, split complementary, achromatic, analogous… definitions that you probably don’t think about when thinking about designing a space. But we do. Following are definitions of common color schemes and some examples that we found on the internet. Monochromatic: Using any shade, tint, or tone of one color. […]
By Nancy April 11th, 2013
This unique 1948 Edina rambler was built with a modern influence, but a 1970’s update left it with shaggy yellow carpet and wild wallpaper reminiscent of brightly dyed easter eggs. The new owners were looking to update the finishes and change the layout to work for their family. Originally built with many small rooms, the […]
By Nancy April 10th, 2013
Another color trend for 2013 is one that Sherwin-Williams calls “Honed Vitality”. We’ve already looked at two other trend palettes this year, “Midnight Mystery” and “High Voltage“, and this one is a complete opposite. Think beach, weathered wood, soft hues, matte finishes, restful, organic, and homemade. We love all of the forecasted color trends for this […]
By Nancy April 3rd, 2013
We think of cabinet hardware as the “jewelry” of the kitchen or bath. I just ran across this relatively new line from Notting Hill; it’s beautiful and it serves more of a purpose than opening doors and drawers. From Notting Hill:HOPE BLOSSOM knobs and pulls are elegantly designed and hand-cast of solid fine pewter and […]