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A Facelift For Your Fireplace

Wed, 18 May 2022 22:12:45 GMT

Focal Points & Cable Covers

The fireplace is usually the focal point of the room. Its also an easy place to do an update.

Cable Managment

Remember when television sets were way too big to go above a fireplace? Personally I prefer to not mount a flat screen above the living room fireplace but that's a good solution in a bedroom or family room. If possible run the coax cable and outlet so the TV will hide the connections--a much cleaner look than cords running down the side. Here's a cool cable management helper.

But if you can't get into the wall just keep the cords tidy try this paintable cord cover.

Facing & Covers

The area around the firebox is called the "face" of the fireplace. Often the face can be skim coated if the surface is rough and re-tiled with a mosaic or large format stone or ceramic tile. You can also paint over old red brick using water down acrylic paint or a slurry specified for natural stone and brick.

Adding a fresh coat of paint or stain to the legs and mantle will bring good results too. So don't be afraid to breath new life into that fireplace!

Not Just Like Your Neighbor

Sun, 15 May 2022 19:00:38 GMT

Modern Not Transitional

This kitchen space looked like all the others in this Aliso Viejo townhome neighborhood. The owners wanted their new kitchen to reflect their modern style preference and of course serve their busy family. Since the hickory hardwood floors were relatively new, the new cabinets and countertop needed to compliment. So, we went with an Italian cabinet material with subtle texture and similar color. The Euro style cabinets yield maximum interior space and the horizontal linear pattern fools the eye by visually pushing the walls out. Making the back wall feel even wider than it is. Cleaf innovative surfaces has much to offer—incredibly inspiring.

Using touch latch hardware on cabinet doors eliminates the need for hardware and simple tab or edge pulls on drawers help maintain the sleek aesthetic. These are from Top Knobs

The quartz countertop is Cambria, the dramatic veining with gold flecks was like the jewel of the kitchen. The metallic backsplash mosaic added another texture and reflective quality which changes with the natural light throughout the day.

Dimmable under cabinet lighting should always be added! It serves as task lighting at the brightest setting and ambient, atmospheric light when dimmed. It also creates “light play” and shows off the mosaic tile. Placement of a microwave at the end of the peninsula offers a good buffer zone so if there’s a cook at the range, the kids can still heat up a snack. Microwave drawers or drop-down models are perfectly placed just below countertop height.

The 9’ opposite wall has maximum function including 24” of fridge space, 18” of freezer, 18” of wine storage as well as a 36” pantry and a 12” broom closet.

The waterfall of quartz at the end of the peninsula accentuates that bold vein and also supports the deep countertop. Comfortable stools, that tuck nicely under the overhang, make this a favorite place to do homework or help mom prep dinner.

Narrow rooms in townhomes can be limiting. Previously there was a single door into the under-stair space that split the wall into 3 unusable sections. So, we decided to gut it and eek out all the width and depth we could get for the entertainment center. That allowed more space for furniture so all 5 family members can watch a movie or play a game. When game play is over everything goes right back into the deep drawers until next time.

Wine & Pelicans

Fri, 13 May 2022 21:44:05 GMT

Seal Beach Custom Kitchen

We just moved the owners into this new build in Seal Beach. These devoted foodies wanted a comfortable atmosphere for entertaining. We were happy to oblige.

We painted the cabinets with a off white glazed finish and installed quartzite countertops called Taj Majal. Quartzite is the hardest, most impervious natural stone, and should not be confused with quartz, the popular man-made solid surface. The floors are white oak. And we skinned the ceiling to mirror that organic texture with cedar T&G.

This spacious kitchen gave us the freedom to create some lovely features, personalized for the homeowners. For example, the lighting in those glass-front upper-uppers will highlight and add sparkle to the owner’s collection of vintage and antique stemware.

Other features include the convenient pot-filler above the range top, double dishwashers, and the single-basin apron-front sink. And, yes, that’s a Smart Touch faucet.

The easy-reach microwave drawer in the island is our go-to solution for convenience and safety. We decided to install it just far enough away from the range top so that two cooks can work at once – one at the microwave while the other stirs the sauce. And the space below the microwave is ready for a built-in “seal-a-meal” unit. Fancy! The bar stools, from Lexington, are some of the most comfortable and best proportioned we’ve found.

When the design of a kitchen calls for a separate range-top, we love to use these big, deep drawers underneath for the pots and pans. We installed handmade ceramic tile by Encore for the backsplash and from Top Knobs we selected cabinet pulls in their new color ash gray.

We had originally planned for a roomy 42” fridge, but since they have a professional restaurant unit in the garage, we opted for a standard 36” stainless steel model. This choice gave us room to create a full-depth, full-height spice pull-out feature. Bonus!

There's that refrigerator, between the double oven and the slim, convenient spice rack, rolled neatly out of sight.

This project presented a series of challenges

and opportunities. We truly enjoyed working with clients who knew what they wanted but welcomed suggestions from us and our trusted building and design partners. At the reveal, we could tell we satisfied our customer and walked away with a feeling of pride and satisfaction.

This is the most functional, non–appliance corner of the kitchen. The walk-in pantry has tons of space and the pelican, etched on the glass door, is the original art work of Beveldine Glass Studio. What a great studio to work with. Check them out at http://www.beveldine.com/.

Ahhh the pièce de résistance, the dining area adjacent to the kitchen, complete with a giant wine storage wall. I mentioned they were foodies but he’s a wine fanatic too. See that custom-made dining table with the beautiful inlays? It was designed by Frank at Interior Workshop, an awesome artist we met through the home owners. His work is also featured on some tables we commissioned for the living room of this home.