Archive for Kitchen

A Bakers Dream

Posted by Sheri on

Saturday, November 10th, 2018

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My clients recently purchased a home and were wanting to make some spaces more efficient and user-friendly. On my list was to create a butlers pantry and a closet-makeover. While they were two totally separate spaces, we addressed both areas at the same time. This is Part 1 of a two-part series for this home. For this blog, I’ll be going over the Butler’s Pantry Makeover.

Butler’s Pantry Makeover

The Concept

Let’s start with this space that is located just off of the kitchen. When my clients moved into the home, they did a lot of painting. Part of the painting was the existing cabinets. The gorgeous hood fan in the kitchen is a lovely blue.

Sherwin Williams Ancor’s Aweigh SW 9179

This blue is such a strong and rich statement. We decided to do all of the cabinetry in this color! I have used this color before and was excited to be working with it again! After discussing the items on the ‘wish list’, the conceptual design was created.

Design by Sheri Bruneau

My client loves to bake and there were certain things on her list that she wished for. The items we were adding were:

A tall cabinet to house the cleaning supplies, brooms, a vacuum, etc.
An apron sink.
My clients wished to have their microwave (in a base cabinet).
Floating shelves were a must!

And here is the 3D conceptual rendering of the butler’s pantry makeover:

Butler’s Pantry: Before

Here is what the butler’s pantry looked like prior to the work getting done.

Part of the space was used as a dropping zone for….things.

The previous owner had plumbing in already for a sink and we were lucky there were also outlets at counter height.

Butler’s Pantry: The Reveal

The tall cabinet that now houses the cleaning supplies (out of sight).

We chose a beautiful, delicate knob in a Golden Champagne finish. This finish, with the blue cabinets, is just so damn pretty!

For the faucet, we continued with the Golden Champagne finish.

My client LOVES to bake and can’t wait to use her new space!

Butler’s Pantry Makeover

This was such a great space to create. I absolutely loved working with my client and I wish to give her a special shout-out. Our initial conversation started in March of 2018. I had mentioned that I was pretty booked but she patiently waited for me to fit her in. We had a couple of long delays with things (no fault of anyone – just an extremely busy renovation summer). In the end, although this space took longer to get it all done, I am extremely grateful for such great clients. In a recent email, my client said,

Love my Pantry! It so much fun to work in.

Coming next week I’ll be showcasing their master closet makeover! I hope you stay tuned.

Trade Day: How to prepare and be organized for your renovation

Posted by Sheri on

Saturday, June 30th, 2018

in Design, Interior Design, Kitchen, renovations

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This past week, I had a Trade Day at one of our upcoming renovation projects. There was a lot of preparation that went into getting ready for this day so I thought it would make a great post.

First, if you are going to manage your own renovation, this post may give you some insight into how prepared you should be to obtain quotes from any trade.

Secondly, if you are not going to manage your renovation, this will give you an inside look at to all the work that goes into this stage.

Trade Day

First of all, what is a trade day? A trade day is a day where I book a block of time at the renovation site. I invite all of the required trades to meet me to carry out a walkthrough of the site. We discuss what is in their scope of work, we discuss any potential curve balls that we may run into, and we briefly discuss timelines.

For this upcoming renovation project, I met the following:

Electrician
Plumber
Painter
Flooring
Contractor

All the paperwork needed for my Trade Day.

Organizing the Trade Day

In order to get this all organized, I needed to do the following:

Arrange a day/time with my clients.
Communicate with my clients the lists for each trade and add in/delete any task required.
Call/email/contact the above trades to see if they could accommodate the date and time.
Create a schedule for the trades.
Create a list for each trade.
Have the detailed drawings for each trade.

Just so we have total disclosure, the above took a total of 6.5 hours to pull together in total.

Trade Day: Electrical

For this renovation project, the electrical part is the largest part and therefore, has the longest list. Part of the scope is to upgrade the electrical panel, add pot lights throughout the home, add additional light for the kitchen cabinets, and add outlets for the new island.

I always create a ‘conceptual design’ for a lighting plan KNOWING that we will discuss options on site. Together, we make any changes so that the quote that I will receive is the most accurate.

Trade Day: Plumbing

For this project, there isn’t a ton of plumbing changes that will occur. That being said, the home that is going to be renovated is an older home so I need to prepare (both timeline and budget wise) for any curveballs that may be seen. For the most part, the only thing changing is the location of the dishwasher. We will be adding in water lines to both refrigerators. We will also need to relocate a cold air return that currently sits on one wall that is coming down. That means the wall that I have planned to be installed may need to be moved 6″ – 1′ to accomodate this. THIS is something I need to know in advance and I’m happy to make that small change on my plans.

Trade Day: Flooring and Paint

I typically give my painter and flooring guys the same plan. What they really need to know is square footage.

For my painter, he also needs to know how many doors, if he’s including baseboards and casings, how many colours of paint we plan on using, etc.

For the flooring, we need to know who is looking after the substrate (preparation), and what my contractor will be handling and what they will be handling.

Trade Day: Contractor

I left this for the last as the scope for my contractor is the ‘fill in the gaps’ from the above. Some items on this list are:

Demolition of 3 walls in the kitchen.
The new framing of 1 wall.
Install of drywall on the new walls.
Install of all interior doors, baseboards, casing.
Finishing work

Trade Day – Why Do I Bother?

As you can see from the above, there is a lot of preparation and work that goes into planning out a Trade Day. So why do I bother with one? After the trades have their information from me, they have seen the site, they can provide me with a fairly accurate quote. The reason I say

fairly accurate quote

is due to the fact that their quote will not factor in any curveballs that we may run into. While we do our very best to prepare, investigate and plan ahead, there sometimes are surprises and curve-balls that we just did not anticipate. The quote that I receive from the Trade Day also does not include any extras that my clients may add on after the fact.

My Facebook Live video prior to going in for the Trade Day

When the trades have provided me their quote, then the clients and I can continue to source product for their renovation project to pull together a final budget.

I love knowing that I have a number of trade companies that I can call upon for all of my projects. Although I use more than one plumber, one electrician, etc., this is the crew that is going to be working on this project for me. While we look like a goofy bunch, we have a lot of fun working together and I know that these guys truly are part of my ‘A Team’.

Click here to join in the fun!

Farmhouse Sinks and Faucets: get the look

Posted by Sheri on

Sunday, June 17th, 2018

in Design, Interior Design, Kitchen

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I am currently working with two clients who love the look of farmhouse sinks and faucets. While one client likes the more traditional look, the other client likes the more modern look. As I started to source the farmhouse sinks and faucets, I thought it would be neat to put together some of my findings.

Please note, this specific blog contains affiliate links. While these links are at no additional cost to you, I will earn a very small commission if you click through and make a purchase. As I write about the products below I wish for you to know the views expressed in this blog are totally mine.

Farmhouse Sinks

While many people know these as farmhouse sinks, what most people really wish for are called apron sinks. When renovating and getting new cabinets, the cabinet needs to be able to fit an apron sink. This means the front of the cabinet needs to have an opening for the front, or apron, of the sink.

Image source

Farmhouse Sink

Here are a few of my favorite finds when I was sourcing farmhouse sinks:

Purchase this sink

This particular sink comes in many colors including this sexy Thunder Grey. The height of the apron (front) is 9 5/8″ and has a beautifully curved corner. And straight from the Kohler website:

Crafted from enameled cast iron, this sink resists chipping, cracking, or burning for years of beauty and reliable performance. A standard apron front makes it easy to install on 36-inch apron-front cabinetry. The Self-Trimming^® design requires only a simple rough cut, overlapping the cabinet face for beautiful results.

Here is the same sink in a Double Basin. Image source for the image below is here.

Purchase this Sink

There are also stainless steel options for apron sinks and this beauty definitely caught my eye!

Purchase this Sink

This Strive kitchen sink offers professional style with easy-to-clean curved corners. Made of thick, premium quality 16-gauge stainless steel, the apron-front sink has a Self-Trimming design that requires only a simple rough cut, overlapping the cabinet face for beautiful results.

For a more traditional look, here is one that I spent significant time looking at for one of my clients.

Purchase this Sink

This beauty only comes in two colors: white and parchment.

Purchase this sink

What I love about a bowed apron front sink is that it gives a nice feminine curve to a space.

Farmhouse Faucets

I know there are many ways to do things, but I typically source the sink first and then source the faucet. Here are a couple of farmhouse faucets that caught my eye for my clients.

Bridge Faucets

A bridge faucet is popular to pair with an apron sink. I love the look of this faucet as it works with both the traditional look as well as a more modern look. This particular faucet comes in Brushed or Polished Stainless Steel.

Purchase this faucet

This faucet below is by far, one of my favorites! For me, it just screams farmhouse style AND it comes in so many finishes!

Purchase this faucet

Single Handle Faucets

Purchase this faucet

This faucet is one of my favorite single handle faucets. It has a pull-down spout with the DockNetik^® magnetic docking system. There is also a 3-function sprayhead feature that includes Kohler’s Sweep^® and BerrySoft^® spray.

Purchase this faucet

This faucet comes in 5 finishes that include English Bronze, English Gold, Polished Chrome, Polished Nickel, and Satin Nickel. These faucets are made in Great Britain using regionally sourced solid brass and ceramic components. What that really means is they are very well made!

Farmhouse sinks and faucets

Sourcing is one of the tasks that I love the most. While starting to source for my clients, I love seeing what options are available, what finishes are available and what the price points are. I always know that there is a way to get the look my client wishes for, within their budget!

When you’re ready to renovate: coming up with a renovation budget

Posted by Sheri on

Monday, June 11th, 2018

in Bath, Design, Interior Design, Kitchen, renovations

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This week a new renovation/refresh project will be starting. I met my client like I meet the majority of my clients; through a referral from a past client. When I met my client she was looking to have her main bathroom and her kitchen refreshed. As it is with all of my clients, I knew I was going to explain my process to come up with a budget. So what exactly is my process with my client? How did we come up with the end design and most importantly, how did we come up with a renovation budget?

How we come up with a renovation budget

I actually have many blogs that discuss what I believe the first step is in a renovation. Of course, it is having a design in place. If you haven’t had a chance to read them, here are two that cover this topic:

Main Bathroom

For my client, there were really only 2 choices for her bathroom for the layout:

Option A – refresh the entire space. Really, this means out with the old and in with the new.
Option B – reconfigure the bath area to have a large shower (with no bathtub).

In the end, we chose to keep the bathtub as this was her only bathroom (better for resale down the road).

Cabinet Options

We discussed the options and pros and cons of installing a floating vanity vs one that was not. We also discussed storage for this bathroom and how we could maximize the storage area. Here are some ideas that I was able to show my client:

Once I knew the direction we were going in, I was able to present a really great looking vanity. Stay tuned to see what we picked out!

Lighting Options

Once the vanity was solidified, we could look at lighting. With this bathroom refresh, we are going to go with 2 wall sconce lights (which may give away which vanity we ended up going with) that will be located on either side of the mirror. Here’s a peek at the cuties that are going to be installed:

Bathroom wall sconce lighting that we are going to use.

Flooring/Tile Options

When my client and I were discussing the bathroom, I had discussed using some larger tile to give a more modern look. As a result, we are going with a fairly large tile (18″ X 36″) on the floor as well as on the walls of the bathtub/shower area. I met with my tile setter as I wanted to ensure that we could do a stacked pattern for both the floor and the walls.

An example of a stacked pattern

Here is the conceptual design of her bathroom:

©www.gityyc.com Note: the tile will be a different size and pattern (as discussed above).

Kitchen

For the kitchen, we looked at refacing the cabinets as well as the option of having them painted. In the end, we decided to keep the existing cabinets just as they were. This allowed us to address some other minor area in the kitchen/living room space.

Counters and Backsplash

We chose a great quartz that works with the existing cabinets. In addition, we also chose a new backsplash tile that will be more neutral for the space.

Sink and Faucet

With having a new counter, we are going to go with a new undermount sink and a new faucet.

Lighting

We decided to have one of track lighting removed and have some potlights installed. We will also have two new pendant lights installed over the eating area. For the living room, we are just going to update the track lighting as it really works in her space.

Paint

The entire townhouse is going to be fully painted giving the entire space a nice refresh!

How we come up with a renovation budget

When the design plan was created and approved, as always, I had my trades come in to provide a quote for their work. Once I knew what their costs were going to be, I could start making strategic choices for what was going to be used in this bathroom and kitchen.

Realistic Expectations

My client already had a budget in mind for her bathroom and her kitchen so I had a really good start. Her budget was very realistic and quite do-able. I knew it was going to be my task to get everything she wished for within her budget.

Labour Costs

For the bathroom, the labour includes the following:

demolition
drywall
plumber
electrician
tile setter
painter

Here’s how the pricing looks:

Product Costs

Here is a little peek at how the product costs worked out:

How we come up with a renovation budget

Labour costs and product costs are put together and we end up with a total budget. Guess what? I came in under her budget expectations! Here’s how the budget looks for two spaces:

My client had a budget in mind of $30,000.00. As you can see, I’ve come in under her budget. I am not expecting any curveballs with this renovation as it really is a refresh of her spaces. I’m looking forward to providing Facebook Live updates throughout this project. I hope you can join me!

The Best Backsplash for Granite Counters

Posted by Sheri on

Tuesday, February 20th, 2018

in Interior Design, Kitchen, renovations

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When granite counters are chosen, I always, always recommend a solid backsplash to go with the counters. I’m a HUGE believer in having one aspect be the star of the space. Granite tends to be a bit bossy – and just so you know – I don’t necessarily mean this in a negative way. So what is the best backsplash for granite counters?

When a good friend of mine called me to come and see her new kitchen in the home they recently purchased, I was excited to see their new home. My good friend let me know, prior to coming over, that she wasn’t too keen on the granite. Here is a close up of the granite:

The granite is very creamy and warm. It goes lovely with the two-toned kitchen cabinets that my friends inherited:

When I met my friend at her new home, she said she didn’t care for her granite. When I entered the kitchen, I knew immediately why she hated her granite.

While my friend couldn’t really put her finger on the ‘why’ – why she didn’t like her granite, I told her my opinion (I know – shocking that I would give my opinion). When there is movement in granite (like my friend has in hers) and movement in the backsplash, your eye doesn’t know where to go. Add onto the movement clash is also the colour clash. Her granite is very creamy and warm however her backsplash had whites and greens that did not go well with the granite. It really was a little bit of a hot mess. In my opinion, the backsplash would have looked fantastic with a solid counter. I knew the best backsplash for granite counters for her home would be a solid colour.

We started with looking at options for the kitchen. One option my friend wished to investigate was ripping out the granite and replacing it with quartz. I discussed things that could happen when tearing out the granite. Items I discussed were:

How easily (or difficult) it would be to pull off the granite from the cabinets. Since I didn’t build this kitchen, I had no idea how the granite was installed. I had to disclose that the cabinets could be damaged when the granite came off.
With ripping out the existing granite, a new sink would be needed as well as potentially a new faucet. Again, it all depended on how it would come out when the granite was ripped out.

While we were looking at the cost of all of the above, the more cost effective solution would be to replace the backsplash tile. At first my friend was not too keen on the idea however, she came around!

Best backsplash for granite counters

In my opinion, the one and only choice to have the best backsplash for granite counters is to go with a solid colour. When my friend was open to this idea, I had brought over several samples of creamy, solid backsplash tile. While some were too yellow and some were too white, in the end we decided to go with the handcrafted glossy 3 X 6 subway tile. Just the right amount of creaminess to work with the cabinets and existing granite.

What I wish to point out before I show you the after photos is that subway tile does not have to be boring. There are many ways to lay subway tile to give it a bit of a flair.

Image source

After careful consideration, it was decided that the tile would be installed in a herringbone pattern. Here are the results of this kitchen:

During the install

Right after it was grouted

Taken with lots of sun shining through. As you can see from the single image of the tile, it really is creamier than it is coming out in this photo.

A close up of the hand crafted edges taken with my iPhone.

While the tile does look brighter in the day with all of the sun shining through, it is the perfect cream colour to go with the kitchen cabinets. Here again is the before and after:

Thinking of an upcoming renovation project? Contact me to discuss planning ahead of a hammer ever being swung.

Quartz Counters: Why you should always double check

Posted by Sheri on

Monday, February 5th, 2018

in Bath, Design, Interior Design, Kitchen, renovations

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When it comes to counter tops, I am typically specifying quartz counters or granite counters for bathrooms and/or kitchens. In a recent project, I had worked with the clients to find the perfect creamy quartz counter for their kitchen. As you know, there are various shades of white/cream so getting this right was super important. Whites fall into 4 categories

blue white
true white
off white
cream

If you’ve ever had to choose a white before, you may realize just how many whites there are. It’s super important to get it right!

Quartz Counters: The Benefits

Most of my clients are leaning towards choosing quartz counters for a couple of reasons:

Quartz counters are loved due to the fact there is virtually no maintenance needed (as opposed to needing to seal granite from time to time).
The quartz counter sample that you see is what will be installed. There’s no need to go to the yard to select the exact slab (like I recommend doing with granite).

So what the hell happened?

Let me first say that this is not going to be a bashing post about the quartz company. What you are going to read below are just the facts (that is why some people call me Frank: I’m honest and direct with my words). Here are the events of this quartz adventure.

Quartz Counters: Selection

When I work with clients, counters are the third item we look at (after selecting the cabinet colour/style and flooring). What was already solidified were the cabinet style, the cabinet colour and the flooring. This particular renovation project is an entire home renovation. The exterior walls were taken down to the studs and all interior walls were removed (except for one). The reason I mention this is that every decision that was made was based off of our foundation palette and the path this home was going down. The foundation palette falls in the ‘cream’ foundation palette. There is not a stitch of true white, there is not an ounce of grey. This is a creamy, warm house. Period.

The cabinet colour is Cloud White from Benjamin Moore. Cloud White falls in the off-white category so you would think there were many options for counters. Not so. Cloud White can work really well with greys however as I mentioned above, there is not a stitch of grey in this home.

After looking at many quartz options, we were down to two choices:

Caesarstone Snowy Cliffs

Caesarstone Himalayan Moon

With the entire home vision in mind, my choice for my clients was Snowy Cliffs. It’s super soft compared to Himalayan Moon and would work perfectly. Decision made! Once we made that decision, the backsplash and wall colour were then chosen. Giddy up – let’s get rolling!

Quartz Counters: Install

I always get excited when kitchen cabinets get installed and then I’m super excited when the counters go in. For me, it signifies that we’re about 3/4 of the way done! It also allows the clients to get excited too as they can now start to see their space come together. Although the space has been in my brain since selections were made, it’s pretty hard for my clients to see into my brain and see what I can see (the vision of the space).

My fabricator came on his scheduled date and install happened without a hitch. My fabricator texted me when he was done and then sent me a picture. Let me first say that I know colour doesn’t show properly on a cell phone. Knowing that, I almost shit my pants when the image came through. The minute I saw the counters, I knew they were wrong. When I arrived on site, I quickly called my fabricator to ask is Snowy Cliffs was installed. He checked, double checked and triple checked his paper work and yes, Snowy Cliffs was installed. I’m telling you, the counter I was looking at that was just installed was not Snowy Cliffs.

Subtle Colour Change

Now you may be thinking,

Really? You are having an issue with the subtle colour change?

Here’s what I want you to realize. While yes, the counter was not bad, it was not what we had picked out. It was not part of the vision of this house (again – not a stitch of grey to be seen anywhere in this home). What I also want you to understand is the big picture. I know the flooring that was going into this home as well as the furniture coming into this home. I know my clients’ tastes and likes and I also know every painstaking decision we made was based off of a warm and creamy feel for this home. The Snowy Cliffs that was installed instantly turned this into a cool space.

Quartz Counters: What Happened?

After some phone calls back and forth between my fabricator and my Caesarstone rep, and to make a long story short, we found out the formula for Snowy Cliffs was changed. Um…..what? Yes, you read that right. The formula for making this particular quartz was changed. I had never heard of that before so I was a little bit shocked. All I can say is that (thinking glass half full) that it was a great day as I learned something new. It believe it’s always a great day when you learn something new. Now, how to tackle this and make it right!

Moving Forward

Here is what I told my clients after the Mrs said, “Well, I can live with it if I have to.”

Absolutley not!

No one should have to ‘live with it’. Especially when you’re going to the extent of a renovation like we are with this project and spending the dollars and time on a project. We went back to Caesarstone and looked at other options. One of the other options we looked at was Cosmopolitan White.

Image source

Since we knew that Snowy Cliffs had a formula change, we asked to see the larger slabs of Cosmopolitan White. When we saw the slabs, guess what? The large slabs were much greyer than the sample. The Mrs. was not loving it and so this no longer became an option.

Final Choice

So….on to our next choices. When we first looked at quartz, at the very beginning of this process, I had mentioned Vanilla Noir. I had used it in a past project and it is such a delicious counter. It is also quite striking to have the contrast of a creamy cabinets with a darker counter. Although the counter was dark, the veining in it is creamy and warm. We brought back many samples of Vanilla Noir, we then hand-chose 2 Vanilla Noir slabs (to ensure the veining was just what the Mrs. was hoping for), and called it a day.

Image source

While Vanilla Noir totally changes the look of the kitchen (compared to when Snowy Cliffs was installed), it is marvellous! And while a darker counter may show a few more crumbs, the veining in this counter is also a great hider of crumbs. I also know that the Mrs. is a great cleaner so I would be shocked to see any crumbs on the counter in the near future. When you step foot in the door of this home, your eye immediately goes to the kitchen! Vanilla Noir is truly the star in this space!

Quartz Counters: Why you should always double check

In the past, I never thought twice about using my large samples of quartz to make a very confident decision. After this experience, I now know to be asking the question:

Has the formula changed? May we please see a large sample to ensure the colouring is right?

I encourage you to also double check when choosing your quartz samples. There’s nothing wrong with double checking to make absolutely sure you are getting what you think you are getting.

I also wanted to take this time to let you know that Caesarstone has been absolutley fantastic to us. They have made accommodations for us to come and view big slabs, they have pulled various slabs from their warehouse and let us hand select our slabs to ensure we are all happy, and they have really provided us great customer service. Obviously they did not do this on purpose. I am thankful that we found a wonderful counter that still goes with everything and maintains the vision my clients have for their new renovation. I told you this would not be a bashing post!

We are about 2 weeks away from being done this renovation that started in August! I can’t wait to showcase all of the changes with you. I hope you’ll stay tuned!

Thinking of an upcoming renovation? Not sure where to start? Contact me today!

How Much Do You Know about Laminate? You may be surprised at what is available!

Posted by Sheri on

Monday, January 22nd, 2018

in Bath, Design, Interior Design, Kitchen

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When I attended KBIS 2018 with Modenus on their blog tour being a Design Hound, I specifically had my current clients and future clients in mind. Every time we had a tour at one of our sponsor booths, I was thinking,

Would this be a good product for their renovation?

Could I see this being used in a future renovation?

When we had the opportunity to visit Wilsonart, I was excited to see their new and innovative laminate products. Not sure what is all new and happening with laminate? I encourage you to read on!

Please note: according to FTC rules, I need to disclose that my trip to KBIS was a free trip. While I did not get paid for my time at KBIS, my hotel, airfare and some meals were covered. As I write about our sponsors I wish for you to know that I do not receive any additional monetary compensation for doing so. And please note, the views expressed in this blog are totally mine!

Laminate Love

Laminate Counters, shelves and walls

When we arrived at the Wilsonart booth, we were treated to our talk by Danny Seo, Wilsonart’s spokesperson and host of NBC’s Naturally Danny, to showcase Wilsonart’s latest innovations support sustainable living.

Our first vignette that saw was Wilsonart® Laminate and Wilsonart® Soft Silk Laminate Finish. Here are 3 things that impressed me about this laminate:

Do you see this waterfall edge? This is a laminate counter. Having the ability to create a laminate counter with a waterfall edge is pretty spectacular as from a distance, you would think this was a stone counter.
For most laminate counters I have never seen an under mount sink – until this one!
Laminate is not just for counters either. These gorgeous floating shelves are made out of laminate as well as the wall! Material Mixology give designers a great way to mix and match material in a space.

Image credit: One of my KBIS and design besties Jana Donohoe with Jana Donohoe Designs took this amazing photo of the entire space featuring the laminate counters, floating shelves and wall. jana

As Wilsonart states on their website:

This collection features a sensational array of styles and themes capable of stealing the show solo or when combined with the right complements can create a dynamic design.

I thought the vignette at the Wilsonart booth was a fabulous showcase of the use of laminate!

Cabinets

Wilsonart Performance Plus showcased a really great product – especially if you love black.

Image Credit: My lovely friend and fellow designer Erica Islas with EMI Interior Design took this great photo.

Their new fingerprint resistant technology is called Wilsonart® Traceless™ Laminate . Available in 5 colours (including black), now you can have smears, smudges and streaks be a thing of the past! With black being such a trend right now, this may be an option for you if you’re looking for black cabinets but have been hesitant about keeping them looking sharp!

Shower Walls

When I saw this vignette, I had to go back for a second time. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Wilsonart’s Wet Wall.

Image credit: This photo, taken by my new friend, UK Designer Heather Jenkinson !

There are 2 reasons why I was so drawn to this shower application:

More and more clients are gun-shy about having grout in the shower. They know that a tile shower looks lovely but are weary of the maintenance down the road with the grout. I wrote a blog recently about shower floor options and since that blog, I’ve specified 4 showers (the same one I am putting in our basement development). Why? In all instances, I was told how drawn my clients are to knowing they can get the look of tile without the grout!
The installation really caught my eye.

Did you read the above???? This could be installed right over existing tile! I immediately thought of my property investors and how this could save a ton of money in demo!

Did you know how the world of laminate has changed? I would love to hear what are your thoughts on laminate!

Thinking of an upcoming renovation?

These are a few of my favourite things: Top 3 Finds at KBIS 2018

Posted by Sheri on

Monday, January 15th, 2018

in Bath, Design, Interior Design, Kitchen

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As you may know, last week I attend the KBIS (Kitchen and Bath Industry Show) in Orlando Florida. I was part of a 24-member Blog Tour put together by Modenus. As part of this 24 panel of top influencers, we had the opportunity and privilege to be put in front of many great products and supplies. We saw a lot of technology integrated in appliances, we saw some super sexy bathroom and kitchen fixtures and of course, some wonderful building products in the IBS (International Builder’s Show) portion of the convention. As part of this trip, I’ve put together my top 3 finds at KBIS 2018 that I saw on this trip. As I went through my images from all of our sponsors, I chose three that I believe you, my readers would appreciate. I kept in mind how functional these items would be for you and what the price points are. For one of my favourite finds, I specifically chose it for those of you who wish to make an impact with the details of a space without having to remove walls and that doesn’t involve too much construction mess! I will warn you that this is most likely going to be my lengthiest post, but it is chalked full of info!

My Favourite Things

Top 3 Finds at KBIS 2018: THERMADORE

On our first day, we had the opportunity to learn about Thermadore and the release of 300 new appliances! While we didn’t see all 300, we did have the opportunity to see many new great features and additions to their lines. One cooktop that Thermadore showcased was their MASTERPIECE® SERIES FREEDOM® INDUCTION COOKTOP. While I saw many cooktops, here are just a few reasons why this one made my top 3 finds at KBIS 2018.

Thermadore created this cooktop to automatically detect the presence of your cookware. What exactly does that mean? It means that you can move your pot to another location anywhere on the cooking surface and the cooktop will transfer all of your programmed settings to the new position of the pot. Did you read that you can move it ANYWHERE??? BLOW.MY.MIND technology!

Image courtesy of Thermador

With this new technology, the Freedom Induction Cooktop delivers an amazing 63% more useable surface area. There are 48 coils measuring 3” each which means that the with the 36” cooktop, you can cook with up to 4 pots/pans/griddles in ANY combination, shape or size. BOOM!

Image courtesy of Thermador

Along with all the surface area, Thermadore included the first full-colour touch screen induction panel. The displays is an amazing display with 6.5” colour screen with touch-through glass. This results in better control and faster access to cooking settings.

Image courtesy of Thermador

Now, for the guts of this sexy little cooktop! It features 4,600 W PowerBoost™ that will allow you to boil water faster than any other product on the market! In addition, the cooktop heats 50% faster than a traditional cooktop. Another great feature is Pan Recognition feature. With this feature, the element will not turn on if other small objects are placed on the cooking zone. This makes safety a number one priority! Along with the Pan Recognition feature, there is also an Anit-Overflo System that features a sounding alarm and shut off of the relevant element if it detects liquids.

With all of the above features, I chose the Thermador MASTERPIECE® SERIES FREEDOM® INDUCTION COOKTOP as one of my top three picks. I design a lot of kitchens (click here to see a few) and when the topic of function comes up with my clients, it generally leads into the discussion of cooking and what is currently working and what is currently not working. For someone who may wish to cut down on cooking and spend more quality time with the family, this is a great choice! I also believe it’s a great choice that can be incorporated into a transitional kitchen or a modern kitchen. With its full stainless steel frame and grey-black glass door and clean lines, it truly would be a great addition for any kitchen.

You all are probably wondering the price-point for this cooktop. Let me start out by saying that this is not your entry level cooktop. Thermador is a luxury brand that focuses on innovative technology while continuing to focus on beautiful design. I’m a firm believer that you pay for what you get and with Thermadore’s Masterpiece® Series Freedom® Induction Cooktop you are getting a top of the line appliance. The retail price is roughly $5499 USD.

Top 3 Finds at KBIS 2018: LG

We were fortunate enough to start our first day at the LG Sponsored Champagne and Cupcakes breakfast. It was at this breakfast, my very first stop of the entire trip, that I was introduced to the LG Styler.

When I was shown the features of this laundry system, one of the first things that came to my mind was: “Hotels should have this in their rooms!” After a long day of travel, I could have easily placed my clothing into a Styler and had nice, refreshed clothes!

We saw two models with the smallest model measuring only 17 ½” wide. Super sleek that it wouldn’t take up a ton of space – especially in a hotel room! Here is why the LG Styler made my top 3 finds at KBIS 2018.

Image courtesy of LG

The LG Styler works with steam. You know what else works with steam? An iron. Do you know how much I hate ironing??? Let me tell you a story: I grew up in a home where my mom ironed every Monday. Monday was known as ironing day in our home. And when my mom ironed, she ironed everything – including underwear! When my mom taught me to iron, I hated it. It was one of the worst chores I had to do. I thought everyone ironed so I just sucked it up. When I got married I too had an ironing day (right after laundry day). Let me tell you, that lasted about 3 months! While I do love a good crease, I was so shitty at ironing. Oh.my.god! You should have seen some of my husband’s work shirts and pants. Because I hated ironing, I wasn’t good at it, which is why I hated it. Do you see the cycle of stupidity? So what exactly did I do to get out of this horrid chore? If clothes needed ironing they were tossed into the dryer to get the wrinkles out.

When I was introduced to the LG Stlyer on our first day, I got the giggles remembering 25 years ago how I firmly told my husband that I was no longer going to be ironing his work shirts. Fortunately, we are still married!

The LG Styler is what I would consider a game-changer in getting laundry done – and it’s not only just about getting the wrinkles out! You basically either set you articles in the unit or hang them up, close the door, push a few buttons, come back after a set time and your clothes are done! While that’s the short version, here are some of the features that blew my mind:

There is a deep penetrating steam that removes wrinkles. Not only does it get out the wrinkles, it freshens up your clothes too. I’m going to say this again: it removes wrinkles. Take that iron and pitch it out the window people!
The LG Styler’s TrueSteam® technology reduces odors that can easily cling to fabrics, knits and even your most delicate delicates. Smells like smoke and sweat can be easily removed with the LG Styler. If you don’t want to wash that jacket over and over again (possibly shortening the life of the jacket), you can hang it in the LG Styler and refresh it without having it go through a full-cycle wash.
The sanitary cycle was the deal sealer for me with this appliance! With the TrueSteam® technology, a person can easily reduce allergens in clothes, bedding, sportswear, and the prized stuffie that your child may love! Just think about tossing in those sneakers that may need a re-fresh. What about the pillow that may also need a good sanitizing? The possibilities are endless! I will be honest that I did think of my son and when he played hockey. We had his hockey equipment sent to a company that would sanitize it and we did that often. With the sanitary feature, we could have saved hundreds and hundreds of dollars!

Image courtesy of LG

As I mentioned at the beginning, I also saw a lot of technology integrated appliances and the LG Styler is no different. LG Wi-Fi Styler has SmartThinQ®. This means that you can set in your articles in the Styler and it can be started and monitored any place, any time, using your smart phone. You can get notifications that your cycle is finished, you can download new cycles and check your energy usage. And trust me, the notifications would be going to my hubby’s phone! For all of the features listed above, this is why I chose the LG Styler as one of my top 3 finds at KBIS 2018

We are in the process of developing our basement and I have talked about removing our chest deep freeze in our laundry/storage room. This was going to make room for an upright freezer however I’m thinking that new space would be perfect for an LG Styler! I also said that one of my first thoughts was that hotels should have this in their rooms. Just spending 3 nights in a hotel room, I know my sweater that I brought for the plane could have definitely gone into an LG Styler. I would have totally used it and would have made note of the hotel chain that thought of adding this as a value-added service for their clients!

The pricing for 17 ½” LG Styler comes in around $2100 USD. For basically setting it and forgetting it to have all of the functions listed above, this unit would be totally worth it!

Top 3 Finds at KBIS 2018: METRIE

On our second day, we had the opportunity to visit Metire’s booth. We had a wonderful tour and saw some pretty wonderful vignettes that were put together to showcase their products. While what I’m going to talk about can be used in a kitchen or bath, it can also be used in any space in your home. And since I look after a lot of the construction side and guide clients in choosing their finishings, the products that Metrie offers can be used to either refresh a space, or create a new space adding that ever-important attention to detail.

Image courtesy of Metrie

At Metrie’s booth, we were shown the ‘Then and Now’ collection. These collections have been carefully curated to work together. From the baseboards to the casings to the interior doors to all of the trim work. Here are the collections:

Of course, I knew Metrie has recently brought the ever-popular shiplap into their line. I let two of my clients know that I was going to be seeing the shiplap and would report back to them. When I saw the shiplap, I immediately texted my clients to show them.

Image courtesy of Metrie

Here is why Metrie made my top 3 finds at KBIS 2018:

If a full renovation is not in your future, millwork is a great way to add detail to a ‘boring room’. In addition, it’s actually not that expensive to do and it can take a plain, builder-grade home and elevate it! If you don’t believe, have a turn with Metrie’s Room Styler to play around with creating different looks!
If a renovation is in your future, there are so many ‘looks’ you can create. While Metrie has curated their “Then and Now” Collection, there’s nothing to say you can’t mix and match base and case to create your own look.
The millwork comes typically in three price points that Metrie has called ‘Scenes. Please note: the Pretty Simple Collection only has two Scene options to choose from and all of the others have three choices.
- Scene 1 Elements are quality paint-grade, medium-density fiberboard (MDF) for durability and ease of installation.
- Scene II Elements are designed with angled, crisp geometric lines for a clean, minimalist look. Available in primed MDF.
- Scene III Elements feature long, linear lines with crisp edges in rift-cut White Oak, which is ideal for staining or clear finishes.

While the majority of my projects are full renovations, I do work with individuals and families who like to refresh only one or two certain spaces. Choosing new baseboards, casings, and interior finishings is a GREAT way to do just that.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my own personal Top 3 choices from KBIS 2018. Let me know if you have any questions or comments! I’ll be creating some more blog posts with some pretty sleek, sexy, and great price-point products throughout the coming weeks!

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FLOOR PLANS: WHEN YOU’RE NOT HAPPY WITH THE ARCHITECT’S PLAN

Posted by Sheri on

Monday, November 13th, 2017

in Interior Design, Kitchen

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This past week I started working with property investors who are in the process of building a paired home (duplex). When I was approached to look a the floor plans by the investors, there was a bit of urgency as the framers were going to be starting. The question the investors posed to me was.

Do you think we should stick with the current layout of the kitchen or not? To me it seems small and I’m trying to figure out whether we should extend it or not.

Here is what the architect had drawn up for them.

Floor Plans: My First Reaction

When I first saw the plan I quickly looked at the square footage for this particular floor. There is 919 square feet on this level. The reason I looked at the square footage was that there was one thing in particular that stood out for me: 2 eating areas…for 919 square feet! Who needs 2 eating areas. To me, this was wasting great space. In most homes I’m working in, we are taking out the dining room to create a larger kitchen and common eating area.

Floor Plans: Option 1

I got to work right away as I knew decisions needed to be made about the windows. The first option I presented as a conceptual design included:

A much larger, extended kitchen.
Instead of the 2 small windows that were one the original plan that were located under the cabinets, one window for the sink.
A cooktop and island hood fan.
A much larger island.

Here’s a glimpse to this design:

Floor Plans: Option 2

Not everyone loves an island hood fan so this second option was what I presented that included:

A much larger, extended kitchen.
The cook top and hood fan located on the outer wall.
The sink and dishwasher in the island.

Here’s a glimpse to this design:

Floor Plans: Your Options

These 2 conceptual designs were quickly put together. As you may notice, there isn’t any lighting in this plan and there really isn’t a lot of detail with the entire plan. I kept the kitchen cabinets white as I was under the time-crunch to get this done. These plans were strictly created to show the concept of one eating area and a much larger kitchen. I also included furniture pieces so that the investors can get an idea of the entire floor. All of the specific details will come!

When it comes to building I believe this stage, using floor plans, is so important to get it right. The function HAS to be priority and utilizing your space to the fullest is also extremely key.

I’m looking forward to helping out these property investors with their floor plans as well as picking out everything for these two units. As we have a meeting scheduled for this coming week, I’ll be keeping you updated throughout this project! I hope you’ll stay tuned.

Building a new home and don’t like what you see? Do you feel you need a second opinion on the function of our space? Contact me today to discuss how I can help you out!

KBIS – Kitchen and Bath Industry Show Orlando 2018

Posted by Sheri on

Monday, November 6th, 2017

in Bath, Interior Design, Kitchen

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A couple of weeks ago I found out I was nominated and then chosen by Modenus to be a Design Hound on their Blog Tour for the KBIS 2018 show! I can’t tell you how excited I was to be chosen and what a privilege it is.

What is KBIS?

The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, held in Orlando Florida from January 9 -11^th, is their main event of the year. KBIS will be hosting over 600 leading brands in the kitchen and bath industry that will also include over 100 NEW companies. As you can see from the two images below, there are a TON of suppliers and vendors that I’ll be visiting! Can you say, “bring comfy shoes?!” I love having the ability to compare products and get answers straight from the manufacturers right on the spot!

As you know, I’m a serious list person and thrive on structure so I’m already planning my days!

Blog Tour with Modenus: KBIS Orlando 2018

Modenus has a wonderful list of partnerships and sponsors for this event to make it possible for me to attend. The sponsors would, of course, like me to share information about their products, their services, and their company stories with all of you – my clients and readers. This is a great opportunity for you to get to know the brands that I specify, the products that I love, AND to learn about the new products and services that will allow me to become a better design professional. Confirmed sponsors to date are:

KBIS
Thermador
Wilsonart
Metrie
Lixil Brands that include American Standard/DXV/Grohe

Mixing Business with Pleasure

Just last week, there was quite an interesting conversation in a couple of the design groups that I am part of that had the focus of the conversation around the fun that designers have at events. The conversation and inquiry was specifically about designers posting many social pictures and selfies at industry events.

The conversation also revolved around there being a balance. There were two recent industry events, High Point Market in the fall and the Las Vegas Market in the summer, that were specifically discussed.

2 of my favourite peeps in Las Vegas, August 2017 (Claire Jefford and Wendy Woloshchuk) .

Here are my two cents on this matter: I plan on attend KBIS 2018 with 3 main goals:

To educate myself on new product and technology to make me a better designer. I believe knowledge is power. The more I know, the more I can share with my clients!
To strengthen my relationship with suppliers and vendors. People who know one another, like each other and trust each other tend to continue to do business with each other.
To network with other designers. Yes – you heard me correctly. I love learning from my peers, hearing about success stories and of course, laughing! Nothing better than a great belly laugh to make my day (and yes – that includes the occasional snort).

While I am a pretty private person (I don’t post about any of my holidays and I really don’t post a lot about my family), this Blog Tour will have me stretching out of my comfort zone! I know there will be the occasional selfie and I already know there will be a lot of Facebook live videos! While I am a tiny bit comfortable posting Facebook live videos of my own projects, I am going to channel my inner reporter to do my very best at brining you the latest and greatest and making you feel part of this as well. Heck, I’ve got a new selfie stick and microphone that I ordered just for this! And just so you know – I’ve heard the camera adds at least 15 pounds (just sayin’).

I am super stoked to attend this event, be part of the Modenus Blog Tour and or course, learn and have fun! I hope you’ll join me on this trip.

Thinking of an upcoming renovation and don’t know where to start? Contact me today to discuss your upcoming project.

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Calgary, Alberta

Archive for Kitchen

Butler’s Pantry Makeover

The Concept

Butler’s Pantry: Before

Butler’s Pantry: The Reveal

Butler’s Pantry Makeover

Trade Day

Organizing the Trade Day

Trade Day: Electrical

Trade Day: Plumbing

Trade Day: Flooring and Paint

Trade Day: Contractor

Trade Day – Why Do I Bother?

Farmhouse Sinks

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Kitchen

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Sink and Faucet

Lighting

Paint

How we come up with a renovation budget

Realistic Expectations

Labour Costs

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How we come up with a renovation budget

Best backsplash for granite counters

Thinking of an upcoming renovation project? Contact me to discuss planning ahead of a hammer ever being swung.

Quartz Counters: The Benefits

So what the hell happened?

Quartz Counters: Selection

Quartz Counters: Install

Subtle Colour Change

Quartz Counters: What Happened?

Moving Forward

Absolutley not!

Final Choice

Quartz Counters: Why you should always double check

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Laminate Love

Laminate Counters, shelves and walls

Cabinets

Shower Walls

Thinking of an upcoming renovation?

My Favourite Things

Top 3 Finds at KBIS 2018: THERMADORE

Top 3 Finds at KBIS 2018: LG

Top 3 Finds at KBIS 2018: METRIE

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Floor Plans: My First Reaction

Floor Plans: Option 1

Floor Plans: Option 2

Floor Plans: Your Options

Building a new home and don’t like what you see? Do you feel you need a second opinion on the function of our space? Contact me today to discuss how I can help you out!

What is KBIS?

Blog Tour with Modenus: KBIS Orlando 2018

Mixing Business with Pleasure

Thinking of an upcoming renovation and don’t know where to start? Contact me today to discuss your upcoming project.

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