On Paint Jobs - Kitchen Cabinet Doors

Today’s subject comes to us thanks to my cousin’s college roommate, who just recently bought a home upstate and sent me a kind e-mail telling me about some projects he was thinking about undertaking. Being a chef, most of his major wants surround the kitchen and his first idea was to repaint his kitchen cabinet doors before putting on a set of designs; we spit-balled and decided that cooking utensils and accessories would make a great theme.

Removing the doors with a screwdriver is, of course, the first step. If the cabinets are unvarnished, you can begin by wiping down the cabinet with a sponge and cloth to remove any dirt and specks; if it is varnished, sand down the door until the finish has been dulled and then wipe it down. In the case of my friend, it would be best to do the painting first and the stencil or design afterwards, especially if you’re still in the midst of making the stencil design.

Lay down some drop clothes and get to painting. Stained cabinets should be prepped with an oil-based primer, whereas bare wood works best with latex-based primers; it’s also suggested to use a synthetic polyester paintbrush while working with oil-based primers. To ensure a good finish, make sure you only apply a thin coat of primer to your chosen door(s), as using too much primer will likely cause a lackluster finish. Let the primer dry for a few hours and then get your paint buckets out.

For more open, sunlit kitchens, lighter colors (whites, yellows, light blues and greens) are usually recommended but I’ve seen some really excellent distinct connections that favor darker colors; a very close friend went cherry red with his cabinets and wooden countertops, despite my constant pleas for him to get black or dark laminate countertops. In the summer months, you could paint outside but in the winter, a well-sealed garage, basement or open living room is best for this sort of work. I await pictures of my friend’s cabinets (he’s putting a frying pan and a plate on two of them, respectively) and will post them here promptly after receiving them.

Blinds In Your Home

Most people lean towards an airy, laid-back feel where natural light is accentuated when it comes to dressing a garden room or conservatory or preparing a living space for summer. If the room has an amazing view you already have a head start and may want to keep a very neutral effect to avoid detracting from this. It is all down to personal preference, but generally colour schemes that include restful natural shades, such as golds and yellows, fresh shades of greens and soft teals, can work well, especially teamed with natural textures such as sisal and rattan.

For the furnishings consider the same kinds of pieces you would favour for a patio. Wicker or bamboo help bring the airy outdoor feel inside, with throws and cushions for comfort. Traditional couches and chairs have a lighter feel if they’re off the ground. Of course, sun loungers are another good idea for larger spaces particularly for south-facing areas that become sun traps. Any wood should be light and natural, and glass surfaces, too, help to keep the sense of space and light. It is a good idea to keep furniture to a minimum to avoid cluttering the area, although lots of greenery is an excellent way of seamlessly linking the indoors with the outdoors; so don’t stint on plants and take advice on which will thrive in a conservatory.

Blinds are the key to making conservatories or garden rooms more attractive, adding colour and interest and serving a practical purpose as well. There are many different choices of blinds available in the market today but fabric vertical blinds can be a nice choice as they are the perfect finishing touch to any conservatory.

In the summer, vertical blinds can help reduce glare, keep the temperature down and keep out harmful UV rays. In winter, insulated blinds can help reduce energy bills by keeping a conservatory warm, most heat transfer comes through the roof panels so it is important to capture this transfer in the roof area of a conservatory or heating and cooling bills could become expensive. The vast range of blind solutions on offer mean that you can find just the right blinds to suit Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian-style conservatories. These vary from pleated fabrics, with solar protective coated backing, and French pinoleum (woven wood) to Plantation-style wooden shutters.

Security is another reason for installing blinds as they can incorporate remote control mechanisms and be operated via timers.

Finished Ottoman- Sneakity Peek

I just wanted to share a quick peek of a fun ottoman we did in one of my new fabrics for our clients.  We topped it with a massive old wooden tray for drinks & snacks.      (Or as in this pic, pretty things.)

{"Squircles in black & white by Lauren Liess Textiles}

Seeing the end results of our projects & our clients' reactions is always the best part of this job. 

(Kind of feels like that Friday feeling!! :)

Have a great weekend!!

To view my whole line of fabrics, check out http://www.purestylehome.co/

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact us about our design services.

Lighting in Your Home

Lighting in your home does more to set the mood and tone of your decorating style as much as the decor itself. Soft lighting helps accentuate warm decorating styles, while strong lighting gives a room a sense of purpose. Natural lighting is essential for many decorative indoor botanicals, but good light fixtures are needed for normal use.

Kitchens are arguably the most important room of any home. Kitchen lighting is equally important. Kitchens are the backdrop for everything from family get-togethers to daily cooking. Kitchen lighting needs to bright and warm without being harsh. Kitchens with drop ceilings can benefit from light panels, but today's decorators have the option to shun the fluorescent lights of the past and use warm, cost-effective LED panel lights instead. Traditional fixtures work equally well for providing the right amount of light for a kitchen work-space. Indirect kitchen lighting can brighten up the room. They complement other fixtures and lighten up the dark areas, like the space above cabinets.

Dimmer switches work well with ceiling light, wall sconces and indirect lighting. They give homeowners complete control over the lighting they need. Dimmer switches with indirect lighting have become particularly popular for home theatres. This kind of lighting makes it easy to adjust for just the right amount of light for viewing different media. Dimmer switches are particularly effective in sitting rooms, where a variety of light levels may be needed.

Traditional ceiling fixtures are not practical in all rooms, depending on the ceiling type. Table lamps and floor lamps help provide home lighting in these cases. Wall sconces can be used as light fixtures when ceiling lights are impractical. Lamp placement helps to accentuate various features in the room decor. Sconces, ceiling lights and lamps come in so many styles that it is easy to coordinate with room decor.

Indirect lighting camouflaged by edge moulding can banish the shadows on the edges of vaulted ceilings. As in kitchen design, these lights pair well with other room lights. Hidden indirect lighting adds a special something to room design without causing a clash in fixture styles.

The right lighting adds to room decor in the same way the right fixture styles can complement a decorating style. Warm light helps create an inviting feel in room design, while bright lights accentuate a room's utility. Dimmers help homeowner's control the amount of light needed for various room uses.

Understanding Solar Energy

Solar energy is on the news being touted as the ultimate energy source. Basically, the sun shines on solar panels which generate electricity that flows to a battery where it is stored for use. It is however, more involved than that.

Opponents decry the cost of solar systems for houses. Solar panels cost vary from as little as £20 and up. The size of the panel, the amount of electricity they produce and the materials used in the panels all factor into the cost.
A solar pv panel produces the most energy in direct sunlight. In dim light or on cloudy days, they still produce, but not as much. It makes a great deal what materials are used inside the panels, such as crystalline silicone, cast polysilicon or string ribbon silicon. This is confusing for most consumers, as most people are not educated in science or engineering of solar power systems.

Once the panels are mounted in place, they begin working immediately. Electricity is generated when sunlight strikes the panels. That power travels down cables through a charge controller to the battery bank, where it is stored for use. The charge controller ensures the batteries do not receive too much power at once, and when the batteries are full, it shuts off the electrical flow to prevent overcharging and damaging them.

A power center displays how much power is being used, how much power is in the batteries and can send the consumer alerts to low batteries. Circuit breakers and other equipment detect power outages in the power grid. If the power grid is not working, the system detects it and keeps power from flowing back to the lines. This prevents utility workers from being injured.

Inverters transform the power from the battery bank in to electricity the household can use. The consumer does not need to unplug devices, buy special devices or inverters for each appliance.

Components can be purchased separately as funds permit, which allows each person to design a system to suit his or her specific needs. Homeowners, business owners, those in caravans, camping trailers and campers can use small panels, charge controllers, and one or two deep cycle batteries for electricity.
The size of the building, the total electrical use and more must be taken into consideration before choosing or building a system. Currently, building societies may or may not loan funds to install a system. Insurance companies may require separate insurance for a solar power system.

My Christmas Cactus...

..Is now dead.

I tried.  I really did.

Anyone else love plants so much but kill them anyway???



ps-  I should probably tell the story of how he died after reading some comments.  It wasn't your typical "not watering" slow death...  We'd had him for a couple of months & I barely watered him & he looked pretty good.  A little misshapen but okay.  I then got him ready for a photo shoot at a client's & watered him the night before.   He didn't like that and the next day, he wasn't happy.   Really wilty & all over the place.  He didn't make it in any of the photos.  And then, my husband left him outside overnight & he froze. So that was the end of the Christmas Cactus.

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.  (We won't kill your plants; promise! ;)

If you're interested in checking out my new line of fabric, click here.

Picking The Right Front Door For Your Home

Your front door is the first thing your guests, buyers or simply passers-by see when they look at your house. It sets the mood for what your home will unravel inside. Therefore, never underestimate the impression it makes on others and choose it carefully. Here are a few hints on how to do it.

Colour

When choosing your front door, consider the exterior colour of your house and try to complement it in a visually pleasing way. For instance, an earthy green exterior comes to life when accessorized with a red door. A black door can tone down a baby blue house while anchoring this large mass of unexpected colour.

Do not ignore the psychological effect of colour. A red front door is inviting and welcoming; some cultures associate it with a good place for resting. Blue, the colour of the sky and water, speaks of abundance and calm. Yellow tones are stimulating and joyful - a promise of a good time.

This is your chance to make a bold colour statement. While white is a classic, safe choice that gives your house a crisp and clean look, it may also seem lifeless. Take a leap of faith by using a lively purple colour or a daring gold tone to spruce up your home and tell your guests yours is a fun place to be.

If you are not sure how to choose the right colour, use a simple trick. Take a picture of your house and use different paint chips to mimic the door. This way, you will be able to visualize the end result and make the right choice.


Architectural Design

It is important that, in choosing your front door, you remain true to the style of the house and its architectural details. If yours is a historic house, do not go for a metallic door or for an overly modern style. If the house is reminiscent of a Tuscan villa, enhance its attributes by choosing a door flaunting wrought iron designs. Your front door is an opportunity to prove that you have given ample consideration to every design detail.

Size

While sometimes this may not be an option, a double door can enhance the look of your house, providing it with a more grandiose entrance and, if completed with glass panels, allowing more light to come into the house. However, the look of a single door can often be enhanced vertically, by choosing a piece taller than the standard models.

Material and Finish

If you want to emphasize the unique character of your modern house, a steel door is an excellent way to please your decorating tastes. A combination of wood and glass is classic and chic, and comes with the added benefit of allowing light to enter your house. Solid wood is both durable and classy, but you can achieve a similar look for a lower price by choosing a medium density fiberboard door. Carefully weigh your choices when it comes to the finish of the door. A white or black painted door looks great on a beach house, but a stained one that lets the grain of wood shine through adds a touch of class to a Spanish villa or a Mexican hacienda.

Depending on the time and money you are willing to spend on this project, you can purchase a pre-made, ready to install door or order a custom one, that will allow you to pour all your wishes into its design and achieve a spectacular result. Regardless of your choice, remember that your front doors will remain the central focus of your house, telling your guests its story even before you have the chance to do it.