SENSIBLE STYLE – TIPS INSPIRED BY WRITING MY FIRST BOOK

My first book, New Kitchen Ideas That Work, (Taunton Press, 2012) is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com and will hit store shelves the first week of December. (You know all of those kitchen books at the front of your neighborhood Home Depot and Lowe’s store? Mine will be among them!) 

New Kitchen Ideas That Work - Look for it at a Home Depot or Lowe's near you
(Photo:  Taunton Press)

Here are some Sensible Style tips that you can find handsomely illustrated and explained in this full-sized, full-color volume. 

Layout enhancements 

It’s much more affordable to improve an existing layout than it is to change it entirely. Moving vents, electrical and plumbing often require permits, demolition and skilled trades persons. You can increase your storage potential, improve your appliance performance and update your style, all while keeping everything in its current place.     

• Increase your storage potential with cabinet accessories and backsplash organizers.
• Update your style with new hardware, refacing, paint and lights, all while keeping everything in its current place. 

A backsplash organizer adds storage without remodeling
(Photo: IKEA)

Fixture enhancements 

Do you have a builder grade kitchen sink and faucet? These are fairly easy to upgrade, unless your sink is under-mounted in stone tops. As so many older homes still have laminate counters, there’s a good chance you have those, too, and can easily upgrade your fixtures. 

• Improve your prep and clean-up efficiency with a modular, accessory-equipped sink. 
• Add convenience and reduce germ spread with a hands-free, sensor faucet. Multiple spray functions improve its usability, too. 

Enhance your clean-up zone with a hands-free faucet
(Photo: Moen)

Appliance enhancements 

Everyone wants performance appliances, but you probably don’t have the space for a 48 inch pro range. The good news is, you don’t need one to get better cooking capability. 

• Add another oven to your kitchen with a microwave that does more than reheat and defrost; it brings convection, warming and speed cook features to your home.
• Replace an inefficient radiant cooktop with an induction model. It will give you professional class performance with amazingly easy clean up and improved safety. 

Improve cooking performance with an induction cooktop
(Photo:  Bosch)

More enhancements 

New Kitchen Ideas That Work covers the entire kitchen, from ceiling light fixtures to flooring options. Here are some additional Sensible Style tips to consider for your home.

• Replace outdated incandescent track lights with LED-equipped versions for better style and energy savings. 
• Replace a worn, stained rug with an outdoor-rated version that will freshen the kitchen’s style and be a breeze to clean. 

Add style and low maintenance with an outdoor-friendly rug
(Photo:  Ballard Designs)

I'm proud to share that my first book has 224 pages of Sensible Style-inspired tips, 370 photos and 14 case studies of real kitchen projects around the country to educate and inspire you.

Guest post by Becky Shankle: Three reasons not to buy an Ikea kitchen

Gold Notes' three-year-anniversary continues! Because of this special celebration, you're getting three posts a week throughout July. This is the latest, and the second of two IKEA-themed guest posts.

Last time, I shared Becky Shankle's insights on three IKEA kitchen benefits. This time, I'm sharing her IKEA concerns. Let me add an important caveat here: If you use an IKEA-savvy firm like Becky's Eco-Modernism, you can potentially overcome the negatives she shares here. Here then are Becky's thoughts on the matter:


RTA translates into time and labor

IKEA invented the flat packing (RTA, or ready-to-assemble) concept. It’s a way to significantly cut transportation costs since an un-assembled box takes up less space than an assembled one. That savings gets passed to the customer, but so does the responsibility of putting it all together.


Customer service

It’s hard to get a human on the phone, much less one in the kitchen department. Chances are very high that you will be unable to have an ongoing conversation with the same kitchen planner who helps you in the store. Either their schedule doesn’t line up with yours, or they’re busy with another customer at the store. Or they’ve moved on to another job – turnover is also a problem.

[On a related non-customer-friendly note], IKEA has a tendency to switch out vendors in the middle of production runs. Which is great if they get a better deal, but far from great if something needs replacing during an installation. More often than not, the new supplier’s product is not an exact match to the old supplier’s product.


Kitchen planner software

I’ve been a CAD designer for 25 years. I’m used to 100 percent accuracy of every fraction of an inch when I design. IKEA’s planner software leaves a lot to be desired. If I have trouble with it, I can’t imagine the hair pulling going on with people who have no CAD or 3D experience. Big learning curve, there.

Designed and installed by Becky Shankle and Eco-Modernism

Final thoughts

All that being said, for the money, IKEA cabinets are a great choice. We design and install with them every day. Having done custom work prior, they get the thumbs up for speed, durability and style. Everything else in the plus column is icing on the cake.

***

Be sure to check out Becky's first guest post: Three reasons to buy an Ikea kitchen.

Guest post by Becky Shankle: Three reasons to buy an Ikea kitchen

Being that Gold Notes celebrates its third anniversary this month, I’m running three posts a week, not just one, throughout July. This one was contributed by one of my favorite Twitter “tweeps,” @ecomod, aka Becky Shankle.

I met Becky about three months too late. I had an architect client last winter who really wanted IKEA kitchens for the condo building he designed. He just didn’t want the hassle that comes with managing all the parts and pieces and having them assembled on site. Becky would have been the perfect resource for that project.

Becky’s kitchen design and installation company, Eco-Modernism, makes IKEA work for her clients around the country. She knows how to design in, assemble, install and, when necessary, modify these popular cabinets. Being as hands-on smart as she is with IKEA, I asked Becky to write a guest post for Gold Notes readers on the pros and cons of an IKEA kitchen. Here are her insights in the first of two guest posts. This one focuses on the pros, rather than the cons.


Frameless/Euro style cabinet construction

Frameless construction uses less resources. There is no face frame on the front of the box, which means there are also no obstructions to visually scanning cabinet contents, or accessing them.

No face frame equals less materials and less labor to build. Most cabinets have full overlay doors these days, which means you can’t see the frame. Why spend money where it won’t be seen?



Shelves can also span the full cabinet depth, instead of stopping short because of the face frame. Three-quarters of an inch doesn’t sound like much, but multiply it by 24 inches and that’s a loss of 18 square inches of precious storage area per shelf. Multiply that by three shelves and it’s a whopping 54 square inches [four and a half feet].

Under cabinet task lights can span more than one box, because the cabinet bottoms are flush. This means you can get a single longer light in lieu of two or more separate fixtures. Less wiring equals less labor to hookup.


Hardware

Not the pretty stuff on the outside. The robust, beefy stuff on the inside. Like concealed hinges, drawer slides and soft closures. IKEA uses Blum Tandembox Plus drawer slides with Blumotion closers. That means you can load up 50 kg (90ish pounds) in a drawer and it won’t pinch your fingers or wake up the neighbors when it closes.

Swinging doors have Blum’s soft closers also. And unlike a custom shop, these bells come standard on every box; there is no upcharge per hinge or drawer.


Financials

The average kitchen that comes from IKEA is about 14 boxes and retails for about $3600 to $4000 and installation. That includes all the cabinets, toe kicks, light skirts, cover panels, fillers and hardware. An identical kitchen from Lowe’s with similar construction is $16,000 installed.

Modern cabinet style lovers can have the look and functionality of much higher-end product lines like Poggenpohl and Scavolini at a fraction of the cost and delivery time. IKEA usually delivers in less than 10 days.

Good stuff: IKEA kitchen by Becky Shankle and Eco-Modernism

IKEA warranties their cabinets for 25 years. That’s enough time for avocado green and harvest gold to come back in style. In other words, most kitchens get a face lift every couple of decades, on average. [So this warranty comes pretty close to many higher-priced manufacturer's lifetime warranties for cabinets costing much less. Many discount manufacturers only offer five-year warranties. JG]

***

Next up: Three reasons not to buy an Ikea kitchen

SENSIBLE STYLE - Color Charged

"Courageous. Confident. Vital... It's a color for every day, with nothing 'everyday' about it." -- Pantone LLC on its 2011 Color of the Year




Maybe Pantone 18-2120 Honeysuckle is your color of the year, too. You love its vibrant pink energy and want it in your kitchen. But how do you incorporate a hot, trendy shade without dating your kitchen or anchoring yourself into a strong color you may not love down the line?

Trust me on this one: Don't buy honeysuckle-painted cabinets, large appliances or honeysuckle stone countertops unless you've loved pink your whole life and are absolutely certain you'll never, ever, ever sell your house.

You can still use this rich hue in your kitchen, but a little bit of a strong color goes a long way. Here are some Sensible Style approaches to integrating a strong color like this.


Go soft

Integrate your preferred color into your kitchen fabrics:

• Select pot holders in your chosen color
• Use it in a festive apron
• Find chandelier shades in your color of choice
• Add dish towels in solids or patterns that tie in that shade
• Find place mats and napkins that bring in your color du jour
• Look for floor mats in the color you love
• Tie it on with seat cushion fabric

Houdan Pink Fabric from Pierre Deux

Verano Pink Dish Towel from Crate & Barrel

Serve it up

• Add the color in serving platters and bowls
• Choose canisters in your selected shade
• Incorporate it in your bakeware collection
• Add drinking glasses in that color to your place settings
• Find cooking utensils or serving utensils with handles in that shade
• Look for trivets and spoon rests that incorporate it

Emile Henry pie dish at Bed, Bath & Beyond

Ikea's Yngaren bowl

Bigger splash

OK, so these strike you as wimpy and you want to make a stronger impression with your selected accent color. I'm still going to try to talk you out of big, expensive, permanent elements like cabinetry, countertops and flooring. But you can bring in your accent color with a bigger impact this way:

• Perhaps there are countertop appliances available in your color choice
• You can find cabinet hardware in pretty much any color
• Use the color you love in easy-to-change wall paint
• Select window treatments that include that color
• Look for a kitchen-friendly art piece with that shade in it
• If you've loved it forever, find an accent tile to integrate into your backsplash

Four-slice toaster from Dualit

Perennial Poppy Mosaic accent tile from Ann Sacks

Le Fleur knobs by Atlas Homewares

Final thoughts

Remember, always, that your space should reflect your personal likes and loves, not a website, TV show or magazine. I'm not a pink person myself and have no insecurities about missing out on Pantone's 2011 color of the year. I may miss next year's, too, without any regrets. But I have friends and clients who love the "now" color, style, look. This post is dedicated to the trendies among us. You know who you are.




Read all of the Sensible Style posts, linked from the right column!

Sensible Style Kitchens and Baths for Home Sellers

This is a special edition of Sensible Style, one geared toward the thousands of homeowners wanting - or needing - to sell their average, everyday homes, condos or townhouses, the kind you find scattered through neighborhoods everywhere. (It's not intended for the mansion set!)

It's also a "preview" of a seminar I'll be presenting at the Del Mar Home Show on Friday, October 15, 2010, and of a possible e-book (or printed volume).

You can now also get a Sensible Style consultation for the home you want to sell, either in person in the San Diego area, or electronically in other parts of the country. Contact me at 760-705-8319 or jamie@jgkitchens.com for details.

As a house seller and house hunter myself, as well as a professional kitchen and bath designer, I can share tips from every perspective... How your home looks to a buyer. What reads well and what doesn't. How to boost the perceived value of your place, especially in its crucial kitchen and master bath areas.

My goal for this Sensible Style Kitchens and Baths for Home Sellers post is to help you sell your place quicker, and for more money. The tips here are all low-cost and can improve how your home shows to prospective buyers without a major investment of materials or labor.

In fact, most of the resources included in this post are available through The Home Depot, (except where noted). Most are regularly-stocked items there, too, though what is stocked varies by region.

One note: These tips are geared toward transitional and traditional homes, rather than contemporary. That's because more homes on the market fit into those two categories. There are certainly options like these available for modern homes, and I offer Sensible Style consultations for contemporaries, too.

So, let's get started on getting your home sold sooner, and for more money!


Paint: First, lasting impression

This is one of the first things buyers will notice about your place, and one of the most affordable to change. Realtors always rave about "neutrals throughout," but neutrals aren't the mainstay of the magazines, websites, catalogs and even the model homes buyers look at through the home selection process.

Even neutrals are showing up now in deeper, richer tones - e..g, coffee rather than beige, and new neutral definitions include woodsy greens like sage. The more your rooms resemble current, stylish home images, the quicker your place will sell.

Use color schemes shown in popular magazine spreads or at upscale retailers. Restoration Hardware has a nice, rich palette that I like to work with.

Choose a rich palette, like the Restoration Hardware selections, for an affordable upgrade.

For suggestions on which paints go with which cabinets and countertops, please check out this earlier Winning Color Combinations Sensible Style post.

Lighting: Let there be improvements!

I've replaced hundreds of bare bones light bars in six years of bath remodels. Do yourself a favor and replace yours if it looks like this one. Choose a model that works with the other finishes in the room, but adds some updated style. It's cheap. It's easy. It's one of the simplest improvements you can make to your bathrooms, especially the master!

You wouldn't be seen naked in your bathroom before a prospective buyer; why should your bulbs???

Add style with this World Imports Satin Nickel Bath Bar instead.

Flooring: Potential trouble afoot?

Flooring is often perceived as a big ticket item, and it can be in many instances. I'm currently renting a condo with ugly sheet vinyl flooring in the kitchen. Had I chosen to buy this place, that would have ka-chinged big time in my brain. Will your kitchen and bath floors resonate with your prospective buyers, so they'll be seeing good looks, rather than "gotta change this" when they walk through?

This old school resilient flooring won't resonate with buyers.

These Ceramica Exodus 12 x 12 Resilient Tiles by Trafficmaster would be an easy-install upgrade.

And this budget Marazzi Montagna Lugano 16 x 16 Porcelain Tile is an even better choice.

Bonus: If you opt for ceramic or porcelain tile flooring and add a coordinating backsplash, you'll up the perceived value of your kitchen even more. Many of the trims and mosaics that go with stock porcelain or ceramic tiles are also in stock for an easy, affordable upgrade.

This is one of the in-stock accent tile options that coordinates with the Marazzi porcelain floor tile. It can make a kitchen-enhancing backsplash an easy, affordable option.

Windows: Covering yourself

To me, nothing says cheap like aluminum mini blinds. (They also get bent easily by folks checking out your views.) Buyers look at them and imagine their replacements being a custom - i.e., expensive - change. It doesn't have to be. I like two-inch white faux wood blinds as a reasonable alternative to custom shutters. They'll look like an upgrade when you're selling, but many common sizes can be found in stock at home centers.

Aluminum mini blinds are outdated, unattractive and take away from your views.

Opt for 2" Faux wood blinds instead, like these DesignView Grandwoods in many stock sizes.

Another cheap-looking window treatment is plastic vertical blinds, especially on windows. (I see them all the time on patio doors.) You can use faux woods on windows, as noted above. I'd suggest long, wide fabric window panels as the most affordable option for doors. They're widely available in discount stores like Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Ikea, as are the rods to hang them on. Go simple and solid in a natural fabric like white cotton to offset your richly-colored, newly painted walls.

This Woolrich Grommet Window Pair from Target is a visual upgrade from plastic vertical blinds for your patio doors. Keep them open during showings.

Hardware: An easy upgrade

Cheap plastic hardware will make your cabinets look cheap themselves. No hardware (except on sleek modern cabinets) can have the same effect. Replacing them can be easy and affordable if you stay with the same spread, (i.e., hole to hole distance), to avoid repairs to the doors and drawer fronts. Or you can choose hardware that covers the old holes if you're changing sizes. I replaced knobs with bin pulls on my last home's kitchen drawers, which achieved the desired result without a drop of wood putty! Nice hardware can really dress up builder grade cabinets; consider it jewelry for your kitchen or bath!

You wouldn't spot these in a Parade of Homes tour home!

Dress up your cabinets with brushed nickel Amerock Inspirations Plain Pulls for a not-so-plain upgrade.

Faucets: Style turn on opportunity

Another turn-off is plastic-handled faucets in your kitchen or bath. They'll be noticed immediately and read low budget to your buyers. Sink faucets are very easy and inexpensive to change out.

They're cheap. They're ugly. And they're in kitchens from coast to coast.

Give your prospective buyers a sleek Delta Cicero pull-out faucet with soap dispenser, too, for an easy, richer-looking faucet impression.

The single-handle plastic knob faucet is in bathrooms everywhere and enhances none of them!

This Kohler Archer faucet easily replaces the abomination above and instantly upgrades your bath!

Tub and shower faucets are not as easy to replace, unless you can get ones that fits the existing valves. One way to tell if this will be possible is to note the manufacturer name on your current faucets, take a photo of them to your nearest home center and look at their special order books. If they show your model, they'll also show its valve and you may be able to find a new set that works with that same one. If so, that's an easy handyman replacement. (I did it at my last house for less than $200, including parts and labor.)


Details: Little ones can make a big difference

Though they won't deter a buyer, there are a couple of small details you can improve that will make your place look a bit richer. One is replacing the white plastic flush valve that comes with just about every builder toilet I've ever seen for one that matches your other hardware.

A decorative flush lever, like this Moen Banbury, will upgrade your bathroom instantly. Consider it for a powder room, and if your toilet is in a highly visible location in the master bath.

Another easy change is replacing those dreadful plastic shower hooks with better-looking metal ones that fit the style of your bath.

Shower Curtain Rings with Bearings or other coordinating styles and finishes, will improve the look for your bathroom.

Topping things off

Changing countertops can be an expensive proposition, but changing what's sitting on them doesn't need to be. Consider stainless steel countertop appliances and limit them to just one or two. Nothing else needs to sit out at all. Plastic drainboards and soap bottles are a definite detractor.

Your budget may not allow for stainless steel appliances, but a stainless steel toaster oven you can take with you can add countertop eye candy to your kitchen. This one by Breville at Williams-Sonoma features convection cooking, as well.

Other upgrades

Fluffy white bath towels and mat will read "spa" to prospective buyers and also contrast richly with your new paint color. So will brushed metal, natural wood (that doesn't clash with your cabinetry) or woven accessories, like bamboo tissue holders or wicker trash can. Remove anything that screams Walmart or Motel 6.

This Bamboo Square Bath Ensemble by simplehuman at Bed, Bath & Beyond will instantly add natural, updated style to your bath.

Final thought

Declutter. Declutter. Declutter. I was looking at an otherwise spacious townhome this week with ridiculously-overstuffed closets. It gave the impression that there wasn't enough storage in the place. Whatever doesn't fit in neatly, allowing both doors to open easily, needs to be stored somewhere else. The same holds true for linen towers, kitchen cabinets and bath vanities.

Style List #5 - The $150 Max Library Edition

I love home libraries, or studies, as they're sometimes called. These are relaxing retreats from the madness of everyday life. In her game-changing Not So Big House book, architect and author Sarah Susanka coined the term "Away Room" for a retreat that can be closed off from the home's hustle and bustle. My Away Room would be a library, filled with my favorite art, collectibles, family photographs, music and, of course, books!

Those are the elements that make a home library your personal sanctuary. What are the elements, though, that make it workable and comfortable?

A great library incorporates all five of these Style List components:

1. Comfortable seating
2. Excellent lighting
3. At least one terrific table
4. Stylish bookcases
5. Inspiring décor

Let's take a look. And let's do it with the Recession in mind. As in all of the Style List postings, none of the items included here costs more than $150. Many are less than $100. All can turn that spare bedroom or even a corner of your basement into the library of your dreams.


Comfortable Seating

You probably aren't going to find a leather Buster recliner or Eames lounge chair for $150 or less, unless you're a very lucky flea market shopper. If you already own such a classic, your new library can be its new home. If you don't, here are a couple of seating substitutes that may warm your fanny, if not the flames in your heart.

Ektorp Tullsta from Ikea offers different slipcovers to match your decor.
I like this neutral one that can be dressed up with colorful pillows and throws.

Ikea also offers the Poang Chair and Footstool, which would look great in a library with rich dark, wood cabinets.

Other great resources for finding the right chair for your library include Craig's List, Freecycle, local thrift stores and ebay. (I spotted two sets of Poang armchairs with footstools for only $165 on the site today.) I believe strongly that you should be able to sit in a chair before you buy it, so I'd avoid situations where you can't do that, unless you've already tested that model for comfort elsewhere. I'd also inspect any wood for termites and store your chair in the garage until you can have the upholstery professionally cleaned.


Excellent Lighting

You're going to want at least two types of lighting in your library, (possibly three). The two essentials are ambient/room lighting -- most likely a ceiling fixture -- and task lighting. The latter will be floor and/or table lamps to read, study or work by. The third possible lighting type you might incorporate is accent lighting. This might highlight a favorite painting or sculpture, or even uplight a small tree in the room's corner.

I like this pair of coordinating Regatta II Polished Steel lamps from Bellacor for your floor and table or desk.

This Gotham Bronze Five-Light Chandelier, (also available in a smaller Three-Light version for smaller rooms), also from Bellacor just says "library" to me!

These Photographers Lamps from Pottery Barn can both illuminate and update your library.

Here's an old-world style accent light with new world technology: The Natural Daylight Cordless Gallery Lamp from Hammacher Schlemmer works on long-lasting LEDs.

Terrific Tables

You don't need a large table for a library, just a small surface to park the book you're currently reading and maybe a cup of tea. Some larger home libraries can accommodate a large table for spreading out papers or enjoying a hobby. Many more won't. Here are some smaller tables to consider, the first three from Cost Plus World Market, the last from Ballard Designs.

Each one of these Ajara tables costs less than $150. Choose which one suits your needs the best.

These charming Moroccan Painted Tables will add a touch of the exotic to your library.

This Puri table is probably my favorite. I love the versatility of tray tables and already own one for my future library.

Ballard calls its tables, cloths and glass tops "Terrific Trios." The cover on this one reminds me of Cote de Texas' guest blog post on burlap last month!

Stylish Bookcases

Libraries just wouldn't be libraries without books and bookcases! And a beautiful wall of built-in bookcases, like the one shown top right featuring KraftMaid cabinetry, can cost many thousands of dollars. (I know. I've designed them for custom homes.) You don't have to go bankrupt to get great-looking units. Here are some affordable solutions, any one of which can hold your books, collectibles, family photos and CDs. (I'm not a fan of TVs in a library, so I'm intentionally not mentioning DVDs and other video storage.)

Ikea's Billy Bookcases come in multiple finishes, sizes and with accessories like glass doors, for the most versatile, affordable library imaginable. Add your own crown molding for a traditional built-in look.

I love the look of white built-ins, which these free-standing Do Your Room Bookcases from Target mimic. They come in multiple sizes, each one for less than $150.

Pier1's Fretted Folding Shelves hold books and collectibles in transitional style.

Ikea's Expedit bookcases come in light, dark, stained and painted finishes. They also come in low, shown here, and tall units. What I really like is their open backs, which can help you carve a library out of an existing room.

Target's X-Text Three Shelf Bookcase brings modern style to a library that wants to break away from the traditional.

Inspiring Decor/Part One - Incorporating Your Personality

Because a library should relax and recharge your personal batteries, I believe they should host your favorite family photos and collectibles. Your new bookcases can house your pottery or crystal. They can also show off your favorite photos, as can your table tops. Your walls can display your travel mementos and other memorabilia. This is all about reminding you of the best in life as you unwind at the end of a tough day or week.

This handsome Parchment Paper Globe with Stand from Cost Plus World Market will remind you of your favorite vacations.

These stylish Everglades Frames from Z Gallerie will make even ancient Uncle Edgar look amazing.

Celebrate your favorite books with jacket-inspired posters. This Harry Potter title comes from Posters.com. Dress it up with a coordinating frame.

Fill these Hayden Hurricanes from Williams Sonoma Home with your favorite flowers, scented candles or even shells from your list beach trip.

Inspiring Decor/Part Two - Adding Creature Comforts

Your library should be a space you feel comfortable enjoying, not just a storage spot for your books. Consider these additions to enhance the homey quality of your retreat.

Toss a cashmere throw onto your favorite armchair for added coziness and luxury. On sale at Restoration Hardware, these fit our Style List budget.

Soften your space with one of these French Vintage Pillow Covers, also from Restoration Hardware

Put your feet up in style on American Signature Furniture's Taos Coffee Ottoman

Enjoy your favorite tunes with JBL's On Stage III Speaker Dock for your iPod, available on Amazon.com.

Inspiring Decor/Part Three - Toss in a Few Classics

Show off some classic details with these library additions.

Enjoy this handsome Editor's Desk from Levenger, a retail resource for serious readers.

Brighten a row of books with these Crystal Ball Bookends from Restoration Hardware

Vent your style demons with these 20th Century Scroll Register Covers, also from Restoration Hardware.

Give your ceilings old-world charm with this Victorian Effect Paintable Wallpaper from Grandin Road.

Enjoy the entire Style List - $150 Max Edition Series

Library
Kitchen
Bath
Home Office
Laundry