Four Favorite Sensible Style Homebuilding Tips

This is Home Building Week on Gold Notes, part of my Fourth Anniversary celebration. So today I’m sharing my four favorite Sensible Style tips for anyone planning on building a home any time soon! 


Build for Real Life 


It’s tempting to design and build the home of your dreams. But consider how invested you are in them and whether building for activities you’re unlikely to indulge in long term in makes sense. For example, do you really need a wine cellar if you break out a bottle only during holidays? Do you need a yoga studio at home if that space could be put to better use as a home office or spare bedroom? 

This is the Not So Big House I want to build!
(Photo:  NotSoBigHouse.com )

This is its floor plan -- just right for my needs!
(Photo:  NotSoBigHouse.com ) 

Plan for Future Needs If you’re building a home you plan to live in for many years to come, consider future needs as well as present ones. If you’re an active adult, consider how you’d function with a sports injury. If you’re a baby boomer or older, consider aging needs for comfort, independence and safety and design to age-in-place. 

A hood with remote control aids aging-in-place
(Photo: Zephyr)

Build Resource Stingy 


Don’t build a bigger home than you need. You’ll just pay more to heat, air condition and maintain it! Right-size your house for your needs and for the neighborhood you’re building in. Also, plan for the fact that water and energy are increasingly-pricey resources and build in as many eco-friendly details as you can. They may be a little more expensive in the short run but they’ll pay off for you long term. 

Induction cooking is the most energy-efficient available today
(Photo:  Thermador)

Build for the Neighborhood 


As I noted above, build the right-sized home for your neighborhood. Nothing looks more awkward than building a multi-level McMansion on a street of modest ranches! (I’ve seen this; you probably have, too.) 


Plan your style accordingly, too, if resale is a consideration and if you respect your new neighbors. I once lived in an area filled with charming pastel Spanish bungalows. The only exception was a home coated in a material that resembled black lava. It looked rather odd, not terribly inviting and seriously out of place in that neighborhood. It would also probably sell for less than its neighbors. 

Yes, this is America, home of the free and land of the brave. I simply suggest that if you want to be free and brave, do so with some acreage around you!

Master-planned communities aren't for everyone, but they do look pulled together!
(Photo:  Shea Homes)

Food for Thought #7 - Just because you can, doesn't mean you should

I find myself using this line fairly often, so I thought I’d share my perspective on its importance to your kitchen or bath update.


Project scope

It’s not uncommon to find enthusiastic homeowners ready to rip down walls and shake up their entire home to get the kitchen or bath of their dreams. Web sites, TV shows and magazines all encourage consumerist fantasies that cost tens of thousands more than makes sense for your home and neighborhood, often in styles and layouts that won’t mesh with your existing architecture.

The most egregious example that comes to my mind was a couple building a new Florida home at the height of the boom. The wife brought me a picture of a lovely cottage-style kitchen with handsome wall cabinets rising from the countertops surrounding the main sink. “Your sink is on an island,” I pointed out. “This is designed for a sink wall.”

“My builder will create a support frame,” she replied. It didn’t matter that this frame would look absurd in the middle of her kitchen and defeat the openness that an island generally offers. She could get it done so she was going to make her husband and builder crazy doing it. Just because you can make something work, doesn’t mean you should!

Another common example is squeezing an island into a kitchen too small to accommodate one. I’ve had clients insist on including an island that will barely allow for 36-inch clearances, even though I’ve suggested that their space limitations will make the island more of a negative than a positive. Someone convinced them that a kitchen had to have one and darned if they weren’t going to! Just because you can squeeze something in, doesn’t mean you should!

Don't try to squeeze an island where it won't fit!
(Photo: Jamie Goldberg Kitchen and Bath Design, LLC)

Budget-busting

This happened more during the boom years than it does today, thank goodness, but over-spending on your remodel rarely makes sense. Your budget might handle the extra funds just fine. You might be totally committed to having a $40,000-plus La Cornue Range but does this really make sense for your home and your neighborhood?

• If a particular item doesn’t make Sensible Style for your home, but you’ve dreamed about it for decades and not including it will come as a great personal sacrifice, OK.
• If you’re a professional caterer who works out of your home kitchen and need certain equipment, OK.
• If you run a spa business at home and having a spa-level shower is a corporate necessity, OK.

Otherwise, put your money to better use, please! Just because you can afford it, doesn’t mean you should!

This gorgeous range isn't a Sensible Style choice for every kitchen
(Photo: La Cornue)

Care and feeding of your new kitchen

I always advise clients to use trivets and cutting boards on their new stone tops. Yes, they are heat resistant but you can still damage them with a pot straight off the burner. “I’ve put hot pots on my granite tops for 20 years,” declared one homeowner.” I shook my head sadly and repeated my recommendation of using a trivet. About a week after she got her new Absolute Black granite tops, she scorched a deep ring into the section next to her range. She couldn’t remove this mark. The fabricator came back to her home. They couldn’t remove the burn either. A lovely bowl sits on top of it today. Just because you can probably get away with doing something when absolutely necessary, doesn’t mean you should do it all the time.

Stone tops are durable, but they are not indestructible!
(Photo: Jamie Goldberg Kitchen and Bath Design, LLC)

Bottom line

Choose professionals in line with your lifestyle and project type and listen to their advice. Yes, it will still be your kitchen or bath. Yes, you can still have what you want. But be smart about it, please!

SENSIBLE STYLE - 2011 Kitchen & Bath Gift Guide

You’ve got relatives you rarely see and clients from the ‘80s and ‘90s on your gift list… So why not your kitchen and bath, which you use every day!

Here’s my Sensible Style take on gift-giving you’ll enjoy for years to come. In the interest of saving you time and mileage, (and possibly making some gift money of my own from my Amazon Associates account!), I’ve created this gift guide so that you can click on each picture to buy the item conveniently from Amazon.com.

Incidentally, Amazon has a fabulous iPhone app that you can download from the iTunes store! I absolutely love its one-click on-the-go buying option.


KITCHEN GIFTS FOR WINE LOVERS
I enjoy a great glass of wine with dinner. If you do, too, consider these gift ideas for your own kitchen – or for a wine lover on your gift list.


Wine Enthusiast 12-Bottle Wine Refrigerator
Let’s presume that you don’t have room for an installed wine captain or wine room. Can you accommodate a countertop model?

Ennospace Wine Shelves

I think these are great-looking and want a set just like them. I’d opt for two glass shelves to hang red and white wine glasses. That will free up a cabinet and take advantage of unused wall shelves!

Metrokane Rabbit Wine Opener with Foil Cutter

The furnished studio I rented last year had a standard corkscrew that barely worked. Don’t subject your wine enjoyment to anything less than a good wine opener! This is the one I own.

Vinturi Aerators

I still use a decanter for my red wine, but this is a nice alternative if you’re a bit rushed. This set includes aerators for both red and white wines.

Riedel Champagne Glasses

Why not toast the New Year with your favorite champagne in classic Riedel champagne glasses? Doesn’t the Dom Perignon of bubbly deserve the DP of champagne glasses?

KITCHEN GIFTS FOR FOODIES

OK, I’m not an avid cook. If you are, well, that’s terrific… Invite me to dinner some time! These are my gift suggestions for lazy cooks, unmotivated cooks, reheaters and others of my ilk!


Crock Pot

This is my favorite appliance. I can turn it on in the morning, go to work, and have dinner warm and ready when I’m done. The keep warm setting is a lifesaver for days that run late.

Everyday Low-Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook

I’ve got about six slow cooker cook books, but this is my regular go-to resource. All the dishes are low-carb, quick and simple to make. Just my speed!

Axis Natural Wood Drawer Organizer (Ideal for Spices!)

This is the most practical solution to spice organizing that I’ve found. After trying wall cabinet step organizers and in-drawer tiered models, I’ve found drawer dividers to be the most practical, user-friendly system for having my spices readily available and organized. (I alphabetize mine so I can find them faster; again, spending more-than-necessary time preparing meals is just not my thing!) The one shown was designed for dresser drawers and will be too tall for drawers shallower than four inches high. Measure carefully before ordering! Similar styles are available in shorter configurations!

Henckels In-Drawer Knife Block

I love in-drawer knife blocks. They keep your countertops clear and put your knives away from young eyes and hands.

Knape & Vogt Tray Dividers

I got hooked on tray dividers a while back when my Florida builder kitchen came with a semi-useless 15 inch wide base cabinet. That’s too narrow for a roll-out tray, so we installed a pair of tray dividers. Voila, the perfect solution for storing baking sheets, cutting boards, platters and pizza stones. This deluxe model rolls out for greater convenience!

KITCHEN GIFTS FOR EVERYONE

Everyone’s got a kitchen, right? Here are some gift ideas – whether you own or rent – that will enhance your time in that space!


Wellness Mat

A cushioned, anti-fatigue mat, like the one that Wellness Mats kindly sent me at the beginning of this year, is a wonderful gift to your feet, legs, hips and back! You’ll especially enjoy it at this time of year when you’re probably spending extra time in the kitchen preparing holiday meals and entertaining more guests.

Phillips Docking System

I listen to music during most of my waking hours, including when I’m working in the kitchen. I also have my iPhone on hand all the time. A docking station in the kitchen lets me enjoy my tunes and stay charged at the same time. This model also works for iPods and iPads. This is the model I’ve picked out for Chez J.

GIFTS FOR YOUR POWDER ROOM

Maybe your bathroom needs some love, too? A gift to your powder room or master bath is a gift you’ll enjoy year-round, long after the last holiday decoration has come down.

Your powder room is your home’s “public” bathroom, the one your party guests will use. Since powder rooms tend to be small on size and storage, you might not have a handy cabinet for overflow storage. Don’t make the twelfth party guest lose out on toilet paper. Stash it next to the toilet in an attractive cannister that matches your toilet brush holder.


Kohler Wall-Mounted Soap Dispenser

If you have a pedestal sink in your powder room, as I do, you might be short on space for a soap dispenser. Consider a wall-mounted model in a design and finish that work for your bath. This is one I’m considering for Chez J!

InterDesign Bath Tissue Holder

Don’t make your party guests wonder where you hide the extra toilet paper rolls! Hide them in an attractive storage bin that matches your powder room décor.

Contemporary and Traditional Decorative Hooks

I recently blogged about purse-adverse powder rooms. If you want your powder room to be purse-friendly, consider a decorative hook for guests to hang theirs on. Here’s one I like from Kohler for a traditional or transitional bath.

And here’s one by Motiv for a contemporary bath.





Guest Towel Holders

I think every powder room should have a fully-stocked guest towel holder. Here’s one by Caspari for a traditional or transitional space.

And here’s one from Sitlax for a contemporary bath.

Inglow Flameless Candle

I like candles in a powder room, but being a worrier, I’m always fearful about a guest setting my house on fire. That’s why I’m bullish on flameless candles. This one has a timer and fragrance, too! How perfect is that???

Contemporary and Traditional Faucets

One of the first things I changed at Chez J was the powder room faucet. It’s a pretty easy swap-out that delivers big returns on your style investment, as long as you stay with the same set up – e..g, four-inch centers for four-inch hole spread. The nice thing about changing your powder room faucet is that you only have to replace one. Master bath updates usually call for two, as well as tub and shower faucets. The latter two require more professional work, too! Consider a lever-handle style for use by guests of all ages and abilities, and one with water-saving features!

Here’s a Toto powder room faucet for a contemporary bath.

And a classic Delta widespread for a traditional bath.

MASTER BATH

Your master bath should be your retreat from the world. It greets you every morning and ends every night. Here are some gifts to help you enjoy it more.


Kohler Multi-function Handshower

A multi-function handshower can give you a massage, reach places it’s otherwise difficult to reach and make bath clean up a little easier. They’re ideal for bathers who need to sit while showering and a necessary luxury for everyone else. This is the model I very happily own.

Delta Soap Dispenser

If you’re investing in new vanity tops, consider an installed soap dispenser to match your new faucets. They’re generally not sold with lav faucets, but often manufacturers have similar kitchen styles that will work with your powder room choice.

This Delta Victorian matches the traditional lav faucets mentioned in the powder room section.

Broan Sensor Vent Fan

You know you need to run your vent fan when you bathe or shower but, chances are, its noise interrupts the lovely spa environment you crave. Give yourself the gift of silence and moisture removal with an ultra-quiet sensor fan. It knows when to run and you’ll barely hear it when it does.

Axis Vanity Drawer Organizer

I love organizers! They speed up your bathroom routines, which is great for rushed mornings. Here’s one to consider for your cosmetics.

Taymor Hair Tools Holder

Free up drawer space in your vanity by installing this flat iron and hair blower holder on the back of a cabinet door.

Happy shopping, Sensible Style readers! I hope I made the task a little easier and more fun for you. Enjoy!


PS: You can find all of the other Sensible Style posts along the right column of this blog.