Category Archives: decorating

10 Top Kitchen Remodeling Trends

Posted on December 31, 2013 | Leave a comment

The list below includes seven trends from the Houzz survey followed by three from the association. Some Orange County kitchen designers also weighed in, as well as residents who’ve managed to wrap up their renovations, as it turns out, just in time for the holidays.

Here’s what’s hot:

1. Chef’s stoves. A professional-grade range — a stove with options such as a flat griddle or a cooktop to accommodate a searing pan or a wok — topped kitchen wish lists in the Houzz survey; 32 percent of respondents selected them as their dream appliance. “What a consumer looks at, even if they don’t cook, is it looks cool,” Nassetta said.

Double ovens garnered 18 percent. Other high-end features such as induction cooktops, wine refrigerators and convection ovens seemed to matter far less. Only 4 percent of respondents considered warming drawers a priority.

Will this add value to your home? Contact the real estate appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your value questions.

2. Eco-friendly features. Nearly half of those surveyed — 49 percent — said using eco-friendly appliances and materials in their kitchens is important.

While a variety of Energy Star-recommended appliances and green-certified building products are on the market, eco-friendly changes also can be as simple as using cloth rather than paper towels, replacing plastic containers with glass, or using nontoxic cleaners, Houzz contributors note.

3. Granite and quartz countertops. Most respondents — 94 percent — said they’re changing their countertops. Granite still rocks, topping the list at 50 percent, but quartz is a rising star, coming in at 36 percent. Marble only drew 10 percent. Tile got a paltry 2 percent.

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Fall Deals for Home and Holiday

Posted on October 15, 2013 | Leave a comment

Bargain hunters, mark your calendars, start your engines and prepare to scope out sales that will give you a head start on gathering new loot for the household or gifts for the holiday season ahead.

Union Street Glass

Choose from a wide selection of pendants, ceiling and flush mounts, table lamps, wall sconces, and chandeliers – all handblown by artists recognized as leading creators of distinctive contemporary designs. There’s also a colorful array of locally made bowls, vases, platters and sculptural forms. These are prototypes, discontinued items, and one-of-a-kind glassware and lighting at 50 to 85 percent off retail.

Highlights: Pendant lighting $85-$150 (retail $300-$1,700); table lamps $125-$495 (retail $660-$715); lamp shades and finials $20-$60; sculptural vases, platters and bowls $45-$125 (retail $300-$1,200). Manhattan, Sienna and Savannah stemware is $42 (retail $95).

Details: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays-Sundays. Through Oct. 27. 833 S. 19th St., Richmond. (510) 367-1401 (day of sale only). www.unionstreetglass.com.

Highlights: Prices start at $20 for ornaments (retail $49), $20 for glass leaves and $95 for acorn paperweights (retail $195). Pumpkin paperweights start at $45. The 7-inch pumpkins are in the $100 range (normally $225); 14-inch pumpkins go for $250 to $600 (normally $1,200). Oversize apples, pears, peaches and strawberries will be $185 (retail $325). Extra markdowns will be posted on overruns, discontinued pieces and experimental one-of-a-kind gems.read more at: http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/article/Fall-deals-for-home-and-holiday-4888882.php

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15 Bold Ways to Add Color to Your Home

Posted on August 15, 2013 | Leave a comment

One look at the electric blue and gray hexagonal tile in Jon Leaver and Tyke O’Brien’s kitchen, and you wouldn’t think they went with the safe choice. But in the couple’s 1940s Pasadena bungalow, “safe” is a relative term. “For us, it’s a bigger risk to do something boring,” says O’Brien.

The whole house reflects that spirit of brio. Inspired by photos of rooms with dark walls, the couple—both teachers who moonlight as interior designers—painted the kitchen cabinets and walls charcoal gray and covered the floor in the colorful geometric tile. Their living room palette? Teal and hot yellow. Even the front door didn’t escape without a graphic motif.

Does custom paint add value to your home? Contact the real estate appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your value questions.

To make room for all this color and pattern, the couple left most walls pale gray or white. “Light dove gray is the best canvas to set artwork against,” O’Brien says. “We love how color pops against it.” When a space has one big gesture, such as the wallpapered accent wall in the master bedroom, they left the other elements neutral for balance.