Sacramento Kitchen Design Blog
A Blog About Kitchen & Bath Design, Remodeling and This & That in Sacramento – by MrsNicolette
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Grace and Blunder
July 26, 2011 — 3 Comments
I try everyday to use Grace – defined as elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action.
But sometimes I trip and fall over my own feet, or over those of a larger and fatter obstacle, THAT is defined as awkward, lacking skill or dexterity. This can happen to many designers at some point. Look at these embarrassing design blunders:
Shadow cast by the Sun, the Architect missed that one!
This is a waste of a urinal, or maybe it is a game?
The Palm Springs residence is a present day DIY nightmare!
All Designers can agree that THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS, so we have to cover our bases, check twice, three times or more, and make sure we think of every possible situation before we install two urinals adjacent to each other, or order plush pink velvet upholstery.
I have had my fair share of learning by error, so TODAY I use not only Grace, BUT the philosophy of experience and wisdom, the totality of the cognitions given by perception; all that is perceived, understood, and remembered.
Intuition, as a woman, IS a direct perception of truth, fact, etc., independent of any reasoning process; immediate apprehension.
That is why women, can always get back up…
Stronger
Faster
Wiser
How does this relate to design? Because design is THAT woman, constantly getting better and wiser. BAD DESIGN is only an immature version of a GOOD DESIGN. Yes? And that fat critical foot is only meant to make a better product for the future.
Thanks to Google for supplying lots of images of BAD DESIGNS!
Wuhoo for Bamboo Two
July 25, 2011
We have done Bamboo kitchen cabinets here in Sacramento. I have seen Bamboo countertops, and of course flooring, but check out these products using Bamboo, I am impressed! And they will not break the bank either. The vessel sink is around $300-$400, and the Apron Front runs about $900-ish.
Bamboo Vessel Sink by Lenova
Apron Front Sink by Lenova
I will find a kitchen to use you in, Apron Front sink. Maybe in the White Shaker kitchen that I measured today in Curtis Park, Sacramento. You would look quite nice in a 1920′s Bungalow, we shall see…
Backsplash Subway Tiles by Anchor Bay Tile
Subway Tiles used as Baseboard - Anchor Bay Tile
Attache Case Made of Bamboo by Totally Bamboo
Let’s not even get started about Bamboo fiber clothing… I much prefer seeing the wood grain.
Top Knobs Passport Collection Coming Soon…
July 20, 2011 — 1 Comment
I am all about using cabinet hardware to create depth and interest in kitchen and bath spaces. I love what Top Knobs has been releasing in the recent years, and their new Passport Collection is nothing less than impressive. Released at KBIS 2011, the Passport Collection is scheduled to hit showrooms any day now. Inspiration for the collection come from destinations such as the Great Wall of China, Australia’s Sydney Opera House, London’s Tower Bridge, the ancient Egyptian city of Luxor, Africa’s Victoria Falls and Rome’s romantic Trevi Fountain. They can be used to carry a theme or to dress up simple styled furniture or kitchen.
Like this:
A Reclaimed Cottage Kitchen
July 19, 2011
I just had to blog about this kitchen that was completed at the end of 2010. This cottage in Winters, CA was over 100 years old and almost crumbling to the ground. Harmony Builders Inc. of Sacramento took the house and carefully deconstructed it, in order to salvage flooring, baseboards, and most of the lumber to use in parts of the new house. With a Craftsman Bungalow Flavor, the new home is a tasteful, cozy cottage that has plenty of character, thanks to the salvaged materials. The photos below were taken from Harmony Builders website.
They used Nar Fine Carpentry’s Columbia Cabinets of Sacramento in the new Kitchen, in a white Classic recessed panel doorstyle, with the island in a custom green chosen by the client. Some key design elements created by the contractor, are the wood backsplash at the baking center, and the custom wood hood (both built using salvaged wood flooring).
Original Cottage
New Home
New Kitchen - Columbia Cabinets
Baking Center using salvaged wood flooring from Original Home
Custom Built Hood using salvaged wood from Original Home
Decals for the Kitchen
June 28, 2011
Wall decals are wonderful accents that can be permanent or temporary. Designers have taken decals from the kids room to the living room, and even further to the kitchen. A decal above wall cabinets or behind the stove can be a fun and playful accent for your kitchen. They are inexpensive, and easy for the do-it-yourself decorator. A wonderful Etsy seller, Single Stone Studios has a huge variety of images for every room of the house. Here is what I found for the kitchen.
Funk, Color…. and Dinnerware?
June 24, 2011 — 1 Comment
If you do a kitchen remodel, you definitely cannot use those same old plates. You need to coordinate your new kitchen style with a new table setting. Your dinnerware is just as important as the food you serve. It can make a statement about your entire lifestyle… who knew? Here are some casual, funky and colorful dish ideas to get you going.
Wobbly Plates; handmade ceramic out of Brooklyn. She impresses patterns, custom colors and each one is unique!
Fire and Light; recycled glass dishes made in my hometown, Arcata, CA. Made from glass chips.
Schehera Van Dyk; Handpainted Ceramic Dinnerware, Vases, Paintings, etc. Love, love, love these Spanish style designs and colors. Brilliant with a Mediterranean or Spanish style kitchen!
Like this:
The Look of Granite, Durability of Quartz
June 21, 2011 — 1 Comment
Cambria Aberdeen
Cambria Buckingham
I love Quartz! It is my favorite product to use for tops in a kitchen for several reasons. Those being, heat resistance, scratch resistance and of course, stain resistance. Some of my clients object to the look of Quartz because it has a flat and very consistent grain (another advantage in many cases), and does not have the movement and veining of natural stone. But wait…. after a visit from the Cambria Rep today, it seems the innovators of quartz have managed to replicate natural veining. Some of the new colors look so much like natural stone, that it is hard for ME to tell the difference. I also hear that Silestone is also following with an upcoming release of new, more natural looking colors.
This is great news for designers wishing to use the durability of quartz, while retaining the look of natural stone.
The New Chandelier
April 19, 2011 — 1 Comment
Lighting fixtures can make a big statement in a space. Pendants in kitchen can summarize the style of the kitchen and sconces in a bath can set the mood. For a dining room or foyer, a chandelier can create a look of formality or can bring a sense of relaxation into the space.
Whether you are looking for traditional or contemporary, these chandeliers are sure to give your space a look of elegance and style, or even combine 3 pendants to create a custom chandelier.
MoireCollection by Shine Labs
Bijoux by Corbett Lighting
Ether 150 S by Murano Due
Chiquita Chandelier by Anneke Jacobs
- Six Light Chandelier by Corbet Lighting
- Heaven I Chandelier by Fire Farm
Like this:
Wuhoo for Bamboo!!!
February 16, 2011 — 2 Comments
Kitchen
These clients were not afraid of using Bamboo to the max! This Sacramento remodel received Bamboo cabinets on top of their Bamboo flooring, and it turned out beautiful! Here is the perfect example of how using the same wood in different colors and plank size can work for this home’s advantage.
Countertop Detail
Hall Bath
- Master Bath
- Bamboo Ply Door Edge
- Hallway
- Kitchen
Rift v. Quarter Sawn Lumber
February 10, 2011 — 2 Comments
Recently, a client was interested in our White Oak cabinets. I had trouble explaining the difference between the different cuts offered, so I did a little research and here is what I found…
Both cabinet companies that we carry, Columbia & Crystal, offer White Oak in different cuts from the tree; Rift Sawn and Quarter Sawn. While these cuts are very similar, they look very different. A Rift Sawn cut creates a very straight grain, while a Quarter Sawn cut creates a more wavy pattern with exotic looking flecks. The flecking of the Quarter Sawn cut is due to the cut crossing the woods pith rays that radiate from the center of the tree where the sap runs through. In both cuts, the log is quartered and cut toward the center. In a Quarter Sawn cut, the log is quartered and cut perpendicular to its growth rings on an angle of 75 to 90 degrees. In a Rift Sawn cut, the wood is also cut perpendicular to its growth rings, but is slightly offset and uses an angle between 45 to 70 degrees. Offsetting the log, reduces flecking and also yields more boards, whereas the Quarter Sawn cut produces more waste. For this reason, Quarter Sawn is more expensive, while Rift sawn is less expensive and more readily available.
Quarter Sawn
Rift Sawn
