My Californian client Bruce wanted to update his kitchen to make its appeal more true to the 1940s cottage style home. The outdated, off-white thermofoil with brown trim kitchen cabinets certainly wasn’t cutting it. A cheery open concept design that still retained privacy and seclusion from the rest of the home was important. As a traveler, areas to display his treasured souvenirs were also on the must-have list.
Over a three month period, Bruce, his architect, and I worked back and forth, bouncing ideas off each other to come up with a plan that best utilized the space. For Bruce, every morning started with an email either sharing a new bit of inspiration he found on Houzz or reacting to a new design update from…
There’s nothing better than collaborating with a client who has a clear vision and enthusiasm for their remodeling project. I had the pleasure of working with such a client on her kitchen renovation.
The Great Client
Marina, from Virginia, lives in a mid-century home due for an upgrade. She came to CliqStudios.com wanting a classic look — not too modern, not too traditional — that would have lasting appeal. A simple and white, shaker kitchen, which is indicative of her east coast location, was the right choice for her home.
From my first contact with Marina, I knew she was going to be an awesome client. It was clear that she had thought long and hard about her project and identified her main goals. As a bonus, Marina had…
We see a lot of pictures of our customers’ new kitchens and bathrooms. While we love seeing how our cabinetry designs come to life, we get especially excited when our customers’ furry friends make an appearance in the photos.
Whether they’re just getting a snack at their bowl, sneaking a look at what their human is doing, or showing their true personality, here’s a collection of our favorite Cliq customer pets!
I think this is the “stop taking pictures and dish out my food” face.
I’ll meet you at Canine Corner, the crossroads of kitchen table and pantry cabinet.
The new kitchen sure is nice, but this pooch loves the soft runners around the island.
This little guy is appreciating the two-toned…
One look inside this urban loft and it’s clear this is a special, one-of-a-kind space. It has architectural elements designers dream about. The open concept, distressed brick, beautifully aged exposed wood beams, and treated I-beams come together to create an ambiance that’s as warm and inviting as it is historical.
When I first spoke with my client on the phone and he mentioned he was converting part of a 200-year-old warehouse into a weekend loft getaway, I was beyond excited. I’d always wanted to work on a loft project, and now was my chance. He said he had received a quote from one of the major big box stores, but wanted to compare prices with CliqStudios.com.
The client and I immediately hit it off,…
While browsing home décor idea sites such as Houzz and Pinterest, you may notice a sweeping trend toward statement flooring. Textured slate, chevron painted, and bold-colored Moroccan tile designs are hot right now paired with neutral wall colors to add a unique flavor to your space. Remember, wall color isn’t the only option you have in making a dramatic statement to your home.
Here are a few ideas compiled from Houzz and Pinterest to get you thinking about unique flooring options. We’ll cover stone, tile, paint and more — everything but plain hardwood!
Slate Stone Flooring
Create unique texture by using natural stone such as slate for an earthy, urban look in your home. Keep in mind that natural stone is hard to clean and may require you to…
Every Monday morning my husband, the chef, leaves for work early. I have a ritual of standing in our kitchen imagining how it could be cleared for the week. It’s a small kitchen, so we have limited space and it gets worked hard.
Here are my 10 tips for redesigning your space:
- Fresh kitchen towels. All the towels from the prior week go into the laundry, and I pull out a couple of fresh folded waffle weave or flour sack towels to use for the week.
- Make sure all the hand washing is done and put away. You know those lingering few items that can’t go in the dishwasher? Wash them and put them away.
- Wipe down counter top appliances and put them away as
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The lighting in a kitchen can really have a large impact both functionally and decoratively. There are three types of lighting that are used to light a space well: ambient (or general), task lighting and accent lighting. A sound lighting plan uses all three sources of light. A great lighting plan can often go unnoticed, everything just feels right. When there isn’t enough light to perform a task, or when the light sources produce too much glare, it’s hard to focus on anything else!
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting provides a space with overall light. Usually this lighting comes from above, whether it’s from recessed cans spaced evenly throughout the room or from a chandelier. Sometimes the light fixture or fixtures hung over an island can serve as both ambient…
You’ve been planning your kitchen remodel for awhile now, and you’ve torn out several images of kitchens that serve as your inspiration. Maybe you’ve decided what your new cabinetry will look like and worked out your new layout, but how do you get your new kitchen to look like magazine photo quality? Kitchens can be a large investment, and you want to feel great in your new space when it’s complete!
Over the last couple of years, I’ve worked on a few remodeling projects with a builder in Minneapolis, Ethan Johnson. He started his own company over four years ago after subcontracting for several builders.
“You never know what you are going to find when you open up a home,” he said to me the day he discovered an unusually large cement sub floor in our bstylehome bathroom remodeling project.
“It takes lots of patience and problem solving along the way,” Ethan reminded us. Luckily, we’d handled remodeling projects before, so we knew to be ready for some unknowns and some budget changes.
Although the floor demolition took longer and cost just a bit more for labor, we finished the project without any other surprises. Ethan had been referred to…
Spring has officially sprung, and if you’re like me, you’re still a little behind on your spring cleaning. This year, in between cleaning out your closet and venturing into those bottomless junk drawers, don’t forget to take a thorough pass through your kitchen. Even though you visit this space daily, and probably give it a good wipe-down once per week, you’d be surprised at the mess that can build up when organization is not top of mind.
“A place for everything and everything in its place” is a good theme for spring cleaning. Get ready and arm yourself with your favorite sprays, cleaning cloths and rubber gloves, it’s time to get your kitchen clean, organized and ready for summer!
1. Start with the drawers and cabinetry
Drawer by drawer…
