Michael S. Smith “Kitchens and Baths”

I recently went to the Ann Sacks Tile Showroom, in the Gramercy Park area of Manhattan, for the book signing of Michael S. Smith’s newly released book, Kitchens and Baths. It was a little chilly that day and after a drive into the city a nice glass of wine at the showroom was a welcoming touch. Including being a world renowned designer, the interior designer to the Obamas in the White House and author, Michael S. Smith is just the nicest person you could ever meet. If I look and sound like a fan, it’s because I am.

Vita Anne Burdi, CKD, CBD and Michael S. Smith, author of Kitchens and Baths... Isn't the Ann Sacks showroom just beautiful?

This is a third book by Michael S. Smith. “The newest book from acclaimed designer Michael S. Smith showcases his exceptional take on kitchens and baths, the busiest yet most personal rooms in a home. Legendary designer Michael S. Smith has stories to tell about kitchens and bathrooms – those he has designed himself, and those that inspire him. In this fascinating and inspirational book, Smith, who has his own line of kitchen and bath fixtures for Kohler, explains how these rooms define a house. ”

Kitchens and Baths by Michael S. Smith

The book is a great inspiration to me, as a Certified Kitchen Designer and Certified Bath designer. The book is also split into different categories like “Beach”, “Town” and “Country”, each bringing the reader into a different but equally stunning experience. I encourage everyone to pick up a copy at the bookstore or online. Share with me your feeling of inspiration, from Michael S. Smith’s Kitchens and Baths book, to redesign the most utilized and most important rooms in your home.

* Vita Anne Burdi, Certified Kitchen Designer, Certified Bath Designer, is the co-owner and vice president of DJ’s Home Improvements, a design-and-build company licensed and insured in Nassau and Suffolk counties of Long Island, NY, since 1990. Her dedication and experience lends her to create and design, innovatively, all projects in home remodeling, including specialties in kitchen remodels, bath remodels, additions of dormers and extensions, decks, basement remodels, and many more upgrades in home improvements. Vita is a leader and designer of award-winning projects and has been featured and quoted in publications such as The New York Times, Newsday, Remodeling Magazine, Remodeling News, and Lowes for Pros. Vita is also an active member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA). Please visit www.djshome.com for more information and to view some of the awards designed by Vita.

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Ins and Outs: New Kitchen and Bath Ideas

As a Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer, I scour articles on kitchen and bath design every day, looking for innovative ideas and products in our industry. Combined with my on-the-job experiences, here’s a look at a few trends and ideas that are fading out this year as well as other emerging trends in kitchen and bath design currently happening, especially in our area.

Kitchens

Fading Out: Distressed finishes dropped significantly from a year ago, when they were used by 16% of designers, to just 5%.

Emerging: Dark Finishes… Dark natural finishes are chosen over medium natural, glazed, and white painted finishes

Fading Out: Too much effort and budget into the design of the exterior with little thought to the interior where people spend most of their time.

Emerging: DO give some attention to your ceilings by installing a coffered or tray ceiling, and even add color with paint. Treat it like a fifth wall.

Fading Out: Incorporation of wine refrigerators, gadgets like built-in espresso makers, beer tap dispensers, independent ice-makers (systems that take a fair amount of energy and planning but return very little usefulness.)

Emerging: to continue incorporating wine storage into kitchen design, unchilled wine storage is growing in popularity.

Fading Out: Freezer-top refrigerators were only specified by 8% of designers as 2010 drew to a close.

Emerging: According to the NKBA (National Kitchen and Bath Association) french door refrigerators jumped from 67% to 78% as the type most often specified by its members.

Fading Out: Commercial stoves and over-sized exhaust hoods. Oversized exhaust hoods can depressurize a home causing back-drafting down chimney flutes, etc. Bad air can get sucked from your garage or down your chimney.

Emerging: Instead of the commercial stove, try an induction cooktop. It is closer to 85% efficient in terms of usefully applying its input energy into heating your food. Gas cooktops are still the most specified.

Fading Out: Incandescent lighting and halogen lighting, even CFL’s due to poor quality of light produced.

Emerging: Designers are clearly opting for more energy-efficient lighting options. LED (light-emitting diode) lighting has increased from 47% to 54%.

Bathrooms

Fading Out: Using all and any green products. Thoughtful design with use of the right green materials and applications are more appropriate and green.

Emerging: Quartz continues to take away market share from granite in the market for bathroom vanity tops.

Fading Out: Fireplaces in the master bath and master bedroom. They are found to be rarely used when installed.

Emerging: Green bathrooms (the color green). While white and off-white palettes are up, beiges are down as well as browns. Other common color tones include blues, grays, and bronzes and terracottas.

Fading Out: Oversized tubs in master bath. “You get much more use of an oversized shower, especially if it has access to an outdoor private courtyard.” – Ed Binkley, AIA

Emerging: Under-mount sinks continue to dominate newly remodeled bathrooms. however, vessel sinks have become the clear second choice among designers.

Fading Out: Brushed nickel faucets and stainless steel (in bathrooms).

Emerging: Satin nickel faucets, as well as bronze, oil-rubbed bronze, polished chrome and polished nickel are still high in popularity.

These were just a few of my observations from the kitchen and bath design industry. What do you think of this list?

I’d love to hear from you…

– Vita Anne Burdi, CKD, CBD

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A Beginner’s Guide to Updating Your Kitchen – Cabinetry Style 02

Continued from : “A Beginner’s Guide to Updating Your Kitchen – Cabinetry Style 01”…

First of all, Everyone, Happy Holidays! Best wishes to you and all of your friends and family!

Now that we have discussed some of the steps in designing your kitchen and choosing a direction in your style of cabinetry, let’s take a look at some of the cabinet finishes you will be deciding on.

We are using examples from the Kraftmaid cabinetry line, a line I use often for its beauty, durability and affordability.

Line of Kraftmaid cabinetry

* Please click on the names to see an example

Stained Finishes – enhances the inherent beauty of each wood type

Highlighted Finishes – a base stain hand-rubbed for maximum absorption

Glazed Finishes – a base stain is applied and then a coat of glaze, emphasizes subtle variation in color

Antique Glazed Finishes – for an heirloom look

Burnished Finishes – creates the warm traditional look of fine furniture

Painted Finishes – heavily pigmented for beautiful color

Vintage Finishes – labor-intensive finish process creates the heirloom look, distressed and over-sanded

Thermofoil – for flawless silky smooth surfaces

These are just some finishes, but there are also many other things to consider in selecting your new cabinetry. To see some of our completed projects using some of these cabinetry finishes, please visit our kitchens portfolio on http://djshome.com/kitchens_portfolio.html.

More to Come on Cabinetry Style, the Beginnings of Updating Your Kitchen…

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A Beginner’s Guide to Updating Your Kitchen – Cabinetry Style 01

Cabinet manufacturers have an extensive offering of styles, finishes, storage solutions and decorative enhancements, so you can personalize your living space with the perfect combination of cabinetry details. There are many ways to begin your journey.

Steps to Your New Cabinetry:

Inspiration (Find Your Style)

Selection (Explore Your Options and Discuss with your Designer)

Request (Your Designer Orders a Finish and Door Sample)

Design and Order (Your Designer Presents Your Newly Created Space)

Installation – the Designer Oversees (Enjoy Your New Cabinetry Design)

Planning Your Design

Creating a personalized living space takes careful planning. Choosing your own unique combination of features, from the door style to the finish to decorative hardware and enhancements, will bring your own personal style to life. Make sure your designer orders finish and door samples to help finalize your selection.

You may be inspired to choose a finish color first, or perhaps you’ll gravitate toward a certain door style from the very beginning. Just follow your instinct and use the following information to create your own path. With so many choices, you can design a living space that’s so personal, it could only belong to you.

Cabinetry Options To Look For…

There are beautiful options for just about everyone. Enjoy the journey of creating an attractive living space you are proud to call your own.

Standard Cabinetry Features:

– Full-depth shelves provide 25% more usable storage space per cabinet than half-depth shelves.

– Sturdy ¾” thick shelves are adjustable for maximum storage capacity

– Special Permaset™ bumpers cushion doors for a quiet close

– Concealed hinges are adjustable six ways for optimum door alignment

– Round face frames duplicate the appearance of fine furniture and keep hands scrape-free

– Cabinet boxes feature I-beam braces or corner blocks for stability and strength

– The 14-step fine furniture finish process brings out the innate beauty of the wood

Standard Drawer Features:

Full-extension, self-closing drawer buffer system provides easy access to contents and closes drawers quietly

All-wood drawer boxes with dovetail construction provide strength and durability

Greater clearance between the drawer box and cabinet frame enables storage of larger items

FINDING YOUR STYLE

Before you begin the selection process, I recommend finding your personal style with the help of your designer.

What’s Your Style? …

Contemporary: Sleek, modern, sophisticated
Classically Traditional: Authentic, refined, time-honored
Natural and Warm: Informal, inviting, Cozy
Luxe transitional: Distinct, stylish, striking
Light and Timeless: Simple, streamlined, functional

More to Come on Cabinetry Style, the Beginnings of Updating Your Kitchen…

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Your Home Is Your Ketchup Bottle

By Matt Thornhill of Boomer Project for Reed Business Information.

For more than 120 years the iconic Heinz ketchup bottle was made one way – in glass, with a metal screw top, and packed to the top with America’s favorite ketchup. Of course, it was really difficult to get a tomato concoction with the consistency of mayonnaise and the viscosity of butter to “pour” easily from the bottle, but never you mind, that’s how we make it.

Heinz knew its bottle was difficult to operate and the ketchup slow to emerge, requiring either the strength of Hercules, vigorously banging on the bottle bottom, or the skill of Hippocrates, surgically using a table knife. Consumers knew, too. That’s why one of the most memorable advertising campaigns of the past 50 years was the Heinz ketchup commercial using Carly Simon’s anthem, “An-tic-i-pa-tion.” Making me wait, for sure.

Explain, then: Why did Heinz abandon that iconic glass bottle some 10 years ago for a plastic bottle, turned upside down(!), with a flip top and easy-to-squeeze sides? Why in the world would the company give up its most dramatic and unique point of difference for added functionality? The answer, it turns out, is universal.

Universal design, that is.

Heinz realized that it could build a better mousetrap – or in this case, bottle – by turning it upside down, making the contents easier to dispense, and therefore accessible to, well, everyone who likes condiments. The concept behind designing products that everyone can use, whether they are 4 or 84 years old, is called “universal design.”

It isn’t the most descriptive of terms – as one home builder recently told us, it’s not a “picture word” – but it does explain the basic thinking behind the next big thing in design of everything: products, homes, cars, buildings, you name it.

Heinz and others are embracing universal design because they have paid attention to the changing demographic portrait of today’s American consumer: We’re all getting older. By 2015, according to the Census projections, one out of three people in America will be over the age of 50. And every single one of them likely loves condiments.

We’re fortunate to be involved in a new effort to help enlighten more companies like Heinz to embrace the concepts of universal design. A group of stakeholders in the housing and home building industries – including the National Association of Home Builders, the National Association of Realtors, Builder magazine, and groups like AARP and the Boomer Project – are talking about how to encourage more companies and organizations to follow universal design concepts. This group is interested in building homes and products for consumers to use in homes that will make it possible for more of them to grow old in place.

Homes in the current “built environment” have followed the same conventions Heinz followed for more than 120 years – we do it this way because we’ve always done it this way. Homes are built on the assumption that every resident will always be able to climb stairs, reach countertops, bend easily to reach electric outlets, and so forth. But in truth, older consumers can have difficulty with some of those basic design features. Where is it written that electric outlets are only 18 inches off the floor? Why can’t they be 24 inches high? Why must we use hard-to-grasp door knobs when an easy-to-turn lever costs no more?

As boomers continue to grow older (we never say “age”), isn’t it time we started modifying our homes to be more accommodating to our changing needs? Isn’t it time we made our castle more like the Heinz ketchup bottle – more functional and simply easier to use?

The answer of course is “yes.” Yet when we look around at those involved in developing products for use in the home we find only one or two good examples of universal design. Thanks to Oxo Brand’s “Good Grips,” kitchen utensils are now much easier to use. Makers of washers and dryers have created pedestal versions that are easier to load and unload, without bending over.

That clearly isn’t enough. How easy is it to use your TV’s remote control? Can you even see the controls on the thermostat? How much contorting and twisting are required to maneuver in your own bathroom to get into the tub or shower, or access the towel? Is every cabinet and pantry in your kitchen accessible without getting out a stool, or getting on bended knee?

It’s time to design all of these things for all of us. Whether we are 4 or 84. Everything in our homes, including our home itself, needs to follow the example set by Heinz.

Your future house is in that ketchup bottle.

** Vita Burdi, a Certified Kitchen Designer and Certified Bath Designer, is a remodeling designer and Vice President of DJ’s Home Improvements since 1990. She has been contracted to design few kitchens and baths for aging-in-place use (aka Universal Design) and promotes public awareness of the importance of universal design. Please visit djshome.com for more project photos.

If you would like a professional to assist you, please call DJ’s Home Improvements at 516-775-8696, or visit http://www.djshome.com to see some of our completed projects for design ideas. DJ’s Home Improvements is a design-build remodeling company with 40 years combined experience, licensed in Nassau and Suffolk counties of Long Island New York.

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Top 5 Kitchen Layouts

Whether it’s a G, L, or U-Shape…find out which kitchen layout works best for you

The kitchen’s layout is the shape that is made by the arrangement of the countertop, major appliances and storage areas. This floor plan creates the kitchen’s work triangle —the path that you make when moving from the refrigerator, to the sink, to the oven to prepare a meal.

When designing your new kitchen and choosing the best cabinetry solutions for your home—the first thing to consider is the layout of the kitchen.

There are five different layouts found in today’s kitchens—the G, L, U, single, and galley. While certain floor plans create a more spacious, efficient kitchen, each kitchen can be enhanced with the right cabinetry and decorative accents.

Review the five kitchen layouts to identify which is most similar to your current kitchen. When looking at each layout, focus on the work triangle created in the room—you may find a kitchen floor plan that you prefer over your own.  Keep in mind—even if you’re not making significant structural changes to the kitchen, you can still enhance the layout with the right cabinetry.

Whatever you decide, we recommend working with a kitchen designer to select the cabinetry and create a kitchen that works best for you.

Kitchen Layouts

1. The L-shaped Kitchen:

In an L-shaped kitchen layout, a natural work triangle is created from continuous counter space and work stations on two adjacent walls. The benefit of this kitchen floor plan is that it not only provides the cook with an efficient work area, but it typically opens to a nearby room, making it easy for the cook to talk with guests.

2. The U-shaped Kitchen:

The U-shaped kitchen is the most versatile layout for kitchens large and small because the layout offers continuous counter tops and ample storage, which surrounds the cook on three sides.  In larger kitchens, this floor plan is spacious enough to be divided into multiple work stations for cooks to easily prepare a meal together without getting in each other’s way.

How to Enhance the U-shaped Kitchen Layout:

To maximize storage and keep countertops clutter free, conceal the microwave in a base wall cabinet and store cooking essentials in a Lazy Susan.

3. The G-shaped Kitchen:

The G-shaped kitchen is a version of the U-shaped kitchen layout, with the same amount of counter space and storage options that surround the cook on three sides. However, the difference with the G-shaped kitchen floor plan is the peninsula or partial fourth wall of additional cabinets.

How to Enhance the G-shaped Kitchen Layout:

Depending on the size of the kitchen, G-shaped kitchens can seem cramped. To make the room feel more spacious, open up the wall in a nearby room and create a pass-through or breakfast bar for the family.

4. The Single-Wall or Straight Kitchen:

The single-wall kitchen floor plan is ideal for smaller homes.  The work triangle in this kitchen layout is less like a triangle and more of a work line with all three kitchen zones along one wall.

How to Enhance the Single-Wall Kitchen:

Add additional storage and maximize the space by stacking cabinetry such as the wall pantry pull-out above the base super storage.

5. The Corridor or Galley Kitchen:

The corridor layout has a workspace large enough for one cook. In this kitchen floor plan, the work stations face each other on parallel walls, creating a small work triangle.

How to Enhance the Corridor Kitchen:

Similar to the single-wall kitchen floor plan, stack storage solutions to maximize space. Add linkable light strips under the cabinets for task lighting and brighten the room with glass inserts and interior cabinet lighting. If possible, add a pass-through to open the kitchen, but keep the lower wall for base cabinetry.

Learn About the Design Possibilities

Perhaps you’re happy with the existing layout of your kitchen—that’s great! Let’s talk cabinets and design ideas.

** Speak to a designer at DJ’s Home Improvements to find out how you can incorporate these elements into your kitchen.

If you would like a professional to assist you, please call DJ’s Home Improvements at 516-775-8696, or visit http://www.djshome.com to see some of our completed projects for design ideas. DJ’s Home Improvements is a design-build remodeling company with 40 years combined experience, licensed in Nassau and Suffolk counties of Long Island New York.

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A Budget Upgrade – Classic Bin Pulls!

They’re a classic way to add vintage style, and for good reason. Easy on the hands (They are also a GREAT element of Universal Design), as well as the eye, and as simple to swap out as a couple of slotted screws, bin pulls have been popular since the mid-19th century, helping to open deep drawers and lift heavy windows. The decoration-mad Victorians favored ornate iron and brass pulls, while plainer nickel and chrome versions had their heyday in the early 20th century. Whatever they’re style, bin pulls still look great on cabinets and furniture today.

*These are ideas for do-it-yourself projects. If you would like a professional to assist you in this project please call DJ’s Home Improvements at 516-775-8696, or visit http://www.djshome.com to see some of our completed projects for design ideas. DJ’s Home Improvements is a design-build remodeling company with 40 years combined experience, licensed in Nassau and Suffolk counties of Long Island New York.

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Ways to Dress Up Your Bath on a Budget

We all want a luxe-looking washroom to suds up and shower in. The challenge is creating that spa-like space without getting soaked. Read on to see how bargain-bin tile, secondhand furniture, and selective use of high-end finishes can give you the polish you want at a price you can afford.

A Place for Two

1. Vintage washstand
Set between matching pedestal sinks, a tiled-back washstand creates a his-and-hers vanity for a lot less coin than a new dresser-style model. Expect to pay about $250 for a similar washstand at antiques or thrift shops.

Save by Not Building In

2. Wall-Hung Mirrors
Easy-to-hang flush-mount mirrors don’t require wall-busting construction like recessed medicine cabinets do.

Use Expensive Materials in Most Visible Places

3. Tile-Top Wainscot
Use a luxe material sparingly and for the most visual impact by adding a dramatic ceramic tile border to enhance inexpensive wood beadboard.

Get Colorful

4. DIY Mosaic Design
Design a pattern, pop out mesh-backed ½-inch white tiles, and replace with colorful accents.

Build on a Furnished Foundation

5. Sideboard vanity
A mirrored dining room buffet replaces both a run-of-the-mill medicine chest and a sink cabinet. Paint it the same color as the walls to give it a built-in look.

Bring Outside Elements Inside

6. Outdoor-shower paneling
Horizontal slats nailed to vertical framing nod to the look of an open-air shower enclosure.

7. Utility light
Instead of a dressy sconce, a caged fixture, like those on farm buildings, offers a lot of light— and style—for just a little money.

Natural Accents

8. Natural stone counter
A soapstone top, with its river rock color and matte finish, has a warmer look than polished granite. Cut one to your specs using woodworking tools.

9. Twig-style tissue holder
TP hangs from a spindle suspended between the vanity’s front and back legs. Make one using a $1 wood dowel from the hardware store.

Go for Bright and Airy

10. Room divider
Framed frosted Plexiglas panels linked by steel cables create a visual partition without blocking natural light.

11. Towel cubby
Better looking than a plumbing access door, a wood-lined niche with a removable back panel stores extra towels. Box-in a void at the end of your tub surround using hardwood plywood and trim for about $50.

Design a Rustic Retreat

12. Weathered shelving
A wall-mounted barn board shelf stores bathing essentials and makes attractive use of the blank canvas above the claw-foot tub.

13. Two-tone tub
A serene palette of watery hues on the walls and shelf is complemented by a soft gray paint on the tub exterior. Refinish the outside of your claw-foot with a metal-safe enamel, such as Impervo Alkyd

Create Handcrafted Character

14. Curved backsplash
A custom demilune backsplash gives this painted wood vanity the look of a vintage washstand. Instead of warp-prone wood, use a sheet of marine-grade polymer that’s easy to cut with a jigsaw and never needs paint.

15. Simple skirted sink
A gingham curtain hides exposed plumbing, and punches up a white and cream color scheme.

Try a Vertical Backsplash

16. Low-cost tile tricks wall runner
Mix small quantities of discounted odd-lot hexagonal mosaics, skinny “liners,” and oversized subways to create a distinctive vertical backsplash. Save 60 percent over custom tile orders.

Mix it Up

17. Varied pattern
Install a square grid halfway up the wall, cap with a tiled rail, then lay subsequent courses on an angle for a more decorative look.

Create a Border

18. Chair Rail
Set plain subways on end to create a dentil-style border on a tiled wainscot. Seal the exposed, unglazed ends with caulk.

Use Glass Wisely

19. Bold Accents
Scatter glass or other accent tiles within a field of moderately priced field ones. Product idea: Lake Garda glass subway tiles, Ann Sacks.

*These are ideas for do-it-yourself projects. If you would like a professional to assist you in this project please call DJ’s Home Improvements at 516-775-8696, or visit http://www.djshome.com to see some of our completed projects for design ideas. DJ’s Home Improvements is a design-build remodeling company with 40 years combined experience, licensed in Nassau and Suffolk counties of Long Island New York.

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