June 17, 2013

Base Cabinet Accessories Make the Most of Space

Today everyone is focused on organization as a way to make life easier and less stressful. I have always told my clients to put all the contents of their old cabinets in boxes at the beginning of the remodeling and only put things away after they are needed the first time. Whatever is left in the boxes after two weeks probably doesn’t deserve kitchen space. That doesn’t mean it has to be thrown out or sold at the next garage sale. Maybe it just needs to be stored in the basement or more remote storage area for those occasional times when it is needed. Having just what you need, when you need it and where it’s needed is the secret to being organized.

I am a big fan of organizing although it’s usually not a one time job. Things (clothing, office supplies and linen cabinet contents for example) need to be purged and rearranged on a regular basis. However unless a person is constantly buying gadgets, pots and pans or serving pieces, the kitchen is one place where doing it right the first time can last a long time.

Thoughtful accessories added to base cabinets are one way to provide an easy way to organize this valuable space. Here are some great ideas to make the most of that space.

Cutlery dividers have stepped up with two layers for organizing drawer space even better.

Waypoint's style 620D in Maple Mocha Glaze

A narrow space can be converted to spice storage with a compact spice pull out.

Nothing is more distracting in a beautiful kitchen than an exposed wastebasket. Pull out trash binds come in a variety of styles and only take up 15" to 18" of base cabinet space.

Blind base cabinets can be troublesome but the addition of two base swing-outs can make the situation more than tolerable!

Waypoint's style 630F in Cherry Chocolate Glaze

A base pot and pan pull out makes it easy to see the pans and lids in one easy swoop.

There’s a lot to pick from and just think….these are just a few of the base cabinet accessories available. Next week, we’ll talk about some wall cabinet accessories that will make life easier.

Connie Edwards CKD, CBD, Waypoint Living Spaces

June 10, 2013

Desks All Over the House

Waypoint's style 410S in cherry Java According to Globalworkplaceanalytics.com somewhere between 20 and 30 million Americans work from home at least one day a week. Of that, some are part-time and about 3 million are full-time. Interestingly as many as half are people with home businesses.

Besides that, every lifestyle requires a place to organize papers…everything from favorite recipes to bill paying and a place to do homework is always nice. And I am not just talking about the kids in the family. Post-traditional learners (the new name for adult students) have been a growing presence in higher education so that means a place is needed from them too.

All this made me think about where an office could or should go beyond the dedicated home office. Surprisingly, there are lots of places where a desk area can be very useful. In the photo below the desk is part of a mudroom entryway. Combined with a place to hang a jacket, the desk also provides a Shelf Under Cabinet Organizer which is a perfect place to sort the mail by family member or by the date that it needs attention. Waypoint's style 730S in Maple Espresso

Desks in kitchens have come and gone in popularity over the years but this kitchen countertop extension makes sense. It’s a place to sit down with a laptop or tablet to check facebook or emails, pay bills or compose a grocery list. It can also become a snack bar for one. Whisk it clean and it becomes extra counter space or a wonderful buffet area.

Waypoint's style 720R in Maple Butterscotch This compact desk area shown below is just off a third floor master bedroom. That may seem like an odd space to have a small desk. The secret here is that the master is on the third floor. How much more convenient to be able to get up and start your day with a quick check of emails either work or personal. To ‘up’ the comfort factor, there’s a breakfast bar to the left. Think of it…early morning coffee and the ability to begin the day’s communications while still in your pajamas. Waypoint's style 630F in Cherry Chocolate Glaze

The side by side desk shown below is installed in a wide hallway off the main family room. There is room for two to work comfortably. A design like this is most likely to be found in new construction where the width of the hallway can be planned well in advance because it would require 36” or even more behind the chair to allow for easy clearance. You can tell from this photo that this hall is very wide and that is the ideal situation. Waypoint's style420S in Cherry Java

Connie Edwards CKD, CBD, Waypoint Living Spaces

June 3, 2013

Micro Apartments: a Study in Living in Small Spaces

While New York City mayor Michael Bloomburg may have lost the battle (at least temporarily) to down-size sodas, his call for affordable, but tiny, apartments is about to become reality. Based on the need for affordable housing for New Yorkers and the fact that 1/3 of New Yorkers live alone, a competition to design compact but attractive housing was launched.

The winning design has been selected and the 55 unit project is scheduled for completion in September 2015 at 335 East 27th Street in Manhattan. The units will vary in size from 250 to 370 square feet. That’s considerably smaller than the 400 square foot minimum currently required by housing regulations. But the change in size is one of very few codes that will have to be waived in order to begin this project. About 40% of the New York units will be considered affordable and that’s the point of this project in the first place…making housing affordable in a city that is known for its high prices.

Micro apartment in the daytime. Design: Clei s.r.l/Resource Furniture, architecture by Amie Gross Architects, photography by John Halpern. Image courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York

Micro apartment set up for nighttime. Design: Clei s.r.l/Resource Furniture, architecture by Amie Gross Architects, photography by John Halpern. Image courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York

Recently I visited an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York which featured a full-size example (see above) of what a micro unit could look like. Co-curated by the Citizens Housing & Planning Council I got a glimpse of what it would be like to live in a compact space. While there isn’t room for extras of any kind, the exhibit showed how workable the space could be. From folding chairs stored on wall hooks in the entry to a new take on a Murphy bed, the space was elegant and filled with cleverly designed features. Clearly this wasn’t the economy model which will be built in New York but it was a show stopper in many ways. It was colorful, stylishly accessorized and so beautiful it almost made you want to get rid of all your excess possessions just so you could move in.

Design: Clei s.r.l/Resource Furniture, architecture by Amie Gross Architects, photography by John Halpern. Image courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York

Interestingly even in this small space the bathroom was designed to accommodate a wheelchair user which made it spacious by anyone’s standards. The finishes were upscale, clean and contemporary.

The pull out table seats four (using those folding chairs I mentioned earlier). It’s a charming and useable space.

Even in this small space dining for four is possible. Design: Clei s.r.l/Resource Furniture, architecture by Amie Gross Architects, photography by John Halpern, Image courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York

Design: Clei s.r.l/Resource Furniture, architecture by Amie Gross Architects, photography by John Halpern, Image courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York.

The kitchen was open and filled with mini appliances made by Whirlpool® for the European market but not yet available here yet from what I could learn. The mini dishwasher is under the sink and the under counter refrigerator is just to the left. The freezer is also an under counter unit and can be seen to the left of the pull out table. In a space like this, every inch counts.

The exhibit will be on display at The Museum of the City of New York until September 15, 2013.

Connie Edwards CKD, CBD, Waypoint Living Spaces

May 27, 2013

Creating the Perfect Shower

Waypoint's style 630F in Cherry Chocolate Glaze While every home has to have at least one bathtub for bathing children and for resale reasons, nothing says luxury by today’s standard like a really wonderful shower. There are many ways to create a shower from pre-made units to custom showers. Custom showers, while more expensive give the best flexibility to choose exactly what is wanted. What is perfect for one person isn’t necessarily another person’s ideal shower. Here are some things that I think will make a great shower:

* A comfortable shower should be somewhat larger than the minimum recommended 36’ x 36”. Even 36” x 48” to feels more spacious. And believe it or not, a shower can be too large. It needs to be large enough to accommodate the users but not so large as to be awkward. If a roll-in wheelchair shower is needed the dimensions change considerably.

* Every shower should have grab bars. Why? Because you never know when a guest or family member will need something to grab. Oh it might be the flu, a pregnancy or Aunt Tillie’s visit but, grab bars are a practical addition to any shower. At the very least, blocking should be put in the walls for their future installation.

* Well-placed niches for soaps, shampoos etc. take thought. The more people that use the shower, the more space you’ll need. Speaking of well-placed, I prefer locating everything but a soap holder on the wall opposite the plumbing. One reason is that the pipes supplying the shower will make recessed areas nearly impossible. Surface-mounted shelves work though. The other reason for locating them on the opposite wall is that the user is stepping away from the water to grab the shampoo and I think that makes sense.

* A seat in the shower is a practical plus to any shower. It should be about the same dimensions as a chair. In other words about 18” high and 15” deep. Besides sitting, seats come in handy for washing feet and shaving legs.

* Wall material is a big decision. Most showers today are tiled so selecting the largest tile possible reduces the number of grout joints to clean. There are also new stone paneling materials on the market that combine the beauty of stone with the convenience of a solid slab.

* Clear, frameless shower doors are all the rage and since there are good cleaners today to keep them looking spectacular, it isn’t an impractical choice at all.

* Consider one of the new channel drains. Instead of a round drain in

Photo courtesy of Quick Drian USA

the center, this newer concept has a one-way slope in the shower pan. It makes a cleaner installation and requires less cutting of tile. And it’s perfect for wheelchair accessibility.

* Add a hand held shower. I like a hand shower primarily for cleaning the shower walls but honestly, they have lots of other uses. From helping children transition from tub baths to showers to limiting the shower spray for someone with an arm or leg in a cast. Hand held showers are also handy when members of the family are different heights. Most are installed on a rod with a significant amount of adjust ability.

Photo courtesy of Kohler

* Add a luxury or two if the budget permits. One of the new fun products from Kohler is the Moxie shower head. You aren’t going to believe this but The Moxie shower head syncs with any Bluetooth-enabled device—smart phones and mp3 players—and streams music directly into the shower. So, not only do you get a first rate shower spray but you have the music of your choice right in the shower with you. You have to love this idea.

A perfect shower may mean one thing to one person and something entirely different to another. While the basics of size and safety never change there is lots of room for individual choices.

Connie Edwards CKD, CBD, Waypoint Living Spaces

May 20, 2013

Eclectic Bathroom

I don’t usually use the term eclectic but in this case it is the proper word for this bathroom. The term eclectic means: deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources. Whether we know it or not most of us live in some version of an eclectic home. We just surround ourselves with the things we love.

In order for eclectic style to be successful rather than just a collection of unrelated items, some sort of theme and relationship to each other. Let’s take a look at this photo and see how things work together: Waypoint's style 650T in Oak Espresso

From the farm ladder style towel rack to the contemporized traditional style wall sconces, the finish is dark. Not necessarily the same finish but similar enough to ‘read’ as the same. It’s that connection that makes the look work.

Even though the accent wall is in a color frequently associated with the southwest style, it works here because it is surrounded by a neutral palette. The recessed panel door style on the cabinetry is often called Shaker. It is probably today’s most popular door style. It’s shown here in a dark stained oak but with a change of wood specie, finish and decorative hardware it would look good in nearly every decorating style. Even the classically simple mirrors can cross over from contemporary to traditional to country. It’s all about artful combinations.

Connie Edwards CKD, CBD, Waypoint Living Spaces

May 13, 2013

Waypoint Living Spaces Honors NKBA Student Design Contest Winners

Winners of the NKBA 2012/2013 Student Design Competition are shown left to right: Mei Fun Chan from West Valley College- First Place bathroom; Nicole Reyes from West Valley College-Honorable Mention kitchen; Callie Harkness from Georgia Southern University-Honorable Mention kitchen; Robin DeRuyter from Arapahoe Community College-Third Place kitchen; Andres Saavedra from Henry Ford Community College-Second Place kitchen; Emily Stevenson from Brigham Young University/Idaho-Third Place bathroom; Lauren Nikolaj from Lakeland College and Chelsea Nicole Schwindt from Lakeland College-First Place kitchen. Not shown Chanel Gardenmann from Brigham Young University/Idaho-honorable mention kitchen and Mary Smith from Arapahoe Community College-honorable mention bathroom.

Waypoint Living Spaces and Sub Zero/Wolf once again honored the rising stars of kitchen and bath design industry. These rising stars are the winners of the Student Design Competition held annually by The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA). The students at NKBA endorsed colleges are given a challenge each year in the form of a hypothetical kitchen and bath design with specific criteria. This year the competition involved designing a basement apartment in a raised ranch home that would be suitable for an elderly widow with some physical limitations. The kitchen and bathroom were the focus of the contest and the designs were phenomenal. Judges for the competition this year were David Newton, CMKBD, Claudia McCabe-Cort, CKD, CBD, Peter J. Albanese, CKD, CBD and Shelley Rubino, CKD, CBD. If you’d like to see the students’ design work click here.

John Morgan, president of the NKBA, addresses attendees.

In a special event sponsored by Waypoint Living Spaces and Sub Zero/Wolf the winners and guests were entertained and honored for their accomplishments in the industry. The event was held in conjunction with the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) which was held this year at the New Orleans Civic Center. Among the speakers for the evening was John Morgan current president of the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

Being a standout in the industry takes a great deal of dedication and hard work. The winners of this competition have a lot to be proud of and will be the future leaders of the industry.

Connie Edwards CKD, CBD, Waypoint Living Spaces