Fall back in love with your home

The following are the three key ingredients to a successful home improvement project: a great design which meets your current and future lifestyle quality eco-friendly materials (construction & finished materials) quality craftsmanship.  It also takes planning, coordination, hard work and financial commitment. The Planning Stage- first meeting. This is the crucial first step in the design process. Allow 1-2 hours for this first meeting. It is also important to have with you a folder of clippings from magazines showing me what you are looking for. As a designer I need to understand what your goals are for the new and inviting space. It is the interview process and it is also the time to find out if we have a good working chemistry.	PLANNING FACTORS Budget Time frame Using Sustainable design & build practices Relationship of the space to other rooms and the outdoors. Amount and location of natural lighting, southern exposure The type and location of lighting Using sustainable construction materials Using finished materials that are eco-friendly A home that is healthy, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing	DePaolo Kitchen (Before): The original kitchen did not work for the homeowners. It was small, dark, and it did not flow well. We walked through the space and they showed me what they didn't like. They were constantly bumping into each other (the current setup did not allow for more than one cook). The configuration of the cabinets did not work for them. It was very unorganized and cluttered. Accessories were lacking. I asked them what they wanted in their new kitchen and space for more than one cook was key. A kitchen that flowed and had different work areas was important as well. By listening to their needs I was able to formulate a design that met their current and future lifestyle. Planning is one of the most important aspects of a successful remodel.
Bettencourt kitchen remodel (After): In this Small "U" shaped kitchen the sink originally was plumbed against a windowless wall. There was still time to make changes, however. I suggested that the sink be placed in the peninsula which faces the dining/living area. This design fits with the open floor plan. Now when doing the dishes one can either converse with others, watch television or look out the windows onto the back yard. The space feels more open and inviting. The prep area is in the middle between the sink and the stove. This gives the cook plenty of counterspace to prepare the meal. Even though we were on a tight budget, I made sure the cabinets had plenty of storage & were easily accessible. The base cabinets consisted of a pullout pantry, 3 wide drawers, pull out trays, cabinet for trays and an open bookcase facing the entrance. Instead of having base corner cabinets ie lazy suzans I opted for larger base cabinets. I added a 21" base with pullouts & a drawer facing the dining room. Special occasion dinnerware & silverware can be stored here. I designed the kitchen with wall cabinets of varying heights & brought them to the ceiling using a shaker molding. In a small kitchen this gives the illusion of height by drawing the eye upward.	Redesign: This room was used as the office/sitting area. We decided to switch it to the family room.  The origin paint color was lilac and the homeowners wanted to paint the living room terra cotta. Throughout the first floor the colors red & yellow are dominant. I felt that the living room should have a relaxing calming feel. Since green (soft green) is a calming color we chose a green that flattered the room. The accessories which came from other rooms now give the room dimension. Each room ties into the other. The home has a warm and inviting place for friends and family to gather.	DePaolo kitchen (After): I designed this kitchen to accomodate more than one cook. There are now a number of work stations, prep, storage, clean up. Kitchens should not just look good but they should have brains (function) as well. There are pull out trash bins, pull out trays, deep drawers, pull out can racks, wine racks, a book case, appliancesgarages, prep sink in island/breakfast bar, spice cabinet, tray cabinet, tilt-out trays, prep island, hutch with drawers, and a glass wine cabinet to name a few. The homeowners love their new kitchen. It's works for them and it's beautiful. Pam the homeowner tells me that every morning she walks into the kitchen she doesn't want to leave.