Kitchens and Baths

Quartz countertops.  They’re beautiful.  They’re durable.  They’re wildly popular.  And it took a determined inventor for us to enjoy them. Why? 

On an ordinary day in the 1880's, a Shelbyville, Ohio woman took some dirty dishes and made history.  Josephine Garis Cochran was the first person to build a working dish-washing machine, succeeding where others had failed.

Born in 1839, Josephine married a successful merchant in 1858.  They entertained frequently, and Josephine grew frustrated that her fine china was chipping.  Believing that the cause was harsh handling by those who washed it, she began washing the dishes herself but soon thought there must be a better way to avoid the drudgery of manual washing.

We've installed plenty of whirlpools. In the 90's and early 2000's, you could hardly build a home without one.  But we kept hearing that they were good for soaking the mini-blinds and not much else.

And so in 2005, we decided to build a spec home that had neither a whirlpool nor a soaking tub in the master bath.  Instead, it had a large walk-in shower.

“You’ll never sell it,” said a good friend who happens to be another builder.  The house sold overnight without a single peep about it having no whirlpool.

Brought to us by Mother Nature, granite is a 100% natural stone that’s beautiful, durable and easy to maintain with a few simple steps.

For daily cleanup, use warm water and/or a mild dishsoap applied with a washcloth or microfiber cloth.  Avoid harsh or abrasive cleaners, glass cleaners, any products with ammonia or bleach and any acidic cleaners like vinegar, lemon or lime.  These chemicals will dull and weaken the sealant over time.

Back in the 90’s, granite became the status symbol in the world of countertops but in the last several years, quartz gained ground and took over in popularity.  And we’re often asked, “What’s the difference?” Here's a primer. 

Granite is a 100% natural stone material that forms under immense pressure deep within the earth over millions of years.  It consists of different minerals that give it both color and texture, but quartz and feldspar are always components. 

Various cabinet doorstyles - flat panel, raised panel and slab - were explored in a previous installment,  but when you're choosing cabinets, you'll also want to consider the overlay, a term which indicates how much of the cabinet frame shows.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall.  Who’s the fairest of them all?

She (or he!) who has the right light in the master bathroom - that's who!

After all, lighting is the key to looking your best when you step outside the room.  But with so many beautiful fixtures available, how do you choose the right ones and know where to put them? 

There’s no single or simple answer to that question but several factors should be considered, such as size of the bath, wall color, layout, ceiling height, and whether or not there is a window, to name a few.  

Ready to create your beautiful kitchen and baths? You probably have a good idea of how you want your cabinets to look, but aside from the color and wood species, there are many other details to consider.  Understanding cabinet terms can be a big help when you're making your choices.

Knowing the lingo of door and drawer styles is a good place to start.  There are variations, but the door styles you'll most often hear are flat panel, raised panel, and slab..

Stainless steel appliances have been the reigning champs of the appliance world for a number of years.  In fact, they account for about three-quarters of all appliance sales, and it’s likely that stainless will still dominate in years to come.

But where does that leave someone who truly doesn’t want stainless?