Master Bath fit for a Hotel

This lovely master bath was such a pleasure to design!

Located in one of Royal Oak's beautiful historic homes of the Hendrie nieghborhood

Believe it or not, every part of this cabinetry design was from my afforable production line, "Quality Cabinets."  Designing outside the box and using materials in non conventional ways is how I achieved this look for my clients.

Behind the mirrors, cabinetry and lighting is actually an old chimney that we had to work around. 

Having the lighting above lends to the perfect bath for prepping in.

Dual function is one of my personal favorite design elements when creating a space.

Below, the cabinetry offers storage inside for makeup, medicine, toothpaste, etc., while on the outside boasts a beautiful beveled mirror.

The center which is in front of the hidden chimney offers the perfect large mirror, framed in by cabinetry

An ideal Master Bath, has a "HIS" and "HER" station.....wouldn't you agree? 

By keeping with the tone of the home's age, we wanted this design to be a modern convience but still speak of the 1920's.  The existing tile was kept so I worked the design around that.  I love how the black borders the vanity space below

Double panels on the exposed sides hid the fact that an unsightly chimney is behind

The marble top is the perfect light companion to the dark Dulce stain of the cabinetry

One of my favorite baths to date!

Does your bath make you smile?

Hello Gorgeous!

I am a huge fan of this kitchen below

Soft white cabinetry accented with the pale green island and hood and even better, the cabinetry door style is classic and timeless.

The only changes I would have made is I would have chosen a different glass door style, on either side of hood, and opted to use a matching door style on island, instead of the beadboard...what are your thoughts?

I do like the re-introduction of the desk in the kitchen space, when possible. 

 It makes the space dual function as a desk/buffet and is a great spot to have the children work on homework, while parents can prep dinner or a snack.

To view what other finishes are available in this "FLETCHER" door style, click HERE

Gorgeous handles for your cabinetry

I stumbled on this pull today and thought, what an amazing piece of hardware for cabinetry.

Like a piece of jewelry, one or two of these pulls, is all you would want to create a stunning look. 

I can see this installed on a beautiful powder room cabinet

If interested in this lovely handle, click HERE

Fall treats

Ginger Pumpkin Waffles

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
2 teaspoon(s) ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
1/4 cup(s) finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 large eggs
3/4 cup(s) buttermilk
1/2 cup(s) canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup(s) sugar
3/4 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
3 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled


Directions


-Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture and toss with crystallized ginger in a small bowl. Set aside.
-Whisk eggs, buttermilk, pumpkin, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Combine with flour mixture. Stir in butter and fold in reserved crystallized-ginger mixture. Do not overmix.
-Heat a waffle iron and make waffles, using about 1/2 cup batter per each one. Keep warm in 200°F oven, if desired.

Photo and recipe by CountryLiving.com   

thank you!

I think of a cozier room to snuggle into with these homemade waffles and nibble while watching the fall colors display their glory

Cabinetry in this room was done in "Medallion's Rushmore"

Electrolux welcomes you to the future

All I can say is WOW........ I can't wait for some of these models to be a reality and use in real designs

Which is your favorite?
To hear this video's audio properly, you may have to scroll down to the right hand side, and pause the blog music

Northern Beauty

Returning from my vacation in Up North Michigan, I drew inspiration from images below.

Muted taupe tones of the powder soft sand, with sharp punches of greenery poking through.

Calming blues and greens from the beautiful Lake Michigan's water

Bright orange, pinks and reds demanding attention from the amazing sunsets

Looking at this kitchen, from "Medallion Cabinetry" it's rustic appeal would fit in perfectly for a cottage or home up north.  Or for that matter, any home that wants that warm feeling of natural wood accents.

Just gorgeous

Rebates for Michiganders

Everyone is watching what they spend and that includes many design projects that I work on as well.

I stumble upon many cool websites that offer great savings and at www.appliancerebate.com you can learn about which aggregates cash back offers from manufacturers and other sources in our Metro Detroit area.

You may get hundreds of dollars back from trading in your old refrigerator or dishwasher and purchasing a new energy efficient one.

That is a win/win situation for you, the environment and for your design project!

Click HERE to view what appliances qualify and for what rebate amounts

You can own this beautiful beast and get money back!

Using forgotten space

With remodeling season in high boom, think about the spaces in your home that are being forgotten.

Around your fireplace could be an example.

In this home, we took their blank wall and low, simple fireplace and used the entire space for storage and wow factor.

This fireplace surround was designed for my clients whose goals were; more storage space, creating a beautiful focal point in the room, hide stereo and TV/DVR/DVD components, while embracing the era of their Grosse Pointe home.

Below is the beautiful finished product done with "Quality Cabinets" cabinetry and within their budget.

The door style used was the Quincy 5

Little details, like the arched top valance, the fluted sides, the french furniture feet below, is what makes this piece look more like furniture and less like pre-fab cabinetry.

Who doesn't need drawers...LOTS of drawers!

I love how the deep red tones of the cabinetry work so well with their marble counter top selection, and the gorgeous tile that surrounds the fireplace area.

Come Fall and Winter time, this room will be so amazingly cozy!

Fireplace Unit Remodel

This Fireplace unit was done in our custom cabinetry, to match the existing kitchen cabinets and update their living room, while giving a better function to the space overall.

Don't be leery of mixing contemporary elements, such as these vertical lifts, in any design.  They create great storage and provide a beautiful visual impact.  The frosted glass chosen allows for a 'lighter' look in the design, while still being able to mask the items stored in the cabinetry.

Love vertical lifts!

The thick custom mantle and shelves create an elongated look, adding balance to the room

The warm tone of this Maple wood works so well with the beautiful mix of colors within the brick

When choosing hardware, don't forget about using unique materials.  We did a combination of frosted glass with satin nickel to tie in the frosted glass of the vertical lift cabinets.   Just beautiful!

So, here is the "BEFORE" 

The wall unit was done in a glossy laminate that had tones of pinks, beige but that wasn't the only issue. The main issue was the homeowners wanted to not only update their design, but update their TV and other equipment.  This whole design has a bit of a "LOW" feel.

And now the "AFTER" which allowed the beautiful flat screen TV to enter the design.

The other components (DVR, DVD, etc) are hidden behind the doors in the lower section of the bookcase

The warm tones of the cabinetry, not only match their existing kitchen seen from this living room, but warms the space with wood elegance.

Adding the tall bookcase also lifts the whole room visually making it appear larger

"Before" this R2D2 hovering unit with the outdated bulky TV...

Is replaced with an elegant bookcase showcasing artwork, family photos and houses their equipment below.

The drawer is a great addition for extra remote controls, TV guides/manuals, etc.

Putting cabinetry in different parts of your home allows for great storage, beauty and better function!

Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

KBIS 2010

Oh Chicago- to me, is the best city to grow up in.

I love going back home and especially when I can attend the amazing KBIS (Kitchen and Bath Industry Show) located in the heart of Chi-town, that took place last weekend.

So many great design products- so I'm going to share a few with you

Located in the Masco cabinetry booth (which by the way, is one of my lines that I design with-Quality Cabinets) was Australian Chef Curtis Stone who was doing a shrimp scampi cooking demo.

  He had quite the crowd around him and lots of smiling ladies.  Curtis has such a charming personality and his recipes are darn delicious too!  He is a big fan of using food as nature intended and cooking healthy

Go Curtis Go!

I thought the chalkboard was a charming idea and added child like warmth to a seriously stainless steel area

I was totally smitten for this Fisher & Paykel cooktop shown above and below.

 At first glance it appears to be an electric cooking surface which generally doesn't grab my attention. HOWEVER, upon further investigation, the GAS cooking element pops up when the button is activated! 

For clean freaks, this is your cooktop!  For small spaces, this doubles as extra flat countertop, and for Mom/Dads this is one of the most child safe tops I've seen with locks so they can't enable the Gas burners.

Love it and it comes in many great sizes, perfect for smaller spaces or to add as a second cooking zone for serious cooks

So new, it's not even on their website yet, sigh.

Undercounter 36" wide oven by Fisher & Paykel, sleek and perfect for a second oven

Fisher & Paykel's new Dishwasher drawer in a 36" wide size.  Gorgeous!

 To me, this below, was my "MUST HAVE" of the show.

Fisher & Paykel's Cool Drawer was exactly that...so cool! It is a 3ft refrigerator drawer that can be multi functional-from refrigerator to crisper, to freezer function if you so choose, to a wine cooler.  To give up 3ft of cabinetry storage, to me, the appliance must be a work horse, and this truly is.  I am in LOVE!

Jenn-Air has really made a strong comeback with their appliance design, in my opinion. This fully integrated refrigerator is shown in their "Floating Glass Black" and is quite striking.  You can reach inside, grab a quick snack and swipe on some lipgloss before heading out the door, with this mirror finish

Then I wandered into one of my always favorite sections of the show, KOHLER

They had an executive chef working in one of their multi tasking sinks that had a cutting board cut perfectly to fit for chopping or even gaining extra countertop space

Yes people, the old brass is coming back in the form of a new gold and in this case, shown in the Matte finish

The Karbon faucet for the bath

A lovely Kohler entertainment sink.  The matching cutting board acts as extra countertop space for when prepping or how lovely would a fruit and cheese tray look on that as a casual setting while the family gathers around?

Here is their Karbon faucet for the kitchen, shown in their new brushed and polished gold finish that I'm loving!  The Karbon is so fun to shape in different artistic positions-it's a great architectural piece.

Amazing shower doors by Fleurco that slide, so chic

An artistic vent hood in a mod lit glass and bronze finish

Walking by this island caught my attention and no, it wasn't because I had tired feet.  I thought it was a small lovely island that would so well for many families.  I loved the idea of sitting casually around the sink/island and how it was integrated with the cabinetry.  I would not recommend white cushions however! ;)

I wanted to show this double oven design idea for those that are used to seeing a tower cabinet that has the ovens one over each other.  This is a nice alternative and allows for a more unique use of space

I loved how this design used a shallow 6" cabinet for broom storage.  What a great idea for the side of a large pantry!

Boos butcher blocks shown in the many wonderful finishes they offer and wood species.  We offer any of these tops that make for beautiful and inviting countertops that dual function for those that seriously cook

KBIS 2010 was an incredible show and Chicago didn't disappoint with fantastic spring weather.

The new trends that are coming out this year are sure to impress...this was truly just a sneak peek!