Recently, a very nice woman came into my office to discuss a basement remodel. She told me that she was just doing a very simple remodel, but soon it involved creating a room, running a heat duct to it, including a new light a switch and so on. As the scope of work evolved, along […]
construction
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
On the Level — A Home for Entertaining… and the Dogs
In the summer of 2014, when Lance and JoAnn Kahn first saw the 1970s rambler, they weren’t all that impressed. The 40-year-old house was dated and the floorplan was decidedly quirky with long, dark hallways that ran like tunnels from either side of the front door. However, the couple had to admit that the place […]
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
A New Floor Plan and a Wealth of Custom Features and Cabinetry
It wasn’t just the bright-green Formica countertops that Tami Watts disliked about her kitchen. Watts and her husband, Brad, owner of Valley Nursery in Poulsbo, typically host holiday and birthday gatherings for their extended local family, now three generations. The long peninsula in the 25-year-old kitchen restricted traffic flow between the kitchen and adjacent living/dining […]
Posted inAt Home, Blog
What You Need to Know About Using the Internet for ‘Due Diligence’
You often hear people refer to completing their “due diligence” when hiring a contractor for any type of construction project. Officially, due diligence (also known as due care) is the effort made by an ordinarily prudent or reasonable party to avoid harm to another party or own self. Failure to make this effort is considered […]
Posted inAt Home, Blog, Featured
Design Basics, Part 1: Floors
Interior design choices can be overwhelming, especially with so many choices on the market. To help you along in the process, here are some basic tips for your floors. Read part 2 of this article on Friday for more tips for the walls and the ceilings. Carpet The most forgiving material for a floor is […]
Posted inFeatured, Home
Cabinetry Bling — Stylish Hardware for Your Cabinetry
Does the look of your kitchen or bathroom cabinets leave you feeling ho-hum? With just the turn of a screwdriver, you can give your cabinetry a whole new appearance simply by updating the hardware. It is important to understand the basics of selecting just the right hardware. The following is a recommendation of the steps […]
Posted inAt Home, Blog
Three Key Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Contractor
Whether your project is big or small project and whether you’re building or remodeling, hiring a skilled and professional contractor is a big deal. When interviewing, there are many basic questions to ask. There are some questions I rarely hear yet they should be of importance to help determine if that contractor is the right […]
Posted inAt Home, Blog
Do You Know What Your Insurance Will Cover in Case of a Repair Emergency?
On a recent Friday, I was just getting ready to leave my office when the phone rang. I picked it up and heard the upset voice of a client who had been in a home just 10 months. The client had experienced a flood in the home and had no idea what to do with […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Save it From a Rainy Day — Rainwater Harvesting
After the severe decline in this year’s snowpack, Gov. Jay Inslee declared a statewide drought in May. By July, runoff from snowpack had disappeared and 83 percent of the state’s streams and rivers were reported running at below normal or record low flows. For counties like Kitsap, whose dominant source of water is groundwater, not […]