For many Pacific Northwest residents, cooking and entertaining outdoors is comfortable and feasible for much of the year. Sitting around a fire-pit in late October with friends is one of the greatest pleasures of fall — and who doesn’t love a barbecue turkey at Thanksgiving or Christmas? Homeowners looking to enhance the enjoyment or resale […]
remodeling
Posted inAt Home
Planning for Safety in Your Remodeling Project
It’s exciting to think about a remodeling project and all the fun things you will do. And while safety is not something that most people would say is unimportant, you’d be surprised at how many ways safety can become an issue. A first step is permitting. Simple enough, but many people often see building permits […]
Posted inAt Home
Remodeling with Renting in Mind
Vacation rentals, longer-term rentals, Airbnb.com — all are ways to make some income from your home or second home. You may be looking to rent out an entire home for a long term, a separate space in your home or just a small room, but before you get to remodeling that space, let’s look at […]
Posted inAt Home
Builder/Remodeler or Architect… Which Comes First?
If you are planning to build a new home or do a major remodel, there is a natural question that should come up. Whom do I call first? A builder/remodeler or an architect (or designer)? In 28 years of building and remodeling, I have seen many, many sad faces of clients who had a plan […]
Posted inAt Home
Building or Remodeling with Your Family Pets in Mind
Americans love their pets. According to a recent report by NBC news, Americans will spend more than $60 billion — yes, billion — on their pets in 2016. Clearly, people are taking the term “furbaby” to heart and treating pets more like members of the family. In keeping with this theme, more and more people […]
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Downsizing: 10 tips on how to ‘right-size’ your next home
Tiny houses are currently “big” so to speak, but really, how many people can actually live and function in a 350-square-foot home after living in 2,500 square feet or more? Downsizing is a popular topic for sure, but there is another small home movement on the forefront, and that is the smaller, well-appointed home (1,000 […]
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Outdoor Kitchens, from Simple to Sublime
Requests for outdoor kitchens are on the rise, from pretty basic to really crazy. While most outdoor kitchens are considered a luxury, there are ways to add them to your space in all budget ranges. First consider how you will use your outdoor space and what you really need. What type of cooking do you […]
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What’s Hot — from Design and Construction Week 2016
This year’s Design and Construction Week, hosted in Las Vegas in January, did not disappoint. Comprised of four distinct shows — the International Builders Show, the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, the International Window Coverings Expo and the International Surface Event — it had on display products for everyone’s design and construction needs. The combined […]
Posted inAt Home
Inset Cabinets: A New, Major Trend for Your Kitchen
Look in any magazine that features kitchens and baths and you may notice that 90 percent of the rooms show inset cabinetry. Many people don’t notice the difference but they comment that is looks very sleek. So what are inset cabinets? Inset cabinetry features doors and drawers that fit inside of the cabinet-face frame openings. […]