Christmas Kitchen Decorating Ideas

In just a few days, an imaginary gunshot will go off and the Christmas shopping and decorating spree will begin. You might have even seen glimpses of fast starters already sneaking in some Christmas gifts and decor. As Minnesota remodelers, we love to see how homeowners dress up their homes for Christmas, and especially when it comes to their kitchens. If you’re looking for ideas on how to decorate your kitchen this Christmas, try some these ideas:

We love this simple way to dress up a modern sink from http://www.decorationideas.org

Who said Christmas trees were just for front windows? This photo from seasonsforallathome.com

You don’t have to go overboard, just add a wreath and holly to accent the kitchen – from inspirebohemia.blogspot.com

Here’s a great, simple way to add a Christmas centerpiece – idea from inspirationforhome.blogspot.com

We love this garland around custom cabinets! Idea from houseofdecorke.blogspot.com

And if all else fails, just put a bunch of these all around, right Santa? (Image from standlees.wordpress.com)

Power Up the Powder Room

Unless you’re a female needing an emergency makeup check, you may not understand the value of a powder room or half-bath. These smaller bathrooms are often overlooked when it comes to bathroom remodeling. Although they’re not the “showcases” of a home, and sometimes even tucked away or hidden in a long hallway, these small bathrooms can really add to a home, and give homeowners a great way to express themselves.

Make a statement with your half-bath!

Powder rooms or half-baths are a great place to take chances in bathroom remodeling. If you have ideas that you didn’t want to risk with the larger bathroom remodel, consider trying them in your smaller bathroom. Ideas like creative uses of tile, or a fun wall application, can be “tested” in these smaller rooms. And what we’ve found is that when homeowners step out and make a statement with their half-bath, they try and make sure every guest has a chance to see it.

Remodeling a Small Bathroom

Ready to jump into remodeling the small bathroom? Here are three things to remember as you start planning:

Make the Sink Your Centerpiece. Hide the Toilet.

Because you don’t have as many elements in a small bathroom remodel (no cabinets, tub, shower, etc.) – you have to lay out your bathroom so that it makes sense and is easy to use. Your sink should be the centerpiece – whether it’s part of a vanity or a freestanding piece. Then, place your toilet off to the side, or in an area that’s not visible when the door is ajar. Once you’ve thought through the placement of your sink and toilet, then plan where any other items will go, such as cabinets and mirrors.

Use Cool Materials in your Small Bathroom.

Don’t give your small bathroom a “small bathroom” complex. Use cool materials to dress it up. Because the room is small, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to put in nice features. Consider accenting the sink with a granite or quartz counter top. Bring in unique antique pieces – or modern pieces – depending on your style. Think about using a really cool mirror or side-table to accent the room. Use nice tiles and fixtures. Get a unique toilet. It will be worth it.

Let in Light to your Small Bathroom.

Because these rooms are often tucked away into hallways or small spaces, small bathrooms can lack natural light. When remodeling your small bathroom, consider how to add light. If your bathroom is placed right – and your budget allows – think about installing a window or solar tube. Or – try to add some ceiling lighting. If that’s not an option, make sure you have plenty of wall-mounts that add lighting. To improve the ambiance and light, paint the room with a light and bright color. If your paint color is on the lighter, softer side – your room will look bigger and brighter.

These are just a few ideas for how to amp up that powder room and transform it into a bathroom you love – and want to show off.

Filed under: bathroom remodeling by dbcmn
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Hate Your Small Kitchen? Here’s Where to Start When Remodeling.

Want a new kitchen? Not sure where to start? Here are a few of our remodelers’ ideas about where to start when you want to improve your kitchen’s beauty (and ultimately your resale value!)

Make sure to create open spaces and efficiency in a kitchen remodel

1. Improve Storage Space in the Kitchen

When evaluating a kitchen, particularly if you’re attempting to resell, consider how much storage space you have. Storage space doesn’t just mean cabinets either – storage can include shelving, counter tops and above-cabinet space, too. Adding storage will enhance beauty – you’ll have the ability to hide more of your kitchen items and create clean, open space on the counter tops. You’ll also add to the resale value, as kitchens really can’t have “too much storage space.”

2. Create an Open Layout in your Kitchen Remodel

We’ve previously talked about kitchen zones, and how the use of today’s modern kitchen has changed. An open layout for a kitchen will be very important to homeowners who plan to use the kitchen as a hub for household activity. An open layout will be more pleasant and inviting. Kitchens are used for working and socializing these days – on top of eating. Your kitchen may be used for entertaining, homework, television watching or a combination of the above. By creating more open space, you maximize your investment when you redo your kitchen by designing a space just about every family wants.

3. Add Kitchen Efficiency through Kitchen Placement

Can more than one person work in the kitchen at once? Is it easy to prepare meals? Can you easily transfer boiling water to drain in the sink, or even fill a pot with water to boil? All of these factors may improve the functionality of your kitchen. And by making your home more efficient, may improve your resale value. Consider the placement of each appliance, and maximize the space! Think about how efficient your kitchen is, and plan your remodel to get the most out of every cabinet, appliance and square footage of your kitchen.

4. Choose Long-Lasting Materials for your Kitchen

Simply put, better materials will sell when it comes to your kitchen remodel. Everything from what you choose for counter tops, custom cabinets and flooring will matter when it comes to how your kitchen looks – and how much you’ll get back out of it when it’s time to move on. Appliances will also carry a heavy weight, as trusted, well-known brands will be more attractive to home buyers. Better materials won’t only last longer – but will also help sell your place, too.

Those are four tips for helping you get started on your kitchen remodel. Let us know if you need more advice, or have a specific kitchen remodeling project in mind!

Why Choose A Design Build Company?

You may have heard about Design-Build, but may still be wondering why to choose a Design-Build company. To put it simply, we make home remodeling a simple and easy process.

For all of those married out there – remember back to your wedding. There are a couple of approaches you can take when planning a wedding:

1- plan the wedding yourself, arrange the vendors, negotiate the prices, come up with the ideas

2- have a wedding planner or wedding coordinator help you plan, come up with ideas, coordinate the details, secure competitive pricing

In the home remodeling world – we work like the wedding planners. We’re involved in remodeling from start to finish, and use our relationships to get the best deals, with the smoothest process.

Design-Build helps plan for a stress-free remodel

How Home Contracting Works

When you work with Design-Build, we assist you through the entire home remodeling process from concept to completion. We help the homeowner with each step of the remodel including, but not limited to:

• design of the bathroom remodel or kitchen remodel
• permits for construction
• budget management
• billing
• construction issues
• choosing materials for the remodel
• overseeing the construction schedule

Working with a Design-Build company means that all questions or concerns related to any part of the remodel can be directed to us (rather than each individual company and contractor involved along the way.)

Does It Cost More To Use Design-Build?

If you’ve used a travel agent before, you may have been surprised to find that your trip may actually cost you LESS than it would have if you’d arranged it yourself. Each agent has relationships with the travel spots and can easily arrange great deals through the hotel, airlines and rental cars so that your package is one fee, and much cheaper.

The same idea works with us. First, a homeowner doesn’t need to hire an architect AND a separate contractor. Also, many of the Design-Build firms credit the cost of the design process against the project cost. By using our home contractors, we design elegant home remodeling jobs and then use our extensive network to get you the best materials at the best prices.

Design-Build Makes Home Remodeling Simple

In our busy lives, simplicity is the goal for most of us. If you desire to remodel your kitchen or bathroom, consider working with Design-Build to get the outcome you want. We’ll work with you each step of the way to get you a beautiful new kitchen, or new bathroom, that will truly enhance your life with the least amount of stress possible.

Five Trends in Bathroom Design

Trends in home remodeling come and go (anyone remember those olive green counter tops?) Today’s remodeled bathroom needs to reflect the current styles and trends so that you’ll get your biggest ‘bang for your buck.’

We just finished this remodel this month!

Five Trends in Bathroom Remodeling

Wanting to remodel your bathroom? Have no idea where to start? As experts in bathroom remodeling in the Twin Cities, here are our top five recommendations:

1. Bringing the spa home in your bathroom remodel

Many homeowners are turning their remodeled bathrooms into a getaway space. They want an escape within the home and are allocating additional square footage to their bathroom layouts. To get the full spa effect, homeowners are investing in spa tubs and shower designs with specialty heads and faucets like body sprayers and rain shower heads.

2. Heated Bathroom Floors

Nothing takes the edge off of a cold Minnesota winter like stepping out of the morning shower onto a comfortable and warm bathroom floor. Radiant floor heat is a popular way to increase the comfort of a bathroom and is becoming more affordable than ever.

3. Quartz bathroom counter tops:

Many homeowners are turning to the more durable and crack resistant option of quartz surfaces over granite. Quartz counter tops are very low maintenance compared to granite counter tops. The largest provider of quartz surfaces in the Twin Cities area is Cambria Quartz surfaces , check out their new waterstone collection

4. Vessel Sinks:

Even though under mount sinks still dominate, vessel sinks are becoming popular in the more transitional and contemporary homes. This sink looks like the basin is sitting on top of the counter top. It’s a great way to get a modern look.

5. Natural stone flooring in bathroom remodels

Natural stone flooring is a beautiful and natural way to add a touch of elegance to your bathroom. Stone floors are known to be slippery, but there are installation techniques that fix this problem.

Designing Kitchen Zones | Kitchen Remodeling

Just watch a few episodes of Property Brothers and you too will be wanting a new kitchen. Many popular design shows on HGTV would give anyone the itch to remodel their homes – and especially the kitchen areas!

Kitchens are a very popular area to remodel. For one, remodeling your kitchen is at the top of the list on how to increase your home values. And two, many updates have been made to kitchen designs to increase functionality and usability. We all want a new kitchen!

Kitchens are one of the best ways to improve your property value

The Cornell 1950s Triangular Kitchen

Researchers at Cornell University developed the triangular kitchen model in the 1950s. Their idea was to create a layout and reduce the number of steps you take when preparing a meal and then cleaning up. That meant the fridge, sink and stove were all configured in a triangle or “U” shape so that you could quickly get around the kitchen and then pick up once you finished your meal. Formal dining rooms were built off the kitchen for eating, so the kitchen was mainly used for food preparation, storage and cleanup.

Reconfiguring Kitchen Designs and Kitchen Zones

As the decades have gone on and culture has changed, families have begun to use kitchens for more than food preparation. Blame it on McDonalds if you will, but in many American homes, more school work is done in the kitchen than baking. Now, kitchens are used for all sorts of activities. Entertaining, watching TV, reading magazines, eating, and then of course food prep, is now done in the kitchen.

These new trends have caused kitchen remodelers to re-think kitchen design. Gone are the goals of reducing steps in the kitchen. Now, the goal is to provide open and functional spaces so that everyone can use the kitchen. In the remodeling world, we call it “zones,” or creating usable spaces within your new room.

Tips for Creating Kitchen Zones

When beginning a kitchen remodeling project, we first start with mapping out the idea of traffic flow. Host Danny Lipford of  “Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford,” recommends carefully considering how you’ll use your kitchen space before remodeling. He suggests kitchen islands for families who need extra seating, serving space and storage. It’s important to think about all the ways your kitchen will be used, and then plan the features your remodel will include.

In a recent news report, Consumer Reports gave advice for avoiding common kitchen remodeling mistakes, with many of them involving poor planning and layout. Before you begin ripping out cabinets and pouring money into a kitchen remodel, make sure you’ve thought out how you’ll use your kitchen, and how to get the most use out of your new space. You and your family will love it.

In the Twin Cities area? Contact us to help you plan your kitchen zones for your kitchen remodel.

Caring for your Custom Cabinetry

Custom cabinetry is a true luxury. Not only will customizing your cabinets give your room a refreshed and updated look, but it also gives you the functionality that you desire. Nothing is better than having all of your kitchen and bathroom cabinets in the size and locations you need them.

Design Build Consultants can design your perfect cabinets

Design Build Consultants Custom Cabinetry

We work with our clients design both kitchen and bathroom cabinetry. As design consultants, we help you lay out your room and plan your cabinet location and design so that your organizational goals are met. Not only are our cabinets functional, but they’re also beautiful. We work exclusively with cabinet builders Lakeside Cabinets for our kitchen cabinets or Bertch for our bathroom cabinets, and oversee that the cabinets are built to customized specifications in the design.

Designing your Custom Cabinets

As the homeowner, you have complete control of the style, layout and finish of your cabinets. We help you design the cabinets for your kitchen or bathroom, and then provide suggestions for the style and finish of the cabinets. Using our experience, we will provide recommendations based on what matches your room and aesthetic. But although we provide recommendations, you always have the final say when it comes to your custom cabinets.

How Do I care for my Custom Kitchen Cabinets?

It’s critical that you take care of your custom cabinets in your kitchen and bathrooms. Custom cabinetry is a large investment, and so we recommend following the steps to make sure your cabinets continue looking new.

• Wipe off smoke residue, cooking vapors, or body oils with a damp cloth and a small amount of high-quality furniture cleaner.
• Avoid placing small kitchen appliances under cabinets where heat or steam is directed onto cabinet surfaces.
• To clean your custom cabinets, use a mild detergent or soap with warm water. Follow the grain of the wood when polishing
• Do not use products with bleach, ammonia or abrasive additives. Never use scouring pads, steel wool or powdered cleaners.

Check out the Lakeside Cabinets Kitchens gallery.

See some of Bertch’s Bathroom Cabinets.

Kitchen Remodeling Costs

They say the way to a man’s heart is through a delicious meal. And one way to a delicious meal is through a beautiful kitchen.

Beautiful Kitchens Improve Beauty and Livability; here is one of Design Build Consultants modern kitchen remodels

Kitchen remodeling is often at the top of every homeowner’s “wish list.” From the cabinets to the countertops, keeping your kitchen up-to-date not only keeps your cook happy, but it can also help you sell your house. Here are some costs to anticipate and returns to expect if you’re planning to remodel your kitchen:

Kitchen Remodeling Areas

A kitchen remodeling job involves updating the counter tops, cabinets and flooring. In addition, many homeowners purchase new appliances, change lighting fixtures and paint the walls to refresh an outdated kitchen.

A simple kitchen remodel can involve simply changing the counter tops or the flooring, and can cost under $10,000. The sky is the limit on costs depending on which projects you choose and the brands you select; so it’s important to set your budget and then prioritize which areas must be remodeled first. The appliances, flooring type, counter top selection and cabinetry can all impact your final cost when it comes to remodeling your kitchen.

Costs of Kitchen Remodeling

The cost of a kitchen remodeling job is influenced by the products. Lower-quality products will result in a cheaper kitchen, yet may not last as long as the higher-end products. In addition, you can save money by performing the demolition or painting work yourself, saving money from not having the work contracted out.

Breathe Easy in a Kitchen you Love

Tired of a kitchen with ugly cabinets and poorly designed drawers? Remodeling a kitchen will get you an outcome you desire. The kitchen is where most families spend a large amount of time. From eating, cooking and even doing homework on the bar, a kitchen should be one room of your home that’s comfortable and functional. A remodeled kitchen suited to the homeowner’s exact specifications will enhance the beauty and livability of the home.

Sell your Home with a Remodeled Kitchen

If you’re not planning on settling in your home, remodeling your kitchen will help you sell your house. Many buyers are attracted to a remodeled kitchen with fresh paint, new counter tops and updated flooring. In a market where buyers hold the power, it’s important to attract their attention and impress them with one of the most important rooms in the home.

Cambria Countertop Colors

One of our favorite steps in remodeling a kitchen is helping the homeowner choose new kitchen countertops. For homeowners who want a natural stone countertop that provides beauty AND safe food preparation, we recommend Cambria products.

Stone Countertops from Cambria are safe for food preparation

About Cambria Countertops

Cambria stone counter tops are stone countertops that offer beautiful designs and colors, durability and no maintenance. In addition, unlike granite countertops, stone countertops are safe for food prep since there are no porous spots where food and bacteria can hide.

The Benefits of using Cambria

Clients of Design Build Consultants who choose Cambria for their kitchen and bathroom countertops find several advantages.

Financing for Kitchen Countertops

We can offer our homeowners up to $45,000 in financing through Cambria when they choose to use stone countertops in the remodeled kitchen.

Fresh line of colors through Cambria

Cambria continues to keep their stone colors fresh and beautiful. Their new line of colors is a collection influenced by “the natural movement of water over stone.” These colors look natural, and add beauty and sophistication to a home. We love to see homeowners install beautiful countertops.

To Use Cambria

To learn more about Cambria or see their new line of colors, visit the Cambria website. You can even request that a sample be sent to your home. If you’re ready to get started with your kitchen remodel, contact us and we’ll provide a design and quote that fits your budget and will create a beautiful kitchen using quality countertop products through Cambria.

Design Build Consultant Cash Referrals

We’d like to give you $100. Maybe even $200. Seriously!

Design Build Consultants referral program is designed to thank those who refer our services to friends, family and colleagues. Our passion is to design beautiful, affordable kitchens and bathrooms that leave homeowners speechless. Our hope is that once they start talking again, they refer us to all of their friends who want to remodel their homes too. After all, that is how neighborhood envy works, right?

Receive cash for your referrals to Design Build Consultants

Design Build Consultants Referral Program

For anyone who refers us, we will thank them with cash. We give:

• $100 for a bathroom remodel referral
• $200 for a kitchen remodel referral

Yep, we’re that serious about referrals.

How to Refer Friends to Design Build Consultants

To refer your friends, we have several ways! We want to make the distance between you and cash, and us and your friends, as short as possible! To refer your friends:

• Ask them to contact Jonathan directly at (651) 274-3128.
  (or)
• Submit a referral through our Design Build Consultants website! Simply use our contact page and fill in your friend’s information in the lower box.
• If your friend chooses to contact us directly, MAKE SURE that you ask them to give us your name.

It’s that easy! Thank you again for all of your trusted referrals.