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Planning Your Kitchen Remodel: Choosing Countertops

A major design decision when planning your kitchen remodel is choosing countertops. Second only in my mind to cabinet selection, choosing the perfect countertop to complement your cabinetry and lifestyle requires a little bit of knowledge and some in-person visits. In this post we look at the pros and cons of the different materials available for today’s kitchens so you can make the best choice for you! (more…)

Kitchen Design Guidelines

This is the third in a series of articles about planning for your kitchen remodel. You can find installment one here and two here. Be sure to check back next week more great advice!

With budgeting behind us, it is time to turn to laying out your space. No matter how large or small your kitchen remodel is or what shape it’s laid out in, there are some universal kitchen design guidelines to keep in mind when you are thinking about where to put your refrigerator or stove in your new space. Some of these rules are dictated by our State Building Code and some are guidelines that were established in 1944 by the University of Illinois and are now sustained by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). This list is not exhaustive as some of the 31 rules really delve into the minutiae; but rather the guidelines we think have the biggest impact. (more…)

Planning Your Kitchen Remodel: Gathering Inspiration

This is the first in a series of articles about planning for your kitchen remodel. Be sure to check back for more great advice!

Congratulations, you are planning your kitchen remodel! You are about to embark on a journey to create the kitchen of your dreams. Chances are you’ve been thinking about this for a while and maybe have a picture in your mind’s eye of what your new kitchen will look like. You might even have a Pinterest board full of beauty shots of other kitchens.

That’s a great start, but now that you have decided to go ahead with the remodel, it’s time to really get into the details of what goes into a kitchen and organize your selections. (more…)

5 Shade Perennials for Your New England Garden

The Backstory

I have a flower bed that was created when we put our swimming pool in 10 summers ago. The bed abuts one corner of the pool that is edged with rocks and was designed by our pool contractor to give the pool a more natural feel. The problem is, the bed gets almost no sun.

The obligatory pool fencing was intentionally installed behind a line of burning bushes that were already in the landscape (pre-invasive species ban). The burning bushes hide the chain link fence and provide privacy. They also block nearly all the sun to the bed. (more…)

Top 5 Things to Do to Sell Your House

Seeing “For Sale” signs up in your neighborhood and thinking about making a change yourself? We sat down with local real estate agent Shelley Moore of The Attias Group to find out what you need to know before you put your house on the market. (more…)