Interior designers get a lot of emails from our wonderful suppliers. I look at each and everyone of them as I need to know the latest trends in kitchens, bathrooms, exterior home finishes. The email today from Marathon Hardware didn't disappoint! The Eurocucina 2022 Design Show was held in Milan, Italy from June 7-12/22. The show featured many of the latest design trends and innovations for kitchens, bathrooms, and every other room in the house. Watch this quick kitchen video above showing the latest and greatest in kitchen design for 2022. Did you know countertops are moveable? Well yes they are! Let me know if you need help with your kitchen or new build, I'd be happy to help!
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Wondering what are the favourite white cabinet paint colours for 2022? I've made up a quick pdf showing a few of the tried and true colours. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Click below if you'd like to find out the perfect cabinet colour for your home! I was so happy to be featured in Home Trends magazine, featuring a client's kitchen renovation. We ended up having to remove a wall that was dividing the old dining room from the kitchen. The fireplace was too close to the table, due to the tiny room. I also opened up the hallway by removing that wall. Wow, what a difference that made! Here's the old dining room - see how tiny it was? The room got waaay to hot with the fireplace on! This is the same fireplace that we used in the above photo, I just removed the mantle and reclad it in an aged brick to add to the farmhouse look. After our discussions, I showed my client the suggested material samples, hired a contractor, then we went to work! I then created a mood board to keep everything in mind. I used my 15 point check list to ensure I didn't miss a thing. Flooring, check. Lighting, check, Contractor hired, check... It was a big job but my clients were absolutely thrilled, and I couldn't be happier for them! If you'd like help creating your new kitchen design, we'd love to help! Our tip is to ensure you have everything in front of you, kitchen cabinet samples, tile, flooring, hardware finish, etc. Then ensure you select the paint colour that works seamlessly with those samples! It's essential to have everything in one place, then once you've narrowed it down to 2-3 choices, use large painted samples to see just how it's going to look! Contact me if you need help! Happy Decorating! Check out the recent Redfin article we were featured in: Don’t Stop at Walls! 23 Unique Places You Probably Haven’t Thought of to Add Accent Colors In Your Home Nothing refreshes a room quite like a fresh coat of paint. And although your walls get the most attention when painting a room, there are many overlooked areas in your home that can be brightened up with a splash of color. Whether you're looking to paint an entire wall or add subtle hints of color to perk up your living space, we've got you covered. We reached out to experts from Vancouver, BC to Las Vegas, NV, who revealed unexpected places where you can get creative and add accent colors to liven up your home. Check out their ideas to get inspired! HOME: 1) Paint a mini accent wall behind floating shelves For a perfect DIY décor project with little work but lots of impact, add a square or rectangular block of a bold color behind the shelves. If you're terrible at painting straight lines, you can frame the block with rail molding or use bold wallpaper. Include items on the shelves that coordinate and compliment the bold accent color. This allows your shelves to look bigger and gives an intentional feeling to otherwise plain shelves. -Amble & Awe Interiors 2) Bring character to your walls and surfaces A splash of color on a feature wall can go a long way in giving your space a makeover. You can paint a design or lean on contrasting colors to completely change a room's look and feel. And even if you're a renter, there are plenty of products on the market specifically designed for renters with an eye for design who want to incorporate accent colors into their space. Use temporary wallpaper and stickers to change the appearance of your walls without falling foul of your contract. -Cobalt Blue 1802 3) Add colorful personality to your front entryway You have your own personality, so why not have it also shine through your home? Your front entryway is your guest’s first impression when walking into your home, so let it stand out by adding a bold accent color. You can do this by painting a console table or even adding a bold printed wallpaper to a furniture piece or wall. -Kenna Mae Interior Design. 4) Pull color inspiration from your décor Spruce up your boring walls by pulling a bold, bright color from an existing pillow or draperies in your space. You need to ensure that the bold color relates to something else in the room to give that true 'designer look' and tie the space together. For example, you can pull a bright orange from a pillow and incorporate it into a bench seat while also applying it to one of the walls. -Jil Sonia Interiors 5) Give your kitchen cabinets a bold makeover with an accent color Adding a paint color can make all the difference to your space. For a bold and quick makeover, paint your cabinets using Sherwin Williams Universal Khaki (SW6150) to add that pop of color your kitchen needs. -Certified Interior Designer 6) Don’t forget the fifth wall - add color to your ceiling Not sure where to add some color? Just keep your chin up. Take full advantage of the fifth wall by adding some color or pattern. The ceiling is often a forgotten space, but it’s the perfect accent wall because it covers the entire space. -Inside Stories 7) Add a pop of color to your powder room If you'd like to add bold color to your home without overcommitting, try paint or wallpaper in your powder room. It can offer a fun, unexpected element to an area where friends and family typically spend a short amount of time. And don't stop at the walls; the ceiling is a great place to add unexpected color too. -Letter Four 8) Highlight hallways doors with accent colors Hallway doors, while highly functional, tend to be mundane. Breathe life into your hallways by painting the doors in beautiful colors. Whether you unify them with one single hue, watercolor them with different shades of the same hue, or go all out in an homage to the rainbow doors of Ireland, this design statement will change the way you feel about hallways forever. -Gretchen Schauffler 9) Introduce accent colors to your kitchen cabinets If you are looking to add a splash of color to your kitchen, consider painting your cabinet doors a contrasting color to the base of your cabinets. This will create another layer of color and add a new dimension to your space. Ramp it up a notch by replacing your cabinet panels with glass. -Lindsey Murillo Interiors 10) Add interest with a vibrant trim People tend to think of a bold color for the wall paint - but it’s much more unexpected to do a pop of color on the trim. A cherry red, navy blue, robin’s egg blue, or even mustard would look chic on the baseboards, crown, and window molding. Pair with a complementary wall color, wallpaper, or a soft white for a unique and memorable look. -Maggie Stephens Interiors 11) Refresh your stairs with accent colors Instead of leaving your staircase to fade away into the background, incorporate it with the rest of your home’s color scheme by painting it a vibrant color. Not ready to take the plunge? Test the waters by painting a lesser-seen set of stairs first - like your basement or attic stairs. -Arters Design 12) Use accent colors to highlight a focal point in your home Accent walls are a great way to add unexpected excitement to your space. Use color to emphasize a focal point in a room, such as a fireplace, built-ins, or a large window. Balance an accent wall with a neutral color on the other adjoining walls in a light to medium neutral color. -Dwell & Oak 13) Personalize your space with colorful fabric One of my favorite ways to add color is with fabric. If you’re a little scared to upholster your entire sofa, liven up your pillows with a fun pattern. Pillows are the perfect place to start, and you can always switch them out when the time is right. -Lauren Ashley Design 14) Add interest to your closet with a fun color or wallpaper Consider revamping a closet with a fun color or wallpaper to create a beautiful space for an entirely different purpose. We painted our closet a deep shade of blue and outfitted it with a changing table, wardrobe, shelving, a rug, and décor to create a makeshift nursery for our new baby boy. Repurposing a closet to utilize as an office, craft area, kids play space, or reading nook are great creative options, too. -Liz Gaffney Design 15) Use your artwork as inspiration to form a color palette Buy a piece of art or choose a beloved piece that you already own and pick out 3-5 of the brightest colors in the artwork to use as the accent color palette in your home. From there, you can take a leap and be bold when you are painting your home. Take color risks in smaller rooms like powder rooms and guest rooms, and paint the color you love on all the walls and ceiling (use a washable low sheen paint so the color appears more saturated). Bonus tip: Nix the matchy-matchy. One common mistake is trying to match everything to each other. For your home, try to pick five colors you like together as a base for your decor. Three of them should be neutrals, and two can be bright accent colors! -Color & Design Collective 16) Add accent colors to a folding screen In 2021, the use of folding screens has become very popular as we can use them as our Zoom backgrounds while working from home. I recommend that the screens be painted quite soberly on one side, matching your neutral wall decor, while the other can incorporate a more adventurous zing of vibrant color. I love Farrow and Ball's Yellow Cake or a neon-esque hot pink opera rose red hue like Benjamin Moore's Blushing Red. -Áine Atara 17) Refresh utility rooms with accent colors Who said utility rooms have to be boring? Be daring with your color choices. Midnight blue cabinets with hot pink interiors set against a crisp white background will undoubtedly get you in the mood for cleaning. Complete the look with hot pink and luxurious gold decorative accents to really pack a punch. -L'atelier Kauldhar 18) Give your mudroom the attention it deserves Make your mudroom colors a bold and welcoming accent to your home by incorporating bright colors, both on walls and millwork. Don’t be afraid to try classics like Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy or North Sea. Should you feel especially inspired, try a stand-out color like BM’s Admiral Blue. Add a whimsical touch by using a chalk paint for writing family schedules, shopping lists, messages, and inspirational words. -Luxe Design 19) Use a bold accent color to create a cozy atmosphere Most have heard that dark ceilings make a room feel smaller, and while this is true, it doesn't make it a no-no in all instances. Sometimes when a room is too large to relax in, and you need a cozy, more human scale space, a dark ceiling can quickly reduce the large expansive feeling of a room to that of a perfect nook to lounge in. Bold saturated colors in paint or wallcoverings on the ceiling is a great way to personalize and humanize large spaces to feel more comfortable. -BMorCreative 20) Spruce up your wall trims After the gloomy year we've experienced, color pops and accents are the perfect additions to making your room unique and happy. Pops of color enhance the feel and interest of a room, and adding bright trim paint to your room awakens the space and makes it shine. -Jenn Cameron Interiors 21) Add a wow factor to your entryway by painting your stairs in a bold accent color Stairs are usually a boring feature in any home. Why not transform them into a statement piece? You could paint the individual spindles on your staircase in graduating shades or paint the face of each step in different colors for a rainbow effect. -Loving Quarters 22) Incorporate accent colors in high traffic areas within your home A mudroom is a hectic space where families drop off their gear, whether it's a book bag, handbag, or briefcase, but it doesn't have to be left out. Painting the walls an accent color can lift the room, bring it to life, and make it the perfect first impression. I recommend Benjamin Moore Night Train 1567, Benjamin Moore Metropolitan AF-690, Benjamin Moore Hail Navy HC-154, Benjamin Moore Navy Masterpiece 1652, or Benjamin Moore Nantucket Fog AC-22 as accent color options for the space. -Bina Murphy Interiors 23) Frame fabric to create a colorful art piece Do you have extra scraps of colorful upholstery fabric from past projects that you have tucked away in your home? Use the leftover fabric and place it in a frame with matting. Framed fabric art is a simple way to add interest and texture to your home without a lot of effort. -Jewel Marie Interiors Originally published by Redfin Let me know if you need help finding the perfect accent colour for your home! The National Building Code (of Canada) requires non-combustible material 18” x 18” to the left and right of the stove and 30” high above the stove / range. This includes the wall behind a range, a blower unit in a wood framed hood, but does not include a (metal) vent-hood. The manufacturer will dictate the non-combustible zone for gas ranges and that 18” x 18” zone to the left and right may increase to (18” Left + Range Width + 18” Right) x 30” high. Another hint - Look in the installation manual of the stove you are specifying. It will show/tell you what the manufacturer’s requirements are. Quite often they are the same as the National Canadian code.
My wonderful interior design client in Fort Langley, wondered if we should use Plywood, MDF or Melamine boxes for her kitchen cabinets. She had heard Plywood was stronger than Melamine or MDF. Is it? Here's the inside scoop with help from cabinet supplier Shari from Century Cabinets: Plywood: Plywood boxes have a finish on them, but if oil or food spills, it will get into the finish; causing rings and we can't refinish them. Therefore, if you want to use plywood, it is best to use a shelf liner to protect the finish. Wood will take on odors that melamine will not. Any cabinet that is wider than 36" should not be used for heavy dishes as the shelves may sag over time, this applies to plywood as well as melamine. Plywood is lighter than both MDF and melamine, and the installers like it, however, plywood has more of a tendency to warp. Plywood may last a bit longer than melamine if it gets wet, but not much. It will rot if it is constantly wet. Plywood is an upcharge as well, because good quality cabinet makers don't use Chinese plywood. Melamine: Melamine is more economical and easier to look after for the kitchen and bathroom cabinet boxes and shelves. Melamine cabinets are made of a good quality fiberboard with a hard melamine surface that is waterproof and therefore will clean up with soap and water, and stains can be cleaned with Clorox wipes. They are the most durable surface and don't require shelf paper. They also do not tend to hold odors from foods or spices, and they are the most cost effective choice. MDF: (Medium Density Fiberboard). MDF is a dense fiberboard and very heavy, in fact, too heavy for cabinet boxes. MDF doors cost as much as Maple framed doors and they are heavier than Maple doors. Cabinets are not made of MDF because of its heavy weight. Most slab doors are made of MDF and have some veneer or laminate on the surface. Shaker MDF is a choice that allows for the shape of the shaker door without joints which crack when painted on a wood frame door. The most expensive dining room table from Italy will often be made of MDF and have a beautiful veneer applied to it. MDF is very dense and it is what a slab door is made of with a veneer applied to it. MDF does not warp like solid wood does. This allows the table to open cleanly without sticking. Many people have been convinced that wood is the only material to build from. This is just marketing hype. Wood has many great qualities but it also has downsides. It is worth learning about materials as they all have good sides for certain applications and they all have downsides too. Think of how old antique cabinets have squeaky doors and drawers that stick. That is because wood warps. :) Hope this helps you make the decision between Plywood, MDF and Melamine kitchen and bathroom cabinet boxes and doors. Check out this post featured here: http://topreveal.com/diy-kitchen-cabinet-shelf-ideas We've been designing kitchens for years and our clients love us! Light and bright kitchens, that are functional and practical; rule today. However when we arrive home at night, we encounter our own drab and dreary kitchen. The designer who created this kitchen had unknowingly, selected competing undertones - orange floor, burgundy cabinets, black and PINK countertops and Tuscan gold backsplash. This is definitely not my style and I think it's time for a change! Don't you? I know - it's bad, right? When designing kitchens for our clients, we start with choosing 2 items first. The counter top and the kitchen sink! As I use Caesarstone almost exclusively (they have the best range of colours and patterns of quartz - in my opinion), I knew which counter top I wanted almost immediately. Frosty Carrina! It's a warm white, with subtle flecks and veining of light warm gray. Giving almost a marble look, but without the hassle, upkeep, staining and etching of real marble. Their quartz has antibacterial properties meaning there is no need to seal the counters - eliminating the maintenance that is needed every few years. Have a look at all the beautiful options from Caesarstone here! The next item I choose is the Kitchen sink. Of course the size is dictated by any existing cabinetry, if you are starting from scratch, the world's your Oyster. A favourite manufacture of mine is Blanco. They sell amazing sinks of all different shapes and sizes. Silgranit, Stainless steel, FireClay and more! Here's a cheat sheet on the great points. Silgranit:
Stainless Steel:
Fireclay sinks: Apron sink - who doesn't love apron sinks? Centre drain location 3 1/2'' (90mm) stainless steel strainer included Stay tuned! Sneak peek photos coming up - we've just installed the gorgeous Caesarstone counter top and we are absolutely thrilled with it!
Stay tuned for more updates and tips and tricks! There are an amazing amount of beautiful range hoods available now. Glass, steel and custom wood are all options. But, you need to know the SIZE of range hood you need, not necessarily the dimensions (for this topic), but the amount of CFM (cubic feet per minute) needed for your hood. Here's the rule of thumb, remember to double check with your contractor and local building code. First you need to select your stove, or cook top. Then you need 100 CFM for every 12" of stove width. For example a 30" stove (2.5') x 100 CFM= Approx. 250 CFM needed, as a minimum. But we can't just stop there... We need to keep the room size in mind. Larger rooms need more CFM to clear the cooking odors away. A range hood should exchange the air in the kitchen 15 x per hour. Here's a helpful example. If your kitchen is 12' x 15' and 10' high, that equals 1,800 cubic feet. To find the size of fan needed, multiply the cubic feet x the # of air exchanges (15) then divide by 60 (minutes in an hour). In our example that would be: 1,800 x 15 = 27,000 divided by 60 = 450. You need 450 CFM minimum for this size of kitchen. Are we finished? Not yet. Gas ranges deliver a lot more heat than electric ranges. So we need to take this into consideration. Most gas burners put out approx. 10,000 BTUs per burner. Multiply that by the number of burners, 5 shown here = 50,000 BTU Then divide by 100 to find the minimum CFMs needed. In this case 500 CFM. Now we still aren't quite finished. What about the size of the duct work, number of turns, etc.? Most HVAC suppliers recommend smooth 8" metal pipe. Add 1 CFM per foot of pipe and add 25 CFM for each bend and 40 CFM for the roof cap. Let's estimate this example as being 100 CFM needed. Now, we ARE finished. Take the rating for the stove width (250 CFM in our example), room size (450 CFM minimum), burner type (500 CFM minimum). The highest number is 500, then add your ductwork CFM calculations (100) and you would need a total of 600 CFM for this range size, kitchen size, range burner and ductwork. Please remember to double check if you need a licensed mechanical contractor to install a make up damper to switch on simultaneously with the kitchen range hood to bring in fresh air to prevent a negative pressure in the home. There are many varying factors at play - location of your home, gas or electric range, differing building codes, etc. In BC, Canada our municipality states: makeup air is only required if the displacement of air exceeds .5 air changes per hour and is used with a fueled appliance (i.e. gas stove). I hope this helps. Be sure to always discuss this with your contractor HVAC installers and appliance providers. Check out our 15 Steps to designing your Dream Home below. Also you might like our popular post on: Recessed Lighting Spacing: How many recessed lights do I need? How far apart do I place my lights? Click below to read the article Any other Design questions, just let me know, we offer Paint selection advice, one room Interior Design and Whole Home Interior Design Thanks for stopping in! I am happy to announce, my 12 page spread (6 double pages) in the Prestigious Canadian Home Trends Magazine....... Yippee! I was over the moon happy to receive a letter from Canadian Home Trends magazine, mentioning that they saw my profile on Houzz and that they'd love to feature me in their Spring 2014 print and online magazine! This prestigious magazine is the most helpful and innovative magazine I've ever seen. If you subscribe to their online magazine (which offers 168 pages!), you will see they've added special effects to the photos - such as the fireplace has a crackling sound, the photos change from the before to after right in front of your eyes. Amazing! Otherwise their print magazine is gorgeous as well. Who doesn't like to curl up with a nice glass of wine and a great magazine? My client, was an absolute dream to work with. She completely trusted me to lead the way to make her dreams a reality. Here's a photo of her kitchen before... ...and below, the after. We removed 2 and a 1/2 walls to open up this floor plan and allow more light to spread through the home. I simply can't believe the difference. I always, always, always start with my counter top selection. My go to source is Caesarstone, they have such a lovely, well priced selection. We selected this gorgeous white and gray mixed engineered quartz, called London Gray. This was the inspiration for the whole kitchen renovation. Our Client is an avid cook and I wanted to create a beautiful kitchen where she could work away to her hearts content - yet be able to clean up easily and quickly. One of my favorite things about this magazine, is that the interview questions were very detailed, it took me three hours to fill out the forms as I wanted to share everything, I find people are so interested in tips and tricks to make their own home more beautiful. I made a special point of mentioning and thanking my suppliers whom did an amazing job! One of the top reasons client's hire me, is that I know the best suppliers and tradespeople to work with. I'd like to make special mention to Warline Painting and Julie Bolton (window treatments) for their attention to detail and professional work. To top it all off, I loved the stunning Robert Allen fabric that I used. It helped tie the whole room together! Thanks so much for allowing me to share this exciting post. I don't know of too many interior designers who get a 12 page spread and I'm truly grateful! |
Author:Jil Sonia McDonald - Interior Designer of Jil Sonia Interior Designs. Archives
April 2023
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