Monolith appearance
2 years ago
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2 years ago
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Help picking out shrubs
Comments (34)No offense taken, Andrew, I appreciate your comments and value your opinion. :o) You're right about mockups, it's almost impossible to get a feel for the depth of an area from a photo, and the plantings are pulled too far forward in an attempt to make the shrubs in the rear visible. I would never try to do a design without doing it in plan view with accurate measurements. What is was trying to show is how the house would look from the front with the door/entry unobscured, but the 2D nature of photos doesn't take the garage wall into consideration. In fact, you can't even tell there is a blank wall there. Point taken. How would you address the position of the door on the far left of the center section? Would you curve the path out to the right to create a planting area and then return to the left to end up somewhere near the door? Ignore the door position and run the walk to the area to the right of the door with a smaller paved area that included the door (assuming that the HO didn't want a patio there)? What would you use for a focal point and/or plantings to disguise the mass of the garage that you see when approaching from the right? Would the focal point and/or plantings block the view of the door from the street? What can be done to minimize the prominence of the garage and driveway at this point, when the whole thing is paved? Many, if not most, homes are built without any thought given to how the layout of house, drive, and walks will affect future landscaping. I'm sure this big garage/hidden entrance is not all that unusual. Does anyone have examples of similar homes that are landscaped in a way that addresses these problems?...See MoreWood Floors in Bath...Mongo, Anyone?
Comments (11)"Do you have a preference between solid wood or engineered? Or is it just a cost decision?" Lynn, It's not a cost decision. There are pluses and minuses to each side. With solid, it's typically installed (nailed or stapled), then sanded and finished. You get a monolithic appearance, the floor can look solid. Downside? The cost of finishing on site, as well as the time required to do so. Should you need to refinish years down the road, the floor can be resanded several times before you hit the tongue in the wood. Every house I build has whole-house hydronic radiant floor heat. Some woods move more than others, engineered is typicaly a better performer over radiant than solid. With engineered, the wood comes prefinished. It can go down with staples or glue. It's generally thinner, and due to the ply structure it has a thin veneer of "show wood" that to refinish is normally screened instead of sanded. Prefinished woods typically have a bevel on the sides of the boards. Some manufacturers have larger bevels, some have virtually no bevel. That can affect the appearance of the floor, as the bevel bothers some others it doesn't. Also it's prefinished, so once it's installed, you're done. No sanding, no staining or urethaning. You can get some great looking wood species in prefinished that just are not available in solid. Normally because the wood grain is too wild, or the wood too expensive, or too unstable. Using a veneer instead of solid makes it possible to use these woods as flooring. Prefinished is usually thinner than solid 3/4" thick flooring. Some prefinished it's better to glue them (Bostiks Best) instead of stapling or nailing them. Prefinished can also have a better and more durable factory finish than what can be attained with an on site installation and finish. Lots of variables, and cost is just one of them. If it's DIY, then prefinished is much easier. If hired out, figure the cost of the flooring, the installation and the finishing (staining if required and urethane). Ease if installation? Prefinished is easier? Cost? Can go either way? Predictability of the finished look? Prefinished, as what comes out of the box is what you'll get. You need a good sub to properly sand, tack cloth, stain and seal unfinished solid hardwood. Take a look at Kahr's hardwoods. I just did a house full of Kahrs, nice stuff....See MoreHelp with Kitchen
Comments (20)it sounds more like you just want to do a few updates than a big remodel. I love the cabs - they are beautiful - I'd keep them. I put in a new counter top - a beige background granite - with a few bits of browns, golds in it. I've seen some like that on here. put a new cook top on the far kitchen wall (shares wall with another room). I'd have a local cabinet guy see if he could make 2 end cabs out of the 4 there (using the end cab on each side of there and the center ones for spare wood). put in a fan between the 2 remaining cabs (move the other fan over if you want to keep it). You could possibly use the small cab to right of fan now as the end cab in new area and put those 2 center cabs where the fan is now. Some nice (rather plain) tile for a BS above the cook top. Nothing too patterned or bright to detract from the cabinet wood or conflict with it. put in a cd fridge and new oven (with new counter top between them). good place for the mw or on a shelf over the oven. the back windows - i'd put window panels on each end and the center panel would be the door. (or put the door on one end if that works better for you). paint and replace lights (I can't see them that well to know). the light over the table looks fine - but I go with dark metal on any others if you put others in - to match it. and dark metal (orb) on cabinet pulls. the floor - do you want to replace it? maybe tile? light color to lighten up the room. can't tell much about the window over the sink either... the table - i'd wait and see - possibly change out to one w/o wood grain later. I'd get the cd fridge first and see how much that helps in space for traffic flow. if not enough then you can cut back the end of the peninsula a bit before putting in new counter top. or maybe move the fridge closer to the oven if the cook top is gone? There'd still be room between it and the oven for some counter top and the mw. I think these things would make a terrific difference to your kitchen - and get the cook top out of the traffic lane. they'd spruce it up and make it look new again. also, some of those things could be done in stages as time and money allow....See Morebacksplash help again and again and again.
Comments (8)Thanks all. I think I really am looking for something simple, not outstanding and something that will blend nicely without shouting, "Look at me!" Subtle is best in my book and I think the countertop speaks loudly enough. I couldn't think of or find any other "colors" or "textures" beside the darker gray that would do just that. It was late when I posted so I forgot I had pictures of the tiles, duh, that helps huh? I think the minimalist idea but not harsh and stark and cold is what this kitchen needs. I wasn't thinking in terms of feminine just with so many darks I didn't want it to appear at first glance that many men lived here, (although three out of five do!!). They really could care less anyway, just strive to make the mom happy. What a blessing! Anyway, try to imagine a 7x20 tile laid lengthwise with about 1/8 in tiny bit deeper color grout. Now what do you think? Without the tiny tiles inlaid. Remember: Place them lengthwise in your mind and keep in mind that EXPO uses flourescent lighting and I have lots of overhead lighting plus zenon undercabinet lighting. Thanks again!...See More
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