Before & After

Coming Sunday: Rosarito Beach condo remodel

Coming Sunday: Rosarito Beach condo remodel

If you’ve ever wondered how a school administrator and college professor from Claremont, Calif., would remodel a condo in Rosarito Beach, Mexico, I’ve got a story for you. It will be in Sunday’s Real Estate section. Above, you see the view from the front porch. Referring to wages earned in academia, the husband of the…

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Look to neighbors for ideas on vintage architectural details

Look to neighbors for ideas on vintage architectural details

The nice thing about remodeling an older home in a neighborhood of such homes is that you need simply walk around the area with your eyes open to find ideas for exterior architectural details. That’s what Aaron Raymond did when he remodeled his 1942 French Normandy home in the Windsor Hills area of Los Angeles.…

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How’s that remodel working out? Greening up a modest tract house

How’s that remodel working out? Greening up a modest tract house

Bill and Becka Doering did a whole-house green remodel on their Santa Barbara home, and I wrote a Pardon Our Dust feature about it, which you can read here. Bill is both an engineer and a green-building enthusiast. With his firm, Doering Design & Engineering, he helps others make their homes more energy-efficient. Also, the…

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Who deserves a kitchen remodel? Vote now

Who deserves a kitchen remodel? Vote now

One lucky organization will win a $25,000 kitchen remodel, sponsored by IKEA and Family Handyman, depending on which gets the most votes. The contenders are: Little Ferry Hose Company #1 – Little Ferry, NJ Simpson Shelter – Minneapolis, MN IHS Development – Newark, NJ Franklin Fire Station One – Franklin, WI Moonachie Fire Department –…

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Feel like cheaping out? Don’t make the same mistake Charles made

Feel like cheaping out? Don’t make the same mistake Charles made

Everyone likes a deal. A steal. A feeling that you just saved more money on your remodel than anyone in the history of the world. But sometimes that quest can bring regrets. That’s what happened to Charles Chang, who did a complete remodel on a very trashed property for about $40,000. See the whole story…

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5 Favorites on Kathy’s Remodeling Blog

5 Favorites on Kathy’s Remodeling Blog

You can tell what’s up in the world by what people search for on the Internet. Here on Kathy’s Remodeling Blog, we’ve got five consistently favorite subjects that interest your fellows readers. They are: Green Remodeling Kitchens Before & After Contractor Issues Design Ideas

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Stunning butcher block counters . . . are not for everyone

Stunning butcher block counters . . . are not for everyone

Butcher block counters are so gorgeous! They evoke French country kitchens and a slower, more thoughtful time. In truth, they are not for everyone. More than one homeowner has rued the day butcher block was chosen, If the finish is not rock hard, they can get stained, gouged and encrusted with years of accumulated foodstuffs.…

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Before & After — Ikea kitchen island on steroids

Before & After — Ikea kitchen island on steroids

This is one of the best budget kitchen remodels I’ve seen. While you can see a dramatic change from before (bottom) and after (top), notice that the cabinets are the same, the window is in the same place, all the appliances are in the same locations and the floor and ceiling are the same. So…

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A deep energy retrofit — coming soon to a very HOT climate

A deep energy retrofit — coming soon to a very HOT climate

In case you’re not familiar with central Florida, let me break it down for you: it’s HOT, HOT, HOT. And humid. Think sunshine, thunder and flash rain storms in the summer. So what does this mean? Houses in hot and humid climates need to be built differently from those in, say, cool and dry climates.…

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Famous Folks at Home: Gerry and Imaging Spence in Montecito, Calif.

Famous Folks at Home: Gerry and Imaging Spence in Montecito, Calif.

When Santa Barbara Magazine asked me to write an article about the massive remodel done by Imaging Spence (yes, that’s her given name), I kind of dreaded it. You may recall that her husband Gerry Spence is a famous attorney and author, and I feared that the couple might be snotty and ostentatious and arrogant.…

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