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.…
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…
IKEA sells a pretty nice $40 Varde wall shelf unit. But actually, it’s a little bland. A couple of designers from Los Angeles offer some variations in the L.A. Times. Above you see 1) the original in the center, 2) a metal grate and chain treatment on the left, and 3) the shelf embellished with…
Here’s one of the latest creations posted on Ikea Hacker blog, where clever people find ways to create cool environments on a budget and mostly with Ikea products. The coolest thing in this $1,400 bathroom, from my perspective, is the simple wall-mounted sink set into a wooden shelf with a hole cut in it. This…
When Kathleen Schaaf and her younger brother Kevin bought a 1923 duplex together, their outdated kitchens — one downstairs, the other directly above it — were identical in one respect: “It was time to gut both of them,” Kevin Schaaf said. There the similarities ended. Kevin, a flight attendant, moved into the lower unit of…
So you’ve got this wet bar in your 1970s house or apartment and it’s screaming for a mirror backing, glass shelves, a collection of cocktail glasses, a faux leather ice bucket with tongs, and fifths of Jack Daniels, Tanquerey and Absolut. Trouble is, you don’t drink. So what to do with the wet bar? A…
This kitchen, featured on the Dwell magazine website, was done for less than $2,000 (not counting DIY labor) with Ikea products. The total cost was about $1,400 partly because the guy who did it works for Ikea and got his employee discount, but he figures the rest of us could do it for less than…