Question: I have a galley-style kitchen with a laundry room on one end. I want to move the washer and dryer to the garage, remove the wall separating the laundry room from the kitchen and use that space to make my kitchen bigger. But when I sell the house, will buyers balk at the washer…
My name is Sean, I’m 34 years old, and I have been helping my parents remodel the kitchen in their Eagle Rock home. We started about three months ago, and it’s almost done. While I knew from the beginning that the end result will be really nice — a larger space with an island, cherry…
According to HGTV, here are the 10 trends in greening up your kitchen, along with links to some resources: 1. Low-VOC countertops (pictured: Richlite counter in a Claremont home) 2. Energy-efficient appliances (Energy Star rated) 3. Sun-welcoming skylights (try Solatubes for tricky areas) 4. Renewable flooring (try natural linoleum, bamboo, or FSC-certified wood) 5. Smarter…
Question: I saw an episode of Flip That House where the house in Thousand Oaks had Corian counters in the kitchen and the flippers didn’t think that looked like a million-dollar house, so they covered the Corian with granite tiles. Later, the real estate agent said they should have taken the Corian off completely and…
Here are the actual costs for the kitchen remodel and dining room addition done by Lily and Arnie Richards in Downey. The couple did all the work themselves over a five-month period where they worked every weekend, evenings and during their vacation time. If you were to undertake a project like this, and were ready…
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…
When Arnie and Lily Richards remodeled the kitchen in their Downey home — doing every single task themselves — Lily’s wish list included a custom stove hood. Arnie was a little tired from the months-long process when the job of building the hood came up. But he’s a good husband, and so he made it…
When you set out to design your new kitchen, the first question you have to ask is: Where do we put the refrigerator/freezer? Why? Because the unit is so darn big and bulky, right? But no longer does the hulking refrigerator have to restrict your layout options, at least not if you choose the new…
This new kitchen accessory from Broan (makers of those super-quiet exhaust fans, among other products) goes in the category of instant kitchen update for less than $500. Of course, only one spot in your kitchen will enjoy a new beauty — those few square feet of backsplash above your cooktop — but it will be…
While showing off her new kitchen/dining room addition one evening, Lily Richards explained to me why she and her husband, Arnie, never considered hiring a contractor to oversee the project. “We’re kind of conservative financially. . . ,” Lily began. “We’re cheap,” Arnie broke in. And, he added, “We’re too egocentric.” What’s more, the couple…