Susan Serra, an acclaimed kitchen designer who lives and breathes kitchens, now offers one-hour phone consultations. We can't all be lucky enough to live near a kitchen designer whose work has appeared in many major magazines. But her wisdom and insight is still available: Here's what Susan posted on her blog, The Kitchen Designer: I've…
Can a Cambridge architect pull off a complete renovation — including a new high-end range — for less than $20,000? Is a budget-minded kitchen renovation with a high-end range and custom carpentry an oxymoron? Not in the case of architectural designer Chiong Lin’s rehab of an 11-by-14-foot Cambridge kitchen. The story begins in 2005. Lin…
By MEG McCONAHEY THE PRESS DEMOCRAT When Levi Leipheimer invited his new cycling pal Dan Boyle over for some expert advice about sprucing up his aging kitchen, his vision was pretty limited. Maybe some fresh paint over the old oak cabinets, he figured, would at least help lift the room out of the ’80s. But…
You know, new products were a lot more fun a few years ago when we were rolling in dough and using our homes as ATM machines to fix up our homes. Of course, the big new mortgages we got after all those cash-out refinances are now a burden, but that’s another story. Still, even in…
When I visited Arnie and Lily Richards at home in Downey, California, they were naturally proud of the new dining room they added, and the adjacent kitchen they remodeled. You can see it here and it’s nice, isn’t it? And the couple did every single thing themselves, with their own hands — demolition (friends helped…
If you've undergone your own kitchen remodel, you know about the stress. There are strangers all around your house, inside, outside, in the driveway, in the street. There's noise and dust and chaos. And just when you feel like heading into the kitchen for a pot of tea and comfort foods, AWK! The kitchen is…
What could be cozier than a rug in the kitchen? It's warm and cherry and softens the hard surfaces in the room. But, there's a good reason kitchen surfaces are hard: they need to be cleaned of grease and other food-related flying organic matter. And how about food that drops to the floor? Or water…
Amana says it's thinking of putting out some new refrigerator designs but doesn't know which to create first. So your help is needed. Take this test to rate 10 refrigerator designs from 1 to 10, from least favorite to most favorite. In exchange, Amana will tell you what your choices indicate about your personality. Are you…
UPDATE: Did you notice the curtains of Swarovski crystal sparkling at the Academy Awards on Sunday? Talk about glamour! The original post: There's really nothing all that spectacular about the remodel of Vicki Reitz's galley kitchen. Sure, she's got a lovely wood floor, and granite counters, and really nicely painted original cabinets. So, yes, the kitchen…
