Are you tired of your kitchen but uncertain about which way to proceed? Does your house or condominium need some basic renovations to bring it into the 21st century, but the though of hiring an architect sounds far too expensive? For house and condominium owners in these and similar situations, […]
Noted design magazine, Forbes, recently published an article about the “8 Kitchen Design Trends to Avoid“. I happen to agree wholeheartedly with 2 of the 8 – avoid trash compactors and counter top microwaves. These should be avoided. Though, if your existing kitchen doesn’t have space for a wall or […]
I came across this rather large infographic (it’s like an internet poster) about kitchen design. It covers the most fundamental aspects of design. There is more to it than these basics, of course, but this is a good place to start. I told you it was large! by
The Sunnyvale remodeling project is nearing completion. The clients moved in on Monday, so I dashed down to Sunnyvale last Friday to take some pictures. The contractor was working to finish up all the finishing details. There was a lot going on. These are not “pretty” pictures, but they give […]
When I saw this post by Keith Palma of Cogitate Design, a North Carolina architecture firm, I knew I had to share it. This is a brilliant graphic description of what an architect does. The illustration above, from the post linked below, is just one from a series. This one […]
The kitchen remodel project in Fremont was recently completed. This week I was able to take some pictures of the completed project. But before we look at the pictures of where we ended up, let’s look at the pictures of where we started. The original 1975 vintage kitchen had some […]
After 24 years of dithering, design and construction, the new San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge opened for business on September 2nd, 2013. The new bridge includes bicycle and pedestrian lanes. On Sunday, September 8th, my significant other and I roused ourselves from our bed at 7am and went over to […]
It often happens that I am contacted by prospective clients in March about projects that they want to start construction on in May or June. My response often disappoints them. What most people don’t know about getting projects built is that it can take ridiculous amounts of time to get […]
It has been a while since my last post and I have been busy. The project in Fremont is complete. I will be taking the official pictures of the completed kitchen in early to mid-September. Watch this space for that. Right now, I have a house remodeling project underway in […]
There is no more traveling incognito. My magnetic car signs arrived today. I put them on the car this afternoon. So, if you see me driving around the Bay Area, smile and wave! by
Late last week I visited the kitchen project in Fremont. This is the part when it starts really looking like what was conceived. In this photo you can see that compared to the original kitchen, we have doubled the counter space and storage. The cook top and exhaust fan have […]
Construction of the kitchen remodel in Fremont is underway. I went down to Fremont for a site visit. It is so much fun to see how quickly things can change. The owner told me that the contractor had the entire room stripped down to the studs in a little more […]
I have been working on this kitchen remodel with the clients since the middle of January. The problems with the 1975 vintage kitchen can be seen in the photograph below. First, it is small. Although the room is 10 by 13, the kitchen itself is pushed into one end and […]
When you are designing a small space, every inch has to work and every piece of furniture has to be carefully considered. The video below shows the multi-functional furniture from one manufacturer. Not only is the furniture beautiful and functional, I find it inspiring. Seeing furniture like this makes you […]
Have you ever wondered what the apartments and homes featured on your favorite TV shows were really like? Artist Iñaki Aliste Lizarralde has. She has drawn the floor plans for the homes featured in many different TV shows and movies. She has an Etsy site that is a veritable treasure trove […]
House Beautiful is a great resource for inspirational ideas. This article of theirs features 10 ideas for small space design 9 of them are really good. But 1 is really not that great. I do not agree about open shelves in small kitchens. Unless you live your life curating everything […]
I am often asked what remodeling project provides the best return on the investment? That is actually a complicated question. The answer depends on many factors: location, age of the house, how long you intend to stay in the house, and how you calculate the return. So with that in […]
I like this look at Kitchen Remodeling. But, unless your remodel is VERY simple, I would add #3a-Hire an Architect or Kitchen Designer. The value that professional designers can bring to the process in terms of function, looks, and defining the scope for the contractor is well worth the additional […]
I’ve added a project to the Residential projects. It is a remodeling of a condo kitchen in a 1960’s era Russian Hill building. The old kitchen was dark and odd. The new kitchen is bright, functional and modern. Check it out. by
This video is making the rounds on design and architecture blogs. It is The ABC of Architects, an animated alphabet of architects’ names and major works. It is made of awesome. So I thought I’d share. by