Q: I plan on remodeling soon, and I want a natural-looking kitchen that will include a lot of "green" features. As far as the kitchen sink, what ideas can you suggest for materials, colors and style? Thanks in advance for some suggestions!

Fredd, Florida

To go along with the green aspect with cast-iron sinks, some manufacturers have expanded color choices to include more natural colors. Today, colors like sea salt, frost and caviar seem to be popular. As far as style, "apron front" or "farmhouse"-type kitchen sinks seem to be making a big splash in the building and remodeling industry.

So, there are a few good natural kitchen-sink choices and colors that could grow into some nice ideas for your kitchen.

Master plumber Ed Del Grande is the author of "Ed Del Grande's House Call," the host of TV and Internet shows, and a LEED green associate. Visit eddelgrande.comor write eadelg@cs.com. Always consult local contractors and codes.

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Styles, colors for a green kitchen

Cabinets can make a drastic difference to the look, feel and functionality of your kitchen.

Brent Murray

Enlarge photo

Last week, we began a discussion of how to tackle a major kitchen overhaul in several stages to try to defray some of the cost of such a major undertaking.

As we noted, according to Remodeling magazine's 2011 Cost vs. Value Report, a major, 200-square-foot kitchen remodel costs about $58,000, with a 65 percent return on investment come selling time.

Stage one was to develop a careful, complete plan for your new kitchen. As we have said (a few hundred times before), planning should always be the first step to any remodeling project!

Let's now review stages two through five:

Stage two: Order the cabinets, appliances and lighting fixtures.

Cabinets and appliances are the biggest investments in your kitchen remodeling project. If you're remodeling in stages, you can order appliances any time after the plans are complete and store them in a garage (away from moisture) or in a spare room until you're ready to pull the trigger on the installation.

Remember, however, that most equipment comes with a one-year warranty. You do want to at least get the equipment installed and up and running during that time so if problems arise with anything they can be dealt with by the manufacturer.

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Doing a kitchen remodel in phases takes planning

Advice Published Tuesday June 5, 2012

DIY: Home remodeling

What are some quick fixes you can make next weekend? What projects have the highest payback? Click here to find out.

Click here to read about World-Herald reporter Roger Buddenberg's home remodeling ups and downs.

***

If you're like a lot of homeowners, you've already knocked out a do-it-yourself home remodeling project or at least have plans for one.

Or, if you're hiring help, you're most likely to be tackling a bathroom or kitchen remodel, or replacement of windows and doors. Those projects ranked as top requests in a recent survey of remodelers by the National Association of Home Builders.

That's the case locally, too, said Aaron Bryant, who works in sales at Ferguson Enterprises and is the president of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry's greater Omaha chapter.

He said consumers usually want a clean and contemporary look. But in older houses, he's seeing a lot of interest in restoring the home's original materials.

Another popular trend, he said, is bathrooms becoming sanctuaries. Showers with car-wash body sprays and rain heads and iPod docks are examples.

Read more from the original source:
DIY: Home remodeling

Q: I plan on remodeling soon, and I want a natural-looking kitchen that will include a lot of "green" features. As far as the kitchen sink, what ideas can you suggest for materials, colors and style? Thanks in advance for some suggestions! -- Fredd, Florida

A: I'm glad you are just looking for suggestions. There are so many green choices out there, as well as different opinions, and it all gets down to personal taste. The latest trend I have seen over the past few years is that kitchens are going natural and using more recycled materials. With that in mind, cast-iron kitchen sinks can be a nice choice since most cast-iron plumbing fixtures contain recycled materials.

To go along with the green aspect with cast-iron sinks, some manufacturers have expanded color choices to include more natural colors. Today, colors like sea salt, frost and caviar seem to be popular. As far as style, "apron front" or "farmhouse"-type kitchen sinks seem to be making a big splash in the building and remodeling industry.

So there are a few good natural kitchen-sink choices and colors that could grow into some nice ideas for your kitchen.

Master plumber Ed Del Grande is the author of "Ed Del Grande's House Call," the host of TV and Internet shows, and a LEED green associate. Visit eddelgrande.com or write eadelg@cs.com. Always consult local contractors and codes.

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Ask the Plumber: Styles and colors for a 'green' kitchen

BETHESDA, Md., June 4, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Case Design/Remodeling, Inc., a leading DC Metro area home improvement company, announced that it has won a 2012 Chrysalis Award, which honors the finest remodeling projects in the nation reflecting the professional excellence of the residential remodeling industry.

Eighty-one US remodeling companies were named winners at the annual Chrysalis Awards for Remodeling Excellence, awards that began in 1994. Recognizing the Nation's best work in 16 general categories of residential and commercial remodeling, the winning projects were selected from 420 entries, which were judged on overall design, the creative use of space and materials, and the degree to which the project enhanced the original structure. Photographs of the 2012 award-winning projects can be seen on Chrysalis website http://www.chrysalisawards.com beginning in late June.

Now winning a total of 11 Chrysalis Awards since 2000, Case Design/Remodeling received the 2012 Kitchen Remodel ($50,000-$75,000) Regional Chrysalis Award with the team of Project Designer Allie Mann, Project Manager Tom Craze and Lead Craftsman Mike Rippeon, the same team that was selected to design a bathroom in the 2012 DC Design House. The main goal in this award-winning kitchen was to open the flow between the dining room and kitchen. This required eliminating a load-bearing wall and reinventing the kitchen's work triangle for better performance and also allowing space for two cooks in the kitchen. The result is a beautifully informal kitchen space that blends both spaces' functions, while giving the family of five a place to gather.

About CaseDesign/Remodeling, Inc.

Case Design/Remodeling, Inc. is the area's largest full service residential remodeling company. With a focus on excellence, Case has more certified remodelers, kitchen and bath designers, and lead carpenters on staff than any other remodeling organization. Case has been honored with more than 70 awards for design and craftsmanship during its more than 50 years in business, including a GuildQuality 2011 Guildmaster Award, two 2011 Chrysalis Awards, two 2011 Best of the Best Design Awards from Professional Remodeler magazine, and a 2011 Master Design Award by Qualified Remodeler magazine. Professional Remodeler previously named the company Remodeler of the Year. Case Cares initiatives include building a one-level home for an injured Iraq vet with Homes for Our Troops and remodeling kitchens for HomeStretch, which offers transitional housing for the homeless. It also recently won Ply Gem's 2011 Designed Exterior Giveaway and gifted the $50,000 prize of exterior products plus remodeling services to a deserving Virginia volunteer. To learn more about Case and fred, its home repair division, visit http://www.CaseDesign.com and http://www.schedulefred.com or call 800-513-2250.

For media inquiries, contact Sherry Moeller, MoKi Media, sherry.moeller@mokimedia.com or 301-807-0910 or Joaquin Erazo, Case Design/Remodeling, JErazo@casedesign.com or 301-229-9632.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://www.cisionwire.com

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Case Design/Remodeling Inc. Wins 2012 Chrysalis Award

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 01, 2012

As the Los Angeles real estate market recovers, builders are noticing a resurging interest in renovating older homes. True, the extravagant 12-room mansions of the boom years, for the most part, are a thing of the past with functional, traditional, elegant bungalow structures taking their place. However, that doesnt mean style has to be left behind.

Even those on a budget are splurging where it counts on quality materials and skilled labor, says Jeff Campbell, a Los Angeles general contractor specializing in constructing and renovating luxury homes whose clients include Hollywood directors, movie stars and other wealthy Angelinos. Not everyone can afford an expensive home, but they certainly can incorporate some of the materials and features to create that same luxurious feeling.

Here are some renovation ideas homeowners may want to use when remodeling their kitchen or bathroom:

The New High End Kitchen

High-end countertops and cabinets lead the way with new conveniences like built-in coffee centers, induction cooktops, warming drawers, and pot fillers faucets installed near the stove to eliminate the need to carry heavy pots from the sink. Sculptural stove hoods and retro kitchen appliances in colors such as red, yellow, and cobalt blue are becoming more popular. In addition, green is in with homeowners opting for energy efficient appliances, bamboo floors, and renewable and recycled materials for countertops such as quartz and concrete.

Bathroom Remodeling Trends

From heated floors to flat screen TVs and stereos with remote controls, homeowners are remodeling bathrooms with an emphasis on luxury and comfort. Spa-like bathrooms often include multi-head showerheads with adjustable settings in large frameless glass showers. Everything old is new again, with shapely bathtubs, nickel fixtures, vintage-style subway tiles, and ornamental borders all the rage. Glamorous lighting adds a touch of elegance and a fireplace can provide the truly luxurious experience.

Jeff Campbell Construction specializes in constructing and renovating high-end homes in Los Angeles and neighboring communities and can help homeowners incorporate any of these remodeling trends into their home at competitive prices. A third generation contractor, Jeff Campbell utilizes premium building materials and products and works directly with homeowners, their representatives, architects, designers, and real estate agents to provide a personal touch. His team of highly qualified licensed sub-contractors understands the personal attention and devotion that goes into crafting a truly unique home.

For more information about Jeff Campbell Construction, please visit their website at http://www.jeffcampbellconstruction.com.

Read more here:
Beverly Hills Remodeling Contractor Announces New Trends in Luxury Remodeling

Vicki Wiltse and her husband had some spare money, an old house and a cramped, ugly kitchen. It was time to remodel.

"We took down the whole entire wall, put a wrap-around bar; brand new granite," said Wiltse, 55, who recently paid $130,000 for a Boynton Beach house that she's almost done renovating. All that's left is to hang the pictures and throw a house-warming party this weekend.

In Boynton Beach, small-scale residential construction is on the rise, according to city workers who approve permits. That means more people, such as the Wiltses, are beautifying their kitchens, repairing their roofs and installing new air conditioners.

The upward trend is a portent of better times, says Nancy Byrne, interim director of the Boynton Beach Development Department. People have been saving and struggling since the crash, and now, with some money but not enough to buy new, they're investing in their homes, she speculated.

Byrne predicts construction in Palm Beach County's third-largest city could reach 2007 levels by the end of September.

"Things are really on the upswing," she said.

In Leisureville, a cookie-cutter senior community on the west edge of the city, Eric Nelson, 77, spruced up the living room and kitchen of his 1970s winter home. The kitchen, he said, "was a large closet" with rotting cupboards and "cheesy" dcor.

"It was dreary to go down there," said Nelson, who spends most of the year in Concord, Mass. "And it shouldn't be dreary to go down to Florida."

In February 2011 he applied for a permit and had a contractor make it like new.

In the 2006-2007 fiscal year construction in Boynton Beach reached astronomical heights. The Development Department issued 5,452 permits for construction valued at $244 million.

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Boynton construction coming back; remodeling on the rise

Mock-up design of what Roger's kitchen should look like when completed.

World-Herald reporter Roger Buddenberg and his wife are embarking on a major home remodeling project. He'll blog about the ups and downs, delays and accomplishments at omaha.com/living

* * *

The Home Stretch

May 31

The project is near enough done that She Who Must Be Obeyed has stopped calling it the kitchen of the future. Now SWMBO calls it "the KOT."

The kitchen of today.

After all, we're cooking food in it again, instead of huddling around a microwave in the corner like cavemen. (I know, I know. Cavemen preferred natural gas or magnetic induction. But you know what I mean.)

Although we are cooking in the KOT, and have even entertained friends who don't mind sitting on boxes, it's not quite done. The last mile can seem the hardest.

The contractor is working down his punch list, the final to-dos before he packs up his tools and shakes our sawdust from his feet. There are still odd bits of painting to finish we're doing that ourselves. And curtains to choose. Pictures to hang. A garage to clean. Doorstops. Light shades. Details. Then we'll shoot some "after" photos.

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Home remodeling blog: The kitchen of today

Taxpayers who live in three-bedroom, two-bath tract homes and can't afford to renovate their aging kitchens have good reason to resent the details of the Cal State University system's latest public-relations blunder.

In the past 10 years, taxpayers have sprung for at least half of the $2 million in renovations to the homes of eight university-owned residences. That doesn't include routine maintenance, the kind of household expenses most taxpayers pay out of their own salaries.

This news comes at a time when student tuitions are rising, classes are being cut and fewer students are being admitted.

Remember Elliot Hirshman, the $400,000-a-year Cal State San Diego president? To further show their appreciation for the man who received a $100,000-a-year bump over the former president's salary, taxpayers and foundations paid for a kitchen remodel, pool replastering and more. The bill came to $257,000, according to a report in The Sacramento Bee. Previous reports elsewhere on the remodeling put the figure at $100,000 less. But, hey, what's a hundred grand here and there among taxpayers who have to put up with old kitchen linoleum?

And did we mention that Hirshman's salary approval came on the same day that CSU trustees approved a 12 percent tuition hike? Well, we have mentioned that before on this page, but it's worth repeating, especially to trustees who can seem to be deaf to public opinion.

It is heartening to know that earlier this

But let's not pick on Hirshman. There's plenty of dirt being moved on other CSU residences.

For example, the president of Cal State Northridge, Dianne Harrison, garnered $115,000 from the University Corporation to remodel her home away from home.

The queen of the local remodels, Cal State Fullerton's recently appointed president, Mildred Garcia, saw a $300,000 remodel, including $147,000 to redo the kitchen, at the university's official residence, El Dorado Ranch. Be it ever so humble, there's no place like a home of 6,991 square feet, which includes five bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

And even that pales with the $831,000 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo coughed up to renovate its president's castle during the past decade. Almost all of that came from taxpayers.

Original post:
Editorial: Perks for CSU execs in need of overhaul -- Remodeling as tuition soars is wrong message

If cost is no object when designing or redesigning a kitchen, new must haves include an induction cooktop whose entire surface is a burner, a built-in coffeemaker with its own dedicated plumbing and a steam oven in your gourmet range.

And for the wine connoisseur, there is a wine refrigerator/storage unit with UV protection, microprocessor controlled temperature, alarm system and WiFi key.

But you can create or update a kitchen at many price levels without sacrificing style.

Frank Morris Jr. at Granite State Cabinetry and David Souter at Baron's Major Appliances offered some guidance on kitchen trends in colors, appliances and flooring.

The two companies Granite State Cabinetry in Bedford and Baron's, in Manchester and five other locations are sponsors of the eighth annual Palace Theatre Kitchen Tour Sunday, June 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The June 3 fundraiser includes self-guided tours of three homes in Bedford and three in Manchester, lunch and a late afternoon appetizer and wine tasting with cooking demonstrations by New Hampshire chefs.

Morris said at least 50 percent of the kitchens now have white painted cabinets versus a stained wood. It's a light, clean, refreshing look, said Morris, with the added benefit of making the room look larger.

Glass-front cabinets are also popular, especially for display. Perhaps surprising is a trend to open shelving. We are doing a lot of open shelves, taking the doors off, said Morris. The dishes themselves are the decoration.

It may be called Granite State Cabinetry, but Morris said the company can remove walls, move plumbing, do electrical work in a remodeling project. The trend is to open up space in older homes, sometimes taking down a dining room wall and eliminating the formal dining room.

The goal is one large flowing space. Now we are able to put in a large island, he said, as big as 4 by 6 feet, so there is room for everyone to sit. It's using your space more efficiently, said Morris.

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Kitchen tour features some hot colors and cool appliances