Are you thinking about remodeling your drab kitchen?

Be warned: Remodeling projects will not always fill your pockets with cash when your home sells. In fact, you might not recoup the entire cost of the project.

Experts warn against dumping thousands of dollars into a renovation before researching the project.

"Know what other homes in your neighborhood are selling for," said Michelle Jennings Wiebe, founder and president of Studio M Interior Design in Tampa, Fla. "You want your home to be in a similar range. If you spend $100,000 on a kitchen remodel, and other similar comparable homes have $20,000 kitchens, then you will not recoup your investment."

While the Great Recession forced many homeowners to delay selling their homes, kitchen remodels jumped 36 percent in the third quarter of 2011, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

The biggest issues that homeowners face with renovations are the problems that arise during demolition. Budgets should include money for unexpected expenses.

"I would recommend adding at least a 20 percent contingency to any budget," Wiebe said.

She offered these recommendations when tackling renovations:

-- Hire a highly recommended general contractor with at least three references with past jobs comparable to your remodel job.

-- If you are doing the work yourself, make sure you know what you are doing. It's common for homeowners to hire designers

Continued here:
Renovate your kitchen, but don't expect a windfall when you sell

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The biggest challenge was perhaps the boulder in the backyard. The boulder was on a sloped and shady street in southeast Huntsville, the first potential hurdle in the remodeling of the home.

Before the additions could be made, the foundation had to be built on top of the boulder.

"The house is on the upslope of the street, and we had to install and build the footing for this addition on top of a large bolder, which extended beneath the home," said John Allen, president of Southern Construction & Design.

The remodeling lasted from the end of July last year until December. The new bedroom and bathroom were added first, then the kitchen and the outdoor living area.

For its work at the house on Tannahill Drive, Southern Construction & Design was one of the local winners in the 2012 Alabama Remodeling Excellence Awards, held recently at the Marriott Legends at Capitol Hill in Prattville.

Southern Construction & Design won three awards - second place in Outdoor Living, third in Kitchen Remodel $40,000-$80,000 and third in Residential Specialty Project.

The Outdoor Living Award was for the screened porch, and the Residential Specialty Award was for the butler's pantry.

Slaton Custom Homes, owned by Bret Slaton, president of the Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association, placed second in Bath Remodel Under $20,000 and third in Commercial Renovation.

Slaton's awards were for his company's work on a home in Governor's Place and the renovation of a Chevron station at East Limestone and Capshaw roads.

"I guess the question is, 'Why do you do this?' " Allen said. "Why is it important for us? It touches on our business, submitting for these awards. We are proud of our work. It's helpful to show people our work, and it's an honor to be recognized by our peers."

Read more from the original source:
Huntsville contractors' remodeling efforts cited at Alabama Remodeling Excellence Awards

Q: This is another one of those can-you-help-my-relationship plumbing questions. My husband and I are in a serious debate about our new kitchen sink. We're remodeling the kitchen and I would like a "single-bowl, under-mount" sink. He wants the more traditional "double-bowl, top-mount" sink. I know there is no right or wrong here, but can you help us reach a decision? We both agree to follow your advice.

Holly, Washington state

A: There is a kitchen sink that's a cross between the single- and double-bowl styles. It's called a low-threshold or "smart-divide" kitchen sink. If you wash a lot of pots and pans and need extra room, the divider between the bowls is much lower than in a normal kitchen sink. This allows large pots and pans to fit easily into the sink, yet you still get the functionality of a double-bowl sink.

As far as the "under- vs. top-mount" style sink, that is usually decided by the type of countertop you choose. If you're planning a laminate or tile counter, the top-mount is usually the industry standard. If you plan on a counter like granite, then under-mount sinks are the popular trend.

So, hopefully you both agree on your countertop choice, or else all my kitchen-sink advice could go down the drain!

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.

Read more here:
A double-duty kitchen sink

Q: This is another one of those can-you-help-my-relationship plumbing questions. My husband and I are in a serious debate about our new kitchen sink. We're remodeling the kitchen, and I would like a "single-bowl, under-mount" sink. He wants the more traditional "double-bowl, top-mount" sink. I know there is no right or wrong here, but can you help us reach a decision? We both agree to follow your advice. -- Holly, Washington

A: There is a kitchen sink that's a cross between the single- and double-bowl styles. It's called a low-threshold or "smart-divide" kitchen sink. If you wash a lot of pots and pans and need extra room, the divider between the bowls is much lower than in a normal kitchen sink. This allows large pots and pans to fit easily into the sink, yet you still get the functionality of a double-bowl sink.

As far as the under-mount vs. top-mount style, that is usually decided by the type of countertop you choose. If you're planning a laminate or tile counter, the top-mount is usually the industry standard. If you plan on a counter like granite, then under-mount sinks are the popular trend.

So, hopefully, you both agree on your countertop choice, or else all my wonderful kitchen-sink advice could go down the drain! 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.

Read more:
Ask the Plumber: 'Smart-divide' model can solve sink dilemma

The Fremont City Council on Tuesday approved a series of change orders for the Christensen Field Event Center remodeling project, but not before grilling the architect about a $5,714 change order for revising electrical service to the kitchen.

A staff report by Parks and Recreation Director John Schmitz encouraged Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture to reimburse the city the change order amount due to their error in the specifications.

The city has a contract with Fauss Construction as the general contractor, but the architect was hired by the Christensen family in connection with a private donation toward the project, city officials explained.

Mike Thompson of Alley Poyner Macchietto admitted the change order was the result of an error on architectural drawings, but disagreed that his firm should be held financially responsible.

The change order refers to some outlets that need to be added that were not included in our drawings, but are required to operate the ovens that are part of the project, Thompson told the council. I do not have an excuse why those outlets were not included, but these are costs that you would have paid regardless because you would have had the cost of an outlet to power your ovens.

Mayor Scott Getzschman and several council members said they were frustrated about paying for a change order to correct something they said should have been included in the original specifications.

I dont know who you hired for the electrical engineer on this project, Getzschman told Thompson, but I will tell you that the bulk of our change orders on this project have been electrical, and its very disturbing to me and to this project and to the city that we have to go through this because, in my opinion, your electrical engineer was asleep at the wheel.

You get paid to do a service, council member Todd Hoppe said to Thompson. That way we know the cost so we have the money to do this. We rely on that information, and when we dont get the proper information from you, you need to open your wallet and give back.

Other change orders, such as replacing the roof and a change in hand dryers, were made at the request of the city and Christensens, and some changes are to be expected when unforeseen problems pop up in a job, Thompson pointed out.

You could not foresee those, Hoppe told him. You could foresee this one though, thats the difference.

See the article here:
Council approves change orders for remodeling project

Facebook jumped on it for $1 billion, so it must be true: Instagram, with its stable of custom filters turning any snapshot into a keepsake-worthy print, is this online-addled generation's manifestation of meaningful. I dig it because it makes me look like I have a small fraction of a skill I don't normally possess, but that's me.

After a few weeks as a member of the now all-inclusive Instagram literati, I've discovered that even though taking pictures of your food is still the fastest way to elicit an eye-roll from most of your social-media followers ("Made this ravioli from scratch! #homemade #culinarygenius"), it's still fun as hell. In this vein, three of New England's most in-demand chefs have turned to the app as the number-one way to share their kitchens with both their peers and their fans. I sat down with each of them to find out why they've begun throwing a filter on every movement in the kitchen.

@MSCELFO: MICHAEL SCELFO

Executive chef, Russell House Tavern

TIME ON INSTAGRAM: 4-5 months

A plate of chef Michael Scelfo's beet carpaccio is sitting in front of me, and resisting the urge to snap a quick, inconspicuous picture while we talk is proving to be very difficult. The neon magenta of the red beet slices is bleeding over to the golden ones, and the effect is vaguely psychedelic.

This urge is something Scelfo doesn't fight, to gorgeous results. As he scrolls through his photos, passing his phone across the table to show me one of his favorites beef-tongue meatballs he flicks through a series of gory prep-driven shots.

"I do tend to take a lot of photos that are really raw photos of breakdowns," he admits, adding that some of his friends requested a warning. Glimpses of butchering an obvious fact of kitchen life appear frequently on chef feeds. The shots are more enlightening than gristly. "I think Instagram softens it up a bit and makes it more palatable."

It's hard to tell if Scelfo is a good photographer or just really good with the app, but his posts are fantastic. He says that the ability to communicate with high-caliber chefs in such a casual way is another one of Instagram's best features.

"It blurs the lines between us, and it gets rid of that level of status between elites and everyday guys like me," he says. "The food world is all just coming together, and it's these tools that are making it happen."

Read the original post:
How local chefs are using Instagram to pretty up and reach out

Above, Lewin combines modern and classical elements to give the room a bright and airy feel.Left, Lewin's Edison Orbs use incandescent light bulbs in place of crystals to create a "Victorian modern" feel. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)

A restaurant kitchen is a place of frenzied motion, where food, fire, sharp knives and human bodies swirl in a dance of constant near-collision. There's no other room where surfaces and light are so essential to what goes on.

That's why designer Jen Lewin believed that to be successful, such surfaces have to embrace simplicity. To play only a supporting role. To recede, to become merely a canvas for food and faces.

And do it elegantly, durably, sustainably.

Those were artist Lewin's goals for The Kitchen Denver, the new outpost of The Kitchen Boulder and its subsidiary eateries, Upstairs and Next Door.

"You almost want to make a little safe haven for a restaurant," Lewin said. "In a home, a kitchen is the most

The Kitchen is opening a new location in downtown Denver at 16th Street and Wazee Street. On Thursday, March 8, 2012. Designer Jen Lewin was at the site which combines modern with classical elements. Details of a booth back. ( Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)

The space on the 16th Street Mall was anything but open, inviting or simple when Lewin and her team began renovations. It had been a Cajun restaurant, with heavy velvet curtains and three separate dining rooms that wrapped the corner of 16th and Wazee streets.

So as in the group's other restaurants, the first step was to subtract anything fabric, anything fussy and open big windows onto the street scene outside.

Then came black floors. Black-stained oak, with a couple of coats of wax. When construction crews were coming in and out putting the final touches on the remodeling, the dust and scuffs made the floor look old and yet new.

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Jen Lewin designs The Kitchen Denver to savor simplicity

I'm 39, self-employed and make $200,000 a year. I have no mortgage and have saved $1.2 million, 75% of which is in retirement accounts. I'd like to relax and live it up a bit, but I'm afraid that the good days might end.

My question: Can I finally drop $40,000 on a used BMW and $50,000 on a kitchen remodeling? Or should I put that $90,000 toward my two kids' future college expenses, which are roughly a decade way? -- B.A., Harrisburg, Penn.

Being prudent doesn't mean you must live as if the bottom is going to fall out of your finances at any moment.

Ideally, you want to achieve a balance between saving and spending that allows you to enjoy life today without pampering yourself so much that you shirk your responsibilities for the future. From what you've told me, I'd say you're a long way from overindulging.

Of course, the mere mention of a $40,000 BMW will have some people accusing you of conspicuous consumption and worse. And you could easily find a car with a lower price. Relative to income, though, you paying $40,000 is roughly the equivalent of someone with the median household income paying about ten grand for a car, an amount that wouldn't raise an eyebrow.

As for the kitchen upgrade, $50,000 is a considerable sum. But your budget is actually less than the nearly $58,000 "Remodeling" magazine's latest cost vs. value survey found was the average cost of a kitchen renovation. By the way, the magazine also estimates you would recoup almost 70% of that cost at resale.

Remodeling? How to get a better bid

Given all this, you don't need to worry that you would be acting irresponsibly by refurbishing your kitchen and buying a nice used car you've had your eye on.

So I say go for it, on the condition that you do the following two things: first, continue to save for retirement via tax-advantaged plans for the self-employed or other retirement savings vehicles; second, set aside enough in a 529 plan or other college savings account over the next 10 years to pay for a decent chunk of your kids' education.

Considering that you're mortgage free, you should have plenty of disposable income for saving. You've also got a good head start on the retirement front, which should make it possible for you to save for retirement and education at the same time (although if push comes to shove, favor retirement first).

More here:
Saving vs. spending: When to splurge

By Jane Michaels jmichaels@pioneerlocal.com April 17, 2012 1:46PM

Sheri Sauer prepares to cut the ribbon April 10 for the grand opening of her store, Premier Design Cabinets in LaGrange Park, with assistance from Village President Jim Discipio (right). | Photo courtesy of Sheri Sauer

storyidforme: 28856617 tmspicid: 10503891 fileheaderid: 4830869

Updated: April 17, 2012 3:05PM

Environmentally conscious consumers need not worry about kitchen remodeling projects with a solution posed by a new LaGrange Park firm.

Your old cabinets can go to Habitat for Humanity, where they recycle them and they dont go into landfills, said Sheri Sauer, owner of Premier Design Cabinets, who made arrangements with the nonprofit group.

Habitat also will work with appliances to recycle them, too, Sauer said. Theyre very green, very friendly.

Sauer said she chose a variety of new cabinets for her new LaGrange Park showroom, at 1101 E. 31st St., after moving her business in December from an Indian Head Park location for eight years.

I wanted to come to LaGrange Park because I know the opportunity for business is here, and I live here, so I could walk to my showroom, said Sauer, also president of the LaGrange Park Business Association.

Though some observers wouldnt think so, Sauer said her location on 31st Street just east of the Indiana Harbor Belt line railroad tracks works to her advantage.

Read the rest here:
LaGrange Park cabinet firm offers eco-friendly choices

The Designer: Sharon L. Sherman, ASID, Thyme & Place Design, Wyckoff (thymeandplacedesign.com)

PHOTO BY PETER RYMWID ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Designer Sharon L. Sherman reconfigured this kitchen to give it more natural light and storage and a better 'traffic pattern.'

The Challenge: This kitchen has three doorways, one on each wall, which had to remain. One opens to the dining room. Another serves as the entrance to a back hallway with a double staircase leading down to the garage and up to the master bedroom. On the third wall, there is a wide archway that opens onto the family room. We needed to work around these obstacles to create a kitchen that has some natural light, lots of storage space, and a traffic pattern that accommodates all the doorways. All this, plus the client wanted an island.

The Solution: The center island, designed as the hub of the kitchen, is key to meeting all the client's needs. The dishwasher and sink, along with a few storage drawers, are located on one side of the island. The adjacent side contains cabinets and more drawers. While the island's marble top has two straight and one curved edge, the base underneath is a cleverly engineered triangle with niches along one side. This "step in" design makes it possible to accommodate up to four stools. The result is plenty of walk-around space so that everything, including doorways, is accessible.

With the sink and dishwasher located in the island, the remaining three walls can be devoted to appliances and more storage: a double oven with storage above and below on one wall; a side-by-side, built-in refrigerator next to the archway into the family room; and the cooktop, microwave, custom backsplash and multiple cabinets along the remaining wall.

The fourth wall was removed, so the kitchen now opens onto a breakfast room with French doors that flood the space with daylight.

The New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) sponsors a referral service for consumers interested in obtaining the services of qualified professional interior designers. For more information, visit the Find a Designer section of http://www.njasid.org.

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Designed for Living: Remodeling a kitchen