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

If you're ever looking to take on a huge project, volunteer to help someone empty -- and then refill -- all of her kitchen cabinets. Maybe it's part of a kitchen remodeling. Maybe it's a move to a new home. This time of year, it might be a stab at spring cleaning.

Any way you look at it, it's a big mess -- and one that, while you're in the middle of it, feels as if it will never, ever end.

It might even be tougher than tackling your own kitchen -- which is no picnic.

"What's this?" you'll ask, holding up some alien gadget.

"Have you seen the bottom to this lid?" "Where do you want me to put this?" "What in the world do you use this for?"

The project is nearly complete, thankfully. We have cut the last piece of shelf liner. Hand-washed and dried the last serving bowl. Folded up the step stool. Whew.

This is not the first time I have helped someone do this. Nor do I want to do it again anytime soon.

Never being one to take on such tasks quietly, I have been reminded of -- and even learned -- a few things. For example:

And they match. Did I mention that?

Or maybe even convince the homeowner to donate an extra set of dishes she no longer uses.

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Cleaning the kitchen, mug by mug

High-end appliance manufacturer Jenn-Air lets consumers digitally swap out kitchen appliances with a mobile app created by Digitas. The free DesignVision iPhone application echoes a print campaign.

With DesignVision, announced last week at a New York design show, consumers can select a Jenn-Air appliance, position it over the current appliance in the kitchen and snap a photo. The finished image shows the selected appliance in place of the existing one. Users can try out different finishes, share the photos, get product specifications and find showrooms from within the mobile app.

Jenn-Air's consumer research showed that its target market would have the technology available and be comfortable with it. "They are very interested in what their kitchen and whole home looks like. They are very visual and enjoy the process of decorating and remodeling," says Brian Maynard, vice president of marketing for Jenn-Air.

According to Chia Chen, SVP of Digitas' North American mobile practice, the agency likes to approach mobile as a way to insert a brand into the moment in consumers' lives where the brand can have impact and deliver value. His team worked with the client to understand the decision process for purchasing luxury appliances. "All of them had a moment of trying to visualize how an appliance would look in their kitchen," Chen says.

DesignVision ties into a four-page, print insert ad running primarily in Architectural Digest. The front page shows a silhouette of a range. Inside, a photo spread highlights a Jenn-Air range and includes a three-dimensional, die-cut piece. Readers are instructed to remove it, stand five feet back from the range in the kitchen, and then hold it at arm's length to "eclipse the competition."

Digitas, Jenn-Air's agency of record, handles digital, traditional and media for the appliance manufacturer.

Chen did not yet have any metrics relating to the number of downloads for DesignVision, but he pointed out that, unlike many apps, consumers might use it only once or twice, and yet that use could translate into thousands of dollars in sales.

The back of the die-cut includes a QR code leading to videos explaining the key benefits of the product and an invitation to visit the company website to learn more. Maynard said Architectural Digest reported four to five times more interaction with the print ad than any others running in the book - based on a reader survey, not on QR code interaction.

"QR codes are interesting but still haven't, in most cases, been utilized in overwhelming numbers. We were happy with the results, not ecstatic. But we do know that consumers are taking this die cut into the retailer and saying, 'This is what I want,'" he says.

Maynard disputes the idea that magazines are no longer important to advertisers. Some magazines went away, but those that remain are still an integral part of our brand online," he said. Consumer research has shown the brand lift among consumers who have been exposed to both digital and traditional messaging from Jenn-Air is more than the sum of the two individual channels.

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Jenn-Air Kitchen App Ties Print to Mobile

By Jim Donovan

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) This time of year many people are thinking of doing some remodeling. Updating things like your kitchen or bathroom can actually be a smart investment. But in this weeks Angies List, Jim Donovan shows you why you need to be smart when it comes to doing any upgrades.

Remodeling your kitchen or bathroom wont just make your home look nicer, it can be a great investment too.

But the key here is not overdoing it, but keeping up with the Joness. So if youre the only house in the neighborhood without granite countertops then it makes sense to add them, if youre not, skip out on that extra, said Angies List founder, Angie Hicks.

The best way to make sure your home improvement job goes smoothly, make a clear plan.

Plan ahead. Lay out your budget. Have ideas ahead of time and then communicate with your contractor regularly. That starts with the estimate, documenting in the contract, all the way through the entire project, said Hicks.

Any major renovation can end up being very expensive so be smart when it comes to arranging payments.

The one thing consumers should remember is that the payment schedule on a remodel job is a negotiable item. Be comfortable with how the payments are going to work. Typically what happens is payments are tied to certain hurdles. Make sure you hold back money at the end until you are completely, 100 percent satisfied before you make your final payment, said Hicks.

More from Angie:

Projects with a high return on investment: If youre going to invest in projects designed to improve your homes value, it makes sense to know what remodeling projects will give you the most return for your money.

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Angie’s List: Home Remodeling Tips

If you've been glaring at your home's outdated kitchen or bathroom for years, you may have a very clear idea of what you want from a remodeling project. You may think you have no use for an architect.

Perhaps, but architects - at their best - can do far more than produce slick drawings that eliminate what we don't like about an existing space.

MORE THAN EXPENSIVE DRAWINGS

Remodeling is often driven mainly by what a homeowner doesn't like in an existing room, rather than a whole new approach to make that space all it could be. So, all those homeowners may get is an improved version of the old room, with new surfaces and appliances and minus the mistakes and eyesores.

And if that's all you want, a qualified remodeling contractor should do just fine, as long as it's safe and legal.

But an architect, if asked, should give you some choices about what can be done beyond erasing the old design's flaws, said architect Bob Lanning . "Sometimes I prefer to give multiple approaches, drawings. There are always multiple ways to approach a problem," said Lanning.

That's where an architect's vision, the ability to imagine what can be done to reconfigure or optimize that space comes in.

THE VISION THING

A good example of the benefit of veteran Tucson architect Leo Katz's ability to imagine what could be was his approach to a recent kitchen remodeling in a Midtown home. Asked to overhaul the 1940s-era home's narrow galley-style kitchen, he went far beyond new appliances, upgraded cabinets, countertops and better lighting - but not far beyond the budget. He recommended taking out the wall between the old kitchen and living room, something the homeowners hadn't considered. The result: An open, modern kitchen that, for the roughly $2,000 additional cost to take out the wall, not only opened up the kitchen as a welcoming space, but had the effect of creating an entirely new living room as well. The new continuous space seemed far larger than the combined square footage of the two formerly separate areas.

Architect Chris Evans calls this the "holistic approach" to design work, and said an architect should ask questions, as well as pose solutions to problems with the client's space. "Sometimes I don't think the clients see the whole picture. You're doing a renovation on part of a house, or an addition, but how does it work with the rest of the house? What are you after?"

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Preventing remodel remorse

Published 5:54am Saturday, March 24, 2012

If there is a room more valuable to a home than the kitchen, Phil Anderson hasnt found it.

The owner of Cut Above Wood Designs in Niles has been remodeling kitchens with his company for the past 15 years.

It started as a one-man operation doing mostly kitchen refacing, but has since grown to five employees specializing in high-end kitchen redesigns.

Anderson also does entertainment centers, furniture, mantles, bookcases and countertops.

For Anderson, having a quality kitchen is very important.

Not only has the kitchen become a gathering spot for the family, its also a major factor in the resale value of a home, Anderson said.

Remodeling a kitchen can be an expensive undertaking. Anderson said his companys remodeling jobs average between $10,000 to $15,000, with moderate remodeling jobs falling between $10,000 and $12,000.

It can fluctuate a lot depending on several things, from what style you are looking for to the size of the kitchen, Anderson said.

There are several things to consider before remodeling a kitchen.

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Serving Niles since 1886

What the Buddenberg family's kitchen looks like now.

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 Smashing

March 21

The thing about demolition is, even when you know its coming, it still knocks you on your heels a bit.

The place where weve eaten with the kids, played cards with friends, watched TV, read the paper basically lived our life for 14 years is gone. Its now studs and subfloor, wires and ducts.

Weve crammed ourselves into the rest of the house, which wouldnt be so bad except for lacking a kitchen. Weve still got a working microwave and fridge, though, so well manage.

The dust ripping out drywall makes a lot of it is an issue but not as bad as I feared. So far. We chose our contractor partly on his record of cleaning up after himself each day, and hes done about as well as we could expect. Plastic walls, complete with zippers so you can step through, separate the dirty parts of the house from the "clean."

Weve had to make a lot of materials choices in a short time. Its still kind of a blur. Some little things are sure to change as we go along, but the contractor was insistent about having most choices made before demolition began. Otherwise he couldnt promise to stay on schedule.

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Home remodeling blog: Smashing up our kitchen

With signs of life slowly starting to creep into the housing market, more homeowners are turning to remodeling to upgrade their homes.

From granite countertops to hardwood floors, homeowners have lots of options when it comes to remodeling. But whether youre doing upgrades with an eye toward selling your home or just for your own pleasure, the underlying goal should be to get the most value for your dollars.

Location is everything. The location of a home should dictate what materials and appliances should be used during a home renovation, according to real estate experts.

If you live in a pricey neighborhood where granite countertops are the norm, installing laminate counters are not going to enhance the homes value. On the flip side, installing marble counters in a lower-cost neighborhood is a waste of money.

You have to match the investment level with the price level of the home, says Doug Breaker, president and CEO of HomeFinder.com

According to Dean Herriges, president-elect of the National Association of The Remodeling Industry it doesnt make financial sense to invest in upgrades not commanded by the market. To get a sense of what enhancements are expected in your housing market, Herriges suggests reviewing your tax bill, visiting local open houses and talking to real estate agents

Get the most on your return. Kitchen and baths get the most return on investment because they are the most frequented rooms in a house.

The rule of thumb is kitchens and bathrooms are great place to invest because they get dated in about five years, says Breaker. If you are remodeling to sell or plan to sell in a few years, Breaker says to keep any color changes neutral and to stay away from the ultra-trendy designs.

Remember shag carpeting? Sticking with more classic designs will protect you from turning off potential buyers in the future.

Extend the living space. According to Herriges, adding more living space to a home, like finishing a bathroom or adding a deck, has become the latest trend and will yield high returns.

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Four Rules to Follow When Remodeling

BURKE, Va., March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sun Design Remodeling Specialists, Inc. of Burke, VA, today announced the addition of Sean Gooden as the eighth member of its design team. Gooden specializes in computer-aided design and drafting (CADD). As CADD designer, Gooden will help clients visualize more easily all details of their remodeling projects and provide company construction teams with the most accurate drawings possible.

Gooden has seven years of experience in the remodeling industry. Before joining Sun Design, he worked with a number of construction and remodeling firms including Advantage Construction, Projects Unlimited, Casadi Construction, Bielski Design Build and NVS Kitchen and Bath. Gooden also has a number of years of hands-on experience as a carpenter in residential remodeling and construction.

He is working on a Master's Degree program at the Alexandria, VA, campus of Virginia Tech in the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture and just passed his Penultimate. He also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Communications (Graphic Design) from Liberty University and an Associate's Degree in Architecture from Northern Virginia Community College.

Bob Gallagher, President of Sun Design, said, "Sun Design has developed a reputation over the past 24 years of providing highly creative design, top-quality construction and the best possible client experience. Sean's skills and experience reflect the best of those attributes and he will be a strong asset both to our clients and to our entire team. We're excited to welcome him aboard."

About Sun Design

Sun Design, celebrating its 24th year, has been the recipient of dozens of industry awards. Each year, Sun Design shows off its work during a series of home tours and other special events. For more information, visit the "Events" page at http://www.sundesigninc.com or call 703-425-5588. Sun Design is located at 5795 B Burke Centre Parkway, Burke, VA 22015.

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Sun Design Remodeling Specialists of Northern Va. Appoints Sean Gooden Designer

Sometimes its best not to think too hard and just embrace the idiocy. If youre able to bring that mind-set to Bent, a screwy comedy NBC introduces on Wednesday night, youll have a pretty good time.

Amanda Peet pours wine for David Walton, her contractor, in Bent, on Wednesday on NBC.

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It will require some effort on your part, because if you make the mistake of identifying with one of the main characters, youll become infuriated. Alex (Amanda Peet) is a single mother who wants her kitchen redone and hires a rakish contractor named Pete (David Walton) for the job. Do not put yourself in Alexs shoes, because youll drown in questions like Who keeps a contractor on the job who gets no work done? And do not picture yourself as Pete, because your knack for messing up just when youre about to get the girl will drive you insane.

Instead simply enjoy the chemistry between the two stars and admire the casting of the supporting roles. Jesse Plemons, J B Smoove and Pasha D. Lychnikoff slot in nicely as Petes hapless crew (four guys to renovate one modest kitchen?), and Margo Harshman plays Alexs younger sister, Screwsie, with droll sass.

The fellow who really gives the series an incongruous edge, though, is Jeffrey Tambor, who is hilarious as Petes live-in father, Walt, a frustrated actor. The gimmick allows the seriess creator, Tad Quill (Scrubs), to take daffy detours from the world of home renovation into the world of bad theater. Is Walt something of a stereotype? Yeah. But are his scenes sharper than anything in Smash, NBCs increasingly disappointing backstage series? Yeah.

Particularly admirable is that in a series thats all about sex Will Alex and Pete ever have it? Whom are they having it with while they flirt with each other? Mr. Quill and his fellow writers largely stay away from the juvenile penis-and-vagina jokes that flood other recent sitcoms. When your writing has a decent amount of wit, and your actors can sell it, theres no need for desperation crassness.

It might not be apparent just from the pilot how well Bent works; the romantic-comedy dynamics might seem familiar and the dialogue slick but shallow. NBC, though, is presenting the show in back-to-back episodes for the next three Wednesdays.

That might help Bent in a difficult time slot. Watch two episodes, and you begin to catch the rhythm. Watch four, and you might be hooked.

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Television Review: ‘Bent,’ on NBC, Brings Romance to Remodeling