Samaritan House picked up another $80,000 for its plan to double capacity at its halfway house for substance abusers in Annapolis.

The nonpfrofit group said it raised $25,000 at its annual Burritos for Beds breakfast fundraiser Wednesday at Chevy's Fresh Mex, the same day the Annapolis Rotary Club announced it had presented a check for $55,000 from the club's annual Black Tie and Diamond's charity gala.

Lea Hurt, spokeswoman for Samaritan House, said the fundraising campaign is about 80 percent toward its goal of raising $1.8 million for the project.

Samaritan House is a state-licensed halfway house for men struggling with substance abuse, providing a continuum of care after medical detoxification. It provides individual and group counseling, case management, relapse prevention, life skills training, peer groups and family counseling, as well as career/vocational counseling.

Currently, there are 16 residential beds and an additional nine beds for transitional use. The would increase that number to 24 residential and 17 transitional beds; add a pavilion; upgrade the kitchen; and allow additional services.

Hurt said kitchen remodeling began Wednesday, the pavilion has been completed, construciton on the main portion of the expanded house could begin by late fall.

Samaritan House is located on 8 acres on Greenbriar Lane and received state certification in 1971.

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Samaritan House raises $80K toward expansion of Annapolis halfway house - CapitalGazette.com

Artists' rendering of remodeled Bethlehem Inn homeless shelter in Bend (Graphic: Bethlehem Inn)

Artists' rendering of remodeled Bethlehem Inn homeless shelter in Bend (Graphic: Bethlehem Inn)

BEND, Ore. - Bethlehem Inn announced on Tuesday that the city of Bend has granted the organization authorization to proceed with plans to construct its new 18,600-square-foot Family Residence and Service Hub on the site of its current shelter, a former motel on North Highway 97.

When completed in mid-2018, the new facility will double the Inn's capacity to shelter homeless families, replacing an aging five-family residence with space for 10 families at any given time.

"It will be the first facility in Central Oregon specifically designed to support families and individuals transitioning from homelessness to stability," the organization said in its announcement Wednesday, which continues below:

Construction will occur on the current Bethlehem Inn site at 3705 N. Highway 97, in Bend. SunWest Builders serves as the general contractor.

Executive Director Gwenn Wysling explained how the construction will take place without interfering with the Inns services to homeless families and individuals.

Before we start building the new Family Residence, we will install a portable structure that will allow our programs to continue operating during demolition and construction. Our goal is complete construction without interrupting or diminishing the critical services we provide every day.

Bethlehem Inn announced earlier that their Transforming Lives Together Capital Campaign has raised more than 90 percent of the funds needed to complete the new Family Residential and Service Hub facility, which has an estimated cost of $5.3 million.

Campaign Chair Heather Tennant Salvesen is spearheading the effort to complete funding, and also to launch a second phase of construction, currently in the planning stages.

According to Salvesen, Support for the capital campaign has been widespread. Our top supporter is a local couple who pledged $550,000. The Ford Family Foundation in Roseburg granted $500,000 because of our work with children and families. Local Rotary Clubs committed $200,000 to provide quality food in a suitable kitchen. For so many different reasons, our community is making this happen.

Asked why she gave to the campaign, Salvesen responded, "Families like mine are supporting the rebuilding of Bethlehem Inn because it puts a permanent stamp on our region as place of caring and compassion. When people go through a hard time in their lives and even lose their homes, there will always be a place to find a helping hand."

The Central Oregon Health Council is another major donor to the project, having committed $500,000 in 2016. Donna Mills, COHCexecutive director, explained the health impact of the project.

We acknowledge that food and shelter are some of the single most social determinants of health," Mills said."he Health Council's vision of Creating a Healthier Central Oregon is grounded in first things first. We appreciate the care and respect Bethlehem Inn affords the members of our region during their most vulnerable seasons of life."

With authorization to proceed starting this week, Bethlehem Inn anticipates being ready to open the new facility in about one year.

The building, designed by Ascent Architecture and Interiors, will house approximately 120 families per year, and provide a service hub serving as many as 1,150 adults and children. The service hub will include kitchen and dining facilities, classrooms and program space for services that help residents transition from homelessness to stability.

This project means Bethlehem Inn will be here for generations to come, saidWysling. Families and individuals do fall into situational homelessness, maybe because of an eviction, or a job loss, or a health crisis. Because our community cares, there will be a place to go to turn their lives around and get back on track.

For more information:https://bethleheminn.org/

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Bethlehem Inn shelter gets city OK for major remodeling - KTVZ - KTVZ

Some home repair and renovation projects are inevitable pipes corrode, window trim warps, roof shingles buckle and curl. Others require more of a push, such as a living room addition to keep up with the space needs of a growing family, a new patio or deck to extend that area outdoors and even the installation of a home-entertainment system to bring it all together.

One of the most popular remodeling projects these days the kitchen is equal parts technical and functional.

Home-improvement spending is expected to grow 6% annually to $318.6 billion by the first quarter of 2018, according to the Joint Center For Housing Studies of Harvard University. And although DIYs popularity continues, owners in the millennial (76%), Gen-X (83%) and baby boomer (88%) generations overwhelmingly chose to work with a professional builder or remodeler in 2015, according to a recent Houzz user survey.

With remodeling spending on the rise, you can expect owners will continue to invest in their kitchens. The most common reasons for a kitchen renovation, Houzz found, are to refresh outdated designs and finishes and to upgrade appliances. Owners who renovated their kitchen in 2015 spent 12% more than they did the year before, averaging $50,700 for a major remodel of a kitchen greater than 200 square feet and $26,400 for a major remodel of a kitchen smaller than that.

Pros do more than construct the space. They serve as a sounding board and general guide for owners material and space decisions and thats not always easy when the likes of "House Hunters" and "Fixer Upper"skew projections of budget and timelines.

Consumers today are far more educated about the renovation process than they were even a few years ago, says Adrien Winger, a certified kitchen designer at Caruso Kitchens, in Lakewood, CO. With the prevalence of media brands like HGTV, social media websites like Pinterest and the general ease of searching for ideas on the internet, theyre very aware of what they want. They dont always understand the associated costs, however.

Thats where the pro comes in. In the Houzz user survey, respondents said they looked to home-improvement professionals for their ability to manage a project, keep it on-budget and help find the best products.

With more product choices available than ever before, helping customers weigh their options and make a selection is as important as the construction itself.

Regardless of budget and size, all kitchen remodels must start with understanding how the space will be used. Whether appliances will be upgraded or floors resurfaced should take a temporary backseat to determining how many people will typically be in the space at once, and for what purpose. Consider that space needs will be different for a person who enjoys cooking solo and for someone who likes entertaining large groups in their home.

Dedicated workstations can help keep messes to a minimum

Kitchen layouts have long used the work triangle concept, with the refrigerator, stove and sink located at the points to maximize efficiency. However, a popular design for todays kitchens, which tend to have more appliances than just a stove and a fridge is for separate work stations that dedicate space for food prep, assembly and cleaning up, according to HGTV.

Islands, on the other hand, remain a popular standby, according to HGTV, as they offer additional space for food prep and storage and can be fitted with electrical outlets, serving as a charging station for kitchens whose owners envision the space as the activity hub of the home. They can also double as seating for informal meals.

Kitchen islands can be fitted with appliances, storage and electrical outlets

Knowing how the space will be used can also help determine its lighting needs. San Franciscobased lighting designer Randall Whitehead told HGTV that a good lighting plan uses a combination of task, ambient, accent and decorative illumination. As for lamp type, LEDs are becoming more common in residential applications, with uses including along cabinet toe kicks for night lights or inside cabinets to make sorting through their contents easier or even concealed in crown molding to draw visitors eyes upward, according to HouseLogic.

Accessibility is also important, and it is getting more attention as baby boomers renovate their homes so they can age-in-place as their accessibility needs change. Features like side-opening ovens at counter height eliminate the need to reach up or bend down, as do under-counter microwave drawers, Gordon says.

At Design and Construction Week 2017, in Orlando, FL, Construction Dive made note that while kitchen products continue to get smarter, some of the most inventive upgrades of late have been unexpectedly low-tech. Consider Boschs redesigned dishwasher interior, complete with a third rack just for bowls, saucepans, long-utensils and other hard-to-fit kitchen tools.

The shared focus on analog improvements in an age when nearly everything can have an internet connection could be due to limited adoption of high-tech products. In a survey of 3,000 households, consulting firm McKinsey found that while connected devices exist for functions such as access control, energy efficiency and communication and will be installed in roughly 29 million homes as of 2017, uptake faces challenges from issues around product differentiation and compatibility, and how to use the data collected. According to the Census Bureau, there were 116.9 million households in the US from 2011 to 2015.

For the growing group of households that do have smart products, however, their features add value to more than just the general workflow. Using a companion app, occupants can tell their smart oven to preheat before they arrive home to make dinner, or even just double check that they remembered to turn the oven off.

Samsung's Family Hub 2.0 refrigerator

Refrigerators like Samsungs Family Hub(show above) have a built-in camera that connects with a companion app that occupants can use to check its contents while at the grocery store (or anywhere else)from their mobile device. Gordon notes that having an extra fridge at counter height can be useful for storing produce in the prep area or allowing kids to have easy access to pre-approved snacks.

Another example is GEs line of internet-connected appliances, which syncs with the free online service IFTTT (If This Then That) for functions such as sending a Twitter message when the oven is preheated. IFTTT uses an ifthenstatement to preset conditions. The appliances have a companion app through which users can set timers, start cycles and turn the device on and off. Additionally, dishwashing detergent pods can be automatically reordered, and hot water can be scheduled ahead of time for a morning cup of coffee. (Thats because GE also offers a refrigerator with an integrated Keurig machine.)

Continued growth in the touch-activated kitchen faucets market is giving consumers more options for products that improve workflow efficiency when cooking or cleaning up with messy hands. And Carusos Winger points out a popular hands-free garbage can that opens and closes when lightly touched.

For cabinets, Winger says, while there are many more styles and colors to choose from today than in the past, white is still popular. However, grays and other neutral hues are also becoming more prominent, especially in open-plan spaces where the kitchen is also part of the living area and is a primary entertainment space.

Frameless cabinetry has been trending for years, and it isnt showing signs of going away, says Angela ONeill, director of marketing and advertising for Ashland, AL-based cabinet-maker Wellborn Cabinet. ONeill notes a shift in consumer preference between painted and stained wood. Our current sales are trending upward of 50% for painted options, with white continuing to hold the majority, she says.

Grays and colorful pastels are trending again for kitchen cabinets

Decorative laminate veneer is also growing in popularity as a cabinet material because it offers a smoother surface for paint and a blank canvas for some of the more contemporary styles, she says.

According to Winger, kitchen design has simplified in the last five to seven years. She sees more homeowners shedding traditional design for a contemporary look. While many of Wingers clients trimmed details from projects during and after the recession to lower their costs, people are picking back up with what they want to live with, and not just what they need for resale value.

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What's cooking: The trends shaping kitchen design today - Construction Dive

Submitted by: DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen

DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Bellingham, a leading home remodeling franchise, recently announced that the company has been awarded a 2017 Guildmaster Award.

The service-oriented approach and exceptional quality of work of DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen have earned them rave reviews in 2016 client satisfaction surveys.

We were very grateful to receive the Guild Quality award, but most of all, extremely pleased that so many of our clients had such a great remodeling experience with us, says DreamMaker franchise owner Ron Faber. We will continue to strive for industry excellence, and through our commitment to quality and to our clients satisfaction, have every intention of ensuring the best outcome in each of their remodeling experiences.

In order to be recognized as a Guildmaster Award winner, a Guild Quality member must achieve a recommendation rate of 90% as well as a certain response rate based on volume.

The annual Guildmaster Awards recognize service excellence in the building, remodeling, contracting and real estate professions. Each year the awards are given to companies that demonstrate an ability to deliver a consistently superior customer experience. In granting awards, Guild Quality considers two primary metrics for each candidate: the percentage of customers who would recommend and the percentage of customers who responded.

For more info please contact DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen at360-558-3171or visithttp://www.dreammaker-nw.com/

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DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Bellingham wins Guildmaster Award for Exceptional Customer Satisfaction - whatcomtalk.com

By: Kitchen Tune-Up | 0Shares 32Reads

May 01, 2017 // Franchising.com // ABERDEEN, S.D. - The national kitchen remodeling franchise, Kitchen Tune-Up, is encouraging homeowners to do their part to reduce waste and conserve natural resources by reconditioning their existing cabinets instead of replacing them. As part of their Tune-Ups for Trees campaign, Kitchen Tune-Up has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to promote their mission of inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. To bring attention to reducing waste, with each Tune-Up wood restoration completed by its franchise locations nationwide, Kitchen Tune-Up will donate a tree in the clients name to be planted in a US National Forest.

The Kitchen Tune-Up website explains the companys Tune-Up service as a wood reconditioning process that restores and repairs the original finish on cabinets and wood surfaces. During the preservation-friendly process the existing cabinets are left entirely, so no major waste is produced, yet they end up with a near-new appearance.

Originally begun in 1993 as the Plant a Tree campaign, Kitchen Tune-Up had 25,000 seedlings planted in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The company teamed up with the Arbor Day Foundation again in 2008 in celebration of their 20th anniversary to continue promoting sustainability in kitchen and bathroom remodeling.

Heidi Morrissey, president of the franchise system, said the company is recognizing homeowners with more than the tree. Each person who has a Tune-Up project completed will receive a greeting card from our Home Office team expressing our appreciation, and will have their name added to the Tune-Ups for Trees page on our website. Now in our 29th year as a franchise family, were proud to do a small part toward replanting efforts in our National Forests on behalf of our clients.

Founded in 1988 by Dave Haglund, Kitchen Tune-Up specializes in affordable kitchen updates. It is known for its signature one-day wood restoration Tune-Up, cabinet refacing, cabinet redooring, new cabinets, granite sealing and storage solutions. It offers personalized service and incredible results that are structured around eight customer service Trustpoints to ensure a hassle-free experience from start to finish.

For more information about Kitchen Tune-Up, please visit http://www.kitchentuneup.com. To inquire about franchise opportunities, visit http://www.ktufranchise.com.

Sarah Eisenbeisz Marketing Director Kitchen Tune-Up Corporate Office 605-225-4049 Phone sarah@kitchentuneup.com

SOURCE Kitchen Tune-Up

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Kitchen Tune-Up Celebrates Arbor Day by Launching Tune-Ups for Trees Campaign - Franchising.com (press release)

The Top Workplaces annual lists are based solely on the results of an employee feedback survey administered by Workplace Dynamics, LLC, a leading research firm that specializes in organizational health and workplace improvement. Several aspects of workplace culture are measured, including alignment, execution, and connection, to name a few.

Bacho learned the business and direct sales at the side of his father-in-law, Joe and brought the first computer hardware and software to Kitchen Magic. As a mechanical engineer by trade, Bacho later developed the company's manufacturing operations. These combined disciplines have put the company in a unique position in the industry. As they approach forty years in business, the family owned sales, marketing and manufacturing organization has grown to serve eight states, and employ over 200 people.

"First, we have a talented, dedicated team of people. Just an awesome team. Ours is a pretty complicated business; a lot of people have to pull together to make it work. Clear communication is first. Then it's being accessible and sharing our vision and goals. Everyone should know where we are going and how we are doing along on the journey," Bacho said.

"We hope to be back next year and keep this run this tradition going! We'll keep doing the right things-- for our customers and employees," he added.

Kitchen Magic was founded in 1979 by Jost 'Joe' and Reine Fleck in Allentown, PA. The company focuses on kitchen remodeling-- primarily refacing-- as an affordable and permanent solution for homeowners wanting to update and transform their kitchen.

Kitchen Magic is indeed a family affair. Bacho runs the company with the three Fleck daughters, Lotte Bacho (his wife), Renate Sprung and Cindy Purcell. His brother Chad Bacho leads the IT arm of the company and nephew Josh Mamroud,- the first of the third generation of 'Kitchen Magic family' heads up Web Technology.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kitchen-magic-five-time-lehigh-valley-top-workplace-and-president-brett-bacho-twice-recognized-with-top-leadership-honors-300447895.html

SOURCE Kitchen Magic, Inc.

Continued here:
Kitchen Magic: Five time Lehigh Valley Top Workplace and President Brett Bacho Twice Recognized with Top ... - PR Newswire (press release)

Want to update your kitchen?Weve got the experience and expertise required to help you realize your kitchen remodeling dreams in Colorado Springs.

They say home is where the heart is and in our opinion, the heart of the home is in the kitchen. Remodeling your kitchen is one of the best ways to add value to your home.

Griff and his team finish jobs well and see the details to complete each job correctly. I appreciate that they return phone calls in a timely manner and clean up after their work. We highly recommend Homefix to anyone! ~ Doug & Pam Nuenke

We are licensed and insured ready to tackle any size kitchen remodel.

Why hire Homefix to be your kitchen remodeling contractor?

We work with clients with all kinds of budgets. Cabinets tend to be one of the most expensive pieces a kitchen remodel. We not only have access to high end products, but also high quality inexpensive ones to help save you money.

Being without a kitchen for an extended period of time can be stressful on the entire family. We strive to make the process as smooth as possible by working quickly, staying ahead of schedule, and constantly communicating throughout the entire process.

Some of the most popular upgrades for a kitchen remodel in Colorado Springs include:

If youre thinking about any kind of kitchen remodeling in Colorado Springs, start and end with Homefix. We look forward to serving you soon. (719) 749-1788

Link:
Kitchen Remodeling - Colorado Springs voted "Best of 2016"

Meet the award winners of the Lake Erie LifeStyle home remodeling contest.

Brace yourself. You're going to want to remodel. Once you see the winners and other entrants in the GoErie.com remodeling contest, you're going to get the bug to replace something. Maybe move a wall. Or maybe not, but the entries were impressive.

In all, 20 homeowners entered their impressive before and after photos of their bathrooms and kitchens, and readers voted on their favorites. The winners are:Brian and Lisa Waugaman for best bath and Christopher and Stephanie Rhodes for best kitchen.

A new century takes over master bath

Brian and Lisa Waugamandidn't really plan to gut their 1999 master bathroom. It all started innocently enough when they wanted to just update it. "We had started to tear down the wallpaper to repaint, and we were going to keep it pretty much the same," Lisa Waugaman said.

But then her husband Brian noted that they had not used the large Jacuzzi tub more than 10 times in 17 years. "We knew it needed to go, along with all the oak cabinets and large mirrors. The ongoing joke in our house was '1999 called and wanted their bathroom back,'" Lisa Waugaman said.

Gutting the space enabled them to move things around and add a double vanity with more storage, a large walk-in shower and a totally different look that provided a bit of industrial charm. This Waterford couplefound most of what they needed locally. "We were really lucky. We wanted the chalk paint look, and we found the cabinetry at Legion Plumbing. It was the last of that cabinetry; it was scheduled to be discontinued," she said.The spacious shower includesdual shower heads in the ceiling and a shower wand.

The Waugamans had hiredPrestige Services, of Harborcreek, to do the work after meeting the owner at the 2016 Home and Garden Expo. Prestige also crafted handmade barn doors to complete the look. The combination of stainless steel sinks, rustic looking flooring and distressed white cabinetry achieved what Waugaman called Industrial Farm Chic.

The Waugamans also selected Prosource for flooring and shower tiles along with some fixtures.The process started in October and wrapped up in December.

Would they change anything? Not really. The dramatic change in appearance provided a winning combination.

One wall kitchen

Stephanie Rhodes said that she and her husband, Christopher, and their families and friends, worked to completely renovate the kitchen in their Edinboro home. The former kitchen was bound by a few walls, and the couple decided to remove the wall between the kitchen and dining room and open it all to the living room as well. While trusses supported the ceiling, Stephanie Rhodes said she wanted a barn beam to add some aesthetics. "It just wasn't feasible, but we asked Hobbs Lumber to make a beam that we wrapped and stained," she said.

Stephanie Rhodes said this wasn't the first remodeling project she and her husband had tackled. As fans of Pinterest and HGTV, she shared that she is always changing up her home design. "It's a joke to friends," she said.

The former kitchen had dark cabinets and light laminate flooring, but the couple chose to install dark flooring and light cabinetry the exact opposite of what they'd had. Stephanie said she loved dark cabinets but decided the espresso floor would make a nice base and contrast for the cabinetry. "It's not a large space and we didn't want it to look too dark," she said.

The Edinboro couple found everything they wanted locally with some knickknacks from antiques shops. Cabinetry, quartz counters and appliances were from Home Depot with some other appliances from Sears. The colors were based on popular colors and trends. "The gray grabbed me, and we had worked with Home Depot before. This was by far the biggest remodel though," she said.

In crafting the spacious island, Rhodes said it was a must because she knew she had really only one wall for cabinets. The outside wall had patio doors and windows and the space was open to the living room and dining area. Rhodes said she wanted cabinetry and workspace and it all worked out with cabinets the entire way around the island. When it came to lighting, the couple added a bit of industrial charm with pendant lights over the island and a more industrial fixture over the dining area. She found everything she wanted from the Hite Company in Millcreek. "They were wonderful. They had exactly what we wanted, and we could order anything we needed," she said.

The couple followed national trends that National Kitchen and Bath Magazine noted as topping the charts. White and gray are the latest home decor colors, and the magazine says wood cabinets are the top choice and quartz countertops get the nod over granite and other surfaces.

"We wanted to mix old and new but keep it clean and simple," Rhodes said.The DIY project included a lot of help from friends and family, so the project took about three months, she said, but they saved a lot of money. "We had a tight budget, and now we can all gather in one space without being cramped," she said.

Stylish entries

While two homeowners were named winners, all of the entries showed off a flair for some fabulous design trends.Ceramic tile that looks like wood, vessel bowl sinks and a whole lot more were among the contemporary items Erie homeowners added to their kitchens and baths when remodeling. In addition, crown molding added some finishing touches and industrial lighting was a big winner.Double vanities and dual mirrors replaced single vanities and subway tile, mosaic borders and frosted glass were among the popular items.

Many of the entrants were unafraid to move walls, and it enabled them to create amazing spaces.

Winners will receive $100 gift cards. To see all the entries, visitwww.GoErie.com/remodel, but be warned, you'll want to remodel something. LEL

Continued here:
Meet kitchen, bath winners in remodeling contest - GoErie.com

WILMINGTON, DEL. More than 123 million home improvement projects, not including routine maintenance,were carried out in the United States in 2013-2015 in 43.9 million households.This accounts for a total of more than$431.1 billion dollars in expenses, according to the latest data released from the 2015 American Housing Survey, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Fixr.com, a site that provides cost guides, comparisons, and term cheat sheets for remodeling, installation and repair projects, analyzed the AHS data to determine how Americans are spending their money on home improvements. Around one-third, or 33.6 percent, of owner-occupied units completed at least one home improvement project for energy-efficiency purposes, 6.8 percent to improve accessibility for an elderly person or person with a disability, and 3.5 percent carried out at least one project to prepare the home for sale.

The median expenditure per job was $1,200, and out of all the home improvement projects, nearly 62 percent were carried out by professionals, while the remaining 38 percent were DIY. Moreover, 77.5 percent of respondents used cash savings as the primary source for funding these projects.

Americans spent 27.6 percent for projects such aswater pipes, plumbing fixtures, heating upgrades and electrical wiring,among other interior fixes. In this category, upgrades to HVAC equipment represent 9.3 percent of total expenditures with an average of $3,092, which is above the median.

Kitchen remodeling accounted for 10.9 percent or projects andbathroom remodeling, 8.7 percent. The remaining expenditures were as follows: exterior additions and replacements, 27.9 percent; lot or yard additions, 12.4 percent; disaster repairs, 5 percent; and other room additions and renovations, 7.4 percent.

Fixr.com compared historical data from the 2011 and 2013 surveys and found that despite a decline in home improvement expenses from 2012 to 2013, the latest numbers show a very considerable upturn.

See more here:
Survey: Home improvement spending on the rise - Contractor Mag

A duplex is a way for families to live together but also apart. This living arrangement has worked for the McKevitt sisters of St. Paul since 1989.

Its been a good solution for us, says Peggy McKevitt, each having our own place, but we share lawn work and snow shoveling. We also have a common washer and dryer in the basement, but other than that, we have separate entrances.

It also makes it easier when it comes time to remodel: Each sister can get her own way.

My style is more traditional, says Susan McKevitt, and hers is a little more contemporary.

The sisters hired David Heide Design Studio to help them remodel the cramped kitchens of their 1926 Arts & Crafts duplex on Jefferson Avenue in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood: The two kitchens will be on display this weekend as part of the 30th annual Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour.

It was just time, Susansays of the outdated kitchens. Something had to be done.

Through the years, the sisters had focused on their careers Susan is a registered nurse, Peggy has worked in human resources. Their co-owned duplex has always been a sturdy backdrop to their lives: Its a true duplex (one unit up and one unit down), built in 1926, structurally sound, says Susan. The sisters have donesome updating through the years: After they bought the duplex in the 1980s, they ripped out the the wall-to-wall carpeting, refinishing the hardwood floors underneath; they also remodeled each of their bathrooms in 2002; they replaced the roof.

Until now, the kitchens had only been tweaked.

We had both put in wallpaper, we had both put in dishwashers, we had both replaced a refrigerator, Peggy says.

It was minor decorating rather than structural changes, says Susan. The lower kitchen Peggys had had some remodeling (before 1989). Mine was older it had a metal sink and no cupboards. I had a few cabinets made for mine, nothing major.

There was nothing really wrong with the kitchens, says Peggy. They just needed to be updated.

Thanks to going on previous home tours through the years, the sisters knew who they wanted to hire for the renovations.

We had always liked David Heide, says Peggy. I think he has a good sense of how to put a new kitchen in an old house and make it look like it fits. He has a good use of color, too neither of us wanted a white kitchen.

The kitchens were reworked with the help of Kyle Veldhouse, an architect on staff at the studio.

Before, the two kitchens were typical of the cramped and closed-off kitchens in old apartments in St. Paul. Now, thanks to partially opening up a wall in each kitchen, the kitchens appear lighter and bigger.

That was the biggest decision, says Heide. At first, they didnt want to do that and we were truthfully ambivalent about it. We wanted to give the client what they wanted. But, because it was important that they understand the choice, we worked to explain to them the nature between the spaces and the sight lines, how it would give them more of an experience of windows around them. Once we convinced them that it wouldnt be done in a way that would be sacrilegious to the rest of the unit, they were able to get behind it. And I think the way that we detailed the lower portions of the oak walls and trimmed the openings really helps define them as separate spaces while allowing a visual connection to the rest of the unit.

Although Heide says that kitchen remodels can typically cost as much as three or four new cars, the sisters did their best to keep costs down.

We didnt move the plumbing, mechanicals or electrical, says Susan. We kept the floor plans the same. The kitchens are so small, you cant move anything around, anyway. And even if we had wanted to, there was a staircase in the way.

The kitchens are much more stylish now: Think stainless steel appliances, stone countertops, open cabinetry, farmhouse sinks.

Our friends are always surprised at how much bigger the kitchens look even though theyre still the exact same size, says Peggy.

The style of each kitchen is different, though.

Peggys kitchen, on the first floor, features a contemporary look of blue subway tile, gray soapstone countertops and a combination of blue and white cabinetry. Susans more traditional kitchen on the second floor has a green and cream color scheme with bead board paneling and granite countertops. Both have hardwood flooring that is original to the duplex (although Peggys flooring looks newer becausehad been covered with vinyl tiles).

Its a fun opportunity for people to see two different takes on the same solution, says Heide.

But even though the sisters now have two new kitchens, sometimes they only need one. Like last weekend.

On Sunday, we went shopping at Talbots and then Susan cooked salmon for dinner, says Peggy.

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St. Paul sisters have dueling kitchen renovations. See the before and after. - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press