Cynthia Fagan

February 23, 2018

Homeowners, Interior Design

How to Choose Tile for Your Home

Cynthia Fagan

February 23, 2018

Homeowners, Interior Design

When it comes to picking tile for your home, your options are virtually limitless and quite possibly overwhelming! That’s why having an expert walking you through the process can ensure you end up with a look that you love. I talked with Sarah Lauletta, interior designer at Louisville Tile Chattanooga, who shared pointers about how to select tile for your next home project.

Set the Scope

Decide where you need new tile. It seems easy, but make a list of all the places you want new tile, like flooring, walls, showers, and your kitchen backsplash. For example, are you redoing a single shower or an entire kitchen? The size and complexity of the work you’re doing will definitely impact the cost of the work and materials.

Know Your Allowances

Work with your contractor to make sure you have a solid understanding of your overall project budget. Even better, find out what specific allowances your budget includes for tile. Ideally, before you start picking out tile, you’ll know exactly how much has been budgeted for the tile and any related costs. If your budget isn’t that detailed, you can arrive at a close estimate by knowing the square footage of the space and your project budget to arrive at the price per square foot.

Pick a Palette

...or bring in a piece of your countertop. It’s much easier to make a tile selection when you have a focal point or focal color to work with. And it’s not just the color that matters. For example, if your countertop has a busy design that’s full of movement, you’ll want your tile more muted, so the countertop won’t lose its wow factor. Or if your counter is a solid slab of cement, your tile can add a punch of color or pattern to your room.

Choose Your Tile and Pattern

This is the fun part! Now that you know exactly what rooms or spaces you’re tiling, how much you can spend on each space, and you’ve thought about the color and style of tile you’d like, you get to hit the showroom floor. By bringing in pictures of rooms, patterns, and tiles that you like, you’ll make the process even easier, and you’ll be more likely to end up with a finished look that you love. If you’re remodeling, bring pictures of the rest of your house, so you can update your space without losing the character or overall style of your home.

This is where a professional can really help you, because they’ll know what extra trim pieces you might need and can offer suggestions about tile patterns and accents to give your room the polished look you want. A pro can even make recommendations for paint colors, faucets, light fixtures and finishes, cabinet pulls and other details to finish out your project.

(Photos courtesy of Louisville Tile Chattanooga)

WE HOPE THESE IDEAS AND TIPS ARE INSPIRATIONAL. PLEASE CALL ME WITH ANY OF YOUR HOME BUYING OR SELLING NEEDS AND QUESTIONS. (423-421-9192)

Gail Jenkins

April 24, 2017

Interior Design, Home Organization, Homeowners

5 Mistakes People Make When Remodeling a Kitchen

Gail Jenkins

April 24, 2017

Interior Design, Home Organization, Homeowners

The modern kitchen is the heart of the home. Whether it’s Saturday night or Tuesday morning, it’s the busiest room in your house (and has the heftiest price tag during a remodel). We asked Jackie Howard of Scarlett’s Cabinetry for her expert advice so that you won’t make these common remodel mistakes.

1. Forget the triangle – get in the zone!

Modern kitchens are bigger than ever so it’s helpful to think of “work zones” instead of the “triangle” design concept (keeping the stove, sink and refrigerator within 4-9 feet). Consider at least 2 prep areas, each with their own sink, disposal, and trash can. Large islands with lots of counter space or banquettes can multitask as seating or prep areas. Just be sure you have everything you need for your zone, like baking trays near the oven and skillets/spices near the stove. “My goal is always to design a kitchen to ensure there is ample space for everyone to join in and help prepare family meals,” says Jackie.

2. Don’t overlook appliance innovations

“The new steam ovens allow you to cook fast and healthy – it’s the new ‘must have’ appliance,” says Jackie. Wolf has created one that can steam, bake, roast or slow cook. Combining steam and convection, it can defrost meat, perfectly roast ribs or steam cook an entire meal of fish, vegetables and rice. Also consider under counter refrigeration, which can be essential for keeping the work zone concept practical. You can store produce near a second sink for a salad/vegetable prep station, or drinks if room allows for a third bar area zone.

3. Don’t keep the cabinets

If budget allows, you’re better to replace dated cabinets. At the very least, consider adding a few modern innovations such as appliance garages and mini pantries. Appliance garages allow you to keep things like your mixer, blender, microwave or coffee maker on the counter without visual clutter. Have the top of the “garage” be approximately your height with bi-fold doors so they’re not obtrusive when open. Mini pantries allow you to store things like olive oils, vinegars and spices near the stovetop.

4. Put the freezer on ice

“The freezer is the least used appliance in your kitchen and should not be in the middle of a major work triangle,” says Jackie. She recommends moving outside the kitchen, to an adjacent pantry or utility room. There are many refrigerator only options on the market that allow you to do a separate full-sized freezer elsewhere.

5. Don’t keep spices in the top drawer

While Jackie recommends keeping spices in a drawer for freshness, she likes to use a second drawer with tilted insert. “A top drawer is typically too shallow for the larger spice containers we use,” she says. “A middle, taller drawer allows various sizes to be stored together – even your baking powder and baking soda fit.” Some people also opt for a tall, pull-out drawer.

WE HOPE THESE IDEAS AND TIPS ARE INSPIRATIONAL. PLEASE CALL ME WITH ANY OF YOUR HOME BUYING OR SELLING NEEDS AND QUESTIONS. (423-421-9192)

Gail Jenkins

November 22, 2016

Homeowners

4 Ways to Keep Your Counters Looking Like New

Gail Jenkins

November 22, 2016

Homeowners

The holidays are here, which means you’ll want squeaky clean countertops for all those house guests. We caught up with Anna Baker of Stone Source for some easy tips on keeping your countertops looking like new, whether they’re Carrara or Quartz.

1. Know Thy Stone

Before you can clean it, you have to understand it. There are basically two categories in solid surface countertops: (1) marble; (2) everything else.

MARBLE is a carbonate, which means anything acidic like lemons or even tomatoes will eat away a tiny bit of the surface, creating dull spots known as etches.

Other surfaces such as QUARTZ and GRANITE are tough enough to withstand more aggressive cleaners. If you like a streak-free clean, you can even use ammonia-based sprays such as Windex.

While less common, SOAPSTONE and LIMESTONE are natural stone choices that require similar cleaning and maintenance than marble (although they both better resist heat damage).

2. Clean Smart

The easiest, safest, and most effective cleaning method for your kitchen counters is warm dish soap + warm water, says Baker. A bit of mild soap in a sink works great for everyday cleaning. If you prefer the spray-on/wipe-off method, mix water and dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray on your counters, wipe with hot, wet dish cloth and dry with a towel. (See recipe here) You can also buy specially formulated sprays for your type of stone, just be sure it’s pH neutral, she warns.

If you have marble, wipe up spills as soon as they occur to minimize etching and avoid citrus scented cleaners because of the acidity. Other surfaces such as granite can handle stronger cleaners, but never use bleach on quartz.

3. Watch overspray

If you have marble or another natural stone, be careful of the overspray from sink bowl or glass cleaners. Spray those cleaners directly on your rag or sponge, away from your countertop.

4. Remove etches or scuffs

Many people will tell you etches are a part of life with marble. While everyone differs on their tolerance for countertop imperfections, it’s a myth that your only option is to suck it up and live with it. “A stone professional is your best bet for removing any type of damage, but there are some DIY methods for minor issues like etching or scuff marks,” says Baker. “There are products available called water ring and etch removers that you can use with a white nylon scouring pad to buff out any light etching. It just takes patience and a little elbow grease.”

WE HOPE THESE IDEAS AND TIPS ARE INSPIRATIONAL. PLEASE CALL ME WITH ANY OF YOUR HOME BUYING OR SELLING NEEDS AND QUESTIONS. (423-421-9192)

Gail Jenkins

October 6, 2016

Interior Design, Homeowners

4 Tips on Choosing Fixture Finishes

Gail Jenkins

October 6, 2016

Interior Design, Homeowners

If you’ve never renovated a kitchen or bathroom, you probably haven’t lost sleep over the benefits of satin brass vs stain bronze. It may seem like minutiae, but coordinating hardware finishes can be a real headache in “heavy metal” rooms like bathrooms and kitchens. Door knobs, drawer pulls, light fixtures, even mirror finishes must all coordinate. And they’re called “fixtures” for a reason – these semi-permanent decisions are something you’ll want to love for years to come.

If fixture finishes have your head spinning, relax. Interior designer Michelle Workman has the answer – mix metals. When done properly, it can create a balance in your interior that will feel natural and storied, she says. Here are 4 tips on mixing metals like a pro.

1. Consider both warm and cool tones

Don’t paint yourself into a corner. Not only can you mix metals within one room, but every fixture in your new bathroom doesn’t have to perfectly coordinate with the rest of your home. Mixing metals allows you to experiment with the tonal qualities of metals (polished vs matte) and the feeling one gets from using a cool (silver toned) or warm (gold or copper toned) metal, says Workman.

2. Practice restraint

Don’t mix more than three metals in one space. In a recent kitchen (top picture) Workman used brass and stainless, with a pop of copper to create more depth to the color story, she says. The La Cornue stove, which has both brass and stainless elements serves as the focal point of the room, with the pots above being the only place she used copper. This kept it from becoming “visually erratic,” she says. The brass hardware adds warmth to the cool toned cabinetry, carrying the cool/warm mixture throughout the space.

3. Keep a theme

4. Try a little at a time

If mixing metals scares you, try a little bit at a time. In this kitchen Workman again used a La Cornue stove with brass and stainless mixed together, but the rest of the metals were kept in silver tones. She mixed both polished nickel and brushed stainless steel to keep it visually interesting.

WE HOPE THESE IDEAS AND TIPS ARE INSPIRATIONAL. PLEASE CALL ME WITH ANY OF YOUR HOME BUYING OR SELLING NEEDS AND QUESTIONS. (423-421-9192)