Kitchen trim was on the mind of kitchen designer, Scott Koehler, when he contacted me several weeks ago. He was designing a kitchen with 10’ high ceilings and wanted to make sure the crown moulding’s proportions were right. Drawing on my understanding of the Classical Orders and Proportion, could I help him make sure this...
When is a kitchen not a kitchen? That is the question I’ve been asking myself recently. It’s been prompted by several things. First, as consequence of the pandemic, we all have been forced to use our homes in ways we had never previously considered. For example, in my son’s family both dad and mom are...
Kitchen lighting is a challenge in the best of conditions. Lighting levels, fixture spacing, ambient lighting, task lighting and decorative lighting are all in play. In my last post, I alluded to a particular challenging lighting challenge relating to the placement of a soffit crown moulding above a row of kitchen cabinets. The underside of...
At the end of my last post, I promised I would talk about the online kitchen design portion of our consultation with our Houston client. ONLINE KITCHEN DESIGN CONSULTATION: THE AGENDA Our clients’ questions seemed to be straight forward. Comment on the current layout. How might the upper cabinets engage the ceiling and crown moulding?...
Interior Design Trends are something that Sally and I usually don’t pay much attention to. We write them off to media and marketing hype. Having said that, discussions about emergning 2020 Interior Design Trends in several private FB Groups I am a member of caught my eye in December. The first was a conversation about...
Thinking about Thanksgiving wines can easily give you a headache. With so many flavor profiles on the table, it’s completely understandable. In this post, my goal is to demystify and share several options and strategies that will make your selection of Thanksgiving wines less stressful for sparkling, white, red and dessert wines. Turkey is actually quite versatile and wine...
This past winter, Sally and I worked on a smart kitchen design with a client. Both husband and wife were tech savvy. Their day jobs were in the tech industry. They both loved to cook. It should have been a match made in Heaven. After evaluating appliances from Thermador, Subzro, Miele and Jenn-Air, they decided...
This past weekend I spent time revisiting and remembering one of our favorite projects, the renovation of the Forster – Leach House an 1804 Federal Period home in Manchester, MA, whose design is attributed to well known Salem architect, Samuel McIntire. Sally and I have been decluttering and cleaning the office because in the next...
Renovation projects. They’re never ending. It’s home ownership’s dirty secret. The one no one ever tells you about – until after you’ve purchased your first home. Sally and I are in the process of selling our home and doing the downsizing thing this summer. Going thru photograph albums of the work we’ve done on the...
Sally and I always enjoy our summer snackies and sippers on the side porch or on our circular brick patio in the back yard. In the summer, it is one of our favorite evening time rituals as we relax before dinner. Sally and I took this past July 4th week off, thoroughly enjoying several days...