Episode 009 1995 - 96 Season
| Attic Insulation | Clogged up Sink | Remodeling | Baking Soda | Foam Insulation | Private Mortgage Insurance | |
To order a Video Tape, call 1-800-TO-BUILD and ask for Episode #009.
Michael Holigan: We are standing in a great remodeling job that was done by David Goodrow at Designs for Living. But before you do the remodeling job, what do you have to think about an concentrate on? We've got Dianne Garrett from Gabberts with us, an Interior Designer. Good to have you with us.
Dianne Garrett: Thank you. Good to be here.
M.H.: What should we plan on when we're thinking about doing a major remodel such as this?
D.G.: Well, probably the first thing you need to take into consideration is the functional aspect of the job. Will it work for you functionally once you have taken out walls and moved things within the space? And then another thing you need to take into consideration are the aesthetics. Will it aesthetically flow from space to space, and work that way for the family as well.
M.H.: Okay, so it has to look good, but it has to be operational as well.
D.G.: Absolutely, yeah.
M.H.: Okay. Well, what else?
D.G.: Well, another thing you need to take into consideration is the lifestyle of the family. Will the space, once it has been pulled together, once it's been opened up and designed, will it grow with the family? Will it be something that five years from now, or even 10 years from now will still be a functional space and still work for them aesthetically too?
M.H.: Okay, so you don't want to remodel it every year.
D.G.: No. Please no.
M.H.: One of the terms you threw out is "opening up" and that's what's been done to this house. It's much more open. Is that a very common thing you see now?
D.G.: Yes it is. Because a lot of people want their homes to feel more open. They're tired of the closed in spaces, dark little rooms that don't really function for them and give them a feeling of light and space, and so that's what happened in this room. Opening up the wall really gave it a much more open view and made the kitchen feel a lot larger than it actually was.
M.H.: I think it made the home feel younger as well. I think David knocked 25 or 30 years off the house by giving it a more '90's look.
D.G.: Yes, he did that not only through the pieces that he brought into the space, not only through the finishes and the materials he brought into the space, but he did that by keeping it light and airy and by adding a lot of lighting to the space it kept it open and gave it a clean look, which brings it into the '90's.
M.H.: And maybe with the white countertops and the tile backsplash that's part of the clean look?
D.G.: Yes it is, very much so.
M.H.: Well, what are some of the things that were done in this kitchen that people ought to keep in mind when they're working on their own home?
D.G.: Okay. Well let's start from the top down. In this case what they did is they removed first off the fur downs, which in other areas of the country is called a sofit, but they removed that fur down so it allowed to open the space up to the walls and they kept it clean and light. They added lighting behind it which is on a dimmer so it can create a mood within the space as well. And then they kept it clean up there by not adding any additional accessories. So it adds the contemporary look of the space. And then another thing they did is in painting all the cabinets white they kept it clean and airy there. The Corian blends right into the cabinets so again very clean, light and airy. Nothing just jumps out and grabs you. So it makes the space look larger. And then when you look at things like this, they were able to come in with a gas stove and changed it from electric. That is a great addition, especially since the husband in the family enjoys cooking so much. He's a chef and he really enjoys cooking. So, and over here the sink, for instance, instead of going with a metal faucet they came back in with a white faucet and again, it just adds to the overall clean look of the space. Another wonderful thing they were able to do with this space is at the end of the kitchen they were able to take out a wall and move the structural beam up into the attic, which is a great addition because it takes that visual impediment out of the space. With an eight foot ceiling it keeps the ceiling from feeling like it's cramming down on top of you. Another thing that they were able to do at the end of the cabinet, they added a small bookcase. They used up all the available space with different functions, such as that bookcase.
M.H.: So no wasted space.
D.G.: No wasted space, yes.
M.H.: So keep it clean, keep it functional and make sure it fits your lifestyle.
D.G.: Absolutely, yes.
M.H.: All right, well thank you Dianne.
D.G.: Ah-huh.
Episode 009 1995 - 96 Season
| Attic Insulation | Clogged up Sink | Remodeling | Baking Soda | Foam Insulation | Private Mortgage Insurance | |
To order a Video Tape, call 1-800-TO-BUILD and ask for Episode #009.