One of our most commonly asked questions is: How can I make more space in my home? Answer: Hire a great interior designer who is terrific at making the most of your space (we happen to know a great one)! You might not be ready for a remodel just yet, so you need to look at how you organize your home. We are not asking you to fold your clothes differently or hug all your possessions and see if they bring you joy! However, Claire in marketing is a huge fan of Marie Kondo and really does feel "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" when sorting and ridding her home of unwanted clutter. She actually enjoys making sure her clothes neatly stand to attention before putting them away! However, if you feel this is all too much effort, the simple trick is to have a house filled with great organizational and storage options.

See Part 1 of our Reclaim Your Space Blog Series featuring kitchens, here, as well as Part 2 covering bathrooms, here.

Living Spaces

Storage benches are a great way to hide clutter in the living room. However, we all love to see our favorite things and to make our home feel unique and special. With the two following projects both clients wanted to showcase their wonderful collections one in a traditional way and the other with a modern approach.  

Traditional

Our clients in San Ramon wanted a traditional sense of style and needed easy access to their book collection. They wanted to keep the look homey while displaying their most treasured antique pieces. The shelves by Crystal Cabinets were made to withstand the weight of the books and to avoid the risk of damage.

"Crystal Cabinets is our go-to for most projects, they have so many styles to choose from and perhaps, more importantly, their quality is outstanding. I need a manufacturer I can trust to not let me, or clients, down. I only ever hear positive comments back from my clients when using Crystal Cabinets." says Jackie Lopey, CEO and certified interior designer at Venue in Pleasant Hill, CA.  

Built-in white selves and bookcase incorporating the fireplace

Modern

Our client in Lafayette wanted a clean way of showcasing their world collection of artwork. They wanted a contemporary showcase without distracting from the art. These floating shelves are perfect. They keep the room uncluttered, compliment the modern furniture and don't distract from the pieces on display.

Modern floating shelves to complement the modern decor and keep the collectibles as the focus

How will you organize your storage?

One of our most commonly asked questions is: How can I make more space in my home? Answer: Hire a great interior designer who is terrific at making the most of your space (we happen to know a great one)! You might not be ready for a remodel just yet, so you need to look at how you organize your home. We are not asking you to fold your clothes differently or hug all your possessions and see if they bring you joy! However, Claire in marketing is a huge fan of Marie Kondo and really does feel "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" when sorting and ridding her home of unwanted clutter. She enjoys making sure her clothes neatly stand to attention before putting them away! However, if you feel this is all too much effort, the simple trick is to have a house filled with great organizational and storage options. 

See Part 1 of our Reclaim Your Space Blog Series featuring kitchens, here.

BATHROOM

Of all the places in the home, bathroom storage has to be taken seriously. Some items need to be accessible: shampoo in the shower, for example, or towels after a soak in the tub. Bathroom storage also has to be organized to hide personal items such as medication. We love the bathroom storage we incorporated into the projects below. 

 
Pull out shelves and a roll-up appliance garage keeps counter space clear and hides personal items in a creative way.

 
Need more space? Consider a wall-hung toilet. The tank is in the wall and gives you added space where space might be tight. And, don't forget the space over the toilet - it keeps surfaces clutter-free!

Shower niches offer easy access to shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc.

Open shelves provide a great space to store towels and glass-fronted cabinets help show off pretty bottled toiletries, just where you need it!

Plenty of cabinets and open shelving for towels keeps surfaces clear

 How will you organize your storage?

Tip #1 - Plan storage that children can reach. One day, I realized that my daughter was more than capable of getting a cup off the shelf and putting water into it - IF she could reach the shelf. So, I stocked one lower cabinet with a kid-friendly selection of plates, cups and bowls, and she's been serving herself ever since. 

Drawer-mounted plate racks, like the one below, are the best way to move dishes down to a kid's level. Order a rack like this with your new cabinets, or add it to an existing deep drawer.  The one below is by Crystal Cabinet Works, our go-to cabinet manufacturer.

Tip #2 - Provide a safe step up. Kitchen cabinets are just another set of monkey bars for some kids. You remember how the thinking goes, "If I hook my toes around this drawer pull, rest my opposite knee on the countertop and hold onto the door with my left hand, I know I can reach the Pop Tarts with my right."

Seriously though, falls are the leading cause of injury to kids under 15 according to the CDC. So, figure out where you're going to put a step stool. It'll be safer for children and for you.  A broom closet will work, or you can even hide one under the toe kick of a cabinet. Here's a picture of the Stepfix by Hafele.

Tip #3 - Be careful around corners. Children run when they should walk. There's no avoiding it. So, think about what a child is going to be faced with when they run around a blind corner.

Is it an open wall oven with a hot door that is right at their eye level?  Or, will it be you standing at the kitchen sink cutting vegetables with a knife?  Or, you again, only this time turning with a hot pot in your hands?

In general, avoid putting potentially dangerous appliances or work areas where children, or adults for that matter, might blunder into them.

Do you have other tips on keeping kids safe in the kitchen? Share them here. I'd love to hear from you.

Looking for more kitchen design tips? Download our FREE guide.

Jackie Lopey is a Certified Interior Designer and the CEO of Venue. Read about Jackie's journey from a DIY home remodeler to Certified Interior Designer & CEO.

One of our most commonly asked questions is: How can I make more space in my home. Answer? Hire a great interior designer who is terrific at making the most of your space (we happen to know a great one)! You might not be ready for a remodel just yet, so you need to look at how you organize your home. We are not asking you to fold your clothes in a different way or hug all your possessions and see if they bring you joy! However, Claire in marketing, is a huge fan of Marie Kondo and really does feel "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" when sorting and ridding her home of unwanted clutter. She actually enjoys making sure her clothes neatly stand to attention before putting them away! However, if you feel this is all too much effort, the simple trick it to have a house filled with great organizational and storage options.

KITCHEN
We know you can never have enough surfaces or storage in your kitchen. Here are some of our favorite organizational and storage options for your kitchen.

Spice Rack & Pan Drawers

Now you see me...now, you don't.  The perfect way to hide kitchen appliances!

Clever kitchen appliances give you more space and keep your surfaces clutter free.

A kitchen pantry with doors can hide a multitude of sins and is the perfect way to hide your kitchen appliances and ugly packages, whilst having all your supplies in one place.

Glass fronted display kitchen cabinets showcase a favorite collection

Narrow slide out drawers keep appliances off counter tops but still easily accessible

No matter how much enthusiasm we have for a project and how instantly we see your desired reading nook or how best to showcase your prized artwork collection, sometimes it's not easy for you to see the same vision, especially when walls need to be knocked down, windows and doors moved and rooms opened up. That's why at Venue we always provide perspective drawings and when completing whole house projects, 3D rendering drawings, using the latest software. We offer you a view inside of our heads! 

Rachael Daboin, Interior Designer at Venue, says "Our drawings allow our clients to visually see the space we can create, how their heirloom dresser will look in their newly designed dining room or if they really do want the lime green feature wall, they were so insistent on.  By showing our clients a glimpse of their future home it offers a way for them to truly see the great space we are creating." 

The textures, the lighting, the depth of field, the furniture, the outlets, the glazing - everything you’d hope to see in the crisp clean transformation of your home is presented in perfect clarity.

Developing an accurate budget for your kitchen remodel is a little bit of work, but will be so worth it when you're standing in your dream kitchen and still have money left in the bank. The proof is in these before and after pictures from one of our recent projects.

Question 1: What Will It Cost To Remodel My Kitchen?

This is, of course, the most common question. Where we work (Lafayette, Orinda, Walnut Creek, Alamo, Pleasant Hill), the average cost of a kitchen remodel is about $45,000. The lower third of kitchen remodels runs about $14,000, and the top third about $82,000. The top 5% comes in at $128,000. All of the totals above are from the Houzz Real Cost Finder, August 2018.

Based on the many kitchens we’ve designed, small and large, those numbers sound right. However, you need to go further to develop a real-world budget for your project. We use a 5-Step Process:

1. Finalize the Space Plan: Only when you know everything that is going in the room and where it is going can you start to budget.

2. Get Contractor Estimates for Labor & Building Materials: Send your finalized space plan out to one or more contractors for bidding.

3. Get Quotes for all Finishes, Furnishings & Fixtures: Quantify each and every item and send them out for quotes.

4. Total It All Up: Add Your Contractor Labor and Building Materials to your Furnishings, Finishes, and Fixtures for a Total Budget.

5. Make Adjustments: Now – with your detailed budget in hand and before you’ve purchased anything – is there time to make adjustments? Would you like to spend less? Identify areas to trim. Do you have a few more dollars for this project? Upgrade in areas that are important to you.

Are You Ready To Tackle Your Biggest, Most Expensive Home Improvement Project?

Most of our kitchen remodel clients are willing but not ready - willing in that they really want a beautiful, new kitchen and not ready because they still have many, many unanswered questions. Does that describe you? If so please get in touch:

Call 925-285-0815 or email jackie@venueathome.com now to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation. Yours FREE when you mention this blog post.

Missed our blog series What You Need to Know About Kitchen Design, the Top 10 Questions homeowners ask us again and again?

Don't panic! Here's the full countdown:

Question 10: When Remodeling My Kitchen, Where Do I Start?

Question 9: I Want To Move (Or Remove) A Wall, Door Or Window. Do I Need An Architect?

Question 8: Who Should I Talk To First—A Designer Or A Contractor?

Question 7: Do I Need A Building Permit?

Question 6: How Much Of My Time Is This Project Going To Absorb?

Question 5: How Do I Choose Cabinets?

Question 4: Is It Okay To Put A Wood Floor In A Kitchen?

Question 3: How Do I Get More Space In My Kitchen Without Adding On?

Question 2: How Long Will It Take To Remodel My Kitchen?

Question 1: What Will It Cost To Remodel My Kitchen?

Jackie Lopey embraced her creativity and passion over 10 years ago when she left her corporate job in San Francisco to become an interior designer. Since then she has worked with over a hundred satisfied clients transforming hundreds of rooms, and Jackie’s reputation now precedes her as one of the top Certified Interior Designers in the East Bay.

She has a keen eye for detail and uniquely intuits her clients wants and needs. If you want a home that is breathtaking and deeply personal, Jackie Lopey and her team at Venue are the experts you need to talk to.

Time costs money, so it’s not surprising that it relates to the second most commonly asked question.

Question 2: How Long Will It Take To Remodel My Kitchen?  

The construction phase of a kitchen remodel usually runs 4 to 12 weeks.

Why such a wide range?

A lot depends on how well you’ve planned. We like to get all of the materials for our kitchen remodels to the job site – or at the very least to a local warehouse – before the contractor starts work. Then, your kitchen is completed rapidly and you’re not paying for your contractor to sit around waiting for materials or losing your construction crew to another project with materials at the ready.

That kind of coordination requires a deep level of planning.

Our master item list – furnishings and fixtures commonly used in remodels – includes over 200 items. No room needs all 200, but we check for each and every one to avoid nasty surprises that blow the budget and the timeline.

Still have questions? Call 925-285-0815 or email jackie@venueathome.com now to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation. Yours FREE when you mention this blog post.

Next week we’ll answer Kitchen Design Question 1: What Will It Cost To Remodel My Kitchen?

Jackie Lopey embraced her creativity and passion over 10 years ago when she left her corporate job in San Francisco to become an interior designer. Since then she has worked with over a hundred satisfied clients transforming hundreds of rooms, and Jackie’s reputation now precedes her as one of the top Certified Interior Designers in the East Bay.

She has a keen eye for detail and uniquely intuits her clients wants and needs. If you want a home that is breathtaking and deeply personal, Jackie Lopey and her team at Venue are the experts you need to talk to.

Want more kitchen design ideas? Our blog series, What You Need to Know About Kitchen Design, addresses the questions we get asked time after time. We are now down to the top three questions.

Question 3: How Do I Get More Space In My Kitchen Without Adding On?

There are four ways to get more space in your kitchen without adding onto your house. Here they are in order, easiest and least costly first:

1. Boost the storage within your current layout

2. Create a more efficient layout within your current kitchen

3. Take space from an adjacent room

4. “Flip” your kitchen to a larger room in your house.

All four are successful strategies depending on what you mean by more space. Is more space room for an island with an eat-in breakfast bar? Or, is it ample storage so that food and small appliances aren’t overflowing from your cabinets onto your countertops?

Think an addition is your only option? Think again! Ask your designer to show you two or three ways to layout a new kitchen within your existing home. Creating multiple floor plans for every project is standard operating procedure at Venue. We want our clients to “see” options before deciding on a layout. Your designer should create floor plans, elevations, and 3D models that bring your new space alive.

BEFORE

AFTER

Want help making your dream kitchen a reality? Call 925-285-0815 or email jackie@venueathome.com now to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation. Yours FREE when you mention this blog post.

Next week we’ll answer Kitchen Design Question 2: How Long Will It Take To Remodel My Kitchen?

Question 4: Is It Okay To Put A Wood Floor In A Kitchen?

Yes, you can put a wood floor in your kitchen. Wood floors never go out of style and look great with today’s white and gray painted cabinets. Be realistic, though.

Are you and your family willing to quickly clean up water and food that spills on the floor? Wood floors, in any room of the house, are susceptible to warping and staining when exposed to water. Still interested in wood?

A kitchen is a great place for a reclaimed or distressed wood floor. Distressed floors hide a multitude of sins and will let you relax and enjoy your new kitchen, including the wood floor.

Still have questions? Call 925-285-0815 or email jackie@venueathome.com now to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation. Yours FREE when you mention this blog post.

Next week we’ll answer Kitchen Design Question 3: How Do I Get More Space In My Kitchen Without Adding On?

Question 5: How Do I Choose Cabinets?

When choosing cabinets, start with what you don’t see – the cabinet box. You want a box made from high-quality plywood that is formaldehyde-free. (Yes, some cheap cabinets are made with plywood that off-gasses formaldehyde, poisoning the air in your home!) The back, bottom, top, and sides of the cabinet box should be ½” thick plywood on framed cabinets and ¾” thick on frame-less. Look for a drawer box with dovetail construction and quality guides – an area where makers of cheaper cabinets often cut corners.

Now for the parts of your cabinets you do see: the face frame, doors, drawer fronts and finished ends. Wood face frames, doors, drawer fronts and finished ends should be well built with good clean joints and beautifully finished in a multi-step process. You will know a multi-step stain or paint because it looks rich and deep.

If you’re interested in a laminated cabinet finish, great for modern kitchens, go for the best quality you can afford to minimize issues with cracking and de-lamination.

Finally, choose a cabinet manufacturer with an ironclad guarantee – preferably one that covers the life of the cabinets. Quality kitchen cabinets will last 20 or 30 years, and you want to buy them from a manufacturer who can go the distance.

RED FLAG Be cautious if your cabinet doesn’t back up claims of quality with a set of detailed specifications including measurements for all parts.

To see more information about the kitchen featured click here or for more design ideas and cabinet choices see our website. 

Still have questions? Call 925-285-0815 or email jackie@venueathome.com now to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation. Yours FREE when you mention this blog post.

Next week we’ll answer Kitchen Design Question 4: Is It Okay To Put A Wood Floor In A Kitchen?

Jackie Lopey embraced her creativity and passion over 10 years ago when she left her corporate job in San Francisco to become an interior designer. Since then she has worked with over a hundred satisfied clients transforming hundreds of rooms, and Jackie’s reputation now precedes her as one of the top Certified Interior Designers in the East Bay.

She has a keen eye for detail and uniquely intuits her clients wants and needs. If you want a home that is breathtaking and deeply personal, Jackie Lopey and her team at Venue are the experts you need to talk to.

Question 6: How Much Of My Time Is This Project Going To Absorb?

Designing a new kitchen is like taking on a second job. If you’re designing it yourself, plan to spend 80 hours researching materials, planning your layout and visiting showrooms, and 20 hours finding contractors, meeting with those contractors and then gathering and comparing their bids.

That’s just to plan your kitchen, you’ll spend another 40 to 60 hours finalizing your purchases, placing orders, tracking those orders and receiving deliveries. You’re not done yet! Was anything you ordered out-of-stock or discontinued? You’ll need to find a replacement. Did anything arrive damaged? You’ll have to file a claim and get a new one shipped out.

If you already have an endless To Do List, designing your own kitchen and running down the needed materials is a tall order. Protect your sanity and your time, which is after all priceless, by hiring a full-service interior design firm, like Venue, to carry the load. The result will likely be better than you could achieve alone, your designer will get your kitchen designed quickly, save you money and, of course, eliminate many hours of frustrating work.

Still have questions?  Call 925-285-0815 or email jackie@venueathome.com now to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation. Yours FREE when you mention this blog post.

Next week we’ll answer Kitchen Design Question 5: How Do I Choose Cabinets?

Question 8: Who Should I Talk To First—A Designer Or A Contractor?

You’ll hear a lot of nightmare stories about general contractors. We love the ones we work with, who refer us again and again, and think we’ve come to understand them. Contractors know how tough remodels can be. They know they can’t give you an accurate quote until they see exactly what you plan to do. That means you must have construction drawings (floor plans, elevations, details, and notes) showing what is being taken out and what is being added. So, call your designer first so that she can create the construction drawings your contractor needs.

By the way, if you want to get an inflated estimate, call your contractor while you’re still brainstorming the design. Then, he’ll have to add everything you might do to his estimate to make sure both you and he are covered in the end!

Question 7: Do I Need A Building Permit?

Some contractors and homeowners are comfortable working without a permit even when one is legally required. However, we’re against it. A kitchen remodel is a major undertaking, and the cost of a building permit is usually a tiny component of the total budget. The building code is focused on serious stuff – fire safety and structural integrity. Why take a chance?

Want to know the key questions you should be asking a contractor and how to get the most reliable quote? Need help choosing a contractor? Call 925-285-0815 or email jackie@venueathome.com now to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation. Yours FREE when you mention this blog post.

Next week we’ll answer Kitchen Design Question 6: How Much Of My Time Is This Project Going To Absorb?

Jackie Lopey embraced her creativity and passion over 10 years ago when she left her corporate job in San Francisco to become an interior designer. Since then she has worked with over a hundred satisfied clients transforming hundreds of rooms, and Jackie’s reputation now precedes her as one of the top Certified Interior Designers in the East Bay.

She has a keen eye for detail and uniquely intuits her clients wants and needs. If you want a home that is breathtaking and deeply personal, Jackie Lopey and her team at Venue are the experts you need to talk to.

Last week, we answered Question 10: When remodeling my kitchen, where do I start? This week, Question 9.

Question 9: I Want To Move (or Remove) a Wall, Door or Window. Do I Need an Architect?

If you’re making structural or seismic changes, you need an architect or a structural engineer. We routinely move walls, windows and doors in our kitchen designs and refer our clients to an engineer to create structural drawings. Structural engineers work quickly and offer great value.

However, you will need more than structural drawings.  You will need to-scale construction drawings.  We routinely create a set of construction drawings including:

As-Built – drawings of the pre-remodel space and sometimes the whole house or lot,

Floor Plan – a bird’s eye view of the remodeled space showing walls, doors, windows, appliances, plumbing and more, like the one on the right,

Lighting Plan – again a bird’s eye view, this one shows the placement of your lights and outlets and addresses any energy requirements in the building code,

Elevations – a view of each wall, as though you were standing in front of it looking at it, showing the placement of all of the cabinets, wall sconces, electrical outlets and plumbing on that wall,

Detail Drawings – a study of a particular feature like the layout of your backsplash that shows the desired result to your contractor.

For our projects, the client’s general contractor takes the construction drawings Venue has created and the engineer’s structural drawings to the local building department to pull permits.  Then, the construction drawings are referred to throughout the remodel.

Still have questions? Call 925-285-0815 or email jackie@venueathome.com now to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation. Yours FREE when you mention this blog post.

Next week we’ll answer Kitchen Design Questions 8 and 7: Who Should I Talk To First - A Designer Or A Contractor?