Design Connection, Inc. Interior Design

Oooooh that’s Bamboo?  Shock and surprise are often a common response when we show samples and ideas for bamboo flooring to our clients. There are a variety of styles and finishes to choose from that make Bamboo a serious contender for hardwood flooring choices. Typically when we think of bamboo, visions of lush green forests and zen design styles come to mind, but did you know it’s one of the most renewable resources out there? Bamboo is an extremely fast growing plant which can reach maturity in as little as 3 years unlike traditional hardwood trees which can take decades to regenerate. >From kitchens to living areas, there are lots of great ideas out there and many great galleries to look at to become inspired.В  For instance, check out this Flooring Gallery from Bamboo Hardwoods for some great photos and ideas on how different bamboo floors can look.

There is an ever growing selection of colors and finishes from traditional to the visually stunning and unique strand woven finishes that can suit any style from conservative to dramatic! Another great gallery to check out for ideas and reviews of bamboo floorsВ  is from Ambient Bamboo Floors. Bamboo is an ideal flooring choice for everything from kitchens to living rooms and even bedrooms and bathrooms.

As a flooring choice, bamboo is so versatile, easy to care for and it’s beauty will last for years to come.В  We especially love the tiger stripe finish for a beautiful and unusual floor that will definitely get everyone’s attention! The internet is such a great place to research and get ideas, and since we’re all about sharing information and great resources, we’d also recommend you check out these websites for some ideas on terrific types of bamboo floors as well as unique ways to incorporate them elsewhere in your countertops, cabinets, vanities and furniture!

Kirei Bamboo Kitchen Gallery

Cali Bamboo Flooring Gallery

If you are considering a bamboo floor, we would love to help you find one that is perfect for your home.В  Or if you already have a bamboo floor, Design Connection would love to hear what you think about it. How do YOU Bamboo?! You can comment right here on the Design Connection blog, or find us and interact on Facebook or Twitter.В  We look forward to hearing from you!

I am getting requests for kitchen face lifts. Many of my clients are choosing to darker their cabinets, change hardware, update their appliances, change countertops and back splash. This could easily make the budget around $15,000 or higher. To gut a kitchen and reinstall all of the above will run $35,000 to over $100,000. It is clearly less expensive to have the face lift.

I am of the opinion that when my client’s go to sell their homes they will get their money back from a kitchen face lift. With the market as competitive as it is, home buyers are optioning for the homes that have updated kitchens and are willing to pay a higher dollar for them.

I tell my perspective clients be aware. There are very few faux painters that can repaint kitchens cabinets and have them look nice after a year or two. They are not willing to take the time to strip and sand the cabinets back to the original surface. I am hooked up with painters that I personally over see toВ  make sure that the prep work is done and completed correctly before the paint or stain is applied.

I have more to do now. Design Connection, Inc. is now on Face book. I will continue to blog on my website for I think that is really important, but also catch us on Facebook for news, photos of projects, and other happenings.

Arlene’s thought for the day. “Do your homework before you have any work done on your home”.

Arlene Ladegaard IIDA

Allied ASID

www.designconnectioninc.com

There are many ways to freshen up areas throughout your home without having a large budget. One area in particular is the kitchen, typically a high traffic area where everyone spends part of their day. As a general rule I would recommend making a list of the things that must go and other things that can be worked with. This is where a professional opinion will always be useful and will allow you to look at your kitchen from a different point of view. Some focus areas to consider updating are: paint color, cabinetry, countertops, backsplash, and appliances. A simple coat of paint can change the feeling of a room, and can guide the color palette of the rest of the area. Cabinets can be given a lift by replacing some traditional doors with seeded glass inserts and adding a small amount of accent lighting. The largest impact will be made by new countertops, whether you select granite or solid surface the color selection is endless. If your countertops are in good condition but you need a little color around your cabinetry the backsplash area can accent any kitchen beautifully. Natural stone or porcelain tile will add texture to and depth to the area. In updating your kitchen not all appliances may need to be replaced, choose the appliances that would make the most impact, such a refrigerator and dishwasher, the wall oven may be updated at a later date. A personal touch can be added to your cabinetry by selecting hardware that fits the style of, your new kitchen.

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It’s hard to believe that we are in the last days of summer. I have been invited into 2 homes in the last few weeks to deal with the pickled cabinets of the 1980’s. I have successfully stripped cabinets and faux painted them to a dark wood stain. The clients selected new tile, granite countertops, added new trim molding at the top of the cabinets and saved about $15,000 dollars or more. My clients still had use of their kitchens while the process was going on. We can also add new appliances and fill in the spaces with additional wood fillers if the sizes are different. Many of my clients are not wanting to do the whole deal, but want a new look without the big mess and money outlay. I am an experienced, certified interior designer in the state of Kansas and am able to help my clients through this process.

Above you will see a before and to the right is an after of one of our client’s kitchens.

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Countertops can make a huge difference in updating your kitchen. There are many materials besides granite that still give a rich look. When you change out the countertops you will also be required to replace the sink to an under mount style and often change out the faucet. You may use a tile backsplash or like I choose to do in my office a solid slab backsplash to give a more integrated look.

Another instant upgrade is to change out the appliances. I love stainless appliances and I have them in my own home, but they are a lot of upkeep. I still specify black appliances, but I have not used white in about eight years. The new colored appliances are fun, but are they going to look like the avocado and harvest gold of the the seventies.

Paint is about the least expensive of the remodeling and redecorating tips I can recommend. I am always amazed when we change the trim color and the wall color to deeper tones how cozy and wonderful my client’s home will feel. We have also been refinishing the floors to a much deeper tone and that sets off the new deep tones on the walls,

What I love most about my job is that each client’s home is different and every new decorating challenge is fun and certainly not like the last project. Our client’s have all sized budgets and we can accomplish a new look using many of these decorating tips.

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Arlene

Arlene Ladegaard IIDA

Allied Member ASID

Certified Interior Designer

Design Connection, Inc.

www.designconnectioninc.com

OfficeВ В 913 851 8776

Mobile 913 593 6919

Upgrade your staircase by adding new iron spindles. They come in bronze, pewter and black. I myself had the white wood spindles with a light stained hand rail. I had black iron spindles installed and faux painted my hand rail to a dark walnut stain and it looks beautiful. In my client’s home’s I often remove the carpeting from the bottom step and add one wood tread and it gives a new look.  Another thing you often see on the stairs is an oriental runner or flat cut loop carpet with a pattern.

I receive calls almost weekly around outdated cabinet color. I suggest adding a molding top and bottom and faux painting the cabinets to give a great new look. I do have a kitchen in my portfolio section that we kept the cabinets, faux painted them, added new countertops, tile backsplash and added a new island with additional storage and the right size for the kitchen. The clients were thrilled and we saved about $30,000 in the kitchen itself.

Replacing all your cabinet hardware throughout could cost less than $1000.00 and make a big hit in updating your home. I also find by В changing В out the door hardware is something that by clients often can install themselves and cost less than $1500.00 depending on the size of their home.

I am on vacation atВ Lake of the Ozarks. It is hot and I am off to the water. I will have more about inexpensive remodeling tips soon.

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Arlene