Kitchen Renovation: For the Love of Lime Green!

I really like the color lime green -- or any shade of

 💚💚💚 green -- but in a kitchen?!!

What a colorful backsplash.  I have similar tiles in more muted tones on my bathroom wall. 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BELLE MORIZIO, STYLING BY JULIA STEVENS.

I Designed a Lime Green Kitchen That I Love—But My Followers Hate

TikTok star Victoria Paris explains it all.

When I graduated from the New School and started doing TikTok full-time, I was living in a tiny flex room of an apartment, and it was just bursting at the seams. I looked for a new place for months, and then this random unit went on the market in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood with the worst pictures possible, like disgusting—but I had a really good feeling about it. And so I went and saw it, and realized how massive the space was and—most important—how it would be perfect for me and everything I planned to do.

I knew I wanted my apartment to look like iCarly—I just love the crazy maximalism of that show. When I was growing up, my parents always rented, and we were in between a lot of different houses, so we never fully moved into a space until I was 17 and found my parents the home they live in now. Growing up, I was really eclectic, and I dreamed of super lived-in spaces because I never had one. So with this place, I just wanted to make something my own, no matter if I lost the deposit. 

Even though I loved the size of my new space, I hated the kitchen. I started thinking of things I could do to make it more me. The cabinets were made from a composite covered in a thick, rigid white plastic-wrap type of sealant. I knew I wanted to repaint them, but you can’t paint over that hard plastic. I did a bunch of research and found that if I took my Dyson hair dryer to the edges, the sealant started to pull up and I was able to rip it all off. Because the cabinets weren’t real wood, I had to get a special white paint sealer and repaint them with the green. The whole process took me around two weeks. Inspired by Colorful Kimmes, I also added a peel-and-stick backsplash that I got on Amazon (funnily enough, my TikTok about it got 2.2 million views and the stickers sold out, so now I can’t replace them) and floor decals to cover the gray tile floor. 

You’re gonna freak out when I tell you, but the name of the Backdrop paint I used on the cabinets is Pretty Ugly. I was originally going for a Dakota Johnson–style shade, and at first I thought: Well, this is kind of bright. But you know what? It’s different. It’s cool. But everybody who follows me thought it was a joke. They were like, “You’re kidding me; this is disgusting. Who wants to look at this every day? What are you doing to this apartment? You’re ruining it.” So many people on Twitter and Reddit were angry about it. Out of all the things I’ve done online, the thing that really elicited the most reaction was these green cabinets. And I was like, “You guys don’t get the vision. It’s gonna all come together!”

Read the full article here 🠚🠚 Domino Magazine: Lime Green Kitchen

Black Front Door & Green Board and Batten Siding (Hardie)

 

A Black Front Door Isn’t the Only Exterior Update That Will Boost Your Home’s Value

by Domino Magazine

Turns out, painting your front door black and maintaining a pristine garden aren’t the only ways to increase your home’s worth from the outside. While these minor revamps are certainly appealing because they’re low-lift, recent intel from Zillow reveals that there are other facade upgrades that are worth the investment. According to the popular real-estate site, which analyzed more than 3 million home sales and listing descriptions from 2020 to 2021, houses with metal roofs, as well those constructed in a modern farmhouse or mid-century style, can sell for around 2 percent more than expected. However, one value-boosting exterior feature especially caught our attention: board-and-batten siding. 

Photography by Dionel Fisher; Design by KLH Custom Homes

The Zillow report suggests that properties with this design can potentially sell for 1.6 percent more than those without it. While the style sounds straightforward (it consists of wide vertical planks, or boards, that are joined together by thin vertical strips called battens), there’s more to it than cool-looking grooves. Liz Hoekzema of the Michigan-based design-build firm KLH Custom Homes says that board siding is customizable in so many ways, “the most obvious of which is color (it can be painted or repainted any shade under the sun), but also the spacing and thickness of battens, how you trim windows and doors, and whether you mix it up with different varieties.” Homeowners can choose from an array of materials (wood, vinyl, steel—the list goes on and on), but Hoekzema is a big fan of cement board (also known as Hardie board) siding. 

In addition to being cost-effective and easy to install, the material has a strong fire-resistant rating, the designer points out. Overall, the style’s vertical orientation also allows it to shed water more effectively than homes with shake or lap siding. This way, your aesthetic preferences never infringe upon your personal safety. Whether you have a small or large home, Hoekzema notes that tight spacing makes for interesting textures, especially when contrasted with widely spaced battens (the KLH-designed house, pictured above, is a prime example). Plus she reveals that while it seems to lend itself to modern barn-inspired structures, it can also be used to achieve a more traditional design. In her words, this facade choice is “twofold” because it is visually appealing and functional (and not to forget, a pro for resale!). We’re convinced, to say the least. 

Black and Green Home Exterior

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Quirky Collections by Fashion Designers

 

We are quickly leaving the season called Pandemic Life behind us (God willing), so I thought a look back is appropriate. What memorable or quirky item(s) brought me joy during this uncertain time? I bought these dainty juice cups/tea glasses made in Romania for MacKenzie Childs. Gold rimmed. Hand-painted. Black & white. Red roses. They became sweet and pretty additions to our family's weekly Sunday Brunch table. They also double as tiny flower vases. Luv! ❤😊💛💮❤

Fashion Designers Share the Quirky Home Objects Getting Them Through Quarantine 

-  DOMINO Magazine, BY 

LYNN YAEGER

Published May 20, 2020

Fashion designers, like the rest of us, have been stuck at home for some time now. With the fashion industry in flux — the Met Gala cancelled; fall fashion weeks up in the air — they are looking for inspiration and comfort right in their own living rooms. I talked to some of my favorite design friends, like Anna Sui, Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, and Brandon Maxwell, to find out which household items they are cherishing in lockdown. Here, they give us a peek inside their homes and share the unexpected things — silly mugs, quirky clocks, sentimental pillows — that are bringing them joy now. 

Anna Sui, designer of Anna Sui, at home in New York

pc: Anna Sui

“These are some of my Gemma Taccogna papier-mâché objects. I love her work; it always makes me happy when I look at it. The exuberance of her colors, that 60’s palette, the fact that they are hand-made — I love when you can see that someone has touched these and made them with their hands. I remember seeing these in 60s magazines and movies.” 

Erdem Moralıoğlu, designer of Erdem, at home in London

COURTESY OF ERDEM 

Painting is signed EINAR NERMAN, oil on canvas glued to panel, signed, dated -08.

“This is a painting that I bought just before lockdown, from an auction in Sweden. It gives me great joy. I’ve been addicted to auctions for a long time. I have flare ups: When I’m stressed, I often have several things on the go from auctions. I love my mustached friend and his pensive stare which keeps us company during lockdown. It’s nice to have a new guest in the house. There is something about him that reminds me of life before all of this.”

Irene Neuwirth, designer of Irene Neuwirth jewelry, at home in California

COURTESY OF IRENE NEUWIRTH

“This time has made me reflect on all, but feeling extra grateful for my business and team and friends and family. My home is filled with so many things I love that I have collected my entire life, so it’s hard to choose. My mom painted me the most glorious yellow and pink painting that is my absolute favorite. Oh, also: the pillow Pam Shamshiri gave me for my birthday of Teddy’s beautiful labradoodle face, felted.”

Read the full Domino article on quirky collections --->> H E R E

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Design Trends: Small Rooms Don’t Need Small Furniture

 Small Rooms Don’t Need Small Furniture—And 9 Other Surprising Design Truths -

by Domino Magazine

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIMBERLY MURRAY; DESIGN BY FORBES MASTERS

We all gravitate toward design TV shows because there’s something utterly satisfying about seeing a home makeover completed in a matter of 30 minutes. But in that span of time—commercial breaks included—there’s a lot of information that gets lost. We start to believe that a kitchen renovation only takes two days. We’re told it’s expensive to fix a faulty foundation but never find out how much it actually costs. This lack of transparency ultimately inspired Tavia Forbes and Monet Masters, the designers who make up Atlanta-based firm Forbes Masters, to start posting design facts on their Instagram feed. The short, informative blurbs take the guesswork out of things like budgeting and planning. “No one’s really talking about the details and how we, designers, create these beautiful rooms,” says Masters. In the spirit of setting realistic expectations, we asked the duo to expose 10 little-known design truths. 

Most Projects Average Three to Six Months

Photography by Kimberly Murray; design by Forbes Masters

And that’s not including renovations. When Forbes and Masters set about transforming a room, they dedicate two to four weeks just to researching pieces and placing orders. “We write off another three weeks for waiting to receive all those items,” says Forbes. But be prepared to hold out for longer: A custom sofa can have a lead time as long as 12 weeks. 

A Budget for One Room Shouldn’t Spread to Other Spaces

“Attack your projects in phases,” explains Forbes. When you allocate your budget to making small tweaks to various rooms, you never end up with a finished, cohesive space that makes you feel good every time you walk in. 

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Quality Products, Fast Turnaround, Low Cost—You Can Only Have Two

Try as you might, you can never accomplish all three. The designers have found that most clients are willing to compromise on the timeline in order to get quality goods at a lower cost. But when you do want to go the fast and cheap route, that’s when they suggest turning to a big-box retailer like IKEA. 

Small Rooms Don’t Need Small Furniture

Less is more, right? Not necessarily. Filling a tiny room with tiny furniture or leaving the floors bare in an effort to create the illusion of square footage actually shrinks the space. “Then there’s the assumption that the sofa has to go up against a wall,” says Masters. “It’s okay to let it float—it will emphasize the space around it.” 

Always Paint the Trim

When working with a saturated wall color (think: a punchy teal or rich emerald), the pair takes the color up to the trim and down to the baseboards. “You’re not going to achieve the impact you want with boring white moldings,” says Forbes.

Your Upper Cabinets Don’t Have to Match the Lowers

It’s intuitive to copy the footprint of your lower cabinets when mapping out the upper cupboards, especially as you get closer to your range. But think of the hood as an accessory in the room. “It needs breathing room,” says Forbes. You also don’t have to have the same countertop material everywhere (switch it up on the island or breakfast bar). 

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Mix Up Your Lighting

Photography by Kimberly Murray; design by Forbes Masters

Filling a space with different types of lighting, from wall sconces to picture lights, creates ambience (and so does putting the bulbs on a dimmer). When it comes to larger fixtures like chandeliers, select the correct diameter by adding the length and the width of the room. Then, convert the answer to inches. 

Streamline Appliance Finishes

If you want to love your appliances for a long time, steer clear of trendy copper finishes and bright colors. “Don’t get too creative unless you’re the type of person who likes to redesign your space every five years,” says Forbes. 

Scrap the Medicine Cabinet

Replace your builder-grade sheet mirror or dingy medicine cabinet with something vintage. “Switching it out is a really easy way to create drama in a bathroom,” says Forbes. Complete it by mounting sconces on either side or hanging a drop-down pendant light. 

Layer Window Treatments

Plain white blinds get the job done, but going the extra mile with your drapery pays off. The designers are big fans of IKEA’s velvet curtains (with the grommet cut off). Then they add a lining to fluff them up a bit and make them stand out. 

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Home Renovation: What Adds the Most Value

 Thankful that I had some beautiful ceramic tile floor work done at my entryway on a recent renovation. Pics below.

Focus on Floors ... The thing that can add the most value to your renovation is underfoot. “When you’re buying a house, you’re basically buying walls and floors,” says Saavedra, who prefers wide-engineered hardwood, which can range between $3 and $20 a foot [or more]. “There’s no worse feeling than walking into a brand-new apartment and hearing that creaky, Formica plasticky sound,” he says. “I call it ‘foreclosure floors,’ and the saddest thing is, it’s really not that much cheaper.”  -- Domino Magazine

Ephesians 5:15




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Pet Life: The 6 Best Dog Beds

Our newest Pup has the option of sleeping on any bed in the house including our laps -- but not the option of the use of our human beds.  Not ready for that kind of spoiling yet 😁 Below is a link to Domino Magazine's choice of the best 6 dog beds.

lap dog!

💛 so very, very comfy!! 💚

🠉 the cat insists it's his bed 😄

Nice!! ❤💙💚❤ 🠉🠉

🠊Domino: The 6 Best Dog Beds 🠈

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Matthew 2:6

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10 Popular Renovations of Year 2021

 

The 10 Most Popular Renovations We Featured in 2021

Before-and-after heaven. by Domino Magazine

Photography by Julie Arnold

Looking back at this past year, there’s plenty to feel good about—at least as far as our homes go. Google searches around remodeling more than doubled from 2020 to 2021, and we saw the proof in your spaces, from an A-frame office constructed from a kit to an entryway flip complete with faux marble floors. This was the year we all finally said yes to change—even Adrian Grenier completed his sustainable brownstone and Leanne Ford got to work on a new fixer-upper in her home state of Pennsylvania.

We saw renovators overcome major obstacles (like losing power for days) and others push to meet their deadlines, even in the face of material delays and sky-high wood prices. In celebration of all these great updates, we’re looking back at the renovation stories our readers loved the most this year.

The $8,000 Backyard Office 

Photography by Andre Calo

We can’t say we were all that surprised that a home office topped the list. But ceramist Veronica Ortuño’s work zone isn’t your typical guest room with a desk—in fact, it’s not in her actual home at all. The artist built a work studio–slash–ceramics showroom in her yard from scratch so she could enjoy the feeling of “getting out” of the house while still only being a few steps away from her family.

The Cozy-Cool Bungalow

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Photography by Read McKendree

Robert McKinley is skilled at infusing his Airbnbs with zen vibes, and this project in Montauk, New York, was no exception. He applied a fresh take to bringing the outdoors in by hanging a hammock in one of the bedrooms and installing bark-like Heath backsplash tile in the kitchen as a subtle nod to the area’s wetlands. 

The Underdog Bay Ridge Home

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Photography by Dana Gallagher; Styling by Mariana Marcki

Dana Menussi saw the potential in her Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, fixer-upper from the beginning (it was the sheer width that captured her right away). She took advantage of its unused spots by turning the roof over the living room into a terrace for her bedroom, and adding a skylight to the garage breezeway so it’s now a joyful place to drink her morning coffee.

The Game-Changing DIY

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Photography by Danielle Guerrero

Gone are the days of being intimidated by power tools. California-based DIYer Danielle Guerrero proved to herself that you can take architectural character into your own hands when she decided to turn her plain, squared-off hallway into archways—and for just $35. 

The Doors That Hide Eyesores

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Photography by Kristin Karch

Handmade doors is a trend to watch in the new year, from woven cord fronts to cane webbing—and not just when it comes to clothes closets. Designer Naïka Andre disguised a family’s boiler closet with this chic solution that still provides enough ventilation for the equipment to operate. 

The Lake Superior Rental

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Photography by Julie Arnold

We love a cabin, just not ones with an old, mismatched washer-dryer set from the ’70s; wood-paneled kitchen cabinets; and a plastic-looking, faux timber parquet ceiling. Julie Arnold brought this Minnesota vacation rental up to speed by embracing simple pine shiplap and a subdued color palette inspired by nature. 

The Fireplace You’d Never Guess Is Faux

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Photography by Bess Friday

Here’s a case for a nonfunctional upgrade. Designer Katie Monkhouse’s clients wanted the coziness of a fireplace without having to pay $5,000 for the gas lines, so Monkhouse installed a marble mantel instead. The sad blank wall is now a focal point (wood logs optional).

The Motel Filled With Thrifty Ideas

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Photography by Lauren Miller

Two-dollar-per-square-foot tile never looked as chic as it does at the June Motel. The owners and now seasoned renovators, April Brown and Sarah Sklash, bought the basic squares at Home Depot in baby blue and salmon pink, using it for the kitchens’ backsplash and the double-room bathrooms. A crisp white grout line gives it a contemporary spin, ensuring the tile looks like it’s from 2021, not 1981. 

The Chef’s Kitchen

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Photography Tara Sgroi

Layout was a top priority for chef and cookbook author Eden Grinshpan, who considers her kitchen her office. Cue the floor-to-ceiling pantry wall and additional storage flanking the living room archway, which allowed her to keep the stove wall almost bare. Coral-peach marble counters riff off the warm, sunburned vibe of the nearby solarium. 

The Prewar Wonder

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Photography by Nick Glimenakis

Designer and stylist Justin DiPiero didn’t have plans to renovate his Brooklyn apartment until his neighbor had a leak and DiPiero came home one day to find his bathroom ceiling in his tub. The disaster sparked a series of upgrades, from exposing the brick walls in the living room to opening up the kitchen and swapping out the cabinets for streamlined IKEA ones. It’s hammer time.

Domino Magazine: 10 Popular Renovations 2021

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And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for,

 behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, 

which shall be to all people.

11

For unto you is born this day in the city of David

 a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  (Luke 2 )

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