August Already

There’s a meme circulating that proclaims August is like the Sunday of summer and it didn’t feel more real until yesterday afternoon, when the sky darkened, the rain poured, and there was enough of a chill in the water to remind us that yes, fall is coming. Of course, this being Texas, fall is still considerably warmer than even the hottest days where I’m from, but it does encourage one to sit down with a coffee (PSL?), thumb through some inspirational home photos, and make plans for the upcoming school and holiday seasons – which hopefully include some remodeling/refresh projects for your home!
 
This week, we finished the kitchen project I’ve been writing about and it turned out even better than I imagined. The scope of work included removing one of three columns, relocating the electrical that ran through that column, removing the breakfast bar, backsplash, granite counters, and all plumbing fixtures before replacing everything with new and improved versions.
 
The column was not structural (while the other two are) and relatively easy to eliminate. I still can’t believe how much this change opened the kitchen/breakfast area:

​Taking down the raised bar also helped heaps:

​The client opted for Carrera Marble counters and they are stunning:

​In lieu of traditional subway tile, she chose a larger size with bevel details – it made a huge difference and while there was a slight price difference, I would recommend opting for this upgrade wherever possible. The addition of a stainless steel farmhouse sink, new Kohler faucet, air gap for the dishwasher, and counter button for the garbage disposal unit completed this remodel.

​We were also able to give a little facelift to the laundry room sink:

​I’ve had tile on the brain, and it seems I’m not the only one. Houzz featured an article this week about adding color to your bathroom and most of the designs included a tile wall behind the sink. My handy friend and master of all pieces of painted wood was well-ahead of this trend curve having, incorporated white subway tile behind her navy blue vanity last year. It was one of the best bathroom refreshes (extra points for working with a production builder bathroom) and I’m only a little jealous. Working on sharing a picture here soon for you to admire ;)

Photo by - Browse bathroom ideas

​The new build I’m working on has a small main floor powder room with an interesting layout and I was originally going to install shiplap on the wall behind the sink but am now torn between that option or tiling the wall instead. As always, your thoughts and suggestions are welcome! Here is what the area will look like – not large by any means which is a win when it comes to a feature wall as it won’t be overwhelming or terribly expensive to pull off.

​The rendering is in the works and I will share it here soon. I’ve submitted the plans and exterior color selections to the Architectural Review Committee at the HOA. This spec house (which will soon be listed for sale on har.com) will feature Sherwin-Williams St. Bart’s as the primary color with Extra White (also by Sherwin-Williams) as the accent color. Looking forward to hearing back from the Committee next week, fingers crossed until then.

The door in the photo above is the St. Bart's color - not the best representation but it seems to be the truest showing of the color I can find on the internet.

Please check back for further details on the new build, and if you'd like a consultation on a kitchen or bath remodel or any other projects please get in touch today!