Well, I feel like it was only yesterday when Cambria Quartz sponsored a trip to IDS2013 show.  It’s been a whirlwind ever since and now, 2 months later, I’m still thinking about the trip.  Now that’s sublime!!

It was great to meet the TBBs group, Lisa Ferguson, aka as @DecorMentor on TW and of course, my IRL (In Real Life) friends like Lynne Knowlton ( @lynneknowlton) and my travel companion, Patti Johnson (@PJInteriors).

Great Pre-Party at the Cambria Showroom in Toronto, Canada

First on the agenda was a visit to the Cambria Quartz showroom in Toronto, Canada.  It was really quite impressive.  Hey Toronto, if you haven’t been there, GOOOO!!  Inspiration galore…

One of many kitchen vignettes with Cambria Quartz

A closer look at amazing details with Cambria Quartz

Franke Faucet and double sink looks great with a quartz countertop

Suspended quartz shelving with rock-edge detail

You might even stop in the extravagant room where I found myself sitting on an an all-Cambria bench adorned with fine pillows and fur throws!

Next on the agenda?  Hanging out with Instagram #Instawalk group!

see next blog!!

Seamless shower in a bathroom renovation

Remove as many divider walls as you can.  Back in the 80′s and 90′s, many homeowners opted to have a divider wall between the water closet (toilet) and the sink or the water closet and the shower.  Have those removed!  What you are doing is cutting the volume of your space.  Unless you have plumbing on that wall, it’s time to demolish it.  I’ve actually had it demo’d for Clients and relocated the plumbing.

Add a bit of interest to your cabinetry.

Add interest to your bathroom vanity

By adding details to the toe kick area of your cabinetry, people will tend to look down and admire the detail of your cabinetry.  Now, you’ve forced the eye to also look down on the floor.  Recessing the toe kick in the detail have now extended the floor’s visual square footage.

Slipper Tub

Remove tub enclosure.  Install a slipper tub.  Now, the footprint of the tub is much smaller,  emphasizing the floor once again.  You know what that means?  An increase in visual square footage!

Don’t ever forget the ceiling!

Create an interest for the ceiling by installing a great chandelier!

Specify a chandelier.  Create an interest above eye level.  The ceiling is the least ‘cluttered’ area in the bathroom.  At least. after you renovate.  ‘Force’ the eye to move toward it.  It is the most expansive plan.  Take advantage of it by drawing the eye to it.

Well folks, good luck with your upcoming remodel!  Let me know if I can answer any questions:-)

I am crazy about Christmas decorating.  However, I am not crazy about taking boxes and boxes of decorations out of storage and putting them away after the holidays.  So, a few years ago, I decided to minimize my work but still have the spirit of Christmas all over the house.

The answer?  Seven Christmas trees!  Yes, you heard your brain right.  Seven.  Why not?  I have all six trees pre-decorated every year but one.  The seventh is the real pine tree.  So, of course,that will have to be decorated as soon as the tree is cut down.  Well, that used to be the case.  This year, 2012, we decided that our seventh tree will be a faux tree as well.

So, without further ado, here are the seven Christmas trees!

Christmas Tree No. 1

This is the best way to highlight important or meaningful ornaments.

Christmas Tree No. 2

One way to decorate your foyer is to bring in a Christmas tree that is large enough to for the room but not to overpower the space.

Christmas Tree No. 3

My silver-themed Christmas tree is perfect for my kitchen! I have one little corner in the kitchen, off of the counter and on a small stand.  Do you have a place for a tree in your kitchen?

Christmas Tree No. 4

Every basement shouldn’t be neglected around Christmas if you entertain in the space.  Even a pencil type tree can add a lot of spirit to your holiday!

Christmas Tree No. 5

This angelic Christmas tree resides in the dining room every year…

Christmas Tree No. 6

I’ve always wanted to have a white Christmas tree.  Unfortunately, I’ve had a difficult time finding a narrow tree in white, so I decided the next best thing.  I chose all the ornaments and trimmings to be in white and it worked!

Christmas Tree No. 7

Finally, the last of the seven trees, the most important of all of them.  This tree is in the family room where we gather mostly during the holiday season.  Where all of the traditions happen.  As we sit in front of her, memories of days gone by filter the air.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Sending you all my best,

Rose

Milestone 6 – Exposing Ceiling

Remember these photos?  After one visit, I asked Gene to see if we can lift the one of the panels of the dropped ceiling.  I told him that I suspect that there are beautiful hardwood structures above just waiting to be seen.

BEFORE PICTURE OF EXISTING SHOWROOM IN CHAGRIN FALLS

Took a peek and sure enough, EUREKA!!  So down all of those panels went.

Boutique Showroom, here we come!!!

Sometimes, a place is a living, breathing organism.  Remember, this is a fast track design, a fast track project.

Now that we’ve exposed its inner beauty, just need to enhance it with some details.  A face-lift, if you will.

Found and reclaimed old wall siding/planks from the attic of the building. Re-purposed as crown molding.

Milestone 7 – Enhancing the floor with Crossville Tiles

MORE work to be finished…

Hmm…can you guess the pattern?

Testing the pattern for Crossville Inc tiles from the Shades collection.

http://www.crossvilleinc.com/contract/products/porcelain_stone/shades_by_crossville

Crossville Inc, Metal Collection, Stainless Steel, Brushed

Because the contractor didn’t have the right tools to cut the Stainless Steel tiles (http://www.crossvilleinc.com/contract/products/metals/stainless_steel) , I decided to design a pattern so as not to cut these tiles.  I used the Barnwood Gray from Wood Impressions collections and cut those to fit the vignette space instead.

Vignette No. 2

Another vignette to house a farmhouse sink.

There are 7 total vignettes.  I’ll keep you posted!!

Milestone 4 – Decision to Fast Track project

Honestly, I don’t remember if this is actually day 4!  So instead of ‘day 4′ as an entry marker, I decided to use Milestones.  Sorry, I just can’t keep up with the days!!  What I found out today was that Cleveland Plumbing Supply (CPS) is ready to start demolition in a few weeks!  Gotta get the project going…

Well, Gene understood that it will be costly to do a fast-track project.  He really did.  But, the  holiday shopping season is ahead and no time to waste.

You see, typically, the design process goes like this.  First, you figure out the goal of the project.  Then you organize and collect data from interviews with client, code requirements, spatial requirements, etc.   Then you do a schematic design, a rudimentary sketch you might say.  After the schematic design, a preliminary design.  Then we develop it a bit further after a few discussions.  This is called design development.  One should never start construction with design development.  Well, I suppose you can but it is costly to do so.  Many items, at this point, haven’t been hammered out yet.  You want to avoid change orders during construction (sorry, another topic for another blog)…very expensive.  Of course, once you’ve all agreed to a set of design plans, then the designer can go ahead and proceed with actual Construction Documents (CDs).  When you have a finished set of CDs, then one can bid out the project.  Again, time is a luxury CPS didn’t have.

Like I said, many things to do.  Client is steadfast about starting asap.  No time to waste.

Milestone 5 – Discovering the History of Building

Once I learned that the existing building which the Cleveland Plumbing occupies was an old…

The 2′ x 4′ dropped ceiling and its fluorescent light fixtures must go!  Because CPS building used to be a grain mill and then a lumber yard during the turn of the century, I thought that there might be some existing structure that can be exposed.

I was elated to see once we popped the ceiling tiles that beautiful hardwood joists and floor boards were in tact after all those years.

Hmm…I see dead toilets…

Wait.  I see kitchen vignettes!!

Stay tuned!