What can I do to update for a minimal cost?

You have probably heard this a million times but it is true. Paint is probably the easiest and one of the least expensive things you can do to dramatically change a room.

A fresh coat of paint can make a dingy room shine. A cold room feel warmer, and an uninviting room feel comfortable. Have you ever noticed the really nice Doctor's offices are painted warm welcoming colors? It is all in the psychology of color and how we feel in certain hues.

I have a few companies that I use for my "go to" colors. One company in particular that I personally think has beautiful, livable and current paint colors is Restoration Hardware. My absolute all time favorite (this year!) is Silver Sage. It is a gorgeous silver blue color that is perfect in a bathroom or a bedroom.

You will find that the Restoration Hardware line of paints are well thought out and very livable. Even if you don't live near a Restoration Hardware you can request samples from their website and take it to your local paint supplier for a color match.

Sherwin Williams has lots of great colors and another favorite is Latte.
It is great anywhere. It is a warm color but not too much color. They have a terrific website and fun software to play around with.

So do something fun for yourself and your home. Paint this weekend!
Here's another tip: use the right tools it will go a long way towards making your project easier and look better! Trust me, I have learned this the hard way!

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Going Green!

With Green being the buzz word of choice these days, especially in the building industry Board by Board participated in the 2nd annual Green Fair at Talking Rock Ranch in Prescott, AZ, Saturday October 16th. We joined multiple vendors and builders in sharing with the public what we do that is environmentally friendly. It was a lovely fall day, perfect for being outside and chatting with the public.

Interesting enough, when Robert and I sat down a couple of years ago and looked at our company and building practices we were delighted to realize we were already very Green. Our desire to build an energy efficient home had taken us well down the path of what it means to be Green!

On the technical front I am taking our office to almost paperless! I don't think I can ever be completely paperless (I rather like paper actually) but I am currently having a great time scanning and electronically filing all kinds of things. Now if I could just get up the courage to dump the paper copies!

Baby Steps!

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Get the Picture!

With the NKBA design contest deadline looming I have been working on my contest entry. I decided to have this fantastic bathroom professionally photographed. I asked photographer Larry Kantor to shoot this bathroom for me.

Tagging along on the photo shoot was a very interesting experience. I was amazed at the amount of time it took to set up, light the room and finally get ready to shoot. To sum it up it took 3 hours to get 4 photos. I've decided photographers earn every penny of their fee and I have a new found respect for the spectacular photos we see in design magazines.

I send my packet off this week and will wait with the 1000's of designers who have entered to hear back on who won. Wish me luck!

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Musings from a Kitchen and Bath Designer

I love ideas, I love sharing my ideas and I especially love seeing others use these ideas. Even better, I love helping other people take a desire or a hope for a new kitchen, bathroom or any room and making it come to life.

Please check back as I add to these pages my current projects, ideas and thoughts on what is happening in the world of kitchen and bath design.

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