Issue 215
Features
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Master Bath Floats Anew
An old bath and an unused porch are reborn as a modern master suite.
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Local Color
A California designer looks to the Golden State’s beaches, hills, and forests for this kitchen’s shimmering palette.
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Getting Appliances to Fit: Part 2
Planning pays off with trouble-free installations.
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A Galley Kitchen Improves Circulation
Expanding the kitchen into a poorly designed entry solved several floor-plan problems
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A Kitchen Worth the Wait
Two years spent refining the design and details brought this cluttered kitchen out of the dark.
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Smart Choices in Bathroom Flooring
Tile is still the traditional choice, but it’s not the only floor that performs in this wet environment.
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Encore Cabinets
The old ones had the wrong look, they were in the wrong place, and they were too good to toss.
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Past Made Perfect
This antique Cape boasted charm and an in-town location. Now its kitchen is a keeper.
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Space and Light in a Budget Kitchen
A bold backsplash and open shelves are the stars of this Texas kitchen.
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Low Flow
A look at fixtures and appliances that can save you money, improve community health, and help the climate. And yes, your toilet will still flush.
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6 Small Additions That Make a Big Difference
Every kitchen or bath remodeling project starts out with a bunch of "What if?" questions. Sooner or later, the "What if we enlarged it?" question lands on the table.
Article
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What's the Difference: Granite Finishes
Polished, honed, leather, flamed, and river-washed
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What's the Difference: Cabinets
Face-frame or frameless?
What is the Difference
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Smooth surface countertops
Ultraglass Countertops Manufactured by UltraGlas 800-777-2332; www.ultraglas.com Cost: $160 to $200 per sq. ft. Glass may look fragile, but consider this: It’s denser than marble or granite, says Margaret O’Connor,…
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Faucets inspired by architects
Classic Contemporary Collection Manufactured by Watermark Designs 800-842-7277; www.watermark-designs.com Cost: about $750 to $1000 Dogged by competitors imitating the classic look of its bath fixtures, Brooklyn-based Watermark Designs decided to…
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Adhesive mat for tile
Bondera TileMatSet Distributed by W.R. Grace & Co. 888-862-8738; www.bonderatilematset.com Cost: $39 for a 1-ft. by 10-ft. roll Few products out there offer users the best solution for every situation,…
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Top-shelf rack
Steel-frame dish rack Manufactured by Simple Human 877-988-7770; www.simplehuman.com Cost: about $70 It’s no secret that the common coated-wire dish rack is too utilitarian for most well-designed kitchens. Still, as…
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Tile that imitates wood
Hastings Tile Manufactured by Hastings Tile & Bath 516-379-3500; www.hastingstilebath.com Cost: $14 to $21 per sq. ft. Tile floors are tough, but wood floors are warm and inviting. So what’s…
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Water-saving toilet control
Hydroright Dual-Flush Toilet Converter Manufactured by MJSI 815-741-9768; www.gomjsi.com Cost: $30 I hadn’t replaced my last remaining dinosaur of a toilet, an old American Standard that sucks away 3.5 gal.…
Fixtures and Materials
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A Kitchen Floor that Rocks
During a building project, our senses are heightened. We take in every color, fondle every swatch, brush every surface—it’s all fantasy fodder. During the conception phase for our Bucks County,…
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Frugal Flusher
I did a double take when I read that Niagara Conservation’s new Stealth toilet uses 0.8 gal. (3 liters) per flush (gpf). My first thought was that the Stealth had…
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Composite Countertops
As a professional woodworker and remodeler, I have worked with most every countertop material available. I’ve glued up my own butcher-block counters, and I’ve subbed out acrylic, quartz, and granite…
Feedback
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Vacuum-hose cabinet
A hose for a central vacuum can be cumbersome to store. Here's a nifty solution.
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Pilaster spice rack
My clients wanted easy, efficient access to the items they would be using on a daily basis, such as their cookware, cooking utensils, and spices. Their kitchen had a traditional…
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Magnetic soap holders
I saw a magnetic soap holder that kept the soap off the counter, eliminating the need for a soap dish. I loved the idea but didn’t love the one I…
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Cookie sheets and cutting boards within reach
During a recent kitchen remodel, my clients were looking for a place to store cutting boards, baking sheets, and serving trays. We decided it would make the most sense and…
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Stairwell storage space, part 1
I was given the challenge of remodeling a small pantry located over a stairwell that was just not working for my clients. Its few shelves were too deep to be…
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Stairwell storage space, part 2
Our kitchen pantry was deep but narrow, making it difficult to keep track of what was in there and even more difficult to find a specific item. We needed a…
