Issue 215

Breathe Easy With the Right Range Hood

As houses get tighter, proper ventilation is more important than ever.

Master Bath Floats Anew

An old bath and an unused porch are reborn as a modern master suite.
Local Color

A California designer looks to the Golden State’s beaches, hills, and forests for this kitchen’s shimmering palette.
Getting Appliances to Fit: Part 2

Planning pays off with trouble-free installations.
A Galley Kitchen Improves Circulation

Expanding the kitchen into a poorly designed entry solved several floor-plan problems
A Kitchen Worth the Wait

Two years spent refining the design and details brought this cluttered kitchen out of the dark.
Smart Choices in Bathroom Flooring

Tile is still the traditional choice, but it’s not the only floor that performs in this wet environment.

Encore Cabinets

The old ones had the wrong look, they were in the wrong place, and they were too good to toss.
Past Made Perfect

This antique Cape boasted charm and an in-town location. Now its kitchen is a keeper.
Space and Light in a Budget Kitchen

A bold backsplash and open shelves are the stars of this Texas kitchen.
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.
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.

What's the Difference: Granite Finishes

Polished, honed, leather, flamed, and river-washed
What's the Difference: Cabinets

Face-frame or frameless?

Bathroom Sightlines for Privacy and Grace

Sometimes the smallest rooms are the most difficult to get right. Bathrooms are a prime example. Within their small footprints, we must satisfy a multitude of mechanical, code-imposed, and client-requested…

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,…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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.…

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,…
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…
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…

Vacuum-hose cabinet

A hose for a central vacuum can be cumbersome to store. Here's a nifty solution.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…

Celebrating Ingenuity

Kitchen and bath design is an ongoing process of problem and solution. As our lifestyles evolve, the problems become more complex, and designers must adapt. And adapt they do. Year…

Tailgate: Pam Anderson, Author

This cookbook writer and food blogger knows how to make everything from a sabayon to a soufflé. But when she and her husband built a new house, she got the chance to develop the perfect recipe for a new kitchen.