Wood? On a ceiling?!

It might seem like a weird combination, but as you can see in my very own Phoenix Ashland Place Historic District home, it creates an amazingly unique appearance.

I’ve used the wood slatted detail design for years on projects, but I’ve always used it vertically, usually on exteriors to create the look of screens, add privacy or add visual interest.

For my house, I was looking for a way to unify the home and bring together the parts of the home that were built at different periods, so that everything flowed together. The wood achieved that and made a notice-me impact. It also added warmth throughout the home, which I adore.

Flat ceilings can be overlooked, but using this wood detail look can really transform them and give them texture and character. Take it from me – here’s how to do it.

Furring strips are thin, long strips of wood that you can typically get from any home improvement or hardware store. They aren’t typically used for decoration, but rather construction. As you’ll see, they aren’t a very refined product, but they do the trick to create a wood ceiling look.
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Head to your local construction or home improvement store to buy them. They’re usually sold in bundles. As you’ll see from the next step, you’ll want to use the best ones, so purchase more than you think you’ll need to cover the ceiling area. 

​Next, sort through your bundles to choose the highest-quality furring strips. Look for the color you like (if you’ll be leaving the strips raw), plus smooth textures and straight strips. The good news is, you can usually return the ones you don’t use, so don’t be afraid to be picky!

​Look for an area on the ceiling to start that makes sense. Usually, you’ll want to start against the wall or near a ceiling object and work out from there. If you start in the middle of an empty space on the ceiling, you might mis-measure your placement and create a design that isn’t uniform. We don’t want that. 

​Draw pencil lines on the ceiling to guide you during the installation. It’s always better to plan and be prepared than to try to fix mistakes during the process. *wink* 

​Use furniture nails to attach the strip where it’ll meet the rafters. Be careful with your fingers as you install! You’re precious cargo here!

​Use another furring strip as a spacer so that you install the strips equally. You’re going for a unified, polished look here.

​When you’re installing furring strips around lights, vents, etc., create a frame using the 1” x 2” x 8’s so that the strips connect equally. Check out the photo above to get an idea of what it should look like. 

​You can keep the furring strips raw, or you can paint them. You can go as natural or wild as you’d like with the color, depending on whatever type of look you’re going for. 

As you can see in my pool house, the new wood ceiling was such a big hit, I decided to keep a good thing going and continue the design all the way down along the wall.
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I’d love to see your results when you try this wood furring strip technique in your own home. Tag me on Instagram @thehousejudge so I can see your creations!

The kitchen is often the heart of the home. It’s definitely a place where my loved ones and I love to get together, so it’s become one of my fave spots to design whenever I’m working on a home.

When I’m designing or renovating a kitchen in a Phoenix historic neighborhood or at another home I’m working on, I focus on two things:

1. Stunning design
2. Maximizing functionality

​That’s why I love using ZLINE, Kräus and HanStone Quartz products in my designs. They blend the best of both worlds: impeccable finishes in pieces that make total sense for one of the most-used rooms in a house. Here’s what I love about each brand and how I featured them in a recent home design. 

ZLINE has fantastic products that allow you to create custom exhaust hoods, so every piece you use fits the design and style you want for your own kitchen, without sacrificing the functionality.

In this kitchen, I wanted to be simple and minimalistic in the design. This ZLINE exhaust hood insert nailed it. You can see how it sleekly complements its surroundings. You can shop similar inserts here.
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ZLINE has a variety of kitchen products, including ranges and cooktops, wall ovens, microwaves, dishwashers and kitchen faucets that are inspired by the elegance of Lake Tahoe. I just say they’re classic pieces that add luxury to any space. What do you think?

All kitchens have kitchen sinks. That makes them an important and essential element to every kitchen design.

For sinks for your kitchen, Kräus can’t be beat. The kitchen designer goes above-and-beyond what a kitchen sink is and what other purposes it can serve.
That means homeowners get more bang for their buck in functionality. Plus, the sinks become a kitchen statement piece, not an afterthought.
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Within this super-modern design, it was really important for me to focus on a kitchen sink that was more than just a sink. Not only is this Kräus sink a great kitchen sink with a matte black finish and stunning Urbix™ Industrial Bridge Faucet, it’s also multifunctional. With some simple inserts, you can turn it into a:

• Cutting board
• Drying rack
• Pasta strainer

​Kräus has so many useful accessories to add to their kitchen sinks that fit right in and  maximize the functionality of the sink. Kräus makes it easy to take a kitchen sink and turn it so many more practical things. Whenever I can provide a homeowner with more useful touches, it’s a win-win.  

If you’re looking for countertops for a kitchen, I love HanStone Quartz. Their durable, strong quartz surfaces retain quality year over year and have a classic, yet modern, appeal. 

In this home design, I used a HanStone Quartz countertop to create continuity, even without backsplash, by bringing the countertop up the wall. That also allowed for a functional and chic kitchen shelf.
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I have to give a shout-out to ESI Arizona, the HanStone Quartz dealer I got the countertops from. I used the Storm design from the Unearthed Collection for this kitchen, because it’s so unique and the texture’s incredible.  

What other project(s) are you currently working on or have upcoming? 

Currently I’m working on a high-rise condo in Downtown Phoenix, a Rustic Ranch in Northern Arizona, and soon I’m going to be starting a restoration on a famous historic home here in Central Phoenix. So many exciting and very different projects ahead this year!

How can people stay up to date on what you’re up to? 

Follow me on Instagram @thehousejudge and other social media outlets… And hopefully someday you’ll see me on TV... (HGTV - Are you reading this?)

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There you have it! We’d like to thank James Judge for taking the time to chat with us, and for including us in his beautiful home makeover. Can’t wait to see what you do next!

​A version of this article was originally posted at walltheory.com

Talk about a big project: designing my own home.

When I purchased this Phoenix home 3 years ago, I loved the architecture and knew I could make it into something special. But the house was experiencing an identity crisis – it was 1930s in the front and 1950s in the back.

There were also details that lent to a more modern style, like the flat roof and angular lines that are present throughout the exterior. To unify the design, I chose to give this home a modern and minimalist style. It definitely took me out of my comfort zone, but the new design feels so right for the house.

Designing this home within the city was all about being bold. Situated within an urban setting amid skyline views, I was able to design this home to stand out and become one-of-a-kind.
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Here’s a look at how I preserved what was left of the home’s character, while also embracing the modern details that were present to give this home an identity makeover.

First, let’s focus on one of the first things most people notice about a home: the paint color.
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I went with a bold black paint color (Broadway by Behr), which demanded attention and fit in with the urban surrounding. A simple fresh coat of paint made a stunning difference, while also instantly unifying the design and giving the home a notice-me distinctiveness. 

I’m a true believer courtyards create communities. I added a metal custom gate and beautiful outdoor patio furniture from Target to design a space my guests could enjoy and that invites congregation.

Also, check out the stunning, unique concrete wall by Wall Theory. This was a RealCast Board-Form wall that has amazing texture and movement within it. It’s a perfect contrast to the black exterior.
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Want a Wall Theory wall yourself? Save when you use code JAMESJUDGE at checkout online to get 5% off your order. Tag me on Instagram @thehousejudge so I can see your design!

Despite updating this home with a modern design, it was really important to me to preserve the original windows because they’re such a special feature of this house within the historic neighborhood. Another fun fact: the massive original front window likely once looked at other homes, but today you can see most of the midtown towers.
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If you want to keep original windows like I did but refresh them, consider painting them the same color as the exterior of the home. That’ll create a cleaner, more polished feel. It will also help hide some flaws while elevating the charm of the home. 

One of the only existing common elements in this home was diagonals. Both the original front window from the 1930s and another large glass window from the 1950s in the back offered unique angles. To connect the home and enhance the design, I embraced diagonal lines throughout the home.
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As I was designing the landscape, I incorporated diagonal angles, as well. I positioned the Wall Theory RealCast Board-Form wall on a diagonal. And as you’re walking by the house, the courtyard wall leads you directly to the front walkway to help establish a sense of entry. 

Since this home is in Phoenix and Phoenix is in a desert, I used architecturally-appealing and water-efficient desert landscaping for this home. I love the contrast of the natural desert tones against the black exterior.
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I used the larger rocks in the courtyard to create definition of the new space and add texture. I really enjoyed working with Whitfull Nursery, based in the Valley, to help bring my vision to life. 

After deciding I wanted to paint the house black, I knew it was important to incorporate additional visual interest. I transplanted the cactus to the backyard to make room for a new walkway and patio spaces. We removed the stucco from the brick to highlight the texture of the front of the house.
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To to bring warmth to the front with a natural wood element, we resurfaced the door with an $11 utility board from Home Depot. We added wood slats to the ceiling of the front porch to complement the door and help connect the exterior to the interior. 

This home got a modern makeover, but its new identity will be preserved for years to come. The historic neighborhoods here in Phoenix are one of the unique things that make it so special to live here, because you have single-family homes within a city setting. It’s the best of both worlds!
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If you’re interested in giving your home’s exterior a face lift, check out the home design products I love. 

When I was restoring the kitchen in this Monte Vista home in the Phoenix Willo Historic Neighborhood, the owner and I focused on a few key points:

• Maximizing the functionality of the space
• Retaining the kitchen’s historic charm amid modern improvements
• And, finally, making it look inviting and a place where you’d enjoy spending time!

This kitchen has been one of my favorite projects. We were able to accomplish all three goals, adding some modern updates while maintaining the kitchen’s historic character that makes it so unique.
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The following are five techniques we used in this kitchen that you can apply to any home kitchen design project.

Using two tones in a kitchen is a quick, easy and simple way to add elegance to a kitchen. Dual tones also create more visual interest, which keeps the eye wandering. That can make a space look roomier, since there’s added visual appeal.

With this kitchen, we used custom two-toned cabinets and a white HanStone Quartz countertop. The dark cabinets on the bottom ground the kitchen, while the white cabinets and countertops create a flow and expand the space.
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You’ll see the dark tones were used in the sink faucet and window treatments, too, creating cohesion throughout the entire view. 

When you’re working on a kitchen, go big to create visual impact. In this home, we centered the stove. Stoves are one of the most used, largest appliances with significant visibility in a kitchen, so centering them can create a nice effect.

To elevate the stove’s visual appeal, we made sure the custom cabinets on this wall were dark to create contrast and make the stove the focal point.
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Putting the stove in the center also made this kitchen more functional. Moving the stove created room for a very tall pantry cabinet on one side and a tall Bosch Home Appliances refrigerator on the other. This created great symmetry and balance, while adding more storage. 

This is a technique I learned during my first home renovation and have carried with me ever since. Putting backsplash tile from countertops to ceiling creates continuity and doesn’t leave you with a weird space of wall peeking through.

With this Floor & Décor tile, we also wrapped it around the custom exhaust hood. That created even more continuity and made the hood and the surrounding area look sleek, modern and classic, all at the same time.
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You don’t often see backsplash tile on an exhaust hood. This was an example of thinking creatively to give kitchen features a unique, stunning touch. 

Since this was a historic home restoration, we wanted to retain the historic features that gave the home a ton of charm.

In this case, take a look at that cabinet above the sink. This feature is common in historic homes.

Even though we replaced all the cabinets with new ones and swapped out the old sink for an incredible Kraus sink, we made sure to keep that over-the-sink cabinet for some additional unique flair. Plus, it maximizes storage availability in the kitchen.
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We also kept the original historic cabinet layout to retain the galley kitchen style, another design you’ll often find in historic homes. 

Finally, get thoughtful with the space as a whole, not just the details. To make the kitchen its “own” room while still making it flow with the rest of the house, we added dual curved archways. These archways were similar to other archways we added throughout the home, which also fit the home’s historic style.

The archway additions served a couple purposes. One is that they connected the kitchen with the rest of the home, since the same designs could be found in other rooms.
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Another is that they signified to people in the home that they were entering a new space. They helped to both create flow for the home, as well as to define the kitchen space.

As you’ll see throughout my site, I love designing kitchens and working on historic kitchen restorations. Check out some of my kitchen restoration projects, where you can purchase the exact products I used in each project. 

Welcome home!
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Well, not exactly. This historic home on Monte Vista in the Phoenix Willo Historic Neighborhood used to be part business, part home, before the new owner and I took over to restore it.

In fact, the home’s living room was an office waiting room. So during the redesign of the home, we had to make that space more welcoming to attract buyers who wanted the house to live in, not conduct business in.

From softening lines and encouraging more natural light with a neutral color palette, here are four techniques we used to transform the old waiting room office space into a warm and inviting living room. 

The old glass doors in the waiting room area separated the office space from the rest of the house. To create continuity and flow, we removed the glass doors and added archways. These archways were in the same original curved design that was found in other parts of the home. The design unified the space while respecting the historic home design.
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Removing the glass doors also brought a whole lot more natural light into the room and throughout the space. Today, the living room looks cohesive with the rest of the house.

Museum baseboards, sometimes called flush recessed baseboards, create a minimalist and elegant effect. They’re a flooring style that’s flush with the wall, which prevents dirt and debris from accumulating on the floor.
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For these baseboards, we used the stone tile from the rest of the house. Again, this technique created continuity into the living room from the rest of the home. Using these museum baseboards also blended a sleek modern style with the historic home design. 

As I learned during my first historic home renovation, it’s so important to keep what gives a historic home its charm. In this case, the original windows provided character and were just as functional after the restoration.

Keeping them also saved money during the home restoration while adding value because of the historic touch. Some updated window treatments elevated the windows and let more light in.
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We also painted the windows dark to add contrast. This technique frames out the view better and enhances the natural light.

Finally, staging the space to feel like a living room really helped sell the space to buyers. To make the living room more of a place to gather and get rid of the waiting room vibe, we added a plush couch with lots of throw pillows and draped a blanket over the end chair. We deliberately used large furniture to fill the room, so that buyers would understand how much space the room offered.

I also love incorporating nature into my designs. We added a calming plant and natural wood centerpiece to make the living room more relaxing and serene – not at all like a stressful office waiting room.
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To encourage congregation and create a more inviting space, we aligned all the furniture to face each other and the fireplace. Lastly, to give purpose to the original track lighting, we created a gallery art wall. 

I really love the challenge of taking an old space and transforming it into something totally new and more functional for today’s homebuyers.
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You can see more of my Phoenix home renovation projects here. Click through the images to see how they changed. Shop the same products I used for each project to create your own transformation. 

​Seven years ago, my renovation strategy started to change. It all began with the first historic home project I did in the Phoenix Fairview Place Historic District. This project helped me find my passion for historic homes and small spaces. I learned a ton of lessons I’ve taken with me since then.
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If you’re thinking about revamping your home or want advice for flipping a house, take these nuggets of wisdom from me. They’ll help you cut costs and add value to a home. Plus, they make a space more functional and a whole lot more appealing. 

If you’re getting rid of materials from one part of a house, think about how they might work somewhere else.

For example, to save money when I was renovating this historic home, I moved the cabinets from the main house into the guest house and used the leftover countertop remnants, as well. These were only small pieces, but they worked for a secondary space like this.

You can really get creative during the renovation process. Some ideas:

• Take discarded tiles from a floor or ceiling and use them for a statement wall.
• Break down an old wooden door and turn it into rustic upcycled cabinet doors.
• Give an old dresser a new paint job and install it in a bathroom as a vanity.

Also, carefully think about elements in a room that could still work or be improved with a simple upgrade. For example, I kept the industrial concrete floors in the guest house, because they have benefits like:

• They’re low-maintenance.
• They’re durable.
• They can easily be enhanced to look more luxurious with a simple surface treatment, like an acid stain or concrete floor paint.

​Moving home elements from one room to another, or transforming them for a whole new function, is an easy way to elevate a space without having to spend on new materials. 

A huge way to add value to a home is to make it more functional. Especially with historic and older homes, the way they were designed back then doesn’t always fit how we live today.

With this guest house, I moved the center door over to the left to make the kitchen more functional. That door on the right? That became a window.

These simple tweaks made a big impact, creating a seamless flow in the kitchen, providing more space for a sink and countertops, and letting in a whole lot more light.

Wondering how to make a home more functional as you renovate? Here are some tips.

• Open up a floor plan. If a wall just doesn’t make sense where it is, open it. You can turn an older home into one that instantly feels more spacious by creating larger openings that make sense and still look period-appropriate for the home. For example, archways are one of my favorites!
• Look for opportunities to add shelving and storage. Wherever there’s unused space, think about how it can be more functional. In this guest house kitchen, we didn’t have enough upper cabinets, so we used opened shelves to fill those gaps.
• Add a bench. If there’s a part of your house that’s an unused corner, add a storage bench. You’ve now created seating and storage that’s uncluttered.

​In kitchens, you can add a kitchen island or add cabinetry to an existing kitchen island. Floor-to-ceiling cabinets are a great way to make space more functional, too.

Here’s a tip you might not expect from me, a Phoenix real estate agent: don’t always listen to real estate agents.

With this house, the agent I was working with said, “New windows sell houses.” So, I replaced all the windows.

At the time, I didn’t understand the value of architecture. Now, I realize replacing the windows was a mistake. The original windows had given the home a lot of character. Retaining them could have also saved a lot of money.

Always respect the home and keep its true charm intact. Many homebuyers will pay for features with a vintage look or real vintage touches.

Some older home features you should consider keeping include:

• Ceiling medallions
• Crown and radius moldings
• Exposed brick
• Mosaic floor tile
• Pedestal sinks
• Roofing tiles
• Original wood doors
• Small plank wood floors

And, finally, windows! You can give older windows a makeover by adding exterior shutters, installing indoor window treatments, upgrading the landscaping around the windows or adding flower boxes underneath them. If the windows are old or damaged, repairing them to good-as-new condition can also be a lot less expensive than replacing them altogether.
Before You Replace: Repurpose, Restore & RepairYou don’t have to give a home a complete makeover to upgrade it. To save money and add value during a home flip or remodel:

1. Repurpose materials where you can. If something like the flooring is serving the house perfectly, there’s no need to spend money to replace it just because.
2. Think about how you can make your space more functional with what you have to work with. A small shift, like moving the access to a room, can make a big impact.
3. Keep what gives a home its charm. Repair or restore wherever possible.

Want to see more examples of how I took those lessons from my first home renovation into future ones? Check out some of my recent home renovation projects, where you can shop the same items I used in designing the homes.
 
 

The kitchen: it’s one of the most-used rooms in the house, where families congregate, where memories are made and where you provide fuel for your household.

When I’m working on home renovations, I always prioritize kitchen improvements. Kitchens are such a focal point of a home, they can make or break a home sale and add (or take away) lots of value.
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When I renovated my first historic home in the Phoenix Fairview Historic District seven years ago, I learned a ton about how to effectively upgrade kitchens. Working on kitchens in both the main house and guest house of the first historic home I renovated, here are five tips I learned.  

With my first home renovation, this was a small-space, ‘90s style kitchen. I wanted to bring in the color palette of the rest of the home to create more flow and cohesion. But doing all-black or all-gray cabinets would close in the space.

I opted for two-tone cabinets, which made the space look bigger while still unifying the overall style of the home. When you’re considering color for a kitchen, a two-tone design can motivate the eye to wander. That provides the illusion of a bigger space.
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Using classic colors like these also gave the kitchen a sleek look, while making it fit right in with the rest of the home. 

This tip is especially important for older and historic homes: maintain a consistent style in your kitchen. The hood I was working with in this kitchen was in complete style conflict with the historic architecture. It was way too modern and looked really out of place. That’s not a good vibe to have when you’re whipping up something tasty in your kitchen.

I switched out the hood for a more classic range hood style. You can see what a huge impact this simple change made to make the kitchen look more cohesive.
Try to keep a consistent style throughout all the appliances and fixtures. Create cohesion in your kitchen by:

• Choosing a color palette and sticking to it
• Selecting a “vibe” and using fixtures and appliances that match that mood
• Identifying a common thread, like geometrics or lines, that unite all the details

​Your design aesthetic may be all over the map, but to add value to the kitchen, you want to make sure it looks united as a room in itself, and that it also makes sense within the context of the entire house.

With small-to-medium spaces like kitchens, details are super-important and can really make a kitchen shine. When it comes to hardware, this is your opportunity to make a unique statement. Have fun with it!

In this renovation, I have to admit, the hardware was a little basic. If I were redoing this kitchen today, I would upgrade cabinet hardware to be more attention-grabbing. Some styles I love:

• Cool pulls, in styles from drop handles and ring pulls,
• Classic finishes like oil-rubbed bronze, brushed nickel and matte black
• Modern finish styles, like copper, granite and quartz

​Whatever your aesthetic, there are endless ways to customize kitchen hardware and hinges. Since you likely use your kitchen several times a day, you deserve to love all the elements in it, right down to the hardware.

I learned a lot about installing backsplash in this first Phoenix historic home renovation. A couple major tips when it comes to kitchen backsplash:

1. Always stop backsplash in the corner of the wall. Never have it wrap around to the edge. As you can see here, the end piece looks like it’s floating. Lesson learned: I should have stopped in the corner and painted the entire side wall gray. I will never make this mistake again!
2. Always go countertop to ceiling. By “ceiling,” I mean where the backsplash meets the cabinetry, kitchen window, etc. To get it right, before you install backsplash, hold the tiles against the wall so you can see what pattern you want to use and what type of tile you’ll want to start or end with. Usually, you’ll need a partial tile, like a quarter-tile or half tile, to fit the top or bottom so you’re not left with a thin, unsightly sliver of space.

Backsplash is another kitchen detail you can get really creative with. But if it’s not installed correctly, it can throw off the whole kitchen design. 

Finally, embrace your creative side when renovating a kitchen! In this historic home, I had an issue with needing to hide mechanical equipment in the laundry room that could be seen from the kitchen. My solution? A saloon door!

Saloon doors are so functional. They make it easy to move between rooms while also creating a separation when you need one. I gave the saloon door in this home a modern look by painting it teal to really make it pop against the classic colors of the rest of the kitchen.

Why saloon doors in a kitchen? They let natural light through and provide privacy. Compare that to a regular door that blocks light or a door with windows that would expose anything you don’t want seen on the other side.

Some other ideas for unique solutions in kitchens:

• Need extra storage space? Add some to an island or install a drawer in the wall underneath the hood.
• Hate the current lighting? Install a custom light fixture for big design impact. Or add lights below, above and inside cabinets to illuminate the exact spots you want.
• Want the option of seating in your kitchen? An island with a bar provides room for chairs underneath. Bring chairs in when you want, and add extra space the rest of the time.

Want to see more kitchens I found unique solutions for? Check out my Phoenix home design projects, where you can shop the exact products I used in the many renovations over the last 10 years.

​If you enjoyed this blog, share it! Happy designing!