​It is always a good idea to roll on a fresh coat of paint throughout your home before selling.  A crisp paint job can do wonders in helping your home look its best and neutral paint colors are the way to go. Not only do neutral colors help brighten up a space, but they also allow the other features in a room to shine.  Below are the six Benjamin Moore paint colors I love to use when getting a house ready for the market. 

Some of you are probably thinking neutral is so boring, where’s the color!? You can still have color in your home when trying to sell but keep it to small doses and do it via accessories and artwork.  Staging is where I bring color in with all of my projects.  
 
A quick note on choosing a white paint color: Never, EVER do a pure white! Usually pure white comes off looking cold and even a little blue, especially in rooms with little to no natural light. Would you like me to do a blog about picking the best white paint colors? Let me know in the comments below.

I don’t just list a house to sell, I design it to sell so it gets top dollar and sells fast. People struggle with putting money into their home when they are on the way out the door but it is amazing how some small changes can make a BIG impact. This is why as a part of my selling process I "Design To Sell" all of my listings. Think of "Design To Sell" as a mini house facelift to get it ready for market.

I left my little bubble in Central Phoenix, shocking I know, to list a home in Mesa that was formerly used as a rental property. Only staging the space (more on this in another blog) wouldn’t have been enough to get top dollar, as it really needed some design updates to function for today’s buyers.
 
"Design To Sell" starts in the front yard. Curb appeal is a home’s first impression and potential homebuyers definitely judge a book by its cover. When able I make changes to the front so when people step out of their car they are excited to be there.  Unfortunately this home was in a planned community with an HOA that didn’t allow many changes. I did make sure landscaping was on point and all little exterior maintenance items were taken care of.  Things I would typically do to the front of other homes include painting the front door, adding shutters, refreshing the landscaping, adding potted plants, and if possible create a seating area. It’s all about creating a destination in the front that pulls people in.

Inside it is key to focus on people’s favorite spaces: kitchens and bathrooms.
 
In this kitchen I did a few things. To freshen up the cabinets I painted the lowers a mid-tone gray and the uppers white. I also made sure all the appliances matched for continuity. To finish off the space I added new countertops, backsplash, and cabinet hardware. It may not be a brand new kitchen but it does appeal much more to the style of kitchens buyers are looking for today. 

​The primary bathroom needed some simple updates to bring it more inline with today’s bathroom design trends. This included painting the vanity, installing new sink faucets, and swapping out the vanity light. Oh, let’s not forget about painting over the sponge painted walls with a soothing light gray. Not a lot of money was spent in this bathroom to make a big impact. 

​If the budget doesn’t allow you to change a design element, work with it or around it. The fireplace in the living room had really ugly beige tile that looked outdated when surrounded by all the beige walls. I simply pained the fireplace surround a darker accent color more similar to the tile, and the walls a light gray. When I added curtains and accessories, the existing tile just blended in with the updated surroundings. 

With Design To Sell there are three design elements I focus on throughout the entire home: lighting, curtains, and paint.
 
Lighting

Lighting is a really easy way to add updated style to a home. Having enough light is also important so buyers can really see each room and envision themselves living there. There are so many sources for great lighting and you can always find fixtures that align with today’s current trends for a reasonable price. My go to place is Amazon. Who doesn’t love two day shipping?
 
Curtains
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Curtains can add a ton of style to a space.  They also soften sound, add texture and allow you to play with color in a low risk way. Hot tip, extend curtains to the ceiling when you can. It makes the windows seem bigger and can also help if your windows are different sizes/heights like they were with this Mesa project.

Paint
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​A fresh coat of paint does wonders for freshening up a space, and making it look crisp and clean. In this home we put a fresh coat of paint on every wall, and painted the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms. Sticking with neutral colors will appeal to more buyers but it also makes rooms brighter and feel more spacious.
 
The last thing I make sure gets done during "Design To Sell" is basic maintenance and repair. This is the least fun part of the process and isn’t really related to design but it is important that all the little details are taken care of. You don’t want to give buyers a reason to de-value your home when basic maintenance is quick and generally inexpensive.
 
Ok so I just rambled on about "Design To Sell" and all its glory but you might be wondering with this current housing market here in Phoenix, and in most of other parts of the country, is "Design To Sell" even necessary? Sure, homes can sell themselves but they aren’t getting top dollar. People are willing to pay extra for an updated home. Also, people don’t want to buy a house; they want to buy a home. I think "Design To Sell" achieves this and why in this market I still do it for all of my listings. 

Midcentury modern (MCM) design  is one of my favorite styles to work with. I'm pretty sure it will never go out of style and I fully support that!  
 
While midcentury modern design can be a little difficult to define in concrete terms, it is generally accepted that this period of design lasted from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s, and spanned architecture, furniture and graphic design. Some main key characteristics of midcentury modern design include clean lines, simple forms, and an emphasis on function. 

​I injected some MCM style into this ranch that had just been flipped. Yes, I flipped a flip! The home was still not living up to its full potential after the first go around.

The front of the house was first up. You know by now I love using wood slats and they were a perfect use in this project. It's a cheap design element with high visual impact. Painting this feature light blue was an easy way to incorporate a pop of MCM color. I continued the use of long clean horizontal lines with the alternating sections of turf and crushed granite. I also added additional outdoor living space by creating a front patio. Who wouldn't want to sit on that patio and watch gorgeous Phoenix sun sets? Lets not forgot the cute pendent light and large house numbers I used to round out the front curb appeal. 

​Inside I used a neutral color palette for the walls and floor. Warmth and visual interest was achieved by bringing in brass fixtures and MCM furniture. The great thing about midcentury modern furniture is that you can find great pieces at all prices points. You can spend the big bucks and hunt for authentic stuff at retro stores, or find new pieces at pretty much any furniture retailer. If you're like me and love a good deal, you can head to your local thrift store or you might even find a gem on the side of the road. You wouldn't believe some of the MCM furniture people have thrown out here in Phoenix during bulk trash time. That's right, I've been known to drive the alleys of Phoenix a time or two in search of furniture castoffs. 

I think one of the easiest ways to incorporate midcentury modern design is through color. So many great colors were used during the time period. I used a very MCM shade of powdered blue throughout this project by painting the front and back door, and scoring these reasonably priced Eames style barstools on Amazon. 

If you're looking for some good MCM paint colors, I really like this palette from Benjamin Moore. Tell me which is your favorite in the comments below!

Phoenix is one of the absolute best places to spend time outdoors. We may live in a desert, but you can create a resort-like atmosphere in your backyard with some simple design flair.

For this post, I’m taking you to my very own backyard. I adore entertaining and welcoming friends and family over. I wanted to create an outdoor space that was perfect for hanging out.

As you can see from the before and after photos, this was quite the project. But it added so much value to my home and makes every moment outside that much more special.
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Here are my tips for making your backyard your new favorite destination.

First, have components outside that draw you and your guests out from inside. Here, I have a Superior Linear vent-free outdoor gas fireplace from Modern Blaze that looks so warm and inviting, you can’t help but want to go outside and get cozy.
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Want one of these for yourself? Use promo code HJUDGE10 for 10% off this fireplace when you shop Modern Blaze.

Make moving between inside and outside seamless by designing outdoor spaces that feel like an extension of your inside design. Here, I used a restoration hardware chandelier that has similar features to my indoor décor. It’s also fun and unique and makes the backyard a thoughtfully designed space.

Also, think about maximizing the functionality of your outdoor space. You have living and dining rooms indoors, so why not have them outdoors, as well?
In my lounge and living area, I added comfy Target patio furniture  that’s a dream to relax outside on. And with my outdoor dining set-up, dining al fresco is a breeze.

I love incorporating different layers and textures within a single space. It creates lots of opportunities for your eyes to wander. Here, I blended large metal black screens and Wall Theory wood planks on the fireplace.

The contrast of the materials here makes such as cool impact, don’t you think? The materials work really well together despite being so different!

Splash! Pools are a Phoenix home must-have. For ours, we didn’t want to make it too big, because we wanted room for all the other great entertaining spaces in the backyard.

When you’re adding a pool, think about proportions to the size of your yard. Our pool is 9 feet by 21 feet long, which we think is just the right size for our space.

Also, be mindful of the tile. Pool tile can easily become an eyesore. For ours, we blended the pool finishes with the tile. We used white Pebble Tec in the pool and paired it with white tile from Floor & Decor , that matches the house. It gives it a cohesive feel that also makes the space seem roomier.

For the spa, we used black tile to add some contrast. As you can see in the photo above, it almost looks like there’s a black box in the pool, which is a really striking feature.

Want even more space in your backyard? No problem. Build a rooftop deck, and you instantly get more entertaining room. I chose to go with a firepit from EcoSmart Fire because while it is modern and sleek. it is also safe for when all the furbabies come to enjoy the sunset view with Andy and I. 

The spacing of ours worked really well because were able to build it on top of our garage. That way, it didn’t negatively impact the space below, a win-win.

Interested in more of the items I use in my home designs? Shop home design products I’ve used myself.

You’ve probably heard of open concept kitchens, but how about an open concept bathroom?

That’s exactly what I created with my master bathroom. As you can see in the before photos, the original footprint of this bathroom was very modest. It was originally a studio bathroom for a duplex, with a tiny sink, a super-small toilet and a glass block shower.

To open it up and make it a statement space, we almost doubled the bathroom in size to really maximize the layout and functionality. And to let in lots of gorgeous natural light, I designed the vanities and shower to open to the bedroom.

Now the spaces flow together and feel larger. It was almost like magically adding on extra space to my home!
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So how exactly do you create an “open concept” bathroom? Let me show you a behind-the-scenes look at how I did it.

Of course, we gave the toilet its own private room that’s accessed from a pocket door, because, well, that deserves privacy. But for the rest of the bathroom, some amazing design finishes make it worthy of being seen from the bedroom.

That’s why the fixtures were super-important to me. As I enlarged the bathroom, I created double vanities to maximize storage and counterspace.

Here we have two elegant, eco-friendly VIGO faucets in matte black . I love VIGO products because they’re so sleek and modern, yet timeless. Their matte black finish is stunning and one of my favorites.  

Speaking of which, it’s a good idea to select fixtures that seamlessly blend with the rest of your home design’s color palette, since that will make the space feel larger. These faucets really look so crisp within this space. They’re the perfect feature to pair with the recessed mirror behind them.

Regarding the mirror, let me let you in on a little secret. The mirror is recessed because I kept the original brick exterior wall.

How did the brick wall fit in with the bathroom? Well, it lent itself to this really unique opportunity to create a tile shelf with the countertop vanities and the faucets. It really blends the old and the new together to create a cool and modern space.

Besides opening up a space, another way to create flow is to carry through details from one part of the house into the other. In this case, the wood slat detail that’s featured throughout the house also continues into the bathroom and goes all the way into the wet room, which we’ll cover next. Learn how to create your own stunning wood ceiling look.

Some people might call this a shower, but I call it a wet room. Having the bathtub and shower in the same space creates a spa-like sanctuary.

The design came from necessity, but it ended up working fabulously. We wanted to ensure there was a bathtub in the bathroom, but we didn’t have room to separate it. So instead, we included everything within one space. Talk about multitasking!

The wet room was designed by creating a wall of glass that features the door to enter. In the process of pouring the new foundation for the bedroom, we were able to create a zero-entry shower and have the water flow into a drain hidden by black pebbles that surround the tub. It’s like bringing the outside in, which is such an interesting detail – sort of like taking a vacation right in your own home.

On the walls, we did a matte black tile from floor to ceiling. I absolutely adore VIGO’s Kingsley Shower Panels in Matte Black for a sleek and modern look. Plus, they have innovative hydrotherapy features that elevate your bathing experience.  

Both of these VIGO shower panels are so relaxing because they have their own shower heads, their own spray jets and their own shower wands, so you can target any pain points you have. This is such a therapeutic water feature that I’ve learned I can’t live without.

Not only that, but the matte black finish was perfect to go with the matte black tile against the walls. All of this is open to the glass walls that we added to frame out this wet room space, which features the tub within the center. The glass really helps to bring more natural light into the space to make it so much brighter and so much more modern.

The end of this space was framed with floor-to-ceiling glass to give an indoor/outdoor effect. We planted large bamboo outside that, within a year, should give us lush green privacy. We’ll be able to see the bamboo through the glass doors, transporting us to a tropical oasis right from our desert Phoenix home.

There you have it. What once was an afterthought in the home became a gorgeous space I can admire from my bedroom. The wet room has become one of my absolute favorite places to spend time in, to soak and unwind after a busy day designing.

Want to see more of my projects? Check out my Phoenix home designs.

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.