WarmlyYours — Radiant floor heating
Thermostat-controlled and programmable, these electric coils can be placed under any floor surface, especially effective with tile. They can warm your entire bathroom, especially your toes. Check out www.warmlyyours.com.

Find this at Floor to Ceiling of Brighton, Evergreen Heated Floor and Tile and DreamMaker of Denver. 

Jacuzzi — Sedona steam shower
Turn your drafty, dated shower into a steamy escape with this built-in unit. The steam generator is housed in the bench, giving you a place to sit and enjoy  your shower.

— By Kristen Sotelo
Sotelo is an independent interior designer [hec: in what city?:  ]. Contact her to discuss your design projects at mrsksotelo@gmail.com.

2. Balance your bed by adding same-size bedside tables to both sides.

3. Add fire colors: cranberry or orange pillows or a duvet cover.

4. Have art that encourages partnership. Ditch the image of a woman waiting at a table alone.

5. Move workout equipment or your office out of the bedroom to encourage restful sleeping and a relationship that’s not hard work.

Read more in the February/March edition of Womens Mag!

– By Liz Canavan, www.alchemyoforder.blogspot.com

If we decorate our virtual home — and let’s face it, that’s what Facebook has become for even the best of us — with pictures that make us happy, why don’t we do so with our actual homes? As much as we all love prints of Anne Geddes babies, sunsets, Monet water lilies and landscapes, you have something much more unique you can frame for decoration: your family.

Photo by Dory Johnson.

“I find it really interesting that people have this bizarre twist on how they spend their money,” says Dory Johnson, a photographer in Boulder. “I see it in a number of ways. One, they’ll go and spend $3,000 dollars on a tiny little painting, but it’s a ‘masterpiece.’ Or, they’ll spend $3,000 on a bureau. Or, they’ll go get a poster, but they so often won’t often think of putting up large photographs of the family. A photograph always sets a tone. It says ‘home.’”

The expensive, adorned, art-museum frames may be unnecessary to surround these family portraits. Johnson suggests canvases as a high-quality and longer lasting alternative.

But go ahead and rattle your creative bones. Montage one of your living room walls with family portraits from throughout the past decades in colorful, unique frames. Transform portraits into oil-paintings that will last hundreds of years. Splurge for professionally assembled end-table photography books of the family that guests can flip through as they sit in the living room.

On a low budget?
Hang clipboards holding portraits, slide pictures under the glass of your coffee table for an assorted collage, or insert them in plastered self-made frames from painted, old-school popsicle sticks. At Mike’s Camera in Boulder, morph your family portrait into decorative boxes, cutting boards and decorative tiles.
For gifts for two of her friends, Johnson mounted photographs onto wooden, Mexican swinging doors and attached ropes to hang them high from the ceiling.

“You can get really creative hanging photographs that speak to something within you or of your family,” Johnson says.

Photo by Dory Johnson.

And why the emphasis on the professionally shot family portraits? Portraits should be more than a few clicks on the point-and-shoot camera, cheaply printed and stored in shoe-boxes.

“In the long run for families, when you get a portrait taken, you’re really making an heirloom that is going to last through generation after generation,” Johnson says. “How many of us have poured over pictures of our grandparents?”

We all say photographs capture moments, but really, they immortalize moments. Those pixelly, distorted, just off the family printer photographs are simply not eternal heirlooms.

What if your family is different?
To all the ladies not quite ready to settle down with babies and a hubby, grab your substitute family — your friends or your pet. Unconventional, perhaps. But, why not document yourself at this age and this time in your life? The real you with your real loves. Farfel’s Farm, 906 Pearl St., will gladly photograph you and your pooch’s portrait, as will most professionals. Mantelpiece-worthy, for sure.

“We often find that as families view their slide show of their pets, they cry,” says Sandy Calvin, co-owner of Farfel’s Farm. “They explain that it’s the emotion of looking in at the relationship they’ve never really witnessed — the pure love between them and their pet. Often, if we visit photo customer’s homes after photographs are hung, we are amazed that the pet images are more prominent and larger than non-pet photos.”

Though Facebook’s online home offers a nice forum for picture sharing and bragging, decorating your actual home with timeless family portraits guarantees to spark a comment or two from your friends — the non-virtual ones.

On the Web
Because photo mouse pads, mugs, T-shirts — even the occasional bedspread — quickly endanger the sophistication of your home, check out these Web sites for creative ways to decorate with photographs.
www.photowow.com — Create end-tables, pillows and handbags from digital pictures.
www.kimbrastudios.com — Craft your own lampshades, nightlights and wineglass charms.
www.personalizationmall.com — Fashion cookie jars, serving platters and tree ornaments with your family’s portraits.

Looking for your own portraits?
Here are some local photographers who can help you decorate your home with heirlooms of the people you love:

Dory Johnson’s Olac Photography: 303-449-4759, www.olacphoto.com.
Julie Afflerbaugh Photography: 303-704-9999, www.julieafflerbaugh.com.
Stone Crandall Photography: 303-506-9362, www.stonecrandall.com.

— By Caroline Seib

Louisville
1. Luminary Emporium, 924 Main St., Louisville
Flower necklaces by Stephanie Cox of Drama Queen: outrageous jewelry design.

These bright, jeweled flower necklaces are perfect gifts for anyone, from your BFF to your mother-in-law to your child’s elementary school teacher. The loud colors contrast with those gray, snowy skies outside. $25.

2. Vie Vie Luxe, 909 Main St., Louisville
Jingle bell slipper socks.
The joys of winter: Cold weather, snowflakes, soggy boots, wet wood floors. Give these slippers to your kids this season to warm their feet (and keep your floors dry) as soon as they walk in the door. $14.

3. The Bronze Elk, 901 Front St., suite 110
Jewelry box, handmade from glass bangle bracelets.
For your friend who loses her car keys, one earring from every pair she owns, and all those extra buttons for her sweaters and coats. This decorative box will hold all her tends-to-go-missing jewelry and accessories. $37.95

Lyons
4. Quilting Hands, 424 Main St., Lyons.
Premade fabric bundles.
Quilting Hands holds more than 6,000 bolts of fabric in its store, so instead of spending hours scouring for the perfect fabrics, purchase bundles of pre-cut quilting squares with complementary patterns and corresponding colors. What a fun gift for your crafty aunts, grandmothers and sewing pals. Prices depend on size of finished quilt. $25-$50.

5. Red Canyon Art Company, 400 Main St., Lyons.
Handcrafted salt and pepper shakers, made by Colorado artist, Diana Abbott.
Give these shakers, adorned with light blue stones, to your grandparents who have been married for 50 years or your college friends who have been married for two. The salt shaker for one, the pepper shaker for the other. An adorable set for an adorable set. $14.

Longmont
6. The Orange Door, 370 Main St., Longmont.
Handcrafted throw pillows made by Longmont designer, Julie Kendall.
Using recycled buttons, fringe, stuffing and zippers, Kendall creates her pillows to be flipped for two completely different looks. One side shows off the colors and imagery of springtime. The other side, deeper colored fabrics with a wintry mood. Fabulous for your trendy, homebody buddies, $20-$25.

7. Encore Home Styles, 439 Main St., Longmont
Lolita holiday wine glasses.
Every year we all find ourselves searching for creative presents for our closest friends. Why not host a holiday appetizer and wine party, and instead of distributing goody-bags like you did in fourth grade, let your friends take home their wine glasses, each one bedazzled with different designs — snowmen, holly berries, elf shoes and many more to choose from. $26.50 per glass.

8. Caycenne Kitchen, 372 Main St., Longmont.
Scented hot pads in gingerbread, cranberry-orange and sugar cookie.
Do you have a million friends and less than a million bucks? Treat your office friends, carpool moms, volunteer club and the rest of your long list with smelly-good hot pads (heating a kettle of tea makes your whole house smell good!) for a very reasonable price. $4.50 each.

9. Bead Lounge, 320 Main St., Longmont
Beading basics class
Guys, this one is for you. Instead of shopping for jewelry at department stores this year, make your sweetie a unique necklace, bracelet, or pair of earrings. When you sign up for this class, you’ll walk out with two one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry. One for your leading lady, one for your other leading lady (we know you’re still a mama’s boy at heart, and we love it). $35, beads included.

– By Caroline Seib

“I feel that we’re getting a reputation as being upscale, which brings in high-quality items. But we still sell if for a really great price,” says owner Patty Ross, 51, of Boulder.

It’s because of that mix that Clutter, which opened in August at its location just south of Ninth and Pearl St. in Boulder, has clients from college students outfitting their first apartments to seniors buying pieces for their assisted-living residences.

We sat down with Ross for some tips on holiday decorating.

The great part about all of this: Clutter can be a great place to gain inspiration and load up on what you’ll need for the season.

1. Mix and match.

When setting a holiday table, bring out the good stuff and fill in the holes with consignment pieces. Display that etched glassware that’s too fancy for back yard BBQs, and serve your family favorites on vintage china — such as Clutter’s beautiful set of Franciscan china, a whopping 101 pieces, for $495. Pair that with festive linens, scented pinecones and pine foliage, your grandmother’s candlesticks and you’re set.

2. Double up.
Ross suggests having two Christmas trees: one theme tree, where you can really go all out, and one family tree with those sweet ornaments your 5-year-old brings home. Ross also suggests bucking the norm with your tree and adding decorative picks. Picks are long decorative pieces that are often added to bouquets and floral centerpieces. You can purchase picks at Clutter, online or in floral boutiques.

3. A tradition of collecting.
Ross also suggests starting a holiday collection. She and her husband have been collecting nativity scenes from their travels all over the world, which they display for the holidays. Many people collect ornaments, like Santas or angels, or ornaments by a certain artist or manufacturer. Clutter sells ornaments and might be a great place to gain insight on starting a collection of your own.

4. Inside-out.
Bring outside lights inside, and not just on your tree. It’s fun to hang oversized ornaments and wreaths throughout the house. Traditionally, Christmas was, in part, about renewing our sense of nature in the house during a time of year when little is blooming. A fresh, fragrant pine wreath will do just the trick.

5. Hostess with the most.
When it comes to getting your guests in a festive mood, Ross suggests decorating a small tree in the guestroom. She also replaces wall art with holiday-themed prints or wreaths. Adding holiday linens and other small touches with make your guest feel special.

On the Web
Visit Clutter Consignment online at www.clutterconsign.com.

— By Annie Brokaw

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I’ve been thinking about good news. What am I thankful for?

Here’s my answer: First and foremost, the life I have been blessed with, a wonderful husband, great family, a job I love and a roof over my head. A roof. Hmm.

What am I thankful for in my home? Definitely the bathroom, and that’s not just because its not a shed in the backyard, but because it is my relaxation space. It’s a bit scary in the morning with the mirror and the lights, but this is where I can unwind at the end of the day in a bubble bath with a glass of wine, or get started on the right foot with a steamy shower.

This made me wonder: What are other people thankful for? So I hit the streets at the Celebrate Lafayette festival and here is what other people had to say:

In my life I am most thankful for: “My mom and my dad, and because I get to see my mom at school because she is a teacher there.”
The room in my home I am most thankful for is: “The TV room, because I like to watch TV. But my favorite thing in my room is my closet.”
– Jordan, 6, of Lafayette

In my life: “My good family.”
In my home: “My bedroom because it’s blue and green and purple. My Gabriella doll from High School Musical.”
– Brooke, 6, of Lafayette

In my life: “Friends, family, health, community and a job!”
In my home: “My kitchen. Although small, it is the type of space where people want to be. They gravitate toward the space. Plus, a kitchen is the best place in the house because it is the epicenter of nutrition and culinary goodness.”
– Rachel Fuchs, 25, of Boulder

In my life: “Family and Friends. Enough of all I need/want.”
In my home: “The kitchen. It is the heart of the home. A gathering place.”
– Phyllis deCaussin, 78, of Louisville

In my life: “My husband of 21 years. He is my best friend and keeps me laughing.”
In my home: “The kitchen. It is the place where everyone starts and ends the party. It’s the heartbeat of my home. Plus I love to bake. It makes others smile when I give them the results.”
– Becki Pildner, 47, of Longmont

In my life: “Life itself. Every breath’s a blessing.”
In my home: “The kitchen. It is very small and cozy. I love making vast quantities of delicious food for my neighbors, friends, friends of friends and anyone who drops by. Come on over!”
– Roberta Metge, 55, of Lafayette

– By Kristen Sotelo
Sotelo is a designer with DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen of Boulder and Broomfield. Contact her with home decor questions or to set up an appointment at 303-404-3625 or Kristen@DreamMakerBBCO.com. Visit www.dreammaker-remodel.com.

After graduating, Ritter worked in Boston for four years, but she soon came down with the “sunshine bug” and moved to live within the inspiring landscapes of Boulder. Her home, consequently, sits in front of a mountainous backdrop and lets in sunlight with its massive windows.

She designed her own space with her signature design style of mixture of the industrial and the organic — domineering steel beams complemented by pots of green plants, metal railings above stone floors. And, while he may not be an element of design, Lars, her new German Shepherd pup, is an essential asset to her home. Organic at its finest.

After moving to Boulder and working for a local firm, Ritter decided to start her own design practice. She designs for standard architecture projects, as well as for interiors, furniture and landscape, and she recently was named to Mountain Living Magazine’s “Top 20 Under 40″ designer list.

Her philosophy for design?

“I was taught that design was this all-encompassing activity that can apply to architecture, to landscape, to jewelry, textiles, photography, you name it. I’ve been sort of immersed in that,” she says. “I always go back to calling it the art of ‘making,’ because that’s really what I think is at the heart of everything.”

We wanted to know more about this top designer, so we asked her some questions:

1. What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

I stumble downstairs usually and greet my sweet puppy and take him outside.

2. What is the last thing you do before you go to bed at night?

Equally tied to Lars. I tuck him in and give him a smooch.

3. What are ways you find balance?

I spend a lot of time outside walking and hiking. And I love to cook. That’s one of the things I look forward to most at the end of the day, and I think it’s this great combination for me where it’s still creative. I’m still making something, but it’s much more for an immediate need, and you get instant gratification. It really helps me transition between the chaos of the day and a much more quiet evening.

4. What kind of music is on your iPod or CD player right now?

I just got this great new Emmanuel Jal CD. I definitely listen to a lot of jazz. My fiancé and I both really enjoy at dinnertime having some Frank Sinatra on or some Mazi Star or something like that. I’m definitely pretty diverse. Though I will say the thing I listen to the most is NPR.

5. Do you prefer coffee or tea?

I’m a coffee drinker for sure. My fiancé, Joe, actually owns a coffee business, so by default I am sort of forced to love coffee, which is not a bad thing.

6. What are some of your future goals?

I would love at some point to go back to school and get a master’s of fine arts in textiles and fibers. I have a whole bunch of ideas brewing in my head for fabrics that could be a component of some of the furniture designs I’m working on. I’d love to be able to make them myself or at least have the ability to explore and see if I could invent some fun mesh or wire fabrics that also incorporate natural, recycled fibers.

I would definitely enjoy doing some more furniture design as a part of that, which also ties into my interest of learning how to weld.

I certainly would enjoy traveling a little more and definitely in the near future, I would love to have a baby. I think that is going to be my next big challenge, figuring out, like so many women have to do, how to keep my career moving forward and be a mom at the same time.

7. Where would you travel tomorrow if you could, and why?

I think No. 1 on my list is New Zealand, mostly because it combines everything I love: being in the mountains and the water, which I’ve definitely missed. I love sheep. They have a very strong weaving and fibers culture there, and I’d love to explore that a little bit.

8. What are your quirks?

I’d say I thrive in motive, creative chaos. I try desperately to be extremely organized but the reality is, I definitely work better with a lot of stuff around me.

Interested in working with Keira Ritter? Visit www.krdesignco.com.

– By Caroline Seib

Maybe you just had a baby, and you know in a couple months she’ll grow out of her crib and need her own room. Perhaps your aging parents need to move in with you, and they deserve — emphasis on the word deserve — a separate suite for all the years they paid for your clothes, your car and your education. Or you just can’t get over the orange shag carpet. You need out.

While buying cheap homes seems like a wonderful idea in our economy, what about the hardships of selling your existing home?

Instead of getting out, consider staying in. Consider the remodel. Even if you eventually sell your house, upgrading will make it more appealing to future buyers.

Take, for example, a case study: Don and Jenny Hood, of Longmont.

They built their house from the bottom up. They live on an acre of land, an acre of the closest thing to open, country space in Boulder County. The backdrop of the mountains is just a peek away. They live 10 minutes from Longmont, 10 minutes from Boulder — the perks of city life completely at their disposal. But they needed more room.

While they looked around for houses, the Hoods opted for the remodeling route in order to get, as Jenny Hood, 49 says, exactly what they wanted.

Exactly what they wanted included walking up the footpath from their sidewalk to face a custom-made, wooden display of artwork: their front door. Exactly what they wanted included a new master bedroom suite on a formerly non-existent second floor. Exactly what they wanted was exactly what a good number of us in Boulder want right now.

Motivation may be as simple as noticing the need for replacing a nasty bathroom tub or the lack of counter space in the kitchen. The Hoods said their motivation came from their kids growing older.
Maybe you can relate to the Hoods — after years of parenting and working hard, you’d like to reward your spouse and yourself with a new master bedroom and bathroom suite.

2. Simplification

Know what you want. If you desperately want to greenify your kitchen, do your research on appliances and reclaimed wood. If you need a wider closet, work with an architect to lay out your plans. At every point of the design stage, find cost estimates. Know what you want, but know your budget.

To make things easier on yourself, store away extra money for unplanned costs and upgrades, says Don Hood, 53. They appreciated this cushion room when switching to more expensive granite they preferred.

3. Administration

With TV shows like “Extreme Home Makeover” and “Trading Places” magically designing, constructing and decorating homes in less than an hour, the process of remodeling seems like a simple Cinderella-to-royal-princess quick-fix.
Be wary! Do-it-yourself projects can lead never-finished bathrooms, half-peeled-off wallpaper and gaping holes in the drywall.

Dilsha Happel and her husband, Don Happel, run and operate H&H Builders, of Broomfield, which is the company the Hoods hired to build their remodel.

“We like to say we don’t believe in do-it-yourself dentistry, do-it-yourself surgery,” says Dilsha Happel, 59, of Thornton. “That’s what professionals are for. And we’re professionals.”

The Hoods selected a compatible team with whom to work, including an architect who could draw up their schemes and ideas, a flexible building contractor, a custom-cabinet maker and an interior designer.

The Hoods offer advice for Boulderites scouring through building contractor companies.

“The two things we thought were most important were experience and relationship,” says Don Hood.

Another huge factor: time. Consider whether the builder is juggling nine other jobs or three. Also, ask for cost estimates, even at the fledgling states of the projects. Know what you’re spending before you start, to prevent unwanted financial surprises.

4. Accommodation

When remodeling, adjustments affect not only the home, but also the family.

“It is a strain on the relationship,” says Don Hood. “Emotional, psychological strain. If you don’t have a good relationship, it will come out during the process.”

The Hoods moved out for nine months and lived in a rental home. With the change of a new environment and pressure to make decisions on deadline, and with the looming expenses of the procedures, new stress undoubtedly arises. The Hoods handled this by compromising with each other and by constantly praying — even, and especially, for the little things.

“We are Christians, so we did a lot of praying,” says Jenny Hood. “We had friends and family do a lot of praying. I mean that sounds so shallow, ‘we prayed for granite,’ but we did. You get to the point where you’re doing this. It’s a lot of money, and your family is displaced.”

Communication: key.

The death of a project is that selections take too long, and people get frustrated and just give up, says Kristen Soleto, 28, of Denver, who works for H&H Builders by managing its DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen franchise.

“That happens when they have four granite slab yards to go to and six tile stores and three cabinet companies to go look at,” Sotelo says. “They’re not the Energizer Bunny. They just run out of juice and throw their hands up in the air and say ‘I quit!’”

And, let’s face it, remodeling may fuel its share of emotional costs, but it’s the monetary costs that send the shivers. Quality bathroom and kitchen projects start at $10,000 and $25,000, respectively. Quadruple those estimates for larger add-ons or structural, remodeling changes.

Give your budget some wiggle room. Prepare for the unexpected.

5. Adoration

Before their remodel, a mini staircase in the Hoods’ living room led to a tiny landing space with room enough only for a computer desk. Now, a beautifully designed staircase winds up to the second story where a large master suite and office sit.

The Hoods wake up in the mornings to a two-sided fireplace facing their bed. A reading area with two plush chairs occupies the other side of the fireplace, which acts as room divider. The view of the mountains and the acres of nature surround this sitting room.

Their bathroom could easily be featured in any design magazine. A steam shower (heavenly!) divides their bathroom, which is flooded with deep cuts of granite swirled with a tortoise-shell, calico-like design.

On Jenny Hood’s side a granite bathtub, vanity station — her favorite part of the remodel — and spacious walk-in closet conjure images of luxury and relaxation. Her husband’s side of the bathroom similarly leads to a large closet, but it also opens to his new study, built with custom-cabinets. Windows dot the circumference of the office, simulating a surround-sound effect, using inpouring light rather than sound.

Downstairs, the Hoods updated their bathrooms, created another study from an existing bedroom, and expanded their living room, which they now call the great room.

“I think I love it because it feels like home,” says Jenny Hood. “It’s not a house. It’s our home. It’s our sanctuary, where our kids can come home, where we can come home and know you are always going to be loved, you are always going to be accepted.”

– By Caroline Seib

1. Light blue hand-knit polka-dot gloves by Tara, imported from Nepal.
$39.95, at Momentum, 1625 Pearl St.
Just by keeping warm this winter you can help the communities of Nepal. Buying these irresistible gloves at Momentum is a way to give back? Oh, yes.

2. Glam purse hangers $12.50 at Bliss Inc., 1643 Pearl St.
How many times have you almost left your purse under the table at a restaurant? Or worse, you pick it up after you pay the check and you see a dollop of fallen spaghetti sauce has stained your new Vera Bradley? These purse hangers fix those dining-out casualties by hooking onto tabletops and hanging your bag out of harm’s (or spaghetti’s) way.

3. Jeweled two-in-one coffee scoop and coffee bag clip, locally crafted by Two Wired Women.
$17.95 at Willow An Artisan’s Market, 1500 Pearl St.
Barely awake, you stumble downstairs to make a cup of coffee. How much better would it taste if it your grounds were scooped out with a bedazzled coffee scoop? How much better would it be if you could keep your coffee fresh by simply clipping that same scoop back on the bag? So much better.

4. Handmade tea bag holders by Brenda Neely, local Colorado artist.
$7 each at Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery, 1421 Pearl St.
Tea is necessary on cold winter days. So are these handmade teabag holders, etched with leaves, sayings or animals.

5. Old-fashioned cookie cutters
$1-$4 at Peppercorn, 1235 Pearl St. Because who doesn’t love warm gingersnaps and chocolate chip cookies in the shapes of cowboys, pine trees, turkeys, pumpkins and gingerbread men?

6. Cupcake wrapper apron
$38 at Anthropologie, 1710 29th St.
We’re bringing back the aprons of the 1950s with this cupcake wrapper apron at Anthropologie. You’ll look adorable baking (or just eating) those pumpkin pies.

7. Handmade picture frames made from reclaimed boat wood
$80 and up at West End Gardener, 777 Pearl St.
Stripes of sea-colored wood made into a handmade frame could be the perfect thing to brighten up your living room, your bedroom, your bathroom — any room, really.

8. Palm-sized leather journal, embossed leaf design, from Mexico.
$19.99 at Two Hands Paperie,
This time of year can be hectic. No more thinking of things you need to do for the next day and then forgetting them until it’s too late. This little journal fits perfectly in every nightstand drawer for those late night ideas and last minute to-do (read: Dear Santa) lists.

9. Heart-shaped travel-sized cloth tissue holders
$19.99 at Bay Leaf On Pearl, 803 Pearl St.
Sick of awkwardly pulling out loose tissues from your purse? Keep these heart-shaped tissue holders in your bag for all of your nose’s winter sniffles.

10. Organic Madagascar vanilla extract
$9.50 for four ounces at the Savory Spice Shop, 2041 N. Broadway St.
The shop also offers Tahitian and Mexican extracts. If you’re planning on baking loads of holiday cookies, go ahead and switch out your old vanilla for some made with beans from Madagascar. Sweet.

– By Caroline Seib

Consider your budget and answers to the following two questions to help you determine the direction to start:

1. Many homeowners want the kitchen to be strictly utilitarian, but others want it to be the social center of the home. How about you?

2. Do you want to work within the existing space of your current kitchen? Do you want to expand by taking room from somewhere else, or would you rather build an addition to house your new kitchen? All of these are options and all vary greatly in cost. Working within your current space will usually be the least complicated and the least expensive.

Before. Photo by DreamMaker Kitchen and Bath.

Here are ideas to change the look of your kitchen by giving key areas a quick facelift:

The sink — What is the condition of the sink and faucet? If it’s an older single-handle faucet, or chipped and cracked porcelain sink, consider replacing it with a beautiful double handle faucet or a thicker gauged stainless steel sink.

The lighting — Think about the lighting; is it sufficient enough for tasks, like reading a recipe? If not, add some xenon under-cabinet lights with high and low settings, or replace that dated ceiling dome with an adjustable track system.

The floor — Does the vinyl floor have wrinkles and

After.

gouges in it? Replace it with 20-inch-by-20-inch tiles to make the kitchen feel larger, or with pre-finished hardwood for a quick, easy solution.

The counters — If the laminate counter is suffering the effects of years of heavy use, switch it out. Consider an eco-friendly slab quartz top that uses old bottles and pieces of seashells.

The backsplash — If the backsplash is a short 4-inch splash that doesn’t protect much of the wall, install a full-height tile splash with some natural stone or glass tiles for accents.

The walls — Many older kitchens have several layers of wallpaper clinging to the walls. Peel them off and start with a clean slate. A fresh coat of colored paint can make a world of difference.

The cabinets — If a different layout or new cabinets are needed, contact your local design/build contractor. They can also help coordinate any and all of your other facelift needs.

Today’s kitchen can be all you want it to be. Enjoy the opportunity to explore the variety of materials, styles and colors available to you. In the end you’ll reap the pleasures afforded you in the new look and style of your kitchen.

— By Kristen Sotelo
Sotelo is a designer with DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen of Boulder and Broomfield. Contact her with home decor questions or to set up an appointment at 303-404-3625 or Kristen@DreamMakerBBCO.com. Visit www.dreammaker-remodel.com.