Restoration Hardware | It's Great To Be Home

Design Advice: Tiffany’s Tasty Kitchen

July 22, 2009 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 8 Comments

Oh goodness, I just love a great kitchen makeover!! When Tiffany wrote in for a little advice in pulling her kitchen together, I jumped at the chance to whip up a design board for Tiffany and her hubby. Here’s what she had to say:

Hello! I just found your blog and I must say, your home is gorgeous! I love love LOVE your kitchen and den! My husband and I are actually in the process of redoing our kitchen, we just purchased new countertops and are in the process of picking out paint colors for our walls and cabinets. My question is, where did you get your backsplash, or, do you have any advice on a backsplash that would look nice with these color countertops . . . Also, if you’re so inclined, I’d love your advice on paint colors (our appliances are white and the floors will be a dark wood). Thanks SO much! ~ Tiffany

Before I fill you guys in on all the design quickie-goodness, here’s what this lovely couple is currently working with (minus the scalloped trim, mismatched trim and tired flooring):

Eeek, I’m so excited!! Talk about great bones, with oodles of ceiling-height cabinets – I’m drooling!! The look that Tiffany is going for is sophisticated yet comfortable, kind of a Restoration Hardware feel. You’ll notice that most of the designs that I’ve come up with incorporate mosaic tiles, which add a layer of texture and interest to the kitchen which is really a nice contrast to the flat cabinet fronts. Okay, here we go!!

Tiffany initially suggested this burnt orange paint color for the walls with off-white cabinets, but was at a loss as to what do to for the backsplash. Take a look at this warm and inviting kitchen that I whipped up, taking into account her suggestions:

[FYI: the paint colors may vary slightly due to your computer monitor, so be sure to check out the paint chips in person!!]

~ Wall Color: Onandaga Clay, Benjamin Moore

~ Cabinet Color: 1812 Swiss Coffee, Behr

~ Backsplash: SOHO BLEND ™ – Kaleidoscope ® Colorways ™ Mosaic Blends, $9.95 per 1.15 square foot

~ Drawer Pulls: Liberty Satin Nickel Stepped Pulls, $34.99 for 8 pulls

~ Cabinet Knobs: Liberty Satin Nickel Stepped Knobs, $27.99 for 8 knobs

Tiffany’s next option has a completely different feel and is chic, sophisticated and airy, with white cabinets, a shimmering glass backsplash and sleek hardware. This look would be fabulous with glass canisters on the countertop and silver accents. While the glass tile is a tad on the expensive side, the effect that it will give the kitchen is priceless.

~ Wall Color: 700E-3 Contemplation, Behr

~ Cabinet Color: W-B-600 Luster White, Behr

~ Backsplash: Easygoing; $15.95 per 0.949 square foot

~ Drawer Pulls: Amerock Manor Pull; $5.97 each

~ Cabinet Knobs: Amerock Manor Knob, Raised Square; $3.97

This stunner incorporates a lot of the same elements as the second kitchen design – white cabinets and sleek hardware, complemented by glass tile. But in this scenario, the glass tile is much more earthy and is set off by olive walls, and also picks up on the wood tones in the flooring. I like to think of it as a more neutral, yet equally interesting, version of the very first design.

~ Wall Color: 760D-5 Shortgrass Prairie, Behr

~ Cabinet Color: W-B-600 Luster White, Behr

~ Backsplash: Ivory Iridescent Glass Mosaic Tile; $8.99 per square foot

~ Drawer Pulls: Amerock Manor Pull; $5.97 each

~ Cabinet Knobs: Amerock Manor Knob, Raised Square; $3.97

And last but not least, Tiffany’s final option is casual and understated, with a backsplash in a classic (and totally affordable) white subway tile, updated with black grout for a little pop and interest. The neutral walls will complement the sand-colored countertops, and the steel blue cabinets provide a great contrast with the more subtle colors in the space. Finally, the sturdy satin nickel hardware will add a little oomph to the flat cabinetry.

~ Wall Color: 730C-1 White Clay, Behr

~ Cabinet Color: 740E-3 Prelude, Behr

~ Backsplash: 3 x 6 glossy white ceramic tiles; Home Depot has them for 21 cents a piece

~ Drawer Pulls: Belwith Satin Nickel Bungalow Pull; $4.97 each

~ Cabinet Knobs: Hickory Hardware Satin Nickel Bungalow Knob; $4.97 each

Thanks to this Design Quickie, Tiffany has four fabulous options that would look dynamite in her kitchen – all she has to do now is choose!! I can’t wait to hear what you guys think (especially Tiffany), and go ahead and fill us all in on which plan is your favorite.

Click on the following link to snag some design advice of your very own – Interior Design Services.

This post is shared with DIY Day on A Soft Place to Land.

Our Flip: Pretty Little Things

July 2, 2009 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 6 Comments

I’m a firm believer that cabinets should have hardware. For some reason, it really irks me when I see beautiful, naked cabinets – why miss out on an opportunity to add a little bling? Also, I just think it’s odd to claw at a cabinet or drawer to open it when you could just grab a knob or pull instead. But maybe that’s just me.

Anyway, yesterday was awesome because we finally got to pick out the hardware for the cabinets at the flip!! I was shocked when we counted up all of the hardware that we would need – 33 pulls and 50 knobs. Doesn’t that seem like a ton? I guess it’s not when you really think about it, because we needed hardware for the kitchen (and pantry), jack ‘n jill bath, laundry room bi-fold doors, bi-fold closet doors in the second bedroom, and a built-in desk in the fourth bedroom.

We were afraid that we would have a tough time finding hardware that we liked, but we were definitely wrong!! Our first trip to Home Depot yielded these beauties for the jack ‘n jill bath and the built-in desk:

[I know my pictures can't do them justice, so I added in their glamour shots from the Home Depot website]

Aren’t they pretty? I think they are going to look fab in those two secondary areas – they have some personality while still remaining affordable. Excellent!

Restoration Hardware was the next stop on our quest for hardware. We fell in love with their hardware when we were buying pulls and knobs for our own master bath – they have some really beautiful, classic designs. On the downside, they are pretty darn expensive, so we promised ourselves that we would only buy hardware for the master bath. Here’s what we chose:

I love them!!! Want to hear something funny? We actually had a bag of leftover hardware to return to Restoration Hardware that I hadn’t peeked into in about 6 months – when we got to the register to buy the new stuff and return the old stuff, it turns out that we had picked the very same knobs again!! I guess we must have really liked them, right?

And you probably noticed that we got two sizes of pulls for the master bath – that’s because the drawer fronts in front of the sinks are pretty big, and the drawers in between the two sinks are much smaller. Using two different sizes of pulls will add a little visual interest to the vanity, and keep everything in scale.

By the way, if you’re thinking about buying hardware from Restoration Hardware, I would advise planning ahead – most of their hardware is special-order only these days, which is kind of a bummer. They still have a little stock left over in the back so we were able to score all of our hardware in the same day by driving around to two different stores, but otherwise we would have had to wait for a week.

Next we were off to Lowe’s – we were hoping that they had a few different styles of hardware that Home Depot didn’t have. Turns out, Lowe’s has a much better selection of hardware – I was totally impressed!! Take a gander at all of this playground o’ hardware:

Four whole sections of hardware!!! And most of it was in-stock (as opposed to special order), so I was a happy girl. I absolutely love this collection of hardware:

This collection is chunky and very heavy to the touch, which is a great quality for hardware to have. I love how sturdy it looks, and I think it’s going to look great in the new kitchen.

We were pretty consistent with the hardware throughout the flip – almost all of it is satin nickel, except for the polished nickel in the master bath (for a little extra swank). We think that will make the house feel even more cohesive, and hopefully it will all look great with the other finishes we picked out. I can’t wait to show you guys the house when it’s all finished!!

So now I’ve spilled the beans on the hardware in the flip – what sorts of goodies adorn your cabinets?

Images courtesy of Restoration Hardware, Lowe’s and Home Depot.

Jewelry For Your House

March 30, 2009 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 13 Comments

Whether you’re in the process of a massive renovation or you’re just looking for a quick and easy way to add a little bling to your home, there’s no better way to spice up your look than with new pulls and knobs for your cabinets. Seriously, it’s easy. Just arm yourself with a screwdriver and you’re good to go. Here’s a few things you might want to take into account before you run off to the hardware store with a wad of cash:

1. What do you want your cabinets to look like? Now that you’re updating your cabinetry by changing out the hardware, you’ve got an awesome opportunity to revamp the whole look of your kitchen or bathroom. Before you rush out and buy new knobs or let yourself be seduced by a great sale, take a minute to think about what you want your “new” space to look like. Are you drawn towards the clean lines of modern architecture? If so, sleek oversized chrome pulls like these might be for you:

Prefer a look that’s a little more traditional? These classic cup pulls would be just the ticket:

And if your look is clean and understated, try these simple knobs:

2. What is your price range? Once you’ve decided on your new look, decide on a budget for your mini-makeover. While new hardware can be a very affordable update, there are some beautiful (and tempting) options out there that can really break the bank. So before you get your heart set on a specific pricey knob, count the number of knobs and/or pulls that you would need for your space and determine how much you can afford to spend per piece of hardware. Keep in mind that you can often achieve a high-end look for less just by switching out the material that the knob is made of – for example, chrome is an excellent and much cheaper substitute for polished brass. If you’re looking for cheap but chic hardware, stores like Ikea, Target, Home Depot and Lowes are great resources. You may want to consider some of these babies which will surely look gorgeous in any kitchen:

Stores like Anthropologie and Restoration Hardware offer selections that are a little less budget-friendly but are truly unique conversation pieces:

3. Knobs or pulls – or a combo? A great way to give your kitchen or bath an interesting and eclectic look is to use knobs on some cabinets and pulls on others. For example, in our kitchen we used knobs on every cabinet, but kept things interesting by using pulls on all of the drawers. When using pulls, you can emphasize the proportions of your cabinets or drawers by using oversized pulls on large drawers and petite pulls for those small drawers. We kept our traditional cabinetry from feeling stale by mixing both knobs and pulls and the sizes of the pulls in our kitchen:

4. Do you like where the existing knobs and pulls are? Lots of older cabinetry has knobs and pulls in strange locations – our bathrooms used to sport pulls right in the middle of the cabinets and drawers, instantly dating the space:

Luckily, it’s totally easy to change the location of hardware on painted cabinets (not so for stained cabinets). All you have to do is remove the old hardware, fill in the holes with wood filler, sand down the excess wood filler, and then repaint the cabinet door. Once your cabinets are dry, you can drill holes for the new hardware in the exact location that you want them. Easy, right?!?

Have you transformed your cabinets or furniture with new hardware? Want to let us know where you scored a great deal on new knobs? Fill us in!!

Images courtesy of me, Domino, Ikea, Restoration Hardware and Anthropologie.

If you haven’t already tried it on Bower Power, check out Anthropologie’s interactive DIY hardware tool. You can pick a piece of furniture that looks like something you own and try out Anthropologie’s awesome collection of knobs to see how they would look on your own stuff! Pretty awesome, if you ask me. Go forth and knob!!

Design Advice: Tiffany’s Tasty Kitchen

Our Flip: Pretty Little Things

Jewelry For Your House

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