Thursday:  Noon-9PM

Friday:  Noon-9PM

Saturday:  10AM-9PM

Sunday:  10AM-6PM

There’s a lot more information at the show’s website.  Click here for all the details.

See you in St. Paul!

A few easy prep steps can dramatically reduce the disruption of any home remodeling project.  The better you prepare your home for the displacement, dust and traffic in your house, the smoother your project will be.

1.  Gather supplies. You will need boxes, newspapers, packing materials, packing tape, masking tape, quart size and gallon size plastic storage bags and markers.

2.  A week before the project begins, start packing up the contents of your cabinets, beginning with the least-used items.  Unpack in reverse order – it will streamline the process.  If you’re remodeling your kitchen, pack eating utensils in the gallon size plastic storage bags. Use a bag each for knives, forks, spoons and cooking utensils.

3.  Take down window treatments and wall decorations. Put the hardware in plastic storage bags and label them.  This is a good time to clean and dust the items if you will be using them again in the remodeled room.

4.  Move any pictures, mirrors, furniture, and other items in neighboring rooms away from walls adjacent to the room to be remodeled. Vibrations from the construction could knock them off and break them.

5.  Set aside things you don’t use anymore for donation. Make a list and estimate the value before you take them to your local donation center. Throw out anything broken or unusable. This is a great time to reduce clutter.

6.  Protect what you can’t remove; floors should be covered, dust curtains hung and a pathway defined for workmen to enter and exit the workspace. Use plastic sheeting and tape to seal off doorways into other rooms and cover bookshelves, furniture, and electronic equipment.  If you have a basement below the demo area that is open, cover anything there as well.

We’ll do our best to make the remodeling process as pleasant as possible.  With a few extra steps, you’ll be enjoying your new room in no time!

Kid Size It

Adult rooms can be overwhelming, especially for young children.  High shelves, tall furniture and big storage containers make kids feel like they’re living in the land of giants.  A kids’ playroom really shines when built-in bookcases and shelving units are built at kid height.  Kid-sized tables and other furniture make it easy for kids to sit, stand or lay around comfortably.

Keep It Comfy

Plush furniture and cozy flooring keep kids comfy and safe.  Carpeting or cork flooring are warm under bare feet and make the floor an inviting place to lie down with a good book.  Overstuffed chairs and a stuffed animal will keep kids company for hours.  These design elements also help keep young kids from skinning knees and bumping elbows on hard surfaces.

Make A Secret Space

Every kid has made a “fort” with blankets pillows and furniture.  A corner of a fun playroom can be transformed into a built-in castle, playhouse or just a simple cubbyhole with a curtain where kids can dream up big adventures, play hide and seek or just curl up for a nap.

Every kid dreams of their secret hideaway.  A lower level playroom can make that dream a reality.  Call our design department today to start designing your kids’ castle.

Cherry

Cherry is a well-loved furniture and cabinet wood and for good reason—the natural reddish-brown color and smooth grain are extremely attractive. Cherry cabinets fit well with any design style, from traditional to sleek and modern.  Cherry looks great when combined with glass and stainless steel.  It comes in a wide range of color variations, giving options for any color palate.

Hickory

Hickory cabinets make a dramatic statement.  Hickory’s distinctive look will ensure that your cabinets are one-of-a-kind.  From pale off-white to reddish-brown, hickory has naturally beautiful patterns.  Hickory is very versatile and can be stained to a darker color or bleached to a lighter color.

Maple/Birch

Maple and birch, along with oak, are among the most popular woods for kitchen cabinets in the U.S.  Maple and birch are dense, heavy woods prized by furniture and cabinet makers for its versatility and durability—so much so that they are often used for countertops as well as cabinets.  Because of their fine, uniform grain, maple and birch work well with almost any finish.  They work well for a variety of design schemes, including Scandinavian, Early American, French Country, and more.

Mahogany

Mahogany is heralded as the world’s premier wood for fine furniture, so it’s clearly a higher-end choice when it comes to kitchen cabinet options.  Mahogany polishes to a high luster and often has unique variations in the grain that can produce highly attractive designs.

Oak

Oak is a good choice for traditional, rustic or country kitchen designs. Oak cabinets are easily stained and will last a lifetime.   Oak also offers a wide variety of color options including white, red and yellow hues. Oak has a very distinctive grain that, depending on your finish choices, can be very pronounced.

Contact our design experts today to discuss your kitchen remodeling project and find the perfect wood finish for your custom cabinets.

Open floor plans can combine a wide variety of rooms.  A bedroom and bathroom can be combined into a single master suite.  The dining room and living room can be connected by removing a wall.  Bringing the kitchen into the dining room/living room makes for an even more expansive, family-friendly living space.

If you love to entertain, an open floor plan could be an excellent design choice.  Combining the kitchen, dining room and living room allows guests to help with food preparation, engage in casual conversation and move freely around the house.

Parents with young children also enjoy open floor plans. It’s easy to keep an eye on the kids and make dinner at the same time.

One aspect of open floor plans surprises many homeowners.  Open floor plans let in a lot of natural light.  Since many walls are eliminated, light from the windows reaches more of the house and makes the home feel more spacious.

There are some important considerations that owners of older homes need to understand before they start opening their floor plan.  Most homes built before the 1970s use interior walls as “load-bearing” walls that support upper floors.  Simply removing a wall may not be feasible.  One solution could be to create an arch between two rooms that preserves the structural integrity of the home.  Such a feature can also preserve the design style of the home’s era.  Tidiness is also more important in an open floor plan.  Eliminating walls between the kitchen and living room makes those dirty dishes visible all over the house!

Our design team can evaluate the unique structural and design opportunities in your home and give you a wonderful open floor plan.  Let them help you create the perfect plan for your new family space.