Trading Places

This space was once a family room off a galley kitchen. This beautiful older rancher has been brought into the 21 century by the skilled hands of contractor Mike Bringle.New windows were added and a new doorway into what was the old kitchen, which is now a sitting room off a larger more formal foyer. Columbia cabinets in a glaze over paint finish. Lots of details went into this design, very much a collaboration with the design savvy homeowners.Callahan Tile.

Timeless White painted cabinets

Nothing is as classic and timeless as white painted cabinets! This kitchen was originally in oak cabinets.The change to white has lighten up the whole space. The refrigerator was where the hood and cook top are now. The hoods a much more dramatic focal point. Wood-mode hood, posts and feet brackets. Columbia Cabinets otherwise.Callahan Tile. Lundgren Construction.

Natural Cherry with Green slate

This kitchen has a 45 degree angled wall that made fitting in an island a true challenge. The new island fits the space so much better than before the remodel. We got in a 2 layer top, one at 42" and one at 36" to make function a priority.The ceiling was recessed with lighting to blend in with higher ceiling in family room space. Cabinets : Brookhaven from Wood-mode. GHI, contractors.

The warmth of wood, the coolness of glass.

Amber glaze on a honey stain, these cabinets have a recessed panel and applied molding. This kitchen has everything the client wanted: better storage, more counter top space, easy to use appliances and all fitting in the budget they set. The green glass tile over an opaque running bond tie in the crisp white of the farm sink. Also notice, no ugly outlets to spoil the backsplash, plug strips used instead!
Cabinets by: Columbia Cabinets. Natural Oak floor, Sapphire green granite with a mitered edge. Wolf cook top, Electrolux ovens, Fisher Paykel refrigerator, Ventahood. Contractor Dave Cattarusa.

New work coming

Very exciting, new kitchens and baths I've done are in production now. Hope to have some photos to show in a couple of weeks.
Anything you can do to help the Benicia/Vallejo humane society will be greatly appreciated. They always need: towels, detergent, Frontline flee treatment, Kong toys, treats, paper towels, Postage stamps, copy paper, Bleach, Dry and canned food. Call 707 645-7905 for drop off . Or better yet, let me know if you have any items and I'll come pick up!!!

Lafayette Jr's Kitchen Tour Saturday May 17th

Hey it's that time of year again. The Lafayette Jr's Kitchen Tour. My kitchen is at 8 Warwick Court. Scroll over to top of blog for slide show of this kitchen. The client is an accomplished baker and we found a place for everything. Hope to see you at the tour, click here for more info: http://www.lafayettejuniors.org/public/fundraising.htm.htm

Orindawoods Kitchen variations

This is the second kitchen I have done at Orindawoods. So different from the first, as it should be, with different owners. The cool color scheme comes together in a monochromatic soothing look. Highlights include the custom, hand made tile back splash on a Corian counter top. The Capri shell pendant. The sage green walls.Columbia Cabinets, Cattarusa Construction.

Kitchen plan that changed homes traffic flow

This kitchen, soon to be in the Lafayette Jr's. kitchen tour in May 17,Saturday, 08, was not in this space originally. The old kitchen was a galley style that you entered immediately from the foyer. The Architects plans showed a bay window bump out for a new kitchen space. When I toured the home, my suggestion was to switch the kitchen space with the existing dining room. This allowed for a new traffic flow into home. Now when you come into the foyer, all you see is the beautiful living room. You step into that room and the dining room and kitchen are then revealed on the left. Now the new kitchen has room for an island and is central to entertaining with both the dining room and back yard a step a way. This changed the traffic flow of home and made all the rooms relate to each other. Cabinets in painted maple and glazed cherry form Woodmode/Brookhaven. Contractor: Jim Fuller

Master bath's new space plan

This master bath had a very narrow layout before. We switched the vanities to the opposite wall. This gave a lighter visual when approaching the room, allows for a reflection in the mirror, and is the focus upon entering. We removed the closets on that wall too and replaced them with a set of tall cabinets along with a new walk- in closet (behind us at door entrance). The old wall between toilet and shower also came down. This makes the bath feel a lot less confined and we added a beautiful thick glass shower door. With the 12x12 tiles, the space opens up in the shower area to allow for a wider feel.Cabinets: Crestwood, Contractor: John O'Connell

Green Granite with White Cabinets

This San Francisco kitchen I did uses a monochromatic color scheme punched up with the green Esmeralda granite. Even though the island is small, it gives this kitchen focus.
Brookhaven cabinets.

New layout for Orindawoods

This Orindawoods kitchen hadn't been updated or remodeled since the original building of complex. As all the neighbors are starting to redo their kitchens, my client had a few layouts to choose from. We did something different in that we opened up the doorways to allow a better flow with existing floor plan of home.
Cabinets: John Fischer's Custom Cabinets, Contractor: David Cattarusa

Contemporary Bathroom

This Master bath was gutted and redone with a new freestanding tub and faucet. The "bridge" sink faucets tie into the less is more without looking cold as modern design can sometimes be. Floor and shower wall were done in over sized limestone tile and the pattern changes on shower wall. Counter top is solid limestone slab. Pendant lighting over sinks instead of sconces is a different twist. Framed mirrors add to the impact of the cabinets in mahogany.Crestwood cabinets.Contractor: Mike Bringel

Orinda Kitchen on cover of "Remodeling and Makeovers"

Hot off the press!! Women's Day "Remodeling and Makeovers" Vol. XVII No. 4 . My kitchen is on the cover and there is an informative article inside about what we did. This magazine is in Barnes and Noble as well as Safeway (up near the check out stand) Anyone interested, contact me and I'll email the before photos.

White and Black Kitchen

Brookhaven cabinets.

White and Black Kitchen

Traditional Classic

More views

Traditional Classic

Cherry with medium stain and light distressing. This kitchen was all oak before with a peninsula . Now it's wide open with large island and " island table" combined to seat 4. Cabinets were wrapped into nook space to create grander feel and allow larger nook table. Hood is central on longest wall with lots of detail. Desk at end of run has flip down doors to hide clutter, but still has file storage and pigeon holes. Wine captain faces out away from work triangle to be entertainment friendly. Granite is "Gold & Silver" with thicker edge and marble basket weave back splash. The drawings at blog end are of this kitchen. Notice how close the overhead drawing comes to finished kitchen. The computer generated drawings really help understand what it will look like. Brookhaven cabinets. Contractor: GHI

Architecturally correct

This kitchen is in a Normandy style home and it feels like it has always been there, architecturally. The ceramic"subway" tiles and white painted cabinets with a glaze are of the 1920"s . The appliances are of the 21st. century though. With some minor wall removal and the sacrifice of a closet, we were able to fit in a full size refrigerator and a pull out pantry around the corner from it. The open top, split rail, glass wall cabinets bring the eye up and give the illusion of higher ceilings. Good lighting completes the picture. Columbia cabinets.

Rich Cherry with slate backsplash

This kitchen was done in a transitional craftsman style. The back splash and floor are different size slate tiles. The counter top is granite with a free form edge. The quarts double sink blends with the counter. An interesting ceiling add big time to the overall beauty of this kitchen. Brookhaven cabinets. Contractor: Homeowner

Cottage Painted Finish

This kitchen was done with Suzanne Myers from Elite design.Woodmode cabinets.Contractor GHI www.sgmelitedesign.com

White Painted Cabinets

This kitchen was just recently photographed by Women's Day Magazine and will appear in the Fall 07 issue of "Remodeling and Makeovers.It will be on the cover of the magazine!!! There will be a before picture showing a 1950's kitchen that was really ready for a makeover. We increased the original space by removing some walls and adding larger openings to help the floor plan of house flow. Homeowner is very happy with results!Brookhaven cabinets. Mike Bringle Contractor.

Two subzeros with appliance panels in light cherry

This kitchen with Cherry raised panel cabinets has many unique features. Two such features are: The counter tops are 2 1/4" thick. The ceiling has a skylight with recessed lighting and a trough boarder.Brookhaven cabinets.

Interest at ceiling with beams

This kitchen used Knotty Alder distressed cabinets for the island and Painted glazed for the perimeter.The counter top is green granite (Ezmeralda) and the floor is a herringbone tile pattern. The hood is custom build on site with a cement tile boarder. The grape leaf motif is matched in the hood and in the Enkeboll corbels.Woodmode cabinets.GHI contractor.

Stainless steel appliances and uplighted crown

This kitchen has very masculine overtones with a lot of stainless steel. Good thing as client is male and quite a cook. Notice height of warming drawer. Right under microwave.Brookhaven cabinets. GHI contractor.

Custom hood with beadboard

Cherry with a glaze on island, Maple with a glaze perimeter. Woodmode and Brookhaven cabinets.GHI Contractor.