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One of the reasons we are so drawn to the outdoors is for the beauty that it provides - the perfect blend of colors, textures, and natural lighting that only mother nature can create. These outdoor elements can inspire design to help fabricate spaces in our homes that bring more of the outdoors in. By bringing in more lighting, colors that mimic those found in nature, and textures that delight the senses we can design our rooms so that we can connect with all of those outdoor elements that we love, even when cooking dinner, watching the television or doing the laundry. While the most effective way to bring more natural light to your home is with the addition of windows, there are other design elements that can help create a more beautiful, light filled space as well. Lighting fixtures that add soft light to the dark corners of room, such as under cabinet lights and pendant lights in a kitchen, will help the space stay bright even when the sun has gone down. Using reflective surfaces such as mirrors and glass as design elements will also help reflect and bounce light around, making the room seem brighter than it naturally may be. Additionally, choosing light wall and fabric colors will help reflect light, rather than absorb it, bringing more of the outdoors in. The colors and textures you choose can also help bring more elements of nature into your space. Adding in subtle blues or greens that remind you of trees, the sky, and the ocean might be how you choose to incorporate more of the outdoors into your kitchen, or maybe you’re more inspired by the rust, burnt orange, and yellow colors of fall leaves. Whatever color palette you choose, let it reflect some element of the outdoors that brings you joy. Adding in natural textures, such as wood cabinetry, or a stone counter top can also bring more of the outdoors into your home and keep you grounded to that sense of nature. Whatever elements of nature most inspire you should be your inspiration to designing a space that brings more of the outdoors in, allowing you to stay connected to all the wonderful aspects of nature even when you are indoors.

You’ve just come home from work, the kids have made it home from school, and where’s the first place in the house you all gravitate towards? For most of us the kitchen is the first room we visit when we arrive back home, and it’s the room we continue to come back to as more than just a place to make meals and do the dishes. The kitchen is our meeting place, it’s where we cross paths with all members of the household, it’s where we create memories as well as meals, and it’s the heart of the home. Photo Credit: Crystal Cabinets Website Whether your kitchen is long and skinny, or is an open concept space with a large island, this room tends to be one of the most utilized areas of our home. For this reason alone, it is safe to say that the kitchen is the heart of the home - but there are other reasons this room deserves the title as well. It’s where we gather to make meals: As the old saying goes, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but I’d go so far as to say a good home-cooked meal is the way to anyone’s heart. Whether we are using our kitchen to make meals for just ourselves and our partner, or we are using every inch of counter space to create a feast fit for a gathering of our closest friends and family - the kitchen is where we prepare, mix together all the ingredients with love, and create an end product to nourish and satisfy those we care about. Photo Credit: Crystal Cabinet Website It’s a space for everyone: The kitchen is a space for gathering, for family meetings, for glasses of wine while venting about a hard day of work, for microwave popcorn and fresh baked cookies, and it’s a space for everyone in the home to feel included. Every home has a kitchen and it’s quite often the first room we look at when we’re deciding on a new home or apartment. From the youngest member of the household to the oldest everyone makes their appearance in the kitchen, quite often more than once a day, and it’s a space where paths cross even on the busiest of days. -It’s a room that makes a statement: The kitchen tells a story - who lives in the home, what they eat, their taste in decor, and it quite often makes a statement about the rest of the home. A kitchen that is well designed, functional, with beautiful touches and clean lines draws everyone in - residents of the home and visitors alike. The kitchen can also be the room that will make or break a future buyers’ decision, so investing in a kitchen that inspires you and gives you that sense of heart will not only make your day to day brighter but will return its investment in the long run. It might be as simple as new cabinets and countertops to give the heart of your home some new life, or maybe a complete rehaul is in order to create the kitchen of your dreams. Simple touches and unique elements that aid in functionality and flow of such a multi-purpose space will help make the kitchen a room you want to return to again and again. The kitchen is more than just an area complete with a fridge and a stove, it’s a space that invokes memories, warmth, and a sense of love - it’s the heart of the home.

It’s no secret that we Americans love our coffee. In an article published in USA Today, 83% of adults drink coffee in the United States at a clip of 587 million cups a year, making us its largest consumer. That’s a lot of coffee! And while we love its taste and the needed boost it so often provides throughout the day; We understand that coffee’s true magic lies in its power to bring people together. Walk into most any local cafe and we can’t help but to experience what Howard Schultz (founder of Starbucks) did when he shares how “he was taken by the power that savoring a simple cup of coffee can have to connect people and create community.” Whether it’s what appears to be a father talking with his young daughter about her day at school, an elderly couple hovered over their respective novels, or even two strangers chatting about the day’s events, we get the magic of coffee. It’s no wonder to see a growing number of homeowners incorporating this feeling into their kitchen. We see this in three ways. Décor Believe it or not, studies have shown that elements of interior design can affect one’s emotions in a positive or even negative way. Do an internet search of “kitchen coffee décor” and you’ll see that the options are endless. Whether it’s adding chalkboard walls, themed artwork, or even a bookshelf for coffee mugs, homeowners are using their creativity to bring home to their kitchens the café vibe that they so enjoy. Convenience Let’s be real. When it comes to coffee, we love convenience. Two minutes after we wake up, the last thing we want to be is scrambling around the kitchen for our morning fix. While simply placing a Keurig someplace on a counter may be enough for some, many find this to only create further clutter while also creating an aesthetic nightmare. One solution coffee drinkers are turning to is the coffee station or bar. Creating an exclusive space for our coffee needs brings with it not only the convenience of consolidation but also the aesthetic appeal of simplicity. As with microwaves, dishwashers, and refrigerators, people are even integrating built-in units to accomplish this. Layout Coffee unites us, and it only makes sense to see coffee-loving homeowners exploring different ways of creating a space conducive for social interaction. Often, this means moving more towards an open-plan, which for some requires at least some level of remodeling. As Victoria Harrison, an editor for Houzz, writes, “Open-plan living hasn’t merely risen in popularity in recent years, it seems to be the mainstay of what many people look for in a home,” adding that, “Open-plan design encourages sociable living.” The notion of remodeling may seem unnecessary for some, but when considering the communal benefits a layout can bring, it is an easy call for many. Our passion is to help turn your dream of a kitchen remodel into a reality. We know how daunting a kitchen remodel can seem at times, but rest assured that our team of experienced and knowledgeable designers are here to walk with you every step of the way. We are kitchen experts and only settle to bring about the best quality and customer service our customers deserve. And like most of you, we too are coffee lovers who want nothing more than to help you incorporate elements of your favorite café into your kitchen. Coffee-lover or not, we believe the kitchen to be one of the most important places in a home and desire to help make your vision of what home should be come to life.