Long ago, the mudroom of a house was the area between the outside of the house and the inside. In winter ice and snow, and in spring with constant rain, this room with it’s tile floor was a barrier to keep mud off the finished wood floors of the house proper. In households with animals such as horses, you can imagine the dirt that otherwise would have been tracked inside.
Nowadays, I hear clients referring to their “mudroom” but most often I find it is the laundry room between the garage and the kitchen. We have been referring to this as the “Family Foyer” because guests use the formal front door, but the family goes in and out this informal “mudroom”. For families with children, this room can become a problem as the kids routinely dump the coats, backpacks, shoes and sporting equipment on the floor when they come home. What can be done?
We have been working in some solutions to such an area and making it pull double duty. This can be a place to store out of season outerwear and shoes if we can build up to the ceiling. (mittens/hats/ beach towels/ flip flops) Depending on how large the area is, we can create cubbies, often with coat hooks and a place to sit so that it’s easy to hang up the coats and back packs and put on, take off, and store shoes and boots. It’s also a great place for mom and dad to park some of their gear so it doesn’t wind up on the kitchen counters. A “charging” zone can be created for the various rechargeable devices (phones, cameras, GPS, laptop, I-pods) that could develop into a snake nest of wires in the more public parts of you home.
Me and my Mud (Room)
NARI President's Breakfast
Kleppinger Design Group hosted the NARI President's Breakfast on Sept. 23rd. June Stanish was on hand to snap a few pictures of the casual networking event. The monthly NARI President's Breakfast is an opportunity for NARI members and potential members to talk with the NARI Metro DC President Jerry Levine.
Tupperware Nightmare
Let’s face it. Getting dinner on the table is a big enough chore. There’s the planning, the shopping, the prep work, the retrieval of all the cookware, the actual cooking, and the endless clean up. Can we make this easier please????
I have worked with many families over the years to help them create their perfect dream kitchen. Each project presents me with a unique challenge which needs specific solutions to make life easier. Some areas are a common problem, but we have great ways to address them.
One complaint I almost know I’m going to hear about is the nightmare of the plastic containers we lovingly call Tupperware. There is no question that it is tough to store and retrieve. The lids go missing as they seem to jump off the shelf. Finding the right size container with a matching lid is frustrating at best.
iPad for the Kitchen
More options for are becoming available everyday with many computer manufacturer experimenting with touch screen interfaces. The HP TouchSmart is a desktop PC designed to let users call up pictures, music, and email on the flat screen monitor with the just a touch. It also can be controlled with a keyboard and mouse.
Shiloh Offers Inset Door Style
Shiloh Cabinetry is now offering flush and beaded inset style doors. To see some of the door styles and finishes stop by the KDG showroom or visit the Shiloh website.
Crystal's Homestead Finishes
Furniture that has the look of generations of wear.
Crystal's new Signature Homestead finish represents the look of furniture or wood that has had two layers of finish applied, and through generations of wear, the top layer of finish has partially worn off to expose the finish underneath. The wearing of the top finish layer, and the sanding of the raw wood is hand done, thus creating a timeless, handcrafted look for your cabinetry.
2009 CoTY Awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 2010
CONTACT: Bill Kleppinger
(703) 208-2208 or BillK@KleppingerDesign.com
KLEPPINGER DESIGN GROUP, INC. PROVES THAT EVEN IN A RECESSION QUALITY REIGNS
2009 Capital COTY Awards Recognize Creativity & Craftsmanship Among Area’s
Top Remodeling & Design-Build Firms
Washington, DC – Despite the challenges of this past year’s economic climate, members of The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Metro DC Chapter, proved once again that their commitment to creativity, craftsmanship and sustainable remodeling and design is worth recognizing. This coveted recognition was celebrated during NARI’s 2009 Capital COTY Awards ceremony on January 30, 2010, at the Marriott in North Bethesda, MD. Despite the snow, over 250 NARI members, suppliers, and supporters gathered to recognize the efforts of the 54 winners who took home 108 awards. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Metro DC Chapter, awarded Kleppinger Design Group, Inc. three awards; the 2009 Capital COTY MERIT TEAM AWARD for RESIDENTIAL KITCHENS UNDER $50,000; MERIT TEAM AWARD for ENTIRE HOUSE $50,000 - $1,000,000; FINALIST TEAM AWARD for RESIDENTIAL ADDITIONS OVER $500,000.
“The Capital COTY Awards are the highest honor in the remodeling industry,” said Bill Kleppinger. “Kleppinger Design Group is proud to be among the caliber of firms who are members of NARI Metro DC Chapter. We are among the largest and most talented in the country.”
Award winners spanned over 35 categories ranging from “Residential Bath under $30,000” to “Green Remodeling Entire House.” Twenty-seven Virginia companies took home COTY Awards. Kleppinger Design Group, Inc. has been involved with NARI for many years now and continues to see the benefits of working with the best in the industry.
For more information about Kleppinger Design Group, Inc., contact Bill Kleppinger at (703) 208-2208 or BillK@KleppingerDesign.com. For information on NARI and NARI members, go to www.narimetrodc.org.
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About NARI Metro DC: The Metro DC Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is comprised of 500 remodeling companies. Membership in this organization ensures that member companies adhere to a strict code of ethics and professionalism. Membership is comprised of full-service contractors, design-build firms, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, subcontractors, and other professionals who work in the remodeling industry.
Four Unique Cabinet Lines by Crystal Cabinetry
Crystal's quartet of fine product lines - Crystal, Quest, Keyline and Encore - offers uncompromising quality, outstanding cabinetry selections and only the best in workmanship and design details. For customers wishing to make purchase decisions as part of a healthy lifestyle, they offer environmentally responsible GreenCore by Crystal.
All Crystal cabinetry is constructed using the finest American made materials with value added custom options and features. Each semi-custom and custom cabinet is built just for you. From shaping each piece of moulding, to routing the cabinet doors, and assembling each box, Crystal's state of the art manufacturing techniques, along with their skilled and dedicated craftspeople, build durable, long-lasting, superior constructed cabinetry.
2009 Crystal Design Awards
The choice of custom inset Gallery door style proved to be an excellent choice to provide a more sophisticated furniture look to the space. The knotty alder wood with the Chestnut stain and Van Dyke Brown glazing provided a warm rich look. This helped to bring the outside in to the house. To provide some contrast lighten the space, the island areas were distressed knotty alder with Antique White paint with Van Dyke Brown glazing. The island and desktops are a rich distressed black walnut wood and the perimeter has Brown Lapis granite tops, which provide the right amount of sparkle to the space.
The main sink is a lovely copper farm sink with a great view of the outdoors. The cook top on the island insures that the cook can maintain conversations and enjoy the view as well. The back wall became symmetrical wall of storage and refrigeration with additional prep space for the cook.
3-Ply Bamboo Door Styles
Crystal's new 3-ply wide or narrow bamboo doors are offered in either horizontal (Staten Island) and vertical (Arden Hills) bamboo. They are available in several light to dark stains, or in natural and carbonized bamboo. The edges of the doors expose the bamboo layers, Staten Island bamboo layers will be on the sides of the door and Arden Hills will have the layers exposed on the top of the doors.
Bamboo is a rapidly-renewable and durable material and can earn green building credits under the revised LEED for Homes.
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