Blog
La Jolla Bathroom
Nader Essa Photography Nader Essa Photography My client’s job has her on her feet all day. Her one wish was for a soaking tub. What she didn’t expect was BainUltra’s Geysair technology that maintains a consistent tub temp even if soaking for hours. No waste of water...
Kitchen Sink 101
Choosing the right kitchen sink is as personal as selecting a diamond. It’s an investment you’ll have for years so consider your needs in order to identify the right one for you. There are two options for dividing basins: low divide for soaking large pans without...
Fairbanks Ranch Kitchen
Dilemma: make a kitchen appear larger without moving any walls. Solution: move non-load bearing walls to improve the flow. This home was built in the early ‘90s during the Mediterranean craze so the color palette and materials were dark. Removing the peninsula that...
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Fireplace Refresh 101
If your fireplace was built before 2000, it's likely got polished brass trim. While brass is having a moment, it's best on accents like hardware and light fixtures. Polished brass trim on a fireplace enclosure is a distraction, making your fireplace look outdated....
Gas appliances
CA is deep in discussions to ban gas appliances. NPR’s Jeff Brady wrote a well-researched story on Feb 4 2023 debunking myths on the danger of gas appliances and revealing that manufacturers have had a solution to this problem for 40 years!! In 1984, an infrared gas...
Grand Entrance
A large foyer makes a home feel grand. There are several tricks to keeping it from looking cavernous: Run tile or hardwood front to back drawing your eye to the opposite wall. Consider a decorative feature to offset the entry, making it feel special. In this case, we...
La Jolla Bathroom
Nader Essa Photography Nader Essa Photography My client’s job has her on her feet all day. Her one wish was for a soaking tub. What she didn’t expect was BainUltra’s Geysair technology that maintains a consistent tub temp even if soaking for hours. No waste of water...
Kitchen Sink 101
Choosing the right kitchen sink is as personal as selecting a diamond. It’s an investment you’ll have for years so consider your needs in order to identify the right one for you. There are two options for dividing basins: low divide for soaking large pans without...
Fairbanks Ranch Kitchen
Dilemma: make a kitchen appear larger without moving any walls. Solution: move non-load bearing walls to improve the flow. This home was built in the early ‘90s during the Mediterranean craze so the color palette and materials were dark. Removing the peninsula that...
Ice Makers 101
Ice Ice Baby We love it. We consume it daily. But do we give it the consideration it deserves? We rely on freezer ice makers or trays we fill with water because many freezers ice makers produce fishy tasting ice. Yet we know the real good stuff comes from dedicated...
Grout 101
Grout is the unsung hero of tile installations. Few people think about it or even notice it unless there’s a mistake. Choosing the right color makes a tile installation sing. Choosing the wrong color can make brand new tile look old. When using: *wood-look tile, the...
Refrigerator Finishes 101
Homeowners are already familiar with stainless and panel-ready refrigerators. Glass doors are more common in commercial kitchens but some homeowners opt for them. Of course, you’d need the team from The Home Edit to stop by weekly to arrange the groceries so they’re...
Refrigerator Features 101
The average life span of a refrigerator ranges from 7-15+ years meaning most households have their frig longer than their car. Gone are the days when an external water & ice dispenser was your only option. Fact is, an external water & ice dispenser is the...
Refrigerator Capacity 101
Which refrigerator/freezer configuration is best for you depends on how you eat at home. The old reliable Side by Side provides more freezer storage in general than a French door but a Side by Side can’t fit a full size frozen pizza. French Door models work well in...
Microwave 101
Ya know how some microwaves burn popcorn while others don’t? Cheap off-the-shelf microwaves cook based on time and don’t have sensors so there’s no guarantee your food will be heated properly. Why do some microwaves cost $1k and others $2k? The difference is the cost...
Oven Cleaning 101
To self-clean or not to self-clean? That is the question. Ovens have had a self-cleaning function for decades. The process involves heating the oven to a sweltering 900 degrees for three hours to incinerate debris. The result is a clean oven but at the expense of...
Gas vs Electric Ovens
There is a debate as to which source bakes better: gas or electric. Gas maintains humidity so is preferred by bakers but has a 10-15 degree temp swing. Premium brands offer two convection fans for accurate temp. Electric has better temp management but requires a 40...
Specialty Ovens 101
Speed Ovens If you’ve got kids, you know they go from zero to hangry in a flash. You don’t have 12 minutes to wait for a conventional oven to preheat and you can’t microwave chicken nuggets or they’ll be soggy. A speed oven heats to 300 in 4-1/2 minutes. Problem...
Dishwasher Handles, Controls & Finish 101
Welcome to my TED Talk: More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Dishwashers. In today’s installment, we’ll discuss appearances. Options to consider: Handle: recessed, bar, scoop, pocket Controls: front vs top Finish: stainless vs panel ready A bar handle is only...
Dishwasher Features 101
In real estate, the key is location, location, location. With appliances, it’s features, features, features. BPA free nylon coated tines & racks | Holds 15 place settings | Uses 2.9 gallons of water vs 20 gal to hand wash | Fewer moving parts = quieter, fewer...
Dishwasher Sizes 101
There is a dishwasher to suit every lifestyle whether you’re living solo or entertaining large groups. Drawers If there are 2-3 people living in your home, dishwasher drawers are a great option - unless one of those people is a teenage boy in which case you'll need...
Dishwasher Cycles 101
Dishwashers. Seem pretty simple, right? Load, run, unload. Occasionally add rinse aid. Think again. There is so much to say about dishwashers I need several posts to cover it all. Today’s dishwashers offer a multitude of cycle options. Knowing how each one works, will...
La Jolla Kitchen
Nader Essa Photography My client’s previous kitchen was cramped. By removing the return wall at the end of the sink counter we gained storage. By removing the dining room wall, we got rid of the awkward inside corner, gaining accessible storage & natural light....
Spring Cleaning
After months of work, another renovation is complete. Before hugging my client goodbye, I share my tricks of the trade in caring for the beautiful finishes my crew just installed. The right cleaning supplies can extend the life of your surfaces. The wrong products can...
Moving: Organization Tips
This week has been all about getting organized. This week’s post is all about getting organized to move. You don’t need me to tell you what a big task it is to move. I moved three times in one year during my divorce! In that time, I picked up some great tips from my...
Dorm Room Decor
Congratulations! Countless hours of studying and years of hard work have paid off – you’re college-bound! Now what? Time to get organized! You’ve come to the right place… I’ve divided the task of packing into key categories: DECOR It’s amazing how trendy dorm rooms...
Teen Rooms
Teen Rooms present a unique challenge. As the mother of a teen daughter I can personally attest that a teen making a choice and committing to one are very different things. Some teens, however, know exactly what they want. I find the most successful teen rooms are an...
