Be Creative in Hiding Your Outlets

Electrical outlets can be designed to be hidden or placed in a area to utilize a certain space. In a kitchen there are many times where an outlet placed on the side of an island or even a strip of outlets either on the island or under overhangs can be useful. Backslashes that are bar height often will have an outlet or two. This is a very common place for them. Outlets can also be hidden behind drawer fronts to camouflage and keep a distinct design.

Bathrooms sometimes have hidden outlets, sometimes in drawers, above or inside a cabinet.   You typically see outlets in odd places in your kitchen than bathroom but they technically can be hidden anywhere in the home. Ask you remodeler to be creative in hiding your outlet in an inconspicuous place.

Modernizing Your Bathroom with A Glass Shower

Any ordinary bathroom can be transformed into a spa retreat with a glass shower. Glass shower designs can visually enlarge and lighten a bathroom. It can be a full glass enclosure or just a glass door. Inside the shower can have amazing tile work and top of the line fixtures.

The most affordable glass shower is creating a walk in shower stall with a glass door. Now your glass door can come framed or frameless. A framed glass door is composed of glass panels joined together by metal. These are usually the less expensive way than a frameless glass door.  For a seamless look, frameless glass showers are the way to go. They are a lot more expensive then your framed door but you have no metal showing. These doors are also a lot heavier. A downside to both is that framed doors have more possibility of mold appearing near the frame and frameless doors can allow water to escape through the small gap around the door.

If you have space in your bathroom, a shower with several walls being glass may be an option for you. There are even designs created where there are no doors and the person just walks through an opening to the shower. These types of shower are more expensive due to the amount of glass being used. Glass shower walls can be transparent, semitransparent or etched for an additional cost.

Glass blocks are another option of using glass but it creates more privacy. These blocks come in several different colors and sizes. They can also be mixed and matched to create your custom design. Glass blocks are more durable than solid glass but depending on the amount used, they can be more expensive then a solid glass panel.

Enjoy Your View with A Wrap Around Deck

Following yesterdays post on Outdoor Entertaining in Hawaii, I felt I would expand with decks. Decks are also essential for enjoying your outdoor living in Hawaii. We had a previous job where the client wanted to upgrade and add a wrap around deck onto their second level of their home. The deck was created 30 feet above on stilts.

Outdoor Entertaining in Hawaii

Every season in Hawaii is perfect for entertaining and cooking outdoors. An outdoor kitchen will transform your backyard cooking and entertaining. If you already have an outdoor kitchen use the following ideas to upgrade your space.

Image credit: Viking

The key component to any outdoor entertaining is your outside cooking appliance. You can choose from different grills and smokers to surface cooking. Warming drawers are also made available for outdoor conditions. Viking offers a variety of luxury outdoor cooking appliances to fit any style.  

Image credit: Premier Outdoor Living & Design

Granite surfaces and all weather cabinets are very common to add to the overall design. Under the counter appliances are another important asset to the outside kitchen. Outdoor products that fit under the counter range from refrigerators, beverage reserves, wine reserves, beer dispensers, freezers and even ice makers. Perlick offers a variety of luxury under the counter refrigeration products. 

Is your outdoor kitchen covered? If it is, it would be beneficial to add a range hood to the design. This helps clear any smoke and heat from the area which is usually caused from high temperature grilling. BROAN makes a stainless steel range hood that is durable and long lasting to withstand the harsh outdoor weather conditions.

By incorporating these ideas your outdoor entertaining and cooking area will be taken to a new level. 

Brighten & Enlarge Any Room with Mirrors

Image Credit: CNS Contracting

Mirrors will give an illusion that your room appears larger and brighter without even adding any actual space. the reflective surface can lighten and enlarge any room.

Image credit: John M Stephens Design

The trick is to extend the mirrored surface either to the adjacent perpendicular wall or ceiling surface, or incorporate a large enough mired surface to give the illusion of a larger room. Your room will feel more spacious with a wall-to-wall mirror but you can opt for hanging mirror to fit your theme or period feel of the room. 

Mirrors can also help brighten a dark wall by reflecting the lighter side of the room. Mirrors are simple, yet very effective.