Materials Matter

2010-07-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

In every remodeling project, the question that always comes up when it comes to material selections is what to choose first.
There are, of course, many ways to begin, but when it comes to bathrooms and kitchens I tend to start with choosing the materials for the counters.
I will admit I have a huge bias toward solid, smooth, groutless countertops. Give me marble, limestone, quartz, granite, travertine, concrete; just don’t give me tile.
So one sunny day, Chloe and I went on a road trip looking for a counter.
In 2007, when redoing their kitchen, Leo, Chloe and I spent a few hours going from stone yard to stone yard, searching for the right granite. This time, Chloe informed me, she had less time and very little patience. I decided to try a local, small yard I really like and, hurrah, we lucked out by spotting a gorgeous piece of Lagos Azul limestone hidden between a slab of Carrera and a slab of Durango. We had our counter.
A few days later, armed with a nice sample of our limestone, we met again at my favorite tile store, Classic Tile in Hermosa Beach, where the selection is incredible and the service is above average.
Having the Lagos Azul as a starting point, we looked at many options, from mosaic to glass. The idea was to keep it modern, clean and simple while creating interest.
When selecting tile for a bathroom, I break it down into a few elements: Floors, shower pan, shower walls and back-splash.
We finally settled on several stone products by combining a limestone called Seagrass for the floors and using the same stone cut to a smaller size for the shower pan. We selected a beautiful, darker gray limestone called Flannel as accents for the shower pan and for the bottom third of the shower. Our main event, however, was a gorgeous mosaic from Walker-Zawww.cekdesign.comnger in delicate strips in a silver color.
By choosing to tile the wall around the window completely with this delicate mosaic, we will be creating a wonderful focal point for Leo and Chloe’s master bath.
Stay tuned for more material selections in the next chapter.
www.cekdesign.com

The Diary Of A Remodel

2010-06-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

CEK Design opened its doors for business in 1995. I love being my own boss and would not have it any other way. I tend to equate us to a small boutique with no intentions of ever getting too big. I oversee all my projects, develop close relationships with all my clients and am always just a phone call, email or text away.
Although my company does it all, from window treatments to arranging accessories and wall decor in interesting creative and pleasing ways, my first love has always been remodeling and,lucky me, in the last few years remodeling has been the lion's share of CEK Design.
I could actually hear the shrieks as I am writing. I am sure each and everyone of you has either suffered through a remodeling nightmare or knows someone who did. I hear all the horror stories and usually need to reassure my new clients that this time it will be different. If they have the courage and decide to cross the bridge into the remodeling world I am there for them from start to finish.
Remodeling is not always a bed of roses. I have opened walls to encounter supporting beams that were absolutely not present in the plans we got from the city ( we solved it). I have chosen a nice golden yellow for a kitchen only to get a phone call late at night from a client wondering why her kitchen was actually aubergine ( she ended up falling in love with it and insisting on keeping it even after we offered to repaint) . The stories are basically endless but somehow they all end well.
This summer, I decided to follow a remodeling project from start to finish and document it in this blog. I will include any unpleasant surprises and describe how it was tackled. So without further introduction here is the first chapter.
Located in Manhattan Beach, in a very nice neighborhood, Leo and Chloe's home was build in the mid 80s when builders and clients alike were in love with golden oak and whitewash wood. This is the era of mauve and dusty blue, wall-to-wall carpet and an endless love for unfinished pine. Our TVs were square and on Thursday nights we all gathered to watch Bill Cosby. There were no cell phones, no internet and definitely no texting.
I have worked extensively for Leo and Chloe since 2007, concentrating mostly on their downstairs and now the time had come to address their master bathroom.
The master bath is crying for help, as you can see in the enclosed picture. There is a humongous Jacuzzi tub that Chloe claims never to have used, two unattractive golden oak vanities and lots of white tile, some of it chipped and most of it worn.
Coming from a theatre background, I tend to call the time I spend with a client before demolition begins "pre-production." The idea is that we will have made most of our choices by the time the bulldozer arrives; minimizing waiting time and the anxiety of seeing strangers show up at your front door every single day for several weeks.
Chloe and Leo's house has a Mediterranean flair, stucco exterior, tile roof and lots of arches. When redoing her kitchen, we followed that lead with glazed cabinets and wrought iron. For the master bathroom, Chloe wanted a more contemporary look and being a believer in Eclecticism, I saw no reason why she should not have her wish.
The pre-production was a job that Chloe and I tackled together, knowing that Leo would be brought in as we finalized our choices and addressed construction issues and budget.
My first task, after measuring the space, was to come up with a layout. The instructions were simple. Get rid of the tub completely, make sure there is a place where Chloe can sit while applying her make-up and combine the two sinks into one vanity. To those wishes I also added a bench with storage, kept their linen closet by adding new doors and a pony wall creating a separation between their vanity and the shower.
Before starting our search for materials, Chloe and I spent several hours, together and apart, perusing through websites and magazines and finding pictures of looks that were inspiring.
Our inspirations pictures had a lot in common: Chloe and Leo were favoring a monochromatic color scheme with subtle shades of gray and silver, medium-to-dark stained cabinets and either mosaics or stacking stones for accents. I felt that we had enough ammunition to begin our search.

Interior Design with Style

Materials Matter

The Diary Of A Remodel