"Home is Where..."??

Well, if I answered this question last week, I would've said "Home is Where...The SNOW DAYS Are!! "

I don't care how old you are, you are never too old to get out and enjoy the beauty and rareity of a North Carolina snowfall-And the occassional snowball fight!

However, if you chose to stay indoors during the bought of cold, snowy weather...how was it?

If "Home is where the Heart should be", then why do too many of us answer "Home is Where...The White Walls Are"!

As a designer, I can't think of anything worse than a home that doesn't cultivate quiet moments, offer inspiration, and reflect the inhabitants' personality with it's colors and decor.

With our economy making us all cringe and the cold weather settling in, we find ourselves spending more and more time at home. So, let's make it exciting!?

Here are some ideas for overhauling that tired, blank canvas of a house from the

Lifestyle Collection: 2009 Color Forecast by Sherwin Williams ..and we'll be happy to help you with more!

Techno Color...it's not just for people with mohawks anymore! This cheery pallette will make you forget the cold weather outside!

Local Momentum...A natural pallette of color that will please any earth-loving individual (or anyone who recycles...anything!)

Conscious Luxury...These colors, with warm mineral tones, have an exotic vibe that may just be the budget friendly resort vacation you need!

Global Tapestry...Travel the world; Don't leave the sofa!

Here's a handy paint calculator to try for those DIYer's out there! http://www.dominomag.com/resources/calculators/paint

(For those of you who have painted before and prefer nails on a chalkboard...we have resources for you to get the job done too!)

And, the next time someone asks you "Home is Where..."? ?

Here's to being able to say,

"Home is Where... The FUN Is!!

ENJOY!

After

Before

Old-World Charm with Modern-Day Convenience

Schelfe and Associates, Inc. transformed a 2-car garage into this large spacious kitchen, walk-in pantry and laundry room. Since most of the structure is underground the task to provide as much sunlight was a challenge. Removing the large overhead garage doors and adding two large double French doors allowed sunlight to fill the room. In addition, decorative mirrors were placed above a custom designed banquette which allowed sun to reflect and make the space feel larger and brighter. The concrete slab was covered with a medium tone stained wood floor. A brick post was not to be disturbed and sat in the middle of the new kitchen. The structural post was disguised with a custom designed box column with paneling to match the cabinets. Keeping this kitchen warm with rich textures yet light and airy was the owner’s main priority.

There are several unique features custom designed for this kitchen. The custom made stained maple cabinets have inset doors and drawers. A main feature of the kitchen was the large center island. It is a large sit down island with a thick walnut countertop. The cabinets are a sage color to compliment the marble fresco above the sink. The kitchen is designed to have good circulation and the large island keeps the work triangle on one side and guests on another side of the kitchen.

This previous garage has now been transformed into a fun and exciting place to spend quality time with loved ones and mingle with good friends. This kitchen is everything the owner’s wanted; a combination of old world charm and modern day convenience.

5 Kitchen Design Tips:

1. A kitchen needs a well balanced lighting plan (general, task & accent lighting). As designed in this kitchen, the general lighting was created with recessed can lights, the task lighting was used with undercabinet halogen lighting, and the accent lighting was created with a decorative wrought iron chandelier and sconce.

2. Architectural details add texture and dimension. This was accomplished in this kitchen with an ornate crown moulding and decorative hand carved wood corbels flanking the cooktop surround and island.

3. A warm palette with pale colors gives a sense of a larger space. The paint colors for this kitchen were selected to make the room feel more spacious and bright. The kitchen island color was selected to inject a punch of color to create visual interest.

4. In a kitchen, try to plan a work surface next to each appliance and have things easily within reach. This kitchen was designed to have pull-out spice shelves on either side of the cooktop for convenience.

5. Installing a granite slab to a backsplash not only looks beautiful, but makes it easy to clean. This kitchen was designed to run the granite slab vertically on the backsplash and sides of the cooktop.

Schelfe and Associates is thrilled to announce that its Owner and Principal, Tim Schelfe, has been featured in a new nationally published design book called "Visions of Design". This new coffee table book showcases the work of top Interior Designers throughout the USA and Canada.

The projects selected by Tim for this book showcase the firm's ability to work in a variety of styles, from traditional to contemporary and on a variety of projects, from whole house projects to kitchens, family rooms and more!

Tim is thrilled to be a part of the publishing team and is looking forward to his next published project.