Oil Painting~After the Rain

Pin It My Brother-In-Law and his Fiancé Wendy, on their trip to Hawaii gave me several photographs to paint. Though this was not of the ocean, it still caught my eye because of the beauty of the clouds and the sun peeking over the mountain.

Blog update!

Pin It Okay....so I've been ignoring my blog! Not intentionally of course, but I have been so busy studying for my CKD exam, taking care of the kiddos, working, being pregnant, and a wife! Phew! That's a lot to say in one sentence.

Now, this is not a rule, just a tool :) But almost every day I help coordinate colors with my customers at work. If you have no clue where to start, here is something that often helps.

Use complimentary colors. For example, blue and orange are complimentary colors and work well together. Now, I'm not saying to decorate your house in a Chicago Bears theme! However, if you look at the base color, and it has blue undertones, you may want to choose a warmer complimentary color (orange toned in this case) so that they balance each other out.

This process will also help you eliminate the colors that you really dislike, or that just "don't work" while shopping in the future.

~Mirrored Pond

Pin It This was different than the last few paintings I have done. I was inspired by the evening sunset in the wildlife reserve. This tonal painting was created to give a feeling of relaxation. Perfect for a bedroom or bathroom. 11x14 unframed.

Fall Mountains 2~ State of Jefferson

Pin It Here is the "friend" of the last painting I did. They are from the same location, just a different view.

Fall mountains ~ State of Jefferson

Pin It I was driving back from Medford Oregon during the month of October and the fall colors were breathtaking! I was dying to pull over and just start painting! Instead I stopped, found a beautiful bush with great shapes and textures in the foreground, then my eye drifted into the autumn hills, then to the distant mountains. I just had to capture the view.... Since I didn't have time, nor my easel, I took a pic, and painted it as soon as I could.

So here is my latest!

Elk Grove Remodel

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Elk Grove Remodel
2012

Thomasville Cabinetry

My client came in to my showroom with determination to completely remodel her kitchen and living area. I immediately got excited since she was open to letting me be creative as a designer, which is my FAVORITE thing to do! So off we went, walking her through my showroom so that together we could determine the concepts of the design which were most important to her.

　

Concepts:

Compose a warm and inviting space

Implement her classic, traditional style

Utilize a fall color pallet


One of the challenges that I faced was how to maximize the storage space in such a small kitchen, while keeping the same layout. Another was to define the kitchen and family room as two separate spaces, in one great room.

I maximized the storage space by extending the cabinets to the left of the range, and widened the island to give a few more cubic feet of storage space. I also added a hutch in the living area to display family photos, and have a space for electronic components.

My solution to separate the spaces, was to use contrasting wall colors and clearly define the areas and their uses.

First, I decided to use a saturated warm red color in the kitchen, which immediately draws your eye to the cabinetry and the elegant wood hood. These cabinets, made by Thomasville Cabinetry, have a beautiful raised solid wood panel, and a five-piece drawer front; all with a quality painted finish. However, there is one more reason that I recommended red in the kitchen.....It is warm, inviting, and it makes you hungry! Have you ever noticed that most restaurants use red in their logo and interior decor? There is a reason for that, and it is great for a kitchen!

Next, In the living room, we went with a soft green to help identify distinct change in the setting . This color gives a feeling of relaxation after a long day of work. Together, the family can sit on their new sectional sofa and watch television, or enjoy a nice chat by the fireplace. Red and green also make the perfect pair, as they are complimentary colors, and you will see them paired together quite often when coordinating color pallets.

There were a few other staples to this classic design....The simple, yet elegant lighting in the foyer, above the dining table, and the island pendants make a statement, though do not overtake the space. Also, the gorgeous hand-scraped hardwood floors were added throughout, giving the visual illusion of a larger space.


My client's classic traditional taste is the perfect visual desire. Because of it's classic nature, it will never go out of style; therefore ideal when trying to update your home and appeal to future buyers, even years down the road.

 

Exam Registration!

Pin It Well, I just sent off my application for the National Kitchen and Bath Association, Kitchen and Bath Designer Certification! I have been looking forward to this day for the last seven years, as they don't allow you to take the test unless you have 7 years of industry experience and a certain amount of NKBA training. Needless to say, I am so excited!

The exam date is in the month of March, in Los Angeles. I have to read several text books that will help to prepare me for the detailed exam. Luckily, it will all be extremely useful information so I should enjoy reading it.

So now it's crunch time! Wish me luck!