spring home improvement

Cover - Mary

SPRINGHOME

IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO

Leader Publications

Spring Home Improvement • Week of March 19, 2012

What (kitchen)dreams are made of

Story by Craig Haupert

Photos courtesy of A Cut Above

Custom woodwork can mean the

difference between a beautiful kitchen

and the kitchen of

your dreams.


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If there is a room more valuable to a home than the kitchen, Phil Anderson hasn’t found it.

The owner of Cut Above Wood De-signs in Niles has been remodeling kitchens with his company for the past 15 years.

It started as a one-man operation do-ing mostly kitchen refacing, but has since grown to five employees specializ-ing in high-end kitchen redesigns.

Anderson also does entertainment centers, furniture, mantles, bookcases and countertops.

For Anderson, having a quality kitch-en is very important.

“Not only has the kitchen become a gathering spot for the family, it’s also a major factor in the resale value of a home,” Anderson said.

Remodeling a kitchen can be an ex-pensive undertaking. Anderson said his company’s remodeling jobs average be-tween $10,000 to $15,000, with moder-ate remodeling jobs falling between $10,000 and $12,000.

“It can fluctuate a lot depending on several things, from what style you are looking for to the size of the kitchen,” Anderson said.

There are several things to consider before remodeling a kitchen.

First, Anderson said, people need to decide whether they want painted or nat-ural wood grain cabinets.

They also have to choose what kind of door overlay they want.

“There are basically three types of door overlays, but they are key in that they set the tone for the look of the cabi-net,” Anderson said. “That is really key for the customers to understand those three door styles. Once they understand that, they can see how they lend them-selves to a different look in their kitch-en.”

One type of door style popular now is the full inset door. With a full inset, the door is inset inside the framework of the cabinet, giving it a “sleek, yet traditional look,” Anderson said.

Another door style becoming less popular is the full overlay or European look.

“With that style, the doors overlay the

framework of the cabinet almost entirely so what you see from the front of the cabinet is almost all door,” Anderson said.

The third style, a half overlay, is more common and traditional, Anderson said. With a half overlay, the door fits in front of the framework, but you still see about half of the framework of the cabinet.

“The half overlay is one of the things that has always been around and will al-ways be around,” Anderson said.

Appliances also play a major role in a kitchen remodel.

“Appliances drive the rest of the de-sign of the kitchen, so it is important for people to decide what works for the function of the family and the aesthetics of the kitchen,” Anderson said.

People also need to choose what type of countertop they want. Cut Above Wood Designs makes its own laminate and Formica countertops, but Anderson

See WOODWORK, Page 4


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said the majority of his customers choose higher-end countertops, like granite or quartz.

Right now, Anderson said people want kitchens with a “sleek, traditional” look.

“In other words they like a traditional look, but they are looking for nice clean

lines, not quite all the ornamental gran-deur you might see with older traditional work,” he said.

Also popular are built-in appliances, self-closing drawers and double ovens.

Anderson said to pay attention to the quality of the cabinet boxes. Cut Above Wood Designs uses ¾-inch plywood for

their boxes, while other places might use ¼- or ½-inch fiber wood or particle-board.

Anderson also said to think twice be-fore doing a kitchen remodel on your own.

“It isn’t something for the average do it yourselfer if you want a job well done.

You should get someone that is estab-lished and has experience in it if you want a high quality job,” he said.

Cut Above Wood Designs is located at 2536 Detroit Rd. in Niles. It can be reached at (269) 687-7166.

WoodworkContinued from page 3


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The sky’s the limit

Story by Aaron Mueller

Photos courtesy of North Star Landscaping

Your outdoor space is not just

your yard —it’s your

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No longer is it enough to just have a nice, well-kept back-yard.

Just ask Darren Williamson, land-scape architect and owner of North Star Landscape Design and Installation in Cassopolis.

Extravagant waterfalls, ponds, rain gardens and even outdoor kitchens are

becoming more in demand, he says.“People really want to create their

own sanctuary in their backyard,” he said. “They want to be able to have a glass of wine, look at a fish pond with the sound of a waterfall in the back-ground.”

Williamson’s goal as a landscape ar-chitect is to help to make people’s back-yard dreams a reality.

“It’s really neat to create their dreams and have them come to life,” he said. “It’s fun creating something from noth-ing.”

One of the more unique trends is the outdoor kitchen, which can include kitchen appliances, barbecue islands, beer taps, pizza ovens, cab-inets, counterspace and an element for shade.

Water elements, like fish ponds, fountains, water wheels and waterfalls, have also been gaining in popularity for a while, ac-cording to Williamson.

Williamson said water features allow for the prop-erty owner to use some creativity.

“There are big water-

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See LANDSCAPING, Page 8


falls, small falls, deep ponds, shallow ponds, a huge variety of plants and fish,” he said.

North Star Landscaping, which Williamson started in 1982, helps in every stage of landscaping from design to installation to maintenance.

Among the services North Star offers are water features, retaining walls, patios, fire pits, naturescapes, seeding and sod, irrigation design and landscape renovation.

Williamson says mainte-nance help is becoming more common among his custom-ers.

“What I’ve realized over the years is how important maintenance is,” he said.

He said sometimes he will design and install a beautiful display, only for it to become rundown after a few years due to lack of maintenance.

North Star’s maintenance

package offers three to five visits a year to do trimming, apply fertilizers, herbicides, remulching and a host of oth-er projects.

Williamson added that North Star employs integrat-ed pest management, mean-ing they try to use the most minimal amount of pesticides and herbicides to treat a pest problem.

Here are some ways peo-ple can maintain their yards in March and April, courtesy of North Star:

• Lawn and bed cleanup• Cut back ornamental

grasses before new growth appears

• Rake mulch away from bed edges

• Re-define bed edges • Identify winter annual

weeds and remove or spot-

kill before they flower or pro-duce seeds

• Transplant dormant plants and bareroots before they leaf out.

• Prune out dead winter branches from trees and shrubs.

• Divide perennials• Re-mulch beds• Apply crabgrass prevent-

er to lawn and bed areas• Apply pre-emergent her-

bicides to planting beds to control annual weeds

• Apply slow-release ferti-lizers

North Star offers services within a 50-mile radius of its headquarters in Cassopolis.

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T?LandscapingContinued from page 7


Get yourhouse

cleanFamily Features

Following winter months spent indoors, it’s important to take the time to get rid of the dust, dirt and allergens that accumulate in your house. Use these tips to get your home organized and clean:

• Gather your arsenal. Save yourself time and hassle by organizing the items you’ll need, such as rubber gloves, scrub brushes, multi-purpose cleansers, etc. into one buck-et with a handle.

• Cover the basics. Make sure to dust, disinfect and clean all of your surfaces, as well as those areas that get the most use. Sanitize telephones, remote controls, door knobs and counter tops. Take down and launder curtains and wipe down window blinds using a damp sponge.

• Tackle the kitchen. Focus on the key ar-eas. Using a solution of half water, half white distilled vinegar, wipe down the plas-

tic and glass components of the refrigerator. Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge and clean counter tops, stainless steel sinks, the oven range, and within your microwave. To remove soap buildup in your dishwash-er, pour a cup of white vinegar in an empty machine and run through the cycle.

“Most people are unaware that the kitch-en sink is one spot with the most germs,” said Clay Nichols of www.DadLabs.com, a website that helps modern dads tackle the challenges of paternity, one day at a time. Nichols understands the challenges of jug-gling a busy schedule and tackling house-hold chores. He suggests using the mo-ments in between other tasks to clean as you go.

• Clean early and often. If areas of your house are forgotten for weeks at a time, dirt, dust and allergens can build up quick-ly. “Kids and pets can create a lot of mess in a house,” Nichols said. “It is important to clean daily, and in doing so, you free up

your weekend for quality family time.”• Check behind the lines. When cleaning

carpets, flooring and baseboards, move fur-niture out of the way. If you’re looking to refresh a room, try placing key pieces in new spots. To get rid of the carpet indenta-tions left behind by heavy furniture, place ice cubs an inch to an inch-and-a-half apart within the indentations and allow them to melt. The carpet fibers will absorb the moisture and begin to take form.

• Fight allergies. Remove dust and pet hair with the Dirt Devil UpKeep Turbo. This new cyclonic upright vacuum cleaner is easy to maneuver and features a HEPA filtration system. “This vacuum will help ensure your home is ready for all kinds of traffic at a price that won’t keep you from enjoying other family activities,” Nichols said.

For more cleaning tips and information on these products, please visit www.Hoo-ver.com and www.DirtDevil.com.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images


Family Features

With 425,000 items in Apple’s App Store, it seems like there’s an app for eve-rything now. Looking for a pig-latin translator? Need to find the closest re-stroom? Well, you know the saying.

As the number of apps continues to in-crease, developers are taking the technol-

ogy beyond fun and games. Today, users can find apps that help organize, simplify and enrich areas of their daily lives. One of these areas is home design.

“Home design and renovation can feel like a daunting task at the beginning of any project. Whether creating floor plans or choosing colors and fabrics, there is a lot to think about,” said Sarah Reep, di-

rector of designer relations and education at KraftMaid Cabinetry. “Luckily we’re living in a digital age, and there are apps and online resources to help homeowners with everything from budgeting to hang-ing a picture frame.”

Here’s a list of some popular home de-sign apps:

• KraftMyStyle: With this app from KraftMaid Cabinetry, you can capture im-ages and create photo collages of items that inspire you, like colors, unique spac-es, fabrics and art. Style Boards can be shared with family, friends and in the on-line gallery. When you’re working with a designer, this app is a great way to share ideas and inspiration for your home’s de-sign. Available for free for Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

• iHandy Level: Say goodbye to crooked frames. This app turns your iP-hone or iPod Touch into a level. Available for free for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.

• ColorSmart: If you’re planning on

refreshing your home’s walls, this app from Behr paint is a must-have. The app makes it easy to try out different styles and paint colors in your rooms without picking up a roller. Once you’ve found your favorite colors, share them on Face-book and Twitter. Available for free for Android, iPhone and iPad.

• Remodelista: This design source-book brings you the latest content from Remodelista, such as DIY projects, 10 Easy Pieces product roundups, and Steal This Look. Photo galleries organized by room bring daily design inspiration. The app costs $2.99 and is available for Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

• Paint ‘N’ Wash: With this app, you can paint works of art—with your fin-gers—then wash it away with the Delta faucet. Great for getting those creative juices flowing. Available for free for BlackBerry, iPhone and iPad.

For more design advice, tools and tips, visit www.KraftMaidByDesign.com.

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DIY projects help you save

Family Features

This year, everyone is looking to save on their house-hold budget. But just because you’re scaling back, doesn’t mean you can’t make some improvements around the house.

Use these DIY home improvement and cleanup tips from the experts at Grime Boss to help revamp your home, without spending a fortune:

Repaint the wallsOne great way to update your home without having to

replace carpeting or furniture is to refresh walls with a fresh coat of paint. Determine the amount of paint needed by using an online calculator, such as the one provided at www.homedepot.com.

To save even more, simply update the paint on doors, cabinets and crown molding, rather than the walls. Like-wise, you can paint an accent wall along a hallway, or within your kitchen or living room, rather than the entire space.

Replace hardwareIf you’d love to renovate, but it’s simply not in the

budget for this year; make small updates now that you can incorporate into later construction projects. One small trick is to replace the hardware in highly trafficked areas, such as the kitchen or the bathroom. Replace cabinet han-dles or knobs and drawer pulls. While replacing hardware, make sure to give your door hinges and drawer tracks a good oiling to prevent squeaking.

Give your car a tune-upWhen it comes to saving, learning how to maintain

your vehicle can go a long way in terms of managing your household budget. Remember, you should change the oil in your car every 3,000 miles or 3 months. Check out www.ehow.com for videos on how to check, fill or change your oil and other auto maintenance tips. For quick clean-up post tune-up, use Grime Boss wipes to remove oil and grime from your car, your surfaces, and even your hands.

Install shelving in the garageWho couldn’t use extra storage space? For many, addi-

tional storage may mean looking beyond the house to the garage. Find a variety of storage solutions that fit within your budget – from finishing rod racks to cabinets and overhead ceiling-mounted shelving – at retail stores such as www.walmart.com.

Update flooringTo cover existing flooring, use floating laminate piec-

es. Installing wood laminate in your bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, or living room is easy with snap-together pieces. Check out www.diynetwork.com for step-by-step instruc-tions.

Make cleanup a breezeWhether you’re changing the oil in your car or clean-

ing up latex paint, save yourself time and hassle with Grime Boss Heavy Duty Hand Cleaning Wipes, which are tough on big messes, but gentle enough to use on your face and hands.


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