In 1991 the city of Boulder, Colorado decided to look toward the future and implement an ordinance that would prove to be the gold (green?) standard for municipal building codes. Due to the rising cost of conventional sources of energy in the late 1980’s the “Solar Access Ordinance” was enacted to make sure that everyone in Boulder considering erecting a new building or structure had to keep sunlight in mind. The ordinance mandates that each new building leave room for a 12’ or 25’ “hypothetical solar fence” allowing for enough sunlight to produce energy. Construction planning has taken shadow cover and movement and the angles of shadows over the heavily graded terrain of Boulder into the development process. If the shadows don’t comply then a new blueprint must be written. For 19 years now sunshine and solar has found its place in the small Colorado city outside of Denver. The rest of the country might want to take a page out of Boulder’s book.
Workers install a solar fixture on a Boulder home.
Color brings fun and drama to the bathroom. You can be as bold or as subtle as you wish. Painting one accent wall is a great way to bring add splash of color to the room without overwhelming the space. Highlighting the bathroom through cleverly chosen color schemes can make for a very aesthetically pleasing space, not just a plain, wall-papered nook.
Blue Themed BathroomBeach House Striped ThemeHot Pink Design
The first step when it comes to kitchen remodeling is to choose a color scheme you like. Once you do that, then you can begin to organize your kitchen design around it. We have selected three of the most common kitchen color schemes below and briefly described how to achieve these looks in your own home.
Dark & Elegant
Don’t get us wrong, dark kitchens are not easy to pull off. Nonetheless, when well executed they can reflect a mysterious, elegant beauty that brighter kitchen designs cannot imitate. Below is an image taken from House & Garden of Gwyneth Paltrow’s kitchen in her home in the Hamptons. The light countertops and white chandelier do a wonderful job of offsetting the dramatic black cabinetry. If you are considering a similar color scheme, Perla Bianca Trend Stone granite veneer overlays would be an excellent choice for your countertops. Silver hardware, faucets, and appliances can also make dark cabinetry pop and bring a little bit of brightness to the room.
Here are a few quick ideas to help you stay organized before and after a kitchen remodel. Let us know if you have any other tips that have been useful to you in the past – we always love your input!
Organized Kitchen Utensils, Photo By Ginnerobot
Store Items Within Reach
Use a vase or narrow jug to store kitchen utensils with long handles, especially those that you need to keep within easy reach. Tongs, whisks, wooden spoons, ladles, and spatulas are perfect candidates
