I try to judo every project: work within the budget and get the biggest change for every dollar spent. These El Sobrante homeowners were very budget-conscious, and there was a lot to work with. This started as a plan for a large patio next to an unattractive cinderblock guest house in the backyard. It grew
El Sobrante Outdoor Patio, Till/Seed, And DIY Water Timer Sprinkler System, 2018 Read More »
This is the chimney inside the same El Sobrante home where we rebuilt the yard and patio. And like the yard, it was done on a budget, with the homeowner assisting with much of the work. Building a perfect box around a boulder The existing chimney was large and dated, and didn’t fit the ranch-style
A hearth has to do two things at once: stand up to heat and wear in front of the fire, and sit so naturally in the floor that it looks like it was always there. In this El Sobrante home, the new hearth had to meet the existing leathered marble floor flush, with no lip
This Mission District renter wanted a better kitchen counter in her unit, and she was paying for it herself, so the budget mattered. She had already chosen IKEA butcher block, which is a good call. Wood countertops are warm, affordable, and forgiving, and they look far more expensive than they are. Making mismatched cabinets line
New cabinets change a kitchen, but they can also make the walls around them look tired or wrong. This San Francisco kitchen had just been fitted with new IKEA cabinets, and the walls needed a color that belonged with them. Choosing the color on the wall, not the chip Before anything was painted, swatches went
This is one of two kitchens in an Oakland duplex, the same building where we put vinyl plank floors through both units. Both kitchens got the same backsplash, a soft seafoam glass tile with white grout, but the walls behind them were different. The other kitchen’s walls were cinderblock, a solid, stable base that made
Oakland Seafoam Glass Kitchen Backsplash (Second), 2016 Read More »
