Narrow Kitchen Islands with function

Jennifer Ott

Islands are workhorses in the kitchen. They offer an additional surface area, apart from the perimeter countertops, that can be used for food prep, serving or as a place to perch and hang out with family and friends. Those with space-challenged kitchens often think there’s no way they can squeeze in an island, but you’d be surprised at just how compact you can go.

STEPHEN FLETCHER ARCHITECTS

Douglas Design Studio

The minimum recommended width of a kitchen work aisle is 42 inches for a single cook and 48 inches for multiple cooks, according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association. A walkway should be at least 36 inches wide. In a small kitchen, it can be tough to accommodate a standard-size island, which typically measures 25 to 40 inches deep, and still have adequate space for aisles and walkways.

But there’s quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to the size and orientation of a kitchen island. It should be designed and placed to provide an additional surface without being in the way of crucial kitchen tasks. Many homeowners actually prefer a compact island because it allows for better flow — it’s easier to get around when moving from one area to another. 

Of course, you don’t want to make the island so tiny that it’s no longer useful. The previous two islands are fairly skinny but still offer enough surface area to be useful for various kitchen tasks.

Shawn St.Peter Photography

It’s important to think about the function of your island. Do you need additional storage space at the base of the island? Can it be open, such as the island above, or do you need closed storage? If it’s going to be an open shelf, think about what you will store there, as it will take center stage in your kitchen. Whatever is stored there could become a grease and dust collector unless it gets frequent use.

Gepetto

Or perhaps you need an island that serves as an in-kitchen hangout spot. Sure, you’re not going to serve a multicourse meal on an island like the one pictured here, but it’s the right size for a couple of people to sit, visit and enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. If you plan to set a stool or stools around the island, consider placing them so that the person seated doesn’t get in the way of the cook.

HOLAH Design + Architecture

Clearly, a narrow island is not going to be able to house a sink or a cooktop, but it can still be useful as a landing area when taking items out of the refrigerator or oven. In fact, for safety’s sake, if your kitchen lacks a surface next to your range or cooktop, you may want to add a small island nearby so that you have a place to set hot things without having to walk too far.

KuDa Photography

An island needn’t be a fixed piece of cabinetry. This cool industrial-style kitchen features a free-standing cart as its island. Think about adding wheels so that you can move the island around the space as needed. Just be sure you can lock the wheels to keep your island from wandering off.

Beth Simmons Interior Design

Size your island to best fit the geometry of your space. If your kitchen is long and narrow, then you’ll want a long and narrow island. However, if your kitchen is more square-shaped, such as the one shown here, then an island that is similarly shaped will fit and function better.

Bethell Projects Ltd

Bigger isn’t always better. If your kitchen is a bustling space, I think giving yourself wider work aisles and a smaller island is preferable to cramming in an oversize island in a way that leaves you with uncomfortably narrow aisles and walkways.

MORTGAGE FRAUD ON THE RISE

A new report from Equifax Canada says high-risk and suspected fraudulent mortgage activity is on the rise, citing a 52 per cent increase in suspected fraudulent mortgage applications since 2013.

A recent Equifax survey showed:

• 13 per cent of Canadians indicated they felt it was okay to tell “a little white lie” when applying for a mortgage to get the house they want.
• 16 per cent said they believe mortgage fraud is a victimless crime.
• Eight per cent admitted to misrepresenting the facts on a credit or loan application.

“We’re certainly seeing more mortgage applications being flagged as suspicious by our reporting institutions,” says Tara Zecevic, vice president, customer insight at Equifax Canada. “While we cannot entirely attribute these increases to consumers overstating personal income or falsifying applications, we do want to remind people that there are serious consequences for making false or inaccurate claims on any loan or mortgage applications. Not only will it stretch your finances, it is in breach of your contractual obligations with the lender, and simply put, it’s against the law.”

When asked about who they trust in the home-buying experience:

• 44 per cent of Canadians trust real estate agents the least during the home-buying experience.
• About one-in-four also distrust homeowners (27 per cent) and home inspectors (26 per cent).
• 20 per cent distrust mortgage brokers, another 16 per cent don’t trust their bank and equally 16 per cent have little trust in their insurance agent.
• Only nine per cent said they trust all professionals involved in the home-buying experience.

When asked about housing prices:

• 84 per cent believe that the cost of home ownership is too high for first-home buyers today.
• Nearly three-in-10 Canadians cite “more demand than supply” (29 per cent) and “foreign buyers” (27 per cent) as the main factors driving up home prices.
• B.C. residents (compared to other provinces) were significantly more likely to cite foreign buyers as the top reason for home prices being driven up (75 per cent versus 42 per cent for all other provinces).

The survey was conducted online capturing a representative sample of 1,547 Canadians from across the country. A sample of this size would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.5% 19 times out of 20, says the company.

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Wet Basement - some DIY tips to try before calling a Contractor

Kevin Brasler

Wet basement? Thinking about calling a basement waterproofing contractor? Stop.

Many contractors will propose the installation of expensive interior drainage systems — even if you don’t need one — when most moisture problems can be solved through less expensive means. You’re more likely to get good results and save a lot of money by exploring other solutions and hiring a basement waterproofing contractor only if absolutely needed. If your home was built within the past few years, check the builder’s warranty for clauses on seepage.

Most basements get wet when rainwater runs toward the walls of houses from roofs, yards and driveways. So your first step is to force it to run away from your home.

Start by cleaning your gutters, repairing holes, and making sure they slope toward downspouts and have not come loose from the house, allowing water to fall directly from the roof to the ground. Test downspouts to make sure they spill water at least four feet away from the house.

You can extend downspouts for less than $15 each; gutter repairs are more expensive. But these improvements are worth the price, even if they do not fully solve your water problem.

The next step is to inspect the soil around your house and regrade it if necessary. This is a job you can do yourself or by calling in a landscaper. The earth around your house should slope at least one inch per foot going away from your house for about six to eight feet. The grading should consist of fill soil with a clay content of 20 to 30 percent. Don’t use sandy soil or soil containing a lot of organic matter; it will not shed water adequately.

Before adding dirt around your foundation, rake out all old mulch, leaves and ground cover. If they are filled over, they will create a shelf that catches water.

A grading solution obviously has important advantages. It costs little — dirt, after all, is cheap — requires no great skill and should move enough water away from your house to prevent serious harm.

If portions of your yard slope toward your house, you may have to cut a swale to divert water before it reaches the house. A swale is a shallow, U-shaped ditch dug perpendicular to the water flow. Like regrading, it’s a fairly simple job.

Regrading or diverting surface water will solve most basement moisture problems, but it may not always be the best approach. It may cost more than other solutions — for instance, if you have to rebuild an elaborate patio that slants toward your house or if you have to redo extensive landscaping in the problem area. Furthermore, grading is not a sure cure for leakage problems; water may be penetrating your basement from places that originate well away from your house. Finally, sometimes regrading is a relatively frail solution; a little careless digging in your garden may produce a new source of leakage just after you have installed a home theater in your basement.

If regrading and other surface drainage improvements don’t solve the problem, more drastic and expensive solutions await.

For most homes, the next best approach is to waterproof walls from the outside. For this, a trench is dug to the depth of the footings of affected walls. Drainage pipe is installed at the bottom of the trench to collect water that seeps from above and carries it to a part of your yard away from your home or into a drainage pit. The exterior walls are re-parged and a vapor barrier added. The trench is filled with soil that is tamped down, and the surface area is regraded to improve surface drainage.

Excavating and waterproofing from the outside might be more expensive than installing an interior drainage system. But Checkbook’s view is that, unlike interior systems, this will actually solve the underlying problem by diverting water away from walls, rather than simply managing water that enters the home.

If you need to hire a contractor, meet with and obtain proposals from several. Many landscaping companies specialize in drainage work. You can get some insight into a company’s performance by checking the ratings and comments posted by area consumers in the “Basement Waterproofers” and “Landscapers” sections at Checkbook.org. Through a special arrangement with The Washington Post, you can access ratings in these categories free of charge until Feb. 25 at checkbook.org/washingtonpost/wetbasement.

Among basement waterproofing contractors, big differences exist in the quality of advice provided. Checkbook found that different companies may propose drastically different — and in some cases costly and unnecessary — solutions. Don’t let them pressure you into a decision. Avoid companies that use aggressive sales tactics.

Check any contractor’s schedule of payments. A payment schedule that allows you to pay most or all of the cost of a job after completion gives you leverage to make sure it’s completed promptly and neatly. The best arrangement is to hold final payment until after the first heavy rain, when you can find out how well the job holds up.

Compare the guarantees offered by companies that bid on the work. Of course, a guarantee should protect you if the system doesn’t work — but you still have to enforce it. In this field, don’t be too impressed with long guarantees. If a company goes under, its guarantee won’t do you much good — and waterproofing companies go under all the time.

Also, beware of technicalities in guarantees. Some impose an annual fee to keep the guarantee in force, an easy-to-overlook requirement. In addition, warranty coverage of sump pumps varies. Some warranties cover the pump for as long as they cover the underground system — perhaps five years or more; some cover it for a year or less.

4 things to think about before choosing a Backsplash

Leslie Andrachuk

Kitchen backsplashes are definitely having a moment and are now a key design feature of any modern kitchen. With so many choices out there, how do you choose the best option for your needs, and most importantly – your desires?

Take into consideration the following when making a decision about what kind of backsplash to go with.

1. Budget

Your budget will very much determine the kind of backsplash you can afford. If you are on a limited budget, you might want to consider simple paint, chalk paint, or even tin old-style panels that are typically used on ceilings.

If you have a little more budget and can afford tiles, the most affordable will be classic ceramic or porcelain tiles. Tiles are great as they transcend trends, and are impervious to stains. Specially shaped tiles and intricate glazes can cost more as the manufacturing process is more intensive. Or why not consider wood? If it’s good enough for the floor, it’s good enough for walls.

Glass tiles are also super easy to clean and have lots of ability to deliver drama. Concrete tiles are having a moment and deliver a big design punch with bold, often geometric designs that are very colourful. Both are delicate however and can chip easily, so handle carefully when shipping or installing.

For those with ample budgets, consider a slab of marble, agate, onyx, mother of pearl or another dramatic option. Natural stone is porous and therefore riskier from a staining and cleaning standpoint. Additionally, it requires sealing once a year, so budget for this if you decide to go for full-scale drama.

2. Colour

The choice of colour – or indeed to go with any colour at all in your backsplash – is very much dictated by the decor of the rest of your kitchen. Make sure your backsplash complements your counter, your floors and your cabinetry. Decide beforehand whether or not you want to make a major statement, or prefer this element to be a calming and grounding factor in your kitchen.

Think of your own personal style and how you would like your kitchen to make you feel. If you would like a calm, neutral space it may be best to install a white or off-white tile or stone. If you would like more personality in your backsplash, consider a coloured glass, concrete tile, mirror or another dramatic solution.

3. Shape

Speciality shapes are very alluring and can look fabulous when done right but can also be more difficult to install which can make installing your backsplash a more expensive proposition. Also, if you are thinking of selling your house any time in the near future, a more overtly dramatic backsplash may make selling more challenging if the backsplash is very dramatic or specific to your tastes.

Arabesque Tile by Micom Tileworks

Long and thin tiles (think 1″x4″) arranged vertically are a recent trend in backsplash configuration. Or give some thought to installing tiles in a lantern shape, picket shape, geometric shapes, moroccan fish scale or one of the many other exciting shapes available in backsplash tiles today.

We’re super inspired by this fish scale backsplash wall that also doubles as a living wall. Designed by Maruja Fuentes, this is an innovative way to bring the outdoors inside.

4. Pattern and texture

The way your tile is laid can also make a major difference in the look and feel of your kitchen. Consider a more unique approach to pattern such a laying your tile in a herringbone, brickwork or diamond shaped pattern.

The classic shape of a penny tile updated in a metallic look is fresh and modern. Consider texture as well when choosing your backsplash. Do you prefer something smooth, that is simple to clean, or a look at that relief and texture that may not be quite as simple to clean?

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HELPING CLIENTS AVOID HOUSE-HUNTING DRAMA

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | TUESDAY, JANUARY 03, 2017

“Moving is one of the most stressful situations that a person can go through,” says Frank Schofield, an associate broker with Summit REALTORS® in Northern Virginia. “It’s one of the most rewarding, but also one of the most stressful.”

To make the house-hunt a little less stressful, real estate pros offer the following tips:

1. Determine what you want upfront, and stick to that criteria.

What are your non-negotiables? What location do you desire? What educational opportunities are important? What do you want your daily commute to be? And what price are you willing to pay? “The first step to avoid house hunting drama is to really sit back and think about what is most important to you,” advises Jason Mitchell, founder and president of Jason Mitchell Real Estate. “This will narrow down your scope so you are not looking at hundreds of homes, just the ones that fit in your criteria. … Looking in an area that’s not going to provide the home type that you want is going to cause frustration.”

2. Get preapproved for a mortgage.

Avoid delays once you do find a home by getting your loan preapproved. “If there is any issue, it is identified early on in the process and not the moment that you’re trying to submit a contract on the property,” says Schofield. Also, you’ll know your numbers and how much to expect on a monthly payment to make sure you’re house-shopping within your price range.

3. Communicate.

Share with your real estate agent the biggest stressors and fears you have in the home-buying process. “The more open the client is with the agent, the less drama is going to present itself in the transaction,” says Schofield. “You have to trust your agent and relate to them as a confidant, as an ally.”

4. Don’t linger too long.

“Believe me, procrastination causes drama,” Schofield says. For home buyers on a deadline, Schofield recommends beginning four to six months ahead of time to start learning more about the market. Plus, with mortgage rates forecasted to move higher this year, buyers who wait too long may find what they can afford lessen. “Have the right expectations, or else you’re setting yourself up for frustration,” Schofield says.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR HAPPY HOME 2017

Jessica Greaves

Every new year starts the same, we wake up on January 1st and make ambitious resolutions and promise we’ll actually stick to them this year (not like last year!). This year instead of making personal goals, like going to the gym 5 days a week and feeling bad when you don’t keep them, try making resolutions for your home. We’ve put together a list of 7 attainable home resolutions you can achieve this year and feel good about doing.

1. Check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors monthly.

Start the year off safe and make sure they’re in proper working order. It’s recommended that smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are checked once a month and batteries should be changed twice a year. An easy way to remember to change the batteries is to do it when the clocks change. Mark a date on your calendar and make it a habit to check these alarms every month on that date. Ensuring the safety of your home and family is an important resolution to make and keep.

2. Organize and declutter your space.

December is always a busy month and keeping organized can get away from you, especially when it comes to your home. This year, instead of shoving holiday decorations back into a broken cardboard box and throwing them in the basement or storage locker for another year, take the time to actually organize them. Consider having built-ins or custom storage solutions made or hire a company to organize it all for you. If the thought of what to do with all the stuff you’re getting rid of makes you want to stop right there, hire a junk removal company to take it away and start the year with a clean and organized home.

3. Take care of your roof and gutters this winter.

Most of the time there’s no need to remove snow from a roof, however, problems can occur after an abnormally heavy snowfall, especially if it’s followed by rain. In this case, it’s important to remove excess snow so there’s no chance of damage to your roof. When the temperature drops below freezing, make sure to check your roof for frozen ice dams. Ice dams happen when melting snow refreezes and traps water on your roof. This can lead to moisture damage and the need to replace your roof sooner than necessary. If you’re concerned about the amount of snow on your roof, you can either try to remove it yourself with roof rake or call in a roofing professional.

4. Make your home smart and safe.

Safety is always a concern around the holidays, but what about the following months? Many people go on vacation throughout the early months of the new year to avoid the cold weather and winter blues. This year, make sure your home is safe before you go away. Consider updating your alarm system or adding automatic timers for lights so it looks like you’re home. As an added bonus, your home will always look warm and inviting when you arrive home in the evening and it’s already dark outside. Make your home smart and safe this year with home automation.

5. Start planning now for spring projects.

Get a head start and book now for your spring projects before the busy season starts. After a heavy winter of snow and rain, you’ll want to refresh the outside of your home to wash away the winter slush. This includes having your windows cleaned and your deck and house exterior power washed. Be sure to clean your eavestroughs in the spring if you didn’t do them in fall. Do a walk around the perimeter of your home and check your foundation and fences after a harsh winter. Be sure to start planning now as seasonal projects get booked fast and before you know it, another year has gone by and your house is still covered in last winter’s dirt.

6. Simple refreshing changes.

This year, take the time to update your space with small changes. There are many simple changes you can make to your home to freshen it up for the new year. Paint is an easy way to update any room. Try changing the colour of a room or adding a feature wall. Want to refresh your kitchen or bathroom but don’t want to do a complete reno? Consider repainting your cabinets or adding a new backsplash to make it feel like a fresh new space. Another simple change you can make is your lighting. New lights are an easy way to brighten any space and give it a different feel. It’s amazing how small changes like these can really improve the look and feel of your home.

7. Hire smart and do your research.

This year before you hire any home professional, be sure to do your research first. Read reviews to compare and get a feel for the company. While companies can have similar Star Scores, it’s important to read their customers’ reviews so you can learn more about the company and the kind of work they do. Be sure to look at any pictures of their work to see if the company’s style matches yours. Once you feel confident you’ve found the right companies, have them out to see the project and get a quote. No matter the size of your project, do your research first and start on HomeStars.

Take these little steps to keep your house up to date throughout the year and it will pay off in the long run. We hope 2017 is a wonderful year for both you and your home!

www.teambluesky.ca