Dreaming of a Remodel?

Hi all!  Summer break is in full swing!  So is remodeling season!

Custom Kitchen
New Construction
Time: 9 months
Cabinet Cost $15,000

In my newsletter, "dreaming of a remodel?" I spoke about setting a budget and a time frame.  Let's start with budget.  First major thing to think about...how are you paying for this remodel?  Financing?  Cash?  This will help set your budget.  It doesn't matter what type of remodeling project you are doing, an addition, new kitchen, deck, bathroom, home office, basement finish, they ALL have a budget.  They also have a time frame for completion.




Once you have an estimated budget, now make a list of what you are trying to accomplish in your remodel.  Tile backsplash?  New flooring?  New counter tops?  New cabinets?  Lighting? Hardware? Appliances? Furniture? etc  This is precisely what a trusted professional will do when they come to your home.  They will ask you all the pertinent questions.  Possibly, ask you to fill out a questionaire.

"penthouse"...remodel
Time Frame:  1+ years
(as funds permit)

There are a lot of variables in every remodeling project.  Ask yourself "why" are you remodeling?  To prepare your home for sale?  This project has been in the works for 10 years?  Trying to achieve "dream home" status without having to move?  Whatever your reason, this also helps determine budget in a round about way.  If you are looking for updates to sell your home, then you most likely make economical cosmetic changes.  That is a whole other topic.  Again, this is where hiring a trusted professional can help you save money.  They know where products lie in the price chart.  They can guide you in the right direction.






So, your homework assignment:
One: figure out the "WHY?"  Are you out growing your space?  Are you transforming your college graduate son's room into your dream craft room?  Are you adding a mother-in-law suite?

Kitchen Remodel - For Resale
Time Frame 3 months
Cabinet Cost = $7000

Two: figure out the "WHEN?"  Are you wanting this done in two weeks for your barbecue? Do you want it done by next June for your daughter's graduation?  What ever the reason, you need to have a general time frame.  Just an FYI, two weeks is not a viable time frame unless you are looking for a fresh coat of paint.  Expect a 2-6 month turn around for your project, sometimes longer depending on the project.

Three: make a list of what you ultimately want in your remodel.  Go for the, "if I won the lottery" scenario.  Once you have your list, come back and see us.  We will help you fit your wants into your budget.

Keep in mind, once you compare your list of wants with your budget, there will most likely be some trade offs. If your budget is realistic, the trade offs will be minimal.  This again is the time to turn to the trusted professionals with whom you will be working with on your remodeling project.  Watch for our future posts on setting a "realistic" budget for your remodeling project!

 Happy list making.

Tile...Just one of the details.

Good Morning!

I can't believe how fast the time goes once we get to Spring here in MN.

 I was selecting tile for a client last week so I grabbed some extra samples to give you an idea of the wealth of options existing out there...for those of you who never browse the tiles aisles at the big box home improvement stores.

All tiles shown are mosaics and come in 12x12 sheets.  They can be applied as a field tile using full sheets or cut apart into strips and used as decorative accents.  Using accents of the decorative tiles can help keep your cost down as multiple lineal feet are produced from one sheet.  It depends on the look you want and your budget.

This is a travertine(stone), marble, and glass mosaic. $10-$11 each sheet.  Love this!  This is great alone or as a decorative element!  I am pairing this as a decorative 5" strip with a travertine field tile in a shower stall!  

All glass in grey tones. 

 A bit more contemporary for you contemporary buffs! $10-$11 each sheet. I would use this as a field tile in a kitchen with some crisp white cabinets.  If you think this is too busy, then again cut it and use it in strips.  A simple white ceramic subway tile would look great with this.

This one looks like a metallic glass mosaic.  In truth, it is a metallic resin.  This is a nice looking tile for an inexpensive price point.  $5 each sheet.  It can be tricky to install though.  Particularly if you use it as a decorative accent, as it is thin and most tiles are double the thickness, so it will have to be built out to the thickness of the field tile.  Make sure you have an experienced installer.   

All glass again.  This one has some textured pieces as well as smooth glass.  A little extra element. I would also use this as a field tile.  The individual tiles are 1x2" so a decent size.  $13 each sheet. I love the brown tones in this one.  

These are just a few examples of the millions of tiles out there.  There is one in pretty much every color of the rainbow.  If you can't find what you are looking for, we area always glad to help.  Check out our website for  more examples of our work.  Sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on the latest design trends. Have a great Holiday Weekend with your families and friends!  

What is an Interior Designer?

Hi all!

We are getting rain, rain, rain! Literally that much in a very short period of time here today! Hmmm...guess we need the moisture. Flash flooding however, is not a good thing.

BrynnAlden Interiors took part in the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce Business Expo last week. Wow...what a turn out! As my first time participating in this event...I was amazed by the number of attendees!

Comments made by passers by at the event leads me to my topic today. Most of the time I just politely correct people. However, it got me thinking...maybe the majority of the general public has no idea there is even a difference. So please READ ON!

I thought I would clear some information up for those of you who wonder..."Are you an interior decorator?" The simple answer is...no. I am an interior "DESIGNER"...Now I bet I have you guessing as to what the difference is.

There is so much I could explain about my profession which I personally find fascinating. However, many of you would only hear blah, blah, blah by the 5th word. So I am going to explain it in a nutshell the way my U of MN classmate and CID Karla describes the difference between a decorator and a designer.

Karla's definition which everyone will be able to understand. A designer is like a baker. She/he can bake and frost the cake. A decorator only applies the frosting once the cake is baked. LOVE IT! Nothing against any decorators out there. Just clarifying for the cause!



I am including a link below to a professional site that may clear up any previously conceived notions on what it is exactly that an Interior Designer does.

We are more than pillows and paint colors(of course that is all part of it)...my 5 years spent at the U of MN earning my Bachelors Degree in Interior Design proves it! Hmmm..the good old days. Then there is also the 6 months preparing for the NCIDQ exam (which is a 2 day exam...that I passed all three sections of the first time..yep toot toot my own horn).


Definition of Interior Design and Interior Decorating

Hopefully, some of you are finding this as fascinating a discussion as I do! If not, its okay! Afterall, it is my passion, not necessarily yours! Looking forward to our next chat! Happy Thursday!

Wallpaper Removal

Wow...I can't believe how much time flies when you're busy! I guess that is a good thing! There has been a lot of talk of wall paper removal in my circle of peers. I too, have had the great opportunity to strip wall paper a couple weeks ago in my mother's kitchen. NOT a favorite past time, I will tell you that.

Not sure how many people still do a full room floral like this, but this cover from a Waverly "Rose Garden" Wallpaper book is not my idea of a calming space. My opinion! If you do have a room that looks like this, you should read on for tips on getting rid of the wall paper that drives you crazy!

I thought I would share the not so rocket science technique I have for stripping wall paper. Not all wall paper is created equal. Not all adhesive is created equal. If you are lucky enough to have only one layer of paper, and the paper comes off in sheets, you may not have to use the scoring tool as much. I would not bet all your chickens at the market on this, however.

On to stripping (wallpaper!)-
1 -After peeling off what you can, run a scoring tool, can be found at your local hardware store, over the face to lightly to create holes in the top of the paper, this allows the removing agent to penetrate back to the adhesive. Careful to not press too hard, you can mark up your sheet rock underneath. Then you have an even bigger job to skim coat your bare wall when your done!

2-Soak the area. Literally soak it, with the removing agent(see below for removing agents). I use a spray bottle as it seems to be less messy, but you may want to try a paint roller. Let the area sit for 10 minutes or so. Pull from a loose corner if the face is still in tact. With luck you will get sheets. Without, you will need a paint scraper and multiple repeats of the above steps. Good luck.

3-Prior to painting, you will want to take a bucket with warm water and a sponge and clean off any remaining residue left from the adhesive. This may take several passes. Once all the residue is removed. You are ready to paint, unless you have patchwork to do. That is a whole other article. I will try to get my contractor expert Matt Regan of Regan Construction to do a piece on that.

I did want to share my findings on removal agents...

In the kitchen removal job....I did an experiment with DIF, wall paper remover and Sol-u-mel, a multi-use all natural product from Melaleuca. It was a test. Someone had told me that Sol-u-mel could indeed be used as wall paper stripper. Of course, I wanted to see just how good it really worked. So I tried it!

I had a spray bottle of both DIF and Sol-u-mel. They worked exactly the same. Honest...I was working the room from two sides. Spray and soak, let sit, with DIF...to the other side...spray and soak, let sit, with Sol-u-mel...same outcome. I find that amazing since Sol-u-mel is meant as a cleaner and disinfectant, it truly has 100 uses. I will begin posting those on my website eventually for all you skeptics.

Good luck with your wall paper removal! Of course, you can always choose to hire a professional. Trust me, it may cost you some money, but the money spent will save you one GINORMOUS headache. If you are looking for one, let me know, I can refer you to one. Happy Spring!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I hope you are all starting your new year off with a bang! Heading fast and furiously toward those resolutions (I prefer to call them Goals) we have all set for ourselves... I know I am!

2011 Was a great year for BrynnAlden Interiors. However, 2012 will be even better...I want you to hold me to that!




Just wanted to share with you all a kitchen remodel that we just completed at the Shear Noyola Residence in St. Paul. It is a dandy. Especially from before to after. There was literally no storage in the previous kitchen. There was a less than desirable "jog" in the wall and the stove stood solo in the middle of it's own wall! Hmmm...time for some help!







New cabinets, flooring, counters, appliances, paint, light fixtures, and blinds!

Ta-da! See what we did!

With the help of the talented Matt Regan of Regan Constuction, we flushed out the wall where the "jog" was so we could get more cabinet storage. The void behind the new wall was then used for a small pantry cabinet. Perfect for dry and can goods storage. We also removed a window next to the back door so we gained both upper and lower cabinets next to the refrigerator. We too added a pantry area in a small under utilized catch all area near the basement stairwell. The storage we ended up with is at least triple, if not quadrupled. Woo hoo!




The client's budget could not support both tile flooring AND granite. Collectively the decision was granite counters over the tile floor. We used a tile look vinyl and everything turned out great! Maple cabinetry, granite counters, stainless appliances (including adding a new dishwasher), Sherwin Williams paint, Hunter Douglas blinds, and the fabulous work of Regan Construction, (not to mention the fantastic design), took this kitchen from zero to a 10!

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Best of all...watch for the live launch of brynnalden.com!
FINALLY!