How Much Does It Cost to Convert Windows to a Patio Door? 15 Things to Consider Before You Commit

Converting a window to a patio door can be a great way to get your family to spend more time outside—whether it’s barbequing, gardening or playing backyard games.

But contrary to popular belief,  the process isn’t quite as simple as popping out old windows and then securing a new door in their place. Converting windows into patio doors takes careful planning and precision during from demo through installation.

The Jason Project

Costs can also add up depending on the decisions you make and the materials you choose. If you’re toying with the idea of turning your windows into a patio door, here are 15 considerations to keep in mind—and decisions you should make—before you commit. 

1. Decide on the doors. Door will be a big chunk of your budget. There are many varieties to choose from, including French, sliding, multi-slide and bifold patio doors. This can cost anywhere from $500-$20,000. Take the time to look at all the options online, in the store, or better yet in action at a friend or family member’s home, to decide which one you prefer.

French Doors

Sliding Doors

2. Ask about an overhang. After considering size, cost and door style, ask the manufacturer their requirement for an overhang or facing to go along with the door. Depending on location, you may need to build an overhang to protect your doors from the elements—or even change the type of door you were considering depending on the manufacturer’s response. If you do need an overhang, a small, shingled mini roof can start at $1,500 and easily climb to tens thousands of dollars depending on the type of construction, finishes and size.  

3. Factor in demo costs. Demolition (inside and out) and debris removal can cost about $1,800 for a 10’x8’ wall. Price will depend on the type of construction—brick is more expensive than siding, for example—and location. Costs can add up, for instance, if manual hauls of debris are necessary because a dumpster isn’t allowed on the property per neighborhood policy.

4. Understand if you need a landing. Per some building codes, a landing outside any exterior doorway that doesn’t open onto a solid surface is required. If code requires you to have a landing outside the door, ask about the cost and required size. For example, a 6’x3’ basic concrete runs about $1,000.

Braes Mansion Project

5. But install a landing nonetheless. We recommend you have a landing, regardless of what the code says. A landing will provide a stable place to stand while one's attention is focused on operating the door. It’s also a good idea because it will help avoid tracking excess dirt and mud inside the house. And, the step up to a doorway can be high—anything above about 7” will be a trip hazard.

(If your new door widths are less than the size of the window or windows you’re replacing, you’re in luck because that means you can skip over several more complicated and expensive steps below. If that’s the case, skip the next step.)

Windows before

Same size sliding door

6. Add in new header costs, if needed. Depending on the type of construction and the distance between windows, there’s a high probability you’ll need a new header installed that is designed to bear the load of the wall or structure above. That means the whole area needs to be reframed, at least 2’ from each side of the doors’ rough opening, or the framed opening size into which a door is installed. This is normally 2.5-3” larger than the door size, but it’s model specific, so check with the supplier. The new header needs to covers the entire span of the opening. That will cost anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 including labor and materials for a 6’x 6’-8” door’s rough opening.

Windows before

New headers installed

New sliding doors

7. Think about plumbing. If there’s plumbing in the area of the new rough opening, you’ll need to relocate or remove the plumbing. Sometimes you’ll be able to see a hose bib, or small faucet, on an exterior wall. In other cases, you won’t know about plumbing until the wall is opened up. Capping this hose bib, modifying it or moving it to a new location can start at $350 with labor and materials. If you don’t have access to the wall from the attic, for example, on the ground floor of a two-story home, be prepared for some surprises.

8. Remember HVAC and outlets. You may need to make adjustments with HVAC and outlets, too. As with plumbing, some of this work will be simple and inexpensive. Moving or canceling an outlet or two can cost around $200 each. But the same caveats apply—often you won’t know what you’re dealing with until the wall is opened up.

9. Choose a quality door sill pan. For the new opening you make with your doors, you’ll most likely need a door pan. It’s a tub the bottom of the door sits in that’s open to the exterior. The water that inevitably gets through door seals, jambs and thresholds is diverted back outside instead of onto your new wood flooring or carpet. This is especially important if you’re facing south or west and lack adequate overhang protection. The cost depends on the quality of the pan. We use custom stainless steel pans that run about $850 for a 6’ pan, installed. 

How a Specs Document Can Transform Your Remodeling Experience

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10. Get ready for wall repair. After the new door pan and door are installed, the exterior will need to be trimmed out, or the wall repaired so the new door looks finished like the rest of the house. The price depends on the material your exterior is finished with (siding, stucco, brick). Siding, for example, is often the most economical option. Brick or stone is normally the most costly and could run about $2000. You’ll also need to install a metal lintel, or a piece of metal that spans the space in front of the header and supports the weight of the brick or stone. If you have a one-story home, you can choose to have just siding above the door. But if you have a brick wall over the door, you must install a lintel. 

11. Prepare for painting. Exterior trim, paint and flashing will cost you about $600-700 for a 6’x6’-8” opening on a lap siding wall, or type of siding that’s installed horizontally on your home, such as Hardie Plank, wood, aluminum, or PVC.

12. Doing drywall. Interior drywall, trim, and paint costs about $1,300 for a 6’x6’-8” door. This depends on door casing and baseboard used in the home, the paint and drywall finish level and demo required for framing, electrical and plumbing.

13. Installing the door. Sometimes suppliers have installers of their own. This is a good idea, as suppliers are familiar with the product and your warranty is assured (at least with respect to install). This cost will run about $750, depending on the type of door and the manufacturer. 

14. Putting in a threshold. If you order conventional swinging doors without a threshold, there will be an additional cost. Thresholds can be installed from about $650 for a 6’ double door.

15. Accounting for permitting. Finally, you might encounter additional costs if HOA/Municipality permitting is required or requested for the project.

In all, you’re likely looking at about $6,500 up to $15,000 to convert a window to a patio door—minus the cost of the actual door or doors. Costs will fluctuate based on what’s found behind the walls, any technical complications with the doors, and materials costs. If this works with your budget, then adding a patio door can be a great option.

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Features and Modifications That Can Make a Home More Wheelchair Friendly

Part 2 of 2

In our last blog, we featured a full-scale remodel in which we incorporated accessible features to make a 1940s home more wheelchair friendly. Part 1 delved into how we modified the home’s entrance and doors and created seamless flooring transitions.

Here in Part 2 we’ll talk about modifications we made in specific rooms—including the kitchen and bathrooms—and automations we added throughout the house.

A more functional kitchen 

The home’s kitchen has a pass-through layout, meaning the kitchen has two points of exit and entry. The space needed to be adapted so it could be wide enough for a wheelchair to enter and turn around in the space.

Kitchen Before

The Island is too narrow to fit a wheelchair

The island was very narrow and it didn’t have room for a wheelchair to work at it. We widened the adjacent opening and built a new cantilevered quartzite table, meaning it’s fastened at just one end. We used steel strips embedded in the 5/8 of an inch of plywood base to provide the required support for the semi-floating countertop.

Next, we installed a touch-control microwave into lower kitchen cabinets.

Creating an accessible bathroom 

The existing bathroom had an enclosed shower and tub. We took out the tub and added a big, no-step, partially open shower instead. The open shower has no curb, so the owner can easily access the shower in their wheelchair.

Primary Bathroom Before

An enclosed Shower and Tub

First, however, we had to prepare the room for the shower. We extended the shower pan to cover the entire room, with the cement bed graded so water will drain from the across the floor into the shower and then down the drain.

We also opened up the entrance to the primary bath from the main bedroom to 48 inches and installed a pair of custom double barn doors.

Tip: Not only are barn doors a great space saver, but they also add visual interest due to the exposed railing and guides. They can also be ADA compliant.

While conventional doors have a swing or a hinged door, with barn doors, the footprint is smaller since the door opens parallel to the wall at a depth of only about 3 to 4 inches. Unlike pocket doors, no construction is required because the door stays outside the bathroom and slides in front of the opening. (With pocket doors you have to create the space for the door to slide into. When that wall contains pipes, wiring or structural components, it can be a big job.)

We installed a pair of custom, glass panel barn doors between the primary bedroom and bathroom using ball bearing floor guides for a smooth, quality feel to opening the door. If you use a minimal gap, you won’t experience door shaking. We used small transparent rubber buttons, instead of door stops, where required, for a cleaner look.

Adding automation

The owner wanted automation and voice control for the home’s systems. This included HVAC, lighting, audio visual, blinds and access.

We installed a full home automation system. Now, the owners can open garage and exterior doors (with the help of electromechanical door openers), change the temperature, open or close blinds, turn on music or TVs and control all the lights in the house by voice or with just a few clicks.

We placed the automation system controls and power in a closet in the living unit above the garage. To give the controls the necessary airflow to keep the system cool, we added a return air vent in the room.

Tip: Automation systems require extensive programming and physical access. When picking a spot for the system, choose one that’s easily accessible and won’t disrupt the household. For example, we don’t recommend putting the system in the primary bedroom closet.

From Driveway to Flooring: Making a Home More Wheelchair Friendly

Part 1 of 2

“A design isn’t finished until somebody is using it.” — Brenda Laurel, Scholar, Author and Researcher

Modifications that make homes more accessible help people with disabilities live more independently, and that’s especially true for the around 2.7 million people in the U.S. who use a wheelchair.

In recent years, developments in technology have made it possible for builders to incorporate more automation into home modifications. But less hi-tech modifications to make sure wheelchairs can easily navigate through a home are crucial. These need to be well thought out if they’re going to be successful.

During a recent full-scale remodel, we incorporated accessible features into a home to make it more wheelchair friendly. The one-story house was built in 1940s with a traditional closed floor plan. It needed updating. But the bulk of the remodel focused on incorporating specialty items and automation into the design and making sure counters and fixtures were set at appropriate heights and locations for the homeowners.

The one-story house was built in 1940s with a traditional closed floor plan.

We started by addressing the home’s exterior and driveway to make them more wheelchair friendly. Then, we addressed doors—both interior and exterior—modified the floor plan, streamlined flooring and made modifications to the kitchen and primary bathroom.

A more welcoming entrance

The existing home had a narrow path to the front door and the brick driveway was bumpy and uneven. We redesigned the flatwork in front of the house to create a wider path to the front door. We also took out stepping stone path from the main driveway to the front entrance and made it concrete instead so the wheelchair can easily navigate it.

Redesigned to create a wider path

After: Wheelchair can easily navigate it

Bumpy, uneven and holding water

New concrete driveway and path

At the end of the driveway where it meets the street, there was a small ditch to collect water. The owner couldn’t safely pass over it in his wheelchair, so we added a steel cover. We used treadplate on it to make for better traction when cars pull into the drive.

This took planning because we didn’t want to impede the flow of rainwater. We used self-leveling sealant to create a smooth transition from the driveway to the ditch cover to the street. Now, the owner can successfully navigate by himself from the street up the driveway and into the house.

We added a steel cover over a ditch. Now, the owner can successfully navigate by himself from the street up the driveway and into the house.

Out back, we created a flat, even patio area that connects to the house with new double doors. To keep water from entering the home through the patio we used stainless steel flashing with a drip edge. We installed it under the bottom skirt of siding, sealing off the first 18 inches from the ground to keep water from damaging the walls.

ADA-accessible doors

We wanted to make sure every entrance to the house, plus interior doors, were accessible. Almost all doors we used were at least 36 inches wide and double doors to make it more seamless to pass through in a wheelchair.

For exterior doors, we installed beautiful Jeld Wen Multi Lock door sets with a stain grade wood interior and ADA thresholds. Door thresholds refer to the material on the floor inside a doorframe that helps ensure an air-tight fit between the floor and bottom of the door. ADA thresholds are lower—they must be almost flat with the floor, but high enough so water can’t seep through. To ensure water doesn’t make its way into the house, we also had custom door pans made for the new exterior doors to drive water out and away from the house.

For exterior doors, we installed beautiful Jeld Wen Multi Lock door sets with a stain grade wood interior and ADA thresholds.

We added pocket doors throughout the house, an option we liked because they don’t require door stops to hold them open or get in the way of other nearby opened doors. With one, we did away with the typical stops and trims you normally see on the insides of pocket door frames so we could recoup 3/4 inches in a tight space. The modification will save money on future repairs due to what would have been inevitable damage from the wheelchair navigating the small space.

An open floor plan

While the openings between the kitchen, living and dining spaces were all wide enough to be ADA compliant, we wanted to open up the space even more for ease of movement.

This modification gave the homeowner more options when it comes to furniture placement and to creating easy to navigate paths around furniture and easy access to furniture.

Original floorplan

Wider living/dining opening

Original floorplan

Wider dining/kitchen opening

As with all remodels, opening up walls and adding beams to make sure the home was still structurally sound meant multiple systems needed to be rerouted. This included water pipes, gas pipes, electrical wiring and HVAC drain lines. It was time-intensive work that had to be completed well before the framer, drywaller and painter got involved and required careful planning and coordination.

Seamless flooring transitions

The house still had its original, traditional two-inch select white oak flooring throughout, except for in the kitchen, gym (the former den) and in the bathrooms. We wanted to make sure flooring was even and made for easy transitions in the wheelchair.

We installed new tile in the gym and made it perfectly flush with the wood floor in the living room. We used a thin metal flush transition piece to separate the tiles from the wood. Color-matched flexible sealant filled in final gaps.

Step transitions between wood and tile

New tile install

Metal flush transition piece used

Flooring is even for easy movement

In the kitchen, we removed the tile and installed matching wood. We found reclaimed wood, matching the wood species, grade and manufacturer. We used the “tar and screeds” method to put in the floor, first laying tar, then thin wood planks, or screeds, followed by the flooring. We were able to lay the wood perfectly flush and in line with the rest of the home. Transitions between all rooms were seamless, with most not requiring any thresholds or transition strips to bridge gaps.

Original flooring

We installed matching wood instead of tile

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog where delve into modifications made in specific rooms and automations.

Why Prefab Cabinets are Worth Considering and Our Top Choices.

When you build your custom home or remodel an existing one, custom cabinetry can be a great option. Going custom gives you cabinets, bookshelves or vanities designed specifically for your unique space and taste. You don’t have to worry about size or material restrictions. You can get creative.

For our custom home builds and remodels, we typically like to work with a custom cabinetry fabricator. Many clients love delving into these details, and they almost always prefer to go custom when it comes to cabinetry in their kitchen and in their primary bathroom and closets, offices, and laundry rooms.

In other rooms, however—those that don’t require many details or tailoring—we suggest going with a pre-made or pre-fabricated option, especially if budget or timing are an issue. This is the case for rooms like guest rooms and playrooms. It also often applies to non-primary bathrooms, including powder rooms and even kids’ bathrooms, where prefabricated, or prefab, vanities can be an excellent choice.

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Pre-fabricated vanities are made by a manufacturer ahead of time and they usually come in a selection of standard sizes and in a limited number of materials. When you’re deciding whether to go with a custom or prefab vanity, there are four key factors to keep in mind: space, budget, design and time.

Space. Start by taking a close look at your building or remodel plans and measuring your space to see if going prefab is even an option.

Most prefab vanities come in standard sizes: 24”, 30” and 36”. While recently we’ve started to see more non-standard vanity sizes, such as 32”or 37”, it can still be hard to find a vanity that you like in a non-standard size.

So, if your vanity should sit in between two walls, and you don’t like the idea of having a gap on one or both sides, going with a prefab option might not be possible depending on the size of your room.

When thinking about your space, also make sure you account for the counter top, if it’s included. The counter is typically about half an inch wider than the vanity on either side.

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Big House Little House Design

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Banner Day Interiors

Tip: Check your plumbing location before you buy a floating vanity. With a floating vanity, the drain stub out sits higher than it does with a regular freestanding or built-in vanity. If your plumbing is in the standard position for a regular vanity, it may need to be moved.

Budget. Depending on the quality and brand of vanity you choose, a custom vanity will almost always cost you more than a prefabricated one. Costs add up on custom vanities because several subcontractors often work together to build a custom vanity.

Subcontractors might include a carpenter, painter, finisher, a plumber to install the sink, plumbing fixtures and hardware, and a stone fabricator to cut the countertop. When you buy a prefabricated vanity, the whole vanity comes ready to install with all parts included. Sometimes the vanity will arrive already fully assembled. So, if you’re looking to save money on your project, lean toward prefab.

Design. Sometimes a client might want a certain look for their vanity, but building it custom is prohibitively expensive or too complex. In cases like these in which a design calls for a vintage or a reclaimed look—or even an industrial metal look that will be tough to create with a custom vanity—go for a prefab option.

James Martin Boston

Prefab vanity design tips:

1. If you’re set on a specific countertop design or a certain sink, you still can go prefab. Purchase a vanity without a countertop and you can have your special counter made that will accommodate the sink you want.

2. Some vanities come with drawers that are "U" shaped—they have a gap in the center where the drain coming down from the sink passes through. If drawers have a U- shape, we like to use metal drainpipes and p-traps (or ones with a metal look), to match the fixtures and hardware. Since those pieces are partially visible, it’s more pleasing to the eye when opening drawer. 

3. If you have a faucet you like in mind, check the faucet installation type on the prefabricated vanity before you buy it to make sure the two are compatible.

4. Don’t worry if the prefabricated vanity you like doesn’t have hardware that matches the rest of the bathroom. Mixing metal finishes can add interest to a room. We like to mix: gold/brass with polished nickel, black matte with chrome or brass with chrome with matte black. You can also change out the hardware that comes with the prefabricated vanity since most hardware uses standard fitting dimensions.

Time. If you’re in a time crunch, going prefab will almost always be the better option. Ordering a premade vanity, even building in possible shipping delays, will be faster than custom where materials need to be sourced and purchased (and potentially from a variety of vendors), and the various subcontractors scheduled.

Alsup 48" Single Vanity

Larkin 48" Single Sink Vanity

30" Dita Wall-Mount Vanity

Mitchell 48'' Single Bathroom Vanity

Riola 36" Single Sink Vanity

36" Quen Vanity Midnight Navy Blue

If you do decide to go with a prefabricated vanity, we have several we like that also work well if you’re on a tight budget. Wayfair has a classic-looking wire brushed oak and dark oak prefab vanity, and All Modern has a sleek one that comes in white, walnut or blonde wood. Pottery Barn has two good options as well, including a 36” single sink vanity that comes in four colors, and a 36” to 48” variety that comes in three colors.

Signature Hardware has a nice wall-mount, floating vanity that comes with several countertop material options and a nice one-sink, five-drawer and one cabinet option.

The best design is the one that fits your unique space and personal taste, whether it's custom or prefab, and ultimately brings joy and functionality to your home.

How to avoid confusion and damages with project changes

You swing by your custom home under construction and find the carpenter in your kitchen preparing to put in your custom-built pantry. As you survey the room, you realize you want to make pantry six inches wider. So you ask the carpenter to change it.

He does, but then when the new appliances you picked out for your kitchen arrive the following day, they don’t fit. Your new island will also be off center in the room and your electrical, plumbing and ventilation hook ups don’t line up anymore. Home construction changes can be complicated, and if not done right they can also cause delays and major expenses. Properly navigating home construction project changes are an important part of the client-builder relationship.

In working with clients, in the past we’ve seen a certain degree of confusion and misunderstanding when it comes to how to handle these types of changes. Clients sometimes request changes from workers in the field without ever involving the builder.

But even the smallest of changes can cause big problems down the road if they’re not properly vetted, well thought out and planned for. When it comes to construction changes in your custom home design or your home renovation, communication and collaboration with your builder around these types of design changes are key.

Should you request changes from workers in the field?

Take for example one client we had who was on the site of his custom home build on a day the electricians were trimming out the ceiling lights in the house. The client decided that he wanted more lights in the primary bathroom. So he spoke directly with the electricians on site and showed them the spots where he wanted the lights added.

Wanting to please the client, the electricians got to work. When supervisors arrived on site later in the day, there was water flowing from the ceiling of the primary bath. Unaware of the larger design plan for the house and what other contractors had already done, the electricians inadvertently cut through a hot water line in the ceiling.

In the end, the cost to repair the damage done to the home-in-progress and to get the custom build project back on track was close to $15,000. That included plumbing work, engineered flooring, remediation, demo, drywall, paint, trim—for the level below as well. Our client knew that he was responsible. But the project delays and extra work were unnecessary, and avoidable.

In this scenario, the damage could have been avoided if the client had ordered the project change directly through the builder instead of telling a subcontractor. Then, we would have told the electricians not to use the tools they did since there were plumbing lines in that location. The client would have gotten his additional lights at a much smaller price tag—just the minor cost of a change order, which could be a few hundred dollars, versus the $15,000 repair.

But sometimes, even asking the question to someone in the field can lead to delays and mistakes.

Ideally for a custom home build or remodel, you do all of the leg work and the decision-making up front so that change orders, or changes to the construction contract that tweaks the scope of work, aren’t needed. Inevitably, though, most projects will see some types of changes during construction.

As you visit your custom home during the construction process, inspiration may strike and you might decide you want to add crown molding. Or maybe you want to move a light or change a type of tile. Know that, since all parts of a house are linked, changes can create a domino effect. So, for any changes like the above ones, make a note, and then contact your builder right away to talk about your idea.

If the change is doable, your builder can then incorporate it into the design for a reasonable fee. But, whatever you do, don’t involve the subcontractor or craftsmen directly without explicit guidance from your builder or general contractor. Sometimes, even asking the question to someone in the field can lead to delays and mistakes.

For example, a subcontractor might stop working to contact a builder to let him or her know the homeowner asked about a change. With good communication and collaboration these types of issues can be avoided. You’ll end up paying a nominal fee for a change as well as potentially saving yourself the major headache of big project delays.

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10 steps to transforming a small bathroom on a budget

From tooth brushing and face washing to luxuriating in a long shower, most homeowners spend a significant amount of time in the bathroom. For many, it’s a sanctuary. One survey found two in five homeowners rest and relax in their bathroom.

We love helping transform outdated bathrooms into spa-like oases. A recent project helping a young family of four revitalize their small and inefficient primary bathroom was especially rewarding and everyone was pleased with the end result.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

The owners’ existing bathroom felt closed off, dark and claustrophobic. It had a small shower with an unnecessary step-up at the entrance and an oversized tub on a raised platform toward the back. Designers often like to make a tub the focal point of a bathroom. But, in this case, it looked like the tub was added as an afterthought.

The bathroom also didn’t give the owners adequate storage, and having only one sink in the room created traffic congestion in the morning when everyone was getting ready for their day. The bathroom needed a major change. We planned to give it a completely new layout, and we started the total remodel by gutting the small room.

Here’s how we approached the small bathroom remodel, which our client needed to be done on a tight budget. As Don Draper from the TV show “Mad Men” likes to say, we wanted to “Make it simple, but significant.”

1.     Planning it all out. We started by creating a new bathroom layout. The owners didn’t use the tub at all, so we decided to get rid of it and instead put a larger shower in the room. By removing the old shower from the entry way, we opened up the space and then had room for a nice linen closet by the entrance. 

We wanted to hide the toilet so it wasn’t the first item seen when entering the room. We found the perfect place—in between the linen closet and the shower. That way, we could fit a double vanity in place of the prior single vanity and toilet. There was also a space in the wall behind the toilet we could use for storage. We found the previous contractor made the wall thick enough to accommodate a storage space. We used mosaic tile and put it in the middle of the space.

Since we were working with a small space with almost no natural light, we chose bright colors for the room. Knowing the tight budget, as we picked materials, we found wholesale items and items on clearance at warehouses that worked well.

Arieli Custom Homes Bathroom Remodel Ideas

2.    Demolishing the old bathroom. We ripped out everything in the room—including the elevation differences and steps—leaving only the walls.

3.    Making the plumbing adjustments. Since we moved the toilet and shower and added another sink, we needed some substantial plumbing work in the bathroom. The house is slab on grade, so we had to cut through the slab and back porch concrete deck, onto which the previous contractor had extended the bathroom.

4.    Doing the electrical work. We like layering lighting and believe the more options, the better. We added LED panel lights on the ceiling and installed LED lighted vanity mirrors above each sink.

5.    Covering the walls. We replaced all the old insulation and sealed the exterior walls with Polyseal. In the shower area, we added a new shower pan, per code, and covered the shower walls with 1/4" cement board sealed with a waterproofing membrane. We built the bench from CMU blocks and cement and sealed it, too, with the waterproofing membrane.

6.    Installing the tile. For the shower walls and bathroom floor, we chose a 12x24 porcelain tile. For the shower floor, and as an accent tile, we found a beautiful marble mosaic to add some texture. On the vanity wall, we used a 3x9 gloss subway ceramic tile with a gentle texture. A tile like this reflects more light than a matte finish and it has the effect of adding more brightness to a space.

7.    Painting the room. We chose to use SW7009 Pearly White for walls. This creamy white paint helped add some warmth to the space. We chose other design elements, such as cabinet hardware and finish of vanity faucets in satin nickel (a warm-toned silver), for the same reason.

8.    Putting up the shower glass. The previous shower had a traditional framed design that didn’t let much light pass through. We installed a frameless modern shower glass that goes great with the look of the new bathroom. It’s also glass treated to prevent water spots. 

9.    Trim out. In this last phase of electrical work in which plugs, switches and light fixtures are installed, we decided to install a humidity sensitive exhaust fan (with a built-in night light) and LED panel lights. A good place for the fan is on the ceiling between the toilet and shower.

LED lighted vanity mirrors

Ceramic tile with a gentle texture

Cabinet hardware in satin nickel (a warm-toned silver)

Black shower fixtures complemented the dark color of the vanity

A heated towel rack helps with faster drying

A beautiful marble mosaic as an accent tile

Marble mosaic to add some texture

Bathroom floor 12x24 porcelain tile

10.   Finishes. We liked a deep blue vanity to add some color to the mostly white and gray of the new design. The vanity has a bright quartz countertop that goes beautifully with all other elements. Adding black shower fixtures and a heated towel rack complemented the dark color of the vanity and made the design look cohesive and finished. With Houston’s high humidity, we also included a heated towel rack that helps with faster drying.

In the end, our clients were thrilled with the bathroom results and they’ve been enjoying their time in their new bright, open space.

Is a Walk-In Closet Off Your Primary Bath a Bad Idea?

“The function of design is letting design function.” -Micha Commeren, designer

Often, a home’s primary bedroom features separate, unconnected rooms for its main bath and walk-in closet. Homeowners bathe or shower, then pass through the bedroom to choose their clothes and get dressed in the walk-in closet.

But there’s an alternative to this set up—a walk-in closet that’s directly off the primary bath. With this type of floor plan, homeowners enter the bedroom, then pass through the attached bathroom to access their connected walk-in closet, or vice versa. It’s a floor plan some clients are requesting, and it does have its benefits.

A walk-in closet off your primary bath can be functional and more efficient. It’s convenient because you don’t have to pass through your bedroom to get dressed, only to return to the bathroom right after to shave, fix your hair or put on makeup.

With a walk-in closet off the primary bath, you also have fewer doors in your primary bedroom, and that gives you additional wall space, opening up your primary bedroom design options. You could use the added space for built-ins, a fireplace, as storage or to mount a TV.

If you opt to include a walk-in closet off your primary bath, there are several factors to keep in mind as you mull over your design and then live in your space.

1)    What’s your weather like? If you live in an area that frequently experiences high humidity, you need to get the ventilation right in the bathroom to protect your clothing and space. A best practice is to place two to three ducts in the area, one above the shower, another above the toilet, and a third above the vanities. A high-quality fan system on a timer, or one that has a humidity sensor, will help to prevent mold or any musty smells from taking over.

2)   Be mindful of and measure humidity levels. With your shower and steam closer to your closet and your clothing and shoes, you want to make sure that humidity reaches the right level and stays put. Humidity levels from 40-60% are ideal. Install a humidistat to keep humidity in the room within this range. A humidistat is a small device that functions like a thermostat, but instead of monitoring temperature, it measures humidity levels. It turns on the ventilation that takes humidity from the room to the exterior of the home. 

3)   Consider adding a door between your primary bath and closet. Adding a door will help keep your bathroom warm during winter months. If it fits with your design, a pocket door can be a great solution. A pocket door is a sliding door, that, when it opens, disappears into an opening in the adjacent wall. This way, you can hide the door most of the time, giving your space a more open feel. But, when you need it, the door’s there. In a new home construction, a pocket door is a relatively inexpensive feature to add. With a remodel, however, pocket doors can sometimes be tricky to add when you’re working within the constraints of existing walls, or you need to significantly modify walls to make the doors work.

How to Plan Your Remodel

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4)   Carefully plan your bathroom design. One consideration when opting to have a walk-in closet off the primary bath is privacy. With the closet connected to the bathroom, someone may need to get dressed while the bathroom is in use. You can partially solve for this by including a water closet, a separate small room for just the toilet, in your design. Then, all spaces can comfortably be used at once.

5)   Take special care with your clothing. When your primary closet is connected to your primary bath, you want to make sure that you completely dry your clothes after washing them and before storing so you eliminate any moisture that could lead to mold. Also, don’t pack your clothes so tight that they prevent air flow between garments. Instead, hang them so there’s space in between.

Ebony Project Primary Closet

6)   Use the right materials. To help with moisture, use real wood or humidity-resistant products when you’re designing your primary walk-in closet. For wood, cedar is a good choice. Medium density fibreboard, or MDF, plus some types of finished wood, might not be suitable if you live in an area with high humidity or if your space sees a lot of wear and tear. Over time, humidity will find its way into less dense and porous materials through sharp corners and inevitable chips. This will cause unsightly deterioration of the product to a point that requires replacement. 

Overall, a walk-in closet off the primary bath can be a great option to increase convenience and give you more wall space in your primary bedroom. But, be sure to think and plan carefully as your design your space to maximize its functionality and to keep it and your clothing protected from damage caused by humidity.

Arieli Custom Homes Walk-in Closet Design

Why showers are replacing tubs

People bathed in bathtubs until modern plumbing made it possible for the most U.S. homes to have a shower starting around the 1920s. Since then, we’ve seen trends come and go when it comes to bathtubs and showers in home bathrooms.

For many, a large soaking tub has been–and still is—the hallmark of an upscale master bathroom. But, overall, homeowners tend to use their shower more than their bath. A recent study also found online searches for walk-in showers surged by 100%. At Arieli, we’ve seen signs that showers may be replacing tubs. We’ve had clients ask us to scrap the bathtub in their bathroom and install a larger shower instead.

Before. Awkward, cramped tub location.

Shower was tiny and low.

After. Large shower instead of the tub.

Much more space and storage now.

While a long soak in a deep soaking tub can be a relaxing end to a long day, there are many compelling reasons for showers to completely replace tubs in the modern home. A large, luxury shower can be just as satisfying and elegant.

Here are six reasons to consider including showers in your new custom home design or replacing a tub with a luxury shower during your home renovation.

1) Showers are more accessible. Getting in and out of a shower is much easier than a bath tub. So, if you have someone in your home who has a disability or who’s older and less mobile, a larger shower might be a good option. Showers can be built so they’re walk-in, with no ledges to step over. You can also add customized built-in benches, grab bars and even non-slip tiles.

2) Showers are quick and convenient. Nothing beats a shower when you need to wash your body quickly. You don’t have to wait for the water to warm up and then an entire tub to fill. Simply hop in, soap up and rinse off. This is a good option if, because of your lifestyle – maybe you’re an athlete or you exercise often – you find yourself bathing very frequently.

3) You can conserve water with a shower. Showers only use around two-thirds the amount of water of baths if you take a quick shower, around 10-15 gallons versus up to 70 gallons. With showers, you can control the amount of water you’re using based on the fixture you use. Some fixtures are made with water conservation in mind. You can also try taking a Navy shower, or a way of showering where you conserve water by turning off the faucet while you soap up your hair and body.

4) Cleaning a shower is easier. It’s easy for dirt and dead cells to stick to the walls of a soaking tub, building up grime that you have to spend time and muscle scrubbing off. A shower can be easier to both clean and maintain. Steam is a great tool to loosen dirt on shower walls. If you squeegee after every shower and turn on the fan in the bathroom, you’ll help keep mold at bay and regular cleaning will be simpler.

5) Your body after showering may be cleaner, too. When you shower, the dirt and dead cells you scrub off your body flow down and out the shower drain. The water pressure can also help get the dirt off of your skin. However, when you clean yourself in a soaking tub, anything that you scrub off your body sticks around with you in the tub until you’re done and you drain the tub.

6) A shower can be luxurious, too. A shower can be a relaxing spa-like experience, too, depending on the design and the various features you choose to install. Start with beautiful tiling, and then add features like custom benches, rain showers, or a steam option. More companies are also now making products to use in the shower to make it just as indulgent as a long soak in a bathtub.

After replacing our clients’ tubs with large, luxurious showers, we’re growing more convinced that showers might be on their way to replacing tubs. However, as you plan your custom home or think about how to renovate your current one, keep in mind that having at least one bathtub in your house is probably a good idea when it comes to resale value.

Showers only in a home might be okay if, when you’re ready to sell, you attract elderly buyers or a couple that doesn’t plan to have kids. But if a family with young kids, or a couple with a child on the way, is interested in buying your home, they’ll likely want a bathtub, and not having at least one could turn your potential buyer away.

Living Space and Kitchen Transformation

We love working with all of our clients. But a recent remodel project on a house for a large family who are also animal lovers was especially fun and rewarding.

The renovation project had multiple components. The first part that we had to tackle was uniting several adjacent areas on the first floor – the entry way, the kitchen and living areas, and the hallway – all of which had a very different floor finish.

Hardwood in Hallway

Grey Ceramic Tile in Living Room

Black Granite Tile in Entryway

Grey Ceramic Tile in Kitchen

The entryway was covered with black polished granite tile, the hallway was done in hardwood, and the living area and kitchen floors were covered with a grey ceramic tile. The homeowners love the look of natural stone, so we decided to go with a large format porcelain tile with beautiful soft veining for all of these areas.

No Floor Transitions

Large Format Porcelain Tile Throughout

Porcelain tile is highly resistant to wear and tear and it works great for high traffic areas like kitchens and entryways. As opposed to wood, porcelain tile isn’t as easily damaged from animal claws. Installing the porcelain tiles made a huge difference in how the first floor looked. Without the floor transitions, the space looks bigger and the open layout has a better flow.

Entry Before

Entry After

In the entryway, we also removed archways to open up the view. That added more natural light to the area. In the living room, the owners wanted to go with white walls, but they chose to add some interesting pattern designs on select walls.

We accomplished this by using a beautiful gold, grey and white-patterned tile. We installed it from the floor to the ceiling around the fireplace and also around a newly designed wet bar in the same room. The change modernized the space and made it feel more open and lighter.

The kitchen, a very important room for the family that loves to cook and gather around the kitchen island, also underwent a major transformation. We ended up changing the layout quite a bit to improve the room’s flow, to gain more storage space and to create a more comfortable and collaborative cooking experience for the owners.  

The most important part of the kitchen, the cooktop, was on the kitchen’s small island that had been built in the middle of the room without a proper ventilation. The existing kitchen had a downdraft hood. A downdraft hood is a cooker hood fitted into a kitchen countertop. They’re most often used on kitchen islands. But, we typically don’t like to use downdraft hoods, and especially in kitchens that get used a lot.

So instead, we designed a kitchen with a wall hood. We found a way to run a 10” pipe up through two floors of an as-built house – a challenging feat. We surrounded the wall hood with cabinets up to the ceiling for maximum storage. Glass doors at the top added a nice element of visual interest.

We moved the fridge to the opposite side of the kitchen to give the owners more space around the appliance. It’s always better to have more space around a refrigerator so the doors can move freely without blocking kitchen traffic. Finally, we integrated kitchen organizers like pullouts with utensil bins, an appliance pull out, a spice pullout organizer and more into the kitchen to make the space more functional than it had ever been.

Before our renovation, the kitchen looked dark, especially with the black granite backsplash and countertops. Keeping in mind how much the owners like natural stone, we replaced the backsplash and countertops with Mont Blanc quartzite slabs and Athens silver cream marble backsplash tile.

In the end, we accomplished all of our client’s goals. We created a better flow in the home’s entryway, living room and kitchen areas, we added more storage, and we updated the previously outdated look of their home. Our clients are thrilled with the results and they’ve been enjoying their new spaces cooking and socializing with family and friends.

Top 6 kitchen organizers we like

To make the most of your custom home kitchen and enjoy the time you spend there, you want a well-designed, functional space. An organized kitchen that makes use of built-in kitchen organizers will save you time, it’s easier to clean, and you may find yourself cooking more than you have in the past.

Arieli Custom Homes Remodel Project

During custom home builds, or as we’re remodeling an existing home, we design kitchens first and foremost with ease and efficiency in mind. Part of what makes a kitchen more efficient is seamlessly incorporating several types of built-in kitchen organizers into the design.

Built-in kitchen organizers often give you more countertop space and a clean, contemporary look. They also complement other non-built-in kitchen organizers you may want to incorporate into your space to make it even more efficient.

Here are the top six kitchen organizers we love to integrate into our kitchen designs:

1) A cabinet pullout with utensil bins. This type of kitchen organizer is typically a tall, skinny drawer that’s used to store cooking and serving utensils. It’s an organized, clean-looking alternative to keeping your cooking utensils in bins or ceramic containers on the countertop or shoving them into a large drawer where they often get lost. One level of the cabinet pullout usually contains round holes that bins are slipped into so you can store your utensils upright.

Rev-A-Shelf

Pullout w/Utensil Bins

We like to install this type of kitchen organizer close to the range or cooktop for easy reach and convenience.

2) An appliance lift. An appliance lift is a great option for heavy appliances you don’t use very often, like a heavy duty mixer, a large ice cream maker or a bread maker.  It saves countertop space and it’s a good option for minimalistic kitchens. With an appliance lift, you store your mixer or bread maker inside a bottom cabinet on a shelf that’s connected to hinges.

Hardware Resources

Heavy Duty Applience Lift

When you’re ready to use the appliance, you pull the shelf with your appliance on top out and up, and the shelf locks in place as you use it. Then, you store it back inside your bottom cabinet when you’re done.

3) Paper towel holder. Instead of keeping your paper towels on a freestanding paper towel holder that takes up valuable counter space, we like to install built-in paper towel holder out of the way. Built in paper towel holders can be installed under the counter or in a drawer.

4) A sink front tip out tray. These trays directly in front of your kitchen sink are an excellent use of otherwise wasted space and they help to keep your sink area looking uncluttered. Sink front tip out trays are used in place of false drawer fronts under a sink, and they hide small items like your sponges, rags and scrub brushes.

Buit-in Paper Towel Holder

Rev-A-Shelf Tip Out Tray

5) An under-sink pull out bottom shelf. Sink plumbing and a disposal often don’t leave much storage space under the kitchen sink, but you can still effectively use the space you have by installing a pull out shelf on the bottom of the cabinet. This type of kitchen organizer makes it easier to access the soaps, cleaning products and dishwasher detergent tablets you store under your kitchen sink. The best type of shelf is either a pre-bought or a custom-made simple wire or wood shelf attached to metal tracks.

6) Lazy Susan. Maximizing storage space in the kitchen is always important, and that’s especially true when it comes to smaller spaces. Installing a Lazy Susan in corner cabinets is an excellent way to utilize blind corners and it gives you overall more storage for your pots, pans and other kitchen items. Design and prices of Lazy Susans vary, from inexpensive simple ones that rotate inside the cabinet, to ones with intricate finishes that you can pull outside of the cabinet to access your kitchen items.

Hafele Lazy Susan

Rev-A-Shelf under Sink Pull Out

As you’re designing your custom home kitchen or considering an upgrade or remodeling, keep in mind these top six kitchen organizers. More often than not, it’s easier to build them into your initial design rather than adding them later. Most are relatively inexpensive and they’ll make time spent in your kitchen much more enjoyable.

Change is one of the most sensitive topics in construction

Construction has just started on your new custom home when you decide that you want to reorient your kitchen island and make your master bedroom closet just a little bigger.

You may think that making small changes after your home construction has started should be a simple feat. Often, however, that’s not the case. Changes during custom home construction is an especially sensitive topic and it can be fraught with frustration for homeowners.

It’s understandable how someone without an extensive background in construction and design might think changes early on in the construction process shouldn’t be a big deal, especially if the room in question hasn’t been built yet. However, changes—and even what appear to be very minor ones—can affect many other factors that are moving the project forward, some of which are unbeknownst to the homeowner. Changes can be expensive no matter when they happen.

For example, moving a window just three inches to the left might seem simple. But to make that change, the architect and engineers may need to weigh in and other components of the room might need to be shifted or adjusted as well to make the room flow. Even the tiniest change can alter a project timeline and add to the budget.

When it comes to custom home construction, changes, however, almost always naturally occur over the course of a project. That’s also the case, and perhaps even more so, for home remodels and renovations because you only truly know what’s behind the walls of an older home after you open them up.

There are two primary types of design changes on construction projects. One, the owner changed their mind about the design or asks for new or additional work be done. And two, the project can’t be successfully completed unless revisions are made to the initial project design. These changes might happen if there are errors and omissions in plans or specifications, if you have to substitute building materials or construction methods, or if there are code changes. As an owner, you might also run into financial complications and need to scale back your project.

Changes can be frustrating for both homeowners as well as for builders and designers. No one likes to see a worker’s craftsmanship dismantled because of a change that could have been prevented in the first place.

As you move forward with your custom home build, renovation or remodel, know that there are ways in which you can help to minimize the changes you request during your project, and ways in which you can make changes easier when they do happen. By taking these extra steps you can help to ensure your project finishes both on-time and on-budget.

Do your research. To minimize change, spend plenty of time in the planning stages of your project familiarizing yourself with different styles and aesthetics so you’re confident about the design and components you want for your home. Look at images online and in magazines. Many custom homebuilders will also let you visit model homes or homes in progress to get a feel for different design elements. Work closely with your architect and interior designer to nail down as many design decisions as possible before construction starts.

Set realistic expectations. Know that changes will cause delays, sometimes short ones, other times extensive ones based on the number of steps needed to make the change. For example, extra costs come into play because sometimes certain parts of the projects have to stop until the change is made and that might require coordinating with various vendors.

Build change into your budget. Knowing that inevitable changes will cost money, set aside some cash for them during the planning stages of your project so you’re not caught off guard without sufficient funds. A good rule of thumb is 5-10% of your overall budget.

Be transparent. Transparency and efficient communication between all parties is critical. Make sure your builder is involved in all of the choices and the decisions that you’re making.

Ask for a plan review. Ask your designer or builder to review plans and specs. Finding errors or omissions regarding your scope of work that can be addressed or corrected prior to construction starting will save you time and money down the line.

Double Kitchen Islands. A Trend Not Going Anywhere

The trend toward having two kitchen islands has grown in recent years and it’s a design feature that’s become even more popular among homeowners during the pandemic.

Kitchens have become more of a focal point of the home in the past year—a space for cooking, eating, working remotely, trying out new hobbies and helping the kids with their schoolwork. Many homeowners these days need more overall counter space, but they don’t necessarily want one massive island sitting in the middle of their kitchen. For many homeowners, creating two custom kitchen islands instead of one has become a more appealing and functional design option.

Having double kitchen islands as opposed to one divides the kitchen into a socializing area and a working space. Two islands can give you more space to prepare food and gather guests in your kitchen, and it can improve the traffic patterns and flow of your space. With two kitchen islands, you also get more storage space.

Homeowners who have two islands often dedicate one solely to function—food prep—and add a dishwasher or a second sink to the island, and then reserve the second island for eating and entertaining. As you design your custom home and kitchen, consider the following when deciding between one or two kitchen islands.

1)    How big is your kitchen? The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) says an open kitchen that contains an island should have a minimum of 42 inches on each side of the island to make the space feel functional. Whether you’re planning for one island or two, consider the size of your space and what will fit without making the space feel cramped. If your kitchen is especially large, having two islands can give you more options for how to use the space. If you have a small space, it’s probably better to stick to one.

Studio M

2)   How much do you cook and entertain? If love to cook and entertain and you spend a good amount of time in the kitchen, having two kitchen islands may well be worth the investment. One of your islands can include an area for bar stools and function as a spot for guests to keep you company and relax with a drink without getting in the way as you prepare a meal. Or, it can double as a second, more intimate dining area. If you rarely cook or have guests over and you tend to eat out more often than not, a single island might suffice.

3)   What’s your budget? When you add one island to your kitchen, you’ll need to budget for a countertop, cabinets and any appliances or fixtures you might want to add. When you have two islands, your materials increase and so do your costs. You’ll want to think about how your kitchen figures in to your overall home design and budget. Perhaps the kitchen is the most important room in the house for you. If so, it may be worth it to dedicate more money to your kitchen than others rooms by incorporating two kitchen islands into your design.

danielscottkitchens.co.uk

If you choose to go with two kitchen islands, you have a number of design options. Two popular layouts include parallel islands and T-shaped islands. Parallel islands tend to work best in large square kitchens, while T-shaped islands—either connected or separated by a few feet—can be a good choice for smaller spaces.

Also, think about the shape of your kitchen. For a wide and short kitchen shape, you can put two islands side by side instead of building just one long island. That way, you can cross the room in the middle, and you don’t have to go around a long 12’ island. If your kitchen is deep and long, you can put the islands parallel to each other or build them in a T-shape.

Islands also don’t have to match. One island could be open underneath to allow for stools while the other could include plenty of cabinet space. With both islands, you can add interesting accents like unique pendant lights above each and a variety of hardware.

remedy.design

As you plan out your custom home, you have a lot of decisions to make. For many families, the kitchen often does become the focal point of the house, so it’s worth putting some extra thought and planning time into designing the room.

At Arieli, our experience in design and building can help you figure out whether one or two kitchen islands makes the most sense for you and your family. If we discover that two islands are a better fit, our team will help you plan out how you’ll use each island, and then customize them for your family’s unique needs.

Create the most functional and best possible steam shower for your budget.

A steam shower can be a smart addition to your custom home, helping both your health and your finances. Steam rooms have been linked to health benefits including relief from sore joints and muscles, soothing allergies and reducing stress. One analysis found that houses with steam showers sell for 31% more than their expected price.

A steam shower replaces a plain shower stall, and many people opt to install one in their master bathroom. Homeowners that invest in one can create a luxury spa atmosphere at home. Steam rooms are also “green.” Steaming for 20 minutes only consumes a few gallons of water as opposed to several dozen gallons for a shower that lasts just as long.

As you plan a steam shower for your custom home, you’ll want to understand the various options and the costs involved so you can create the most functional and best possible steam shower for your budget.

1) The steam generator. A steam generator is the heart of your steam shower and can cost on average up to a few thousand dollars. Cold water pumped into the generator is heated to boiling. Then, steam flows into the shower through a steam head. More expensive models build steam faster. As you choose a generator, make sure to pick one that’s large enough to steam your space, but not too large to be wasteful. Generators can be tucked into a closet or attic space or placed beneath a bench in your shower stall.

2) Steam shower controls. To adjust steam temperature and time, you’ll need to install digital controls. Some homeowners install controls inside the shower stall, while others choose to place the controls outside the stall. Another option is to also have a remote control so you can stay seated while adjusting the temperature or setting a timer. A panel can control extras as well, like special lighting, music and aromas. Controls range in price. Higher tech ones with features like a touch screen will cost more.

3) Tiling options. Porcelain tile is a great option for steam showers and it comes in a variety of shapes, colors and styles. Choosing the tiling for your steam shower is an opportunity to put your own unique design spin on the space. For benches, solid or composite stone is often the most comfortable to sit on. When choosing flooring, make sure to look for tiling that gets a good slip-resistance rating. Steam showers with a curved ceiling work well because water droplets can then run down the sides of the space instead of dripping straight down. For curved ceilings, smaller tiling works best.

4) Types of benches. Some homeowners decide to install a simple bench in their steam shower, but others choose to get creative. Options include an ergonomic bench that props up your head and supports your spine, or an oversized wooden bench that can give your space a spa-like sauna feel. For smaller steam showers, a floating bench can free up floor space and often gives the illusion of a larger shower.

5) Other design elements. When building a steam shower, many people choose to use a frameless glass door to enclose the shower as opposed to a framed door. A frameless steam shower door gives the shower a more seamless and sleeker look and it can make your bathroom appear even larger than it actually is.

6) Spa-like extras. Bells and whistles you can add to your steam shower include special mood lighting, Bluetooth audio so you can listen to relaxing music while steaming, and a pump to infuse calming aromatherapy oils into the shower.

In addition to buying a steam generator and the necessary parts and materials piecemeal, homeowners can also opt to purchase a steam shower kit instead. A steam shower kit can include the generator, shower tools, and the glass enclosure.

Whether you decide to opt for the a la carte option or to purchase a steam shower kit, steam shower installation should always be left to the professionals.

At Arieli, our team can work with you to design and build your ideal steam shower that you’ll enjoy for years to come.

Functional and Beautiful Aspects of a Farmhouse Kitchen

Farmhouse kitchens mimic the simpler homes of early settlers with their exposed beams and basic décor. They have a rustic, warm look and homey feel and continue to be a popular style today. With a farmhouse kitchen, you can have both a functional and beautiful space for preparing food, feeding your family and entertaining guests.

If you love farmhouse kitchens and want to create one of your own in your new custom home, the first step is to become familiar with the typical elements and materials used to create one. Classic farmhouse kitchens incorporate plenty of natural materials, including quality hardwoods like maple, oak and pine, and metal fixtures. They feature large cooking and eating surfaces, and are painted in neutral colors like beige and white.

As you design and budget for your new custom home, consider the following nine typical components of a modern farmhouse kitchen and pick and choose the ones that appeal to you and fit within your unique budget.

1) Exposed beams. Exposed beams are a classic element of the traditional farmhouse kitchen. You can keep it simple with basic horizontal beams, or create a more detailed design by working exposed beams into an A-frame ceiling.

2) A large, natural butcher block. Most farmhouse kitchen feature a sizable butcher block countertop that gives you plenty of space for food prep. Butcher blocks give a kitchen a clean, simple look and are also inexpensive, convenient since you can use it as a cutting board, and easy to maintain. For added storage space, opening shelving can be added below the countertop to give a decorative touch to the space.

3) A kitchen farmhouse sink. These types of sinks, also often called apron-front sinks, have become more popular in recent years for their sleek look and functionality. Farmhouse sinks are wide and deep and can hold a good number of dishes. While there are new models to choose from, you can also find attractive vintage models.

4) An exceptional stove. In old-time farmhouse kitchens, the stove was the centerpiece of the room, and often of the entire home, providing warmth and nourishment. Some modern homeowners who’ve committed to a classic farmhouse kitchen choose to invest in antique or vintage stoves to complete the rustic look.

5) Stone or hardwood floors. Farmhouse kitchens incorporate natural elements throughout, but definitely in the flooring. Most modern farmhouse kitchens have wooden floors with wide planks, imperfections or graining and natural or matte finishes. Other homeowners opt for more rustic stone flooring made from a material like slate or limestone. Wooden and stone floors are also relatively easy to clean and maintain.

6) Custom farmhouse kitchen cabinets. Farmhouse kitchen often include a mix of open shelving with kitchen cabinets, which can make your space feel larger. Custom cabinets in a classic farmhouse kitchen should be simply designed, with clean lines, plain trim and paneling. They’re often made from reclaimed, salvaged or distressed wood, adding to the room’s rustic look. Cabinet hardware in farmhouse kitchens could be antique, with a simple look. Beadboard is also often used on cabinets, walls and even on ceilings to bring additional texture into the room.

7) A hanging pot rack. Pot racks became less popular as built-in kitchen cabinets became more prevalent. But, in recent years, and especially in farmhouse kitchens, they’ve grown in popularity. Hanging pot racks make a kitchen more functional because it’s simple to grab the pot you need rather than digging through a cabinet. A preferred spot for a pot rack is above a kitchen island or butcherblock.

8) A banquet-style kitchen table. Called a farmhouse table, this type of kitchen table is usually large, rectangular and made from natural wood and it can seat more than a family of four, usually up to eight or ten people. The table harkens back to when people lived on farms and had larger families to accommodate around the table. Today’s often smaller families can use it for both every use and to entertain guests.

9) Versatile, interesting lighting. Old-time farmhouse kitchens had large windows and plenty of natural light to brighten the room during the day. Modern farmhouse kitchens can mimic that with large, abundant windows, while also making use of recessed lighting and simple metal fixtures like wall sconces and pendants made out of wrought iron or even copper.

As you plan for your modern farmhouse kitchen, balance out the functional elements with the beautiful ones keeping your budget in mind—and get creative. Farmhouse kitchens are all about a homespun and handcrafted feel, so don’t be afraid to put your personal touch on the space, whether it’s by adding an old-fashioned hutch from an antique shop, incorporating exposed brick, or creating a custom apron rack.

At Arieli, we have years of experience designing and building beautiful farmhouse kitchens. Please find more information on building a custom home with us here.

Open Kitchen Shelving. How much is too much?

Open kitchen shelving can be a great addition to your custom home kitchen, adding warmth and style to your space and making it easier to access items you use every day.

Open shelving is a trend that’s been around for years, and homeowners still love the look. Many people realize they’re cooking or using special kitchen items more often when they’re on display. They also like switching up how their kitchen looks by the season—for example, displaying mugs and soup bowls in winter and more glassware and plates in summer. When basic items are displayed, guests don’t have to ask where to find dishes, and emptying the dishwasher is easier. Some families find open shelving is ideal for family members who can’t remember to shut kitchen cabinets.

Yet, at the same time, if you fill your entire kitchen with open shelving only, your space could end up feeling cluttered and be less functional. When thinking about how to design your custom home kitchen and keep it well organized, it’s a good idea to strike a balance between open shelving and traditional cabinet space.

Configuring your space

The right mix of open shelving to cabinet space will depend on a variety of factors, including the size and shape of your room. For small or dark spaces, adding more open shelving than cabinets can make the kitchen feel bigger and brighter.

Generally, a good balance is to have 20-30% of your kitchen as open shelving and the rest as traditional cabinets. Shelving works well, especially, in narrow parts of the kitchen or spots where cabinet doors would bump into each other.

Open shelves can be dedicated to beautiful items you want to display, while cabinet space can be left to older, clunkier items. Some homeowners choose a focal point in the kitchen to dedicate to open shelving, while creating cabinets in all other areas.

In recent years, using open kitchen shelving where top cabinets would normally go has become a popular trend since it gives the room a more open feel. Homeowners also like to use open shelving above their kitchen sink—where cups can be stored—and near the stove—where spices and pantry staples can be displayed in clear jars.

Other popular items to store on open shelving in the kitchen include everyday plates and bowls, mugs, mixing bowls, and even small appliances. Some homeowners like to add cookbooks, vases or potted plants to add interesting visual elements to the room.

For lower kitchen cabinets, most people prefer to keep them closed off. However, adding in some open shelving on a kitchen island can be an attractive accent.

When you’re deciding on the right balance of open kitchen shelving and cabinets, keep the following three considerations mind:

1) Take a kitchen inventory. Think about every item in your kitchen. You may even want to make a list to make it easier to visualize. Which items would you want to display, and which would you prefer to hide away. What’s that ratio like? Remember that you can pack more into closed cabinets since they offer better support and they’re out of sight.

2) Think about pets. If you have curious, agile cats, for example, storing your best China on a lower hanging—or even a higher—open shelf could be problematic. Pet hair or dander from both cats and dogs is also more likely to collect on items that are stored out in the open.

3) Plan for extra cleaning. Dishes and other items stored on open kitchen shelves can not only collect pet hair and dander, but also dust and even grease from cooking. If you’re planning to store everyday items on your open shelves, extra cleaning should be minimal. However, if you’re storing less frequently used items, you’ll want to dust or wipe them down regularly. Dishes that have been splattered with grease could require some extra cleaning.

After considering these factors, if you’re still not quite sure about the right balance of open shelving to cabinets for your custom home kitchen, at Arieli, we can help. We work with our team of architects and designers to come up with a plan that’s perfect for your custom space and your unique needs and budget considerations.

If you’re renovating your current home, a great way to experiment with open kitchen shelving before taking the plunge is to remove existing cabinet doors for a couple weeks. Then, see how you like the new aesthetic. If you like the look, and you can keep your space looking sleek and uncluttered, then you can permanently convert some of your cabinets to open shelving.

Do you want separate closets or one shared space with an island?

When you build a custom home, you make every space your own, from the entry way to the pantry to your master bedroom closet. Out of all the decisions you’ll make as you’re designing your custom home, an important one is how you’ll configure your master closet. Do you want separate closets or one shared space with an island?

It’s a good idea to think carefully about your master bedroom closet since it’s a spot you’ll spend a good deal of time in each day. In recent years, plenty of well-planned-out storage space has also topped homebuyers’ wish lists, so a solid closet design can help with resale value as well—should you eventually decide to sell your custom home.

There are both pros and cons to having separate closets and a single shared space with an island. The best way to decide is to think about your particular situation, your needs, your budget, and how you want to use your closet space day to day.

Sticking to separate closets

Separate closets can work well if one person has significantly more “stuff” to store than the other. In that situation, the person with fewer clothes might feel overcrowded in a shared closet and could feel happier if they were to have their own personal space.

If the person you’re sharing a closet with has different ideas about tidiness than you do—they’re typically messy while you like a clean closet—sticking to separate spaces can also help stave off arguments or any feelings of resentment.

Separate closets provide more privacy as well ,and they can be a more convenient and less hectic option first thing in the morning when you’re rushing to get ready for work. Having individual closets means that you’re not getting in each other’s way while you’re trying to choose your outfit for the day.

Committing to a shared space

In recent years, however, more and more homes have featured walk-in master bedroom closets as many homeowners have gravitated toward larger closet spaces with a more open feel.

In kitchens, islands can add important extra storage space. It’s the same with closets. Having a shared walk-in closet with an island can add to your storage options, giving you custom-made spots to stash your shoes, belts, and even your jewelry.

Many homeowners like closet islands because they can eliminate the need for a dresser or a bureau, freeing up space in the master bedroom and giving your bedroom a cleaner, more streamlined feel. A closet island can also come in handy as a space for folding clothes or packing luggage as you’re preparing for a trip.

For a shared closet with an island, you need a large enough space so the closet doesn’t end up feeling cluttered. Generally, islands work well when they have around 36 inches of space on each side. That translates into a closet space that’s at least 12’ by 12’.

Adding an island to your share closed is also another opportunity to put your design spin on your space. You can choose an interesting finish for your island or top it with an eye-catching granite or a marble slab. Choosing interesting decorative hardware can also make your custom master closet island stand out.

Closet considerations

As you mull over whether to have separate closets or a shared space with an island, it’s a good idea to start by taking an inventory of what items each person has in their wardrobe and needs to store. Think about how much clothing should be hanging — and which items need a full hanging space versus a half space. Also think about what items can be placed in drawers or set on shelves instead.

Islands with drawers and dividers can be great for folded items like T-shirts, pants, underwear and lingerie and scarves. In the past year, many people have found themselves buying and wearing more leisure attire, which lends itself well to storage in drawers and on shelves.

With many workplaces now permanently shifting to at least part-time remote work for their employees, for many people, this trend toward more leisure wear could stick. Consider this as you’re making decisions about your custom closet.

Finally, think about how your closet could work in conjunction with other spaces in your new home, like your laundry room. If you decide to have a larger, shared closet, you may also have room for a hidden ironing board so you can do a fast touch-up before getting dressed. An island can also be built with a pull-out hamper inside. 

Whichever you choose – separate closets or a larger, single space with an island – take the time to work with your architect and custom builder team to make sure the final design suits all of your needs. At Arieli Homes, we’ve designed countless custom master closets. We love working with our clients to find the solution that best fits their unique needs.