How to Select Green Cabinets...

Choosing what is actually green these days can be head-spinning, how can you always be certain that what you are choosing is the best option for you and the environment? For cabinet selection, here’s one good way to know if your cabinet of choice is sustainable:  The  Environmental Stewardship Program Seal (ESP) is an environmental certification program that specifically targets kitchen and bath cabinets, developed by The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA).  This Seal is what assures you that the manufacturing practices and materials used meet...

Best Whole-House Remodel Award...

The Olympia Master Builders graciously hosted the annual Remodel Excellence Awards (REX) this past week. There were many beautiful projects submitted and it’s always a delight to see the craftsmanship of all the fine builders in Olympia. We were greatly pleased to win the award for the Best Whole House Remodel in the $150,000-500,000 category. The home we submitted was a charming and modest, albeit, funky waterfront home that was due for some serious attention. I wrote up a three part posting on it a few months back if you are interested in the full story. The short...

Best of South Sound Contractors...

Pretty exciting news first thing Monday morning! It appears we took the highest place in The Olympian newspaper’s on-line poll for  “Best of South Sound” contractors. What is Best of South Sound? Best of South Sound is an annual special section published by The Olympian that showcases businesses chosen by the community as the “Best of South Sound” for the previous year. How does it work? The Olympian’s readers may vote online from February 8th until March 8th. Each reader will be limited to one ballot and one vote per ...

Stylish Universal Design-Shower Drain...

Shower drain, not the most provocative subject unless there’s a problem. That said, this note just in from our interior designer, Diane Gassman, who among other talents is a Certified Aging in Place specialist which means she is very capable of creating beautiful, barrier-free environments particularly in kitchens and bathrooms. Now, back to the shower drain. This particular one caught my eye mostly because it has really nice clean lines. Gone are the days of the circular drain with the rough cut tiles attempting to circumnavigate the perimeter. Quick Drain USA...

No Leak Skylight...

Velux is rolling out a redesigned skylight product line this January with major upgrades: Advanced energy efficient glass Beefed up protection against water penetration No-Leak product warranty This last one is the ticket.  The product carries a 10 year skylight installation warranty, plus 20 years on glass, and 5 years on blinds and controls. Here’s what Velux says about the improvements to this line: Features include a third layer of water protection; advanced LoE3 glass for better energy efficiency, higher visible light transmittance, and  improved solar heat...

Modern Fire Spaces...

Spark makes beautiful fire spaces. Linear, clean and alluring. These are just too beautiful not to talk about. We’ve all seen them in magazines, but did you consider you could have one in your house? It might inspire your next remodel… or why not build a whole new house around it? That’s not the craziest idea. Spark fires are minimalist, modern and very elegant. They really can fit in almost any setting, but really shine in a highly designed environment with contemporary overtones. Spark has outside models that could change the atmosphere of your patio...

Ultra Grip Green Primer...

Ultra Grip Multi Purpose Primer. Though I just discovered a write up on this product, and haven’t tried it yet, it looks like one of those products that  could carry the weight of “making the job”.These are the kinds of products everyone should have in their arsenal for home projects. Dunn-Edwards Corporation is the manufacturer. They claim this primer is suitable for interior and exterior surfaces including wood, masonry, metal (non ferrous), drywall, and fiberglass, it even sticks to old enamel paint. It’s 100% acrylic and functions as a stain...

American Clay Earth Plaster...

American Clay Earth Plaster is a wonderful, earthy wall finish that can span the style range from Tuscan rustic to modern. We’ve used this product on several projects this past year and it’s just a lovely material. It works well for remodels and new construction and really adds a touch of class no matter what the architectural style of your home. Clay used as a building material has been around for ages. In this case, with the refined application techniques, it has such a nice ‘hand’ to the finish, and it has a living and organic quality that...

Crystal Cabinets...

One of our favorite, beautifully crafted, consistent, durable products we carry in our showroom is Crystal Cabinets. We install them on nearly all our projects that require cabinets or custom built in entertainment centers. Crystal is located in Minnesota and has manufactured handcrafted cabinetry for over 60 years. Crystal has evolved into the #1 Custom Cabinet Manufacturer with the custom cabinet market, and for a good reason! Whether it’s for a remodel or new construction, Crystal offers cabinets that are perfect for the application and the budget. The styles...

Mid Century Bathroom Remodel...

As the marketing person at The Artisans Group, part of my job is to coordinate photo shoots of our projects. Yesterday,  I had the opportunity to go  to a lovely bathroom remodel project we recently completed out on Cooper Point, with a 180 degree  view of Bud Bay.  The home originally started out as a cabin sometime in the early part of the last century, some time around the mid century the cabin was remodeled into a home with definitive modern architectural elements. Clean lines, large low pitched roof planes, pleasing geometry. The current homeowners had been living...