Remodel Like a Pro

While some things are often described as having a “timeless” quality, it is more often than not that the description only holds weight for so long. Trends have a shelf life and there are few items/looks that can escape that fate. With the change being inevitable, it’s time to remodel. This can easily become an overwhelming process, especially from a financial standpoint. We’re going to go through a few ways that you can save money when you decide those trends have worn their welcome. Continue reading

Home Improvement in 2017

Custom WoodworkAs we wrap up 2016, the trend analysts are already looking at what changes homeowners are considering for 2017. The Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) predicts continued growth in home renovation and repair spending for 2017 before tapering off near the end of the year. While popular trends are looked at based on what majorities of people are buying and changing in their homes, we here at Brunsell know that our clients have their own styles and desires and some even buck the trends. Despite that, here’s what analysts say 2017 will look like for home improvement. Continue reading

Kitchen Design Ideas

Kitchen-Design-Madison
Photo credit: Andrea Rugg, for Building Design & Construction

You aren’t alone if you hate your kitchen. It is one of the rooms in the house that nearly everyone spends the most time in and many find it inefficient and difficult to use if they didn’t design it themselves. This is why most home remodeling projects start with the kitchen and go from there. In a 2013 survey of their readers, Forbes asked nearly 8,000 readers about their plans to remodel. 49% of those who responded said they were going to completely gut their kitchens! If that’s your plan in the coming year, here are some ideas to consider and some to forget. Continue reading

Bright, White, and Out of Sight: The Latest Trends in Kitchen and Bath Design

Photo credit: Andrea Rugg, for Building Design & Construction
Photo credit: Andrea Rugg, for Building Design & Construction

It’s been three months since the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) issued its annual Kitchen & Bath Design trends report. Based on trend predictions from member-designers who answer a survey, the thing is practically a crystal ball most of the time.

We think it’s nice to see if a trend grows real legs, has staying power, gains traction, sticks—whatever you want to call it—before shining a spotlight on it. (Otherwise, everyone runs out and impulsively spends a quarter of their annual income on dusty-rose bath fixtures and avocado-green kitchen appliances, only to spend the next 40 years wondering what the heck they were thinking.) Continue reading

A Better Kind of Sink

Photo credit: Wikipedia
Photo credit: Wikipedia

Sink. It’s a heavy word. Think of the Titanic, of the earth suddenly opening up to swallow a home, or of hearts dropping in disappointment. Yeah, it has some bad connotations. But in kitchen and bath designs? A sink can be gorgeous. It can even serve as a statement piece. Right now, the queen of them all is the undermount sink. Continue reading

The Counterfeit Solution to Counters: Why You Shouldn’t Update Them Yourself

If you scour the Internet hard enough, you can find a DIY solution for just about anything. DIY, for the uninitiated, stands for do-it-yourself. There’s nothing coincidental about its popularity rising with the spread of big-box home-improvement stores. Add Pinterest to the mix, and you end up with a lot of people thinking it takes just a little elbow grease and a $50 gift card to turn this: Continue reading

Replacing Your Kitchen Cabinets

Do you walk into your kitchen and look around and let out a loud sigh? Are you thinking, this just doesn’t work for us, and it’s time to do something about it! We understand that feeling and want to offer you a way to make some changes to the kitchen starting with what is probably the biggest part of your kitchen, the cabinets. Any kitchen remodel should start here and Brunsell Lumber and Millwork can help with custom designs or with one of our many quality cabinet lines. We can also help with quick fixes such as just replacing your kitchen cabinet doors and the hardware. Continue reading