4 Fab Architectural Products For Designing Your Remodel Or New Construction Project

I’ve got some architectural products to share that you might find interesting to use in your next remodel or new build construction project.

These products are rather off the beaten path and many contractors and designers don’t use them readily, so it’s up to you to learn and research yourself, if you want something a little out of the ordinary.

1) Warm toned quartz material for the “white” countertop look that will still work with your cream colored cabinets.

I don’t how many times a month I get this question or request…..”What is a good countertop material that is white that will look good with my cream colored cabinets?”

Usually I say to just go dark and contrast with the cream. Toying with various shades of white and off white in large expanses of material can be dangerous. It can feel right in a small sample or maybe just sort of okay, but in a big piece, it might look too yellow or too white for everything around it.

I have one good option for you to try IF you are keeping your cream everywhere and still want the “look” of white.

(Notice I said “try”, I don’t promise anything unless I go and see the home with the sample in person myself, so I strongly suggest you get your own samples to view in your own home.)

This paint color is SW Believable Buff, a really yellow white. The homeowner who used my Designed in a Click service wanted a “white look” quartz with these paint colors she had in her kitchen. This quartz from Caesarstone, Statuario Nuvo, looks good because of its warmer tone overall. You can see it compared to a whiter look quartz of theirs, Staturario Maxiumus, which would make the paint color appear even more yellow if used.

Another one I have used before that is slightly warmer is Silestone Lusso. I used it in this kitchen, and while I wouldn’t say it was cream, it was definitely a warm white.

Silestone Lusso quartz countertop in warm green toned kitchen.

2) Hide those electrical outlets with paintable covers.

I’ve used these before on a few projects and I’m using them again on projects I have finishing up now. Seeing outlets and switches stand out visually on backsplashes and kitchen islands is rather a pet peeve of mine. :-(

Legrand Adorne paintable outlet covers are great at hiding an outlet or switch in plain sight. You paint the back side of the cover plate, so the paint doesn’t get scratched. And, by the way, you can wallpaper it too!

Legrand Adorne switches with customizable plates that you can paint or wallpaper to match your wall.

Legrand Adorne switches with cover painted to match paneling.

You have to use it with their receptacles, so don’t forget to order the entire outlet. They have all kinds of electrical outlet and switch combinations, so you can get exactly what you need.

Here’s one of my jobs now where the contractor is installing it on the blue kitchen island. We’re using the magnesium finish receptacle on this job, also provided by Legrand, and it blends in nicely with a dark blue color.

Blue kitchen island almost complete. Legrand Adorne paintable outlet cover plate is being installed to blend into the blue of the cabinetry.

3) A masonry (non-combustible) fireplace mantel that looks like wood.

This was new to me. On a job where we had a fireplace that needed a lot of space above the fireplace box (more than I wanted), before any wood or combustible material was allowed, the contractor on the job found this.

It’s a masonry mantel that is shaped to look like wood.

Masonry cedar-look mantel

It has a rough hewn look and will work very nicely for places where you can’t do a wood mantel where you want because of the fireplace requirements. You can get it in their two finishes or in an unfinished version to finish on your own.

This is particularly good these days, as people are wanting to lower their mantels so they can put a tv above for better viewing.

4) Do a flush base in your next project, so your home can be like every other gorgeous multi-million dollar Malibu estate!

When I was designing my room for the Seasonal Living Magazine Virtual Designer Showhouse, debuting on Dec. 3rd, (sign up for your free tour here ;-), I researched doing a flush base in my room. I’d seen them before, either a flush base or just a reveal at the floor to separate the sheetrock material from the flooring material. I saw these in the more contemporary homes in LA on home tours there.

Here was an example of no baseboard in a house in Malibu, it was actually a simple reveal at the base of the wall. It’s such a clean, neat detail for a contemporary interior.

No baseboard used, just a reveal detail at the base of the walls in this contemporary Malibu home.

No baseboard used, just a reveal detail at the base of the walls in this contemporary Malibu home.

I love this clean look and realized there must be some extruded aluminum strips that would help to create that neat and tidy detail. Low and behold, I found it! Tamlyn makes these cool products that make all kinds of neat architectural details possible.

Recently the rep called me and said I would get some samples in mail.

Viola! Received! (Only an architect or designer would nerd out on extruded aluminum, right?)

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