1. What do you want your kitchen to say about you? Dark cabinets are interesting. They’re on the mysterious side since they create a shadowy interior, and they’re unusual, so they’re a bit of a surprise. Light cabinets are bright and sunny. They’re more welcoming, and light colors put people at ease. That doesn’t mean dark cabinets will chase people away or make them feel unwanted: dark cabinets are cozier; light cabinets are more clean and defined.
2. How clean do you keep your kitchen? If you have children, this may be the deciding factor. Dark cabinets won’t show dents or scratches as easily, and spills show up more readily on light cabinets. Also, dark wood tends to look new longer. But if scratches and spills aren’t a concern, light cabinets can be great for reflecting light rays to keep the room more visible at all times of the day, so your kids won’t be afraid to maneuver the kitchen with the lights out.
3. What other materials are you working with? Do you have other shades of wood in the room, such as wood flooring or trim? What color are your counter tops and fixtures? Coordinating colors can tie the room together, so if you want everything to run seamlessly together, match dark with dark or light with light. If you want to highlight some previously hidden features in the room, contrasting colors may be just what you need.
4. There’s no rule book. Once you’ve taken everything into consideration, keep in mind that it’s your home.  If you have your heart set on a certain look, don’t settle for something you won’t be happy with. There’s always the option of picking and choosing several different colors to mix. You could coordinate your kitchen island with the floors and choose a contrasting color for the cabinets. You could choose a cabinet color that matches the floors but contrasts fixtures to highlight various part of the room. The possibilities are endless, and your kitchen will look beautiful when you make your final decisions.

So, the question on everyone’s minds: Is Arizona next? The purpose of increasing energy efficiency standards is to help residents save money and to drastically decrease green house gas emissions. The blistering Arizona sun leaves residents with little choice but to use their air conditioning religiously when the heat of summer hits. With the high amount of air conditioning usage in Arizona, it is safe to say that Arizona will most likely have increased energy efficiency standards in the coming years. The California Energy Commission’s 2013 Building Energy Efficiency Standards are 30 percent more efficient than previous standards for non-residential construction and 25 percent more efficient for residential construction.

With the high possibility of increased efficiency standards in the near future, it would be wise for homeowners and builders to consider Energy Star approved options. This way, homeowners can avoid the likelihood of having to replace windows again in the future. While these investments may cost a little more upfront, you are guaranteed to earn the extra cash back on your energy bills.

Experts say as much as 25 percent of a home’s cool air can escape out from sub-par windows. Not only would Energy Star approved windows seal up these leaks, but they also can reduce up to 99 percent of heat gain and harmful UV rays. Energy Star windows can also earn you tax incentives and sometimes even additional perks from local energy companies.

Switching to more energy efficient products before the regulations are put into place will leave you ahead of the curve and saving early. Even if the regulations are not put into place for a few years, you will never regret the significant amount of money saved on your energy bills, especially with summer right around the corner. To keep from being left with a significant amount of work on your hands come regulation time, upgrade sooner rather than later.

1. Determine how long you’ll stay in the home. How long you stay in your current home impacts how much you should be investing in it. If you plan on staying in the home for at least the next ten years, it is often worth investing in it to make it your dream home. However, if you are planning on moving within the next few years, you might want to rethink the project. Check real estate comparisons in your neighborhood and keep your investment in line with the average sales price. You don’t want to spend too much on an investment you won’t be able to recover when selling.
2. Make a list of expenses. Excluding groceries, utilities and other general expenses, this list should include your monthly expenses. These expenses should include your credit card, car, mortgage and any other fixed monthly payments.
3. Determine your gross monthly income. Add up all income you receive each month, including income you would list when filling out a loan application.
4. Complete the following worksheet. This formula from the National Association of Remodeling Industry should help you better understand your budget:

Step 1 – DTI 
Lenders use a simple Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio to determine if a homeowner can afford the additional debt of a remodeling project.
DTI
Enter Your Total Monthly Expenses $__________
Add the Estimated Monthly Payment for the Remodeling
Project + $__________
Total = $__________
Divide the Total by Your Gross Monthly Income $__________
DTI % = __________
Each lender will approve loans at a specific DTI percentage (most lenders will tell you what their set DTI ratio is, if you ask). For example, if the lender accepts DTI ratios of 45 percent and your DTI ratio is 30 percent, your loan would be approved. However, if your DTI ratio is 55 percent, you would need to find other financing options. Perhaps your lender offers debt consolidation loans that could reduce your DTI ratio, which brings us to the next step:
Step 2 – The Maximum Payment
The next step is to determine the maximum monthly payment you can afford for remodeling. Multiply your monthly gross income amount by the lender’s maximum DTI allowance, and subtract your current total monthly expenses, excluding the estimated remodeling payment.
Gross Monthly Income $__________
Lender’s DTI ratio x __________
Subtotal $__________
Total Monthly Expenses – $__________
Maximum Affordable Payment = $__________
If the last line is negative, you will not be able to borrow from that lender. See step 3 for further options.
Step 3 – Consolidation 
If your DTI ratio was above the lender’s accepted percentage, or if your maximum affordable payment was too low, you may want to consider a debt consolidation loan. This would incorporate your current debts into the home improvement loan. Not only does this allow you to roll your debts into what may be a tax deductible loan, it also provides one easy payment for your debts and lowers your DTI percentage. In addition, the interest rate on a debt consolidation loan may be lower, which will save you additional money.

1. Neutral finishes: Whether it’s on countertops, cabinets or even flooring designers are avoiding the bright, bold colors of older kitchens and sticking to shades of brown and white this year. These neutral colors give your kitchen a warm, clean, inviting look that will stand the test of time. And good news; you don’t have to completely replace your current cabinetry to achieve this new look! Refinish or reface your kitchen cabinets to update your kitchens look without destroying your budget. “When refacing cabinets, a clean, simple contemporary look is winning out, both from an updating standpoint, and a trend to eliminate unnecessary clutter and fussy details that equate to high maintenance and complicated living,” said Kathleen Donohue, an award-winning designer with Neil Kelly Designs.
2. Hardwood Floors: That’s right. Hardwood kitchen floors remain a hot kitchen remodeling trend this year. Whether you want to go with a dark wood to offset your white cabinetry, or a light wood to contrast your dark cabinetry, you can’t go wrong with hardwood floors. Is there anything that looks better in a kitchen than gleaming, clean wooden floors? We don’t think so!
3. Functionality: Whether you’re entertaining a big group, or cooking with your mother-in-law, your kitchen should perform as effortlessly as possible under all types of pressure. Most importantly, your kitchen should be designed for convenient cabinet access and storage. If cooking with others is a struggle in your kitchen because one of you is always in the way, it might be time to either rearrange your drawers or upgrade to more accessible cabinetry. In fact, most designers and contractors agree that cabinetry is the area to splurge on when you remodel your kitchen. Cabinets are constantly used around the kitchen, so it is essential that the cabinets you choose during your remodel project resist wear for at least 20 years.
4. Mixed cabinet colors: If you’re bored with the same cabinet colors all around your kitchen, now’s the time to mix it up. One of the more popular cabinet color trends is to use different, darker color cabinets on island cabinets or on the lower cabinets. This way, when children get into lower cabinets they won’t stain or gray light colored cabinetry. Some color trends include mix-and-match kitchen cabinetry painted in those neutral shades of cream, taupe and gray.

One of the easiest ways to regulate your home’s energy usage during these extreme weather months is to reduce your home’s draft. Don’t let the well-conditioned air in your home seep out! There are a lot of ways to do this, some less expensive than others. However, the main problem comes from your windows and doors. There could be some serious dough seeping out from under your older doors or single-pane windows.

Single pane windows are very easily subjected and changed by their outside environment because there is only the one glass pane between the outside world and the inside of your home. In some parts of the U.S., anywhere from 15 to 35 percent of heat loss can be attributed to the poor insulation of single pane windows.
Your best bet in this case to install triple pane windows. Yes, they are more expensive, but their benefits will save you on energy bills. By having an extra window pane between the outdoors and the inside of your house, window draft is greatly reduced.

In fact, in the last ten years, building codes have been substantially raised to demand more efficient windows. Most now require at least double pane windows. These demands will only continue to grow until eventually the only way to meet the standards will be by installing three or even four panes of glass. So, by installing triple pane windows, you’ll find yourself ahead of the curve when the bar is raised on energy efficient windows.
Draft between the cracks of your doors can also be a huge problem. One way to temporarily reduce draft at the bottom of your door is by filling a large tube sock with uncooked rice or beans and placing at the base of the door. However, these are extremely unattractive, wear down the finish on your floors quickly and do not permanently resolve the problem.

Replacing your doors and windows with newer ones that have better technology and insulation is an excellent investment. Not only will you get better insulation and a lower energy bill, but you will also vamp up your home’s curbside appeal with a new look.

1. Map It. Draw a map of your kitchen dividing sections into workstations on countertops.
2. Assign locations. Identify the purpose of your kitchen cabinets on the map. Determine the types of items that the cabinets above each workstation would be most convenient to store. We suggest you store dishes near the sink area and cooking utensils next to the stove.
3. Label kitchen cabinets. Write on a sticky note what type of items go in each cabinet
4. Sort. Empty kitchen cabinets and sort according to the categories determined on your map. Get rid of items if you no longer use them or if you have duplicates. Dispose of items that are cracked, stained or damaged. Also, discard expired pantry items.
5. Evaluate. Evaluate the contents of your kitchen cabinets once it’s sorted to see if there is enough cabinet space to accommodate what you have. Plan to put heavier items such as skillets and food processers in lower cabinets and lighter items such as glasses and dishes in upper cabinets.
6. Clean. With cabinets empty, clean them inside and out. Replace liners, if desired.
7. Select containers. Choose containers for bulk items such as flour, sugar and rice. Also, choose containers for small items such as flavored drink packets, spice packets, etc. Dispose of containers that you no longer need or are broken.
8. Fill cabinets. Stock cabinets according to your map. Label cabinets to help family members find items in their new locations.

Consider space-saving items like organizing racks and stacking shelves to maximize the kitchen cabinet space. If you go through this process and find your cabinets no longer fit your needs, please contact us about redesigning your kitchen cabinets so that they are more efficient.

Number of sinks
These days, most kitchens have a double-bowl sink. This sink style was designed primarily for washing dishes. But, with most households using a dishwasher for these purposes, kitchen sinks are not often used for merely washing dishes.

Instead, today, homeowners often use their kitchen sinks to hand wash large pans, pots and baking sheets. For this reason, it may be preferable to have at least one oversized sink. If you must have double sinks but space is an issue, an oversized bowl and a small bowl combination can be a good solution. In those kitchens which have adequate space, one oversized and one standard sized bowl is ideal.

Sink Choices
Kitchen sinks are made from composites, enamel-coated cast iron, stainless steel and solid surfaces.

• Composite sinks: This is newer style of sink which can be made of several different materials. These sinks are a good option for the homeowner who is remodeling their kitchen on a tight budget. Composite sinks come in many colors, so this is also a nice feature of these products. Unfortunately, polyester/acrylic sinks aren’t as durable as other sink options and these drop-in sinks are not as easy to clean as some other sinks.
• Enamel-coated cast iron sinks: While they’ve been around many years, these are still useful for today’s families. They’re very nice looking sinks, but since enamel can scratch and wear, it’s not the best kitchen sink choice for those who are tough on their sinks.
• Stainless sinks: For those homeowners who are hard on sinks, frequently throwing things into them, stainless is often a good choice.
• Solid surface sinks: This is a great option for families looking for a kitchen sink and countertop that are very easy to clean, even though you still need to clean the joint between the countertop and the underside. Scratches can be buffed out of a solid surface sink, but the material can chip. Also, if you transfer hot pots and pans directly from the cooktop to the sink, a solid surface can become damaged.

Question

Can you help? Our house was built in the 80s and we’ve been in it for 7 years. Our daughter’s bedroom, which is on the top floor, has shown signs of damage from heavy rains once before and it’s happening again after the storm this past week.  Both times, water has seeped in at the top of one wall and bubbled up behind the paint. This only happened the two times. With less severe storms, we didn’t see any signs of leaking in her room. When I was inspecting the damage, I did happen to notice what looks like an old patch to the drywall in same area. (This must have been done by a previous owner.) I thought maybe the leak was coming from the gutter or exhaust pipe coming out of the roof, but it’s really hard to tell. Can you help?

Answer

We’ve heard from quite a few homeowners concerned about roof leaks over the last weeks after the heavy rainfall. A leaky roof is one of the most common challenges faced by homeowners. It is important for homeowners to know how to find and repair those inevitable drips and leaks because when the roof leaks, a variety of problems can follow. Roof leaks can cause several significant problems including mold and mildew infestations and even damaged foundations.

When you do see signs of a roof leak such as the bubbling up of paint that you describe, often these problems can be repaired at minimal cost. The first step is to identify the source of the leak. There are a number of very common places for roofs to leak, including:

• Chimneys
• Fields of shingles
• Furnace or B-vent flashings
• Missing shingles
• Plumbing vent flashings
• Skylights
• Valleys or low spots in the roof
• Wall step flashings

Because it can be difficult to locate the source of the leak, we do recommend having a licensed roofing contractor come out to inspect and give you an estimate. One of our skilled craftsmen would be happy to come to your home and get to the bottom of your bubbling paint mystery and see if the leak can be repaired or if it’s time to have your roof replaced.

Paint
Paint can be a wonderful choice, especially for the indecisive. Color palettes for paint are seemingly endless, offering thousands of options that can be combined and designed in the perfect pattern. Additionally, there are the different kinds of coating, from gloss to semi- gloss or even matte, offer just the right solution for your decorating needs. Preparation for painting takes less time and effort than wallpapering, however, while it’s inexpensive, paint is easily damaged and won’t hold up as long as wall paper. These can be significant issues, especially in high traffic areas like a kitchen.

Wallpaper
The other option is wallpaper which can also offer plenty of choices. Most wallpaper comes in patterns, from subtle to loud. It is made from paper or vinyl, allowing you to set the perfect tone to your kitchen aesthetic. It is more durable than paint and can be scrubbed down when dirty. While it doesn’t chip, the adhesive can become weak in high moisture rooms like the kitchen. Installation is a little trickier, especially if you must remove old wallpaper first.
When remodeling your home, specifically a room like the kitchen where families spend a lot of time, it’s important to take the time to make decisions you will be happy with for a long time.

If this article has given you ideas for your kitchen, stop by our showroom or visit our website www.republicwest.com, and we will be happy to help you design your new project.

The two most common choices are tile and hardwood.

Tile Flooring

There are several key benefits of tile flooring. Tiles are waterproof, which is especially useful in a kitchen where spills are frequent and appliances can leak. Aesthetically, tile offers many decorative options. There are different sizes, colors and shapes of tiles, the kind of variety that can’t be achieved with hardwood. In addition, tiles don’t scratch which can be a benefit especially if you have pets or children. One of the biggest downsides of tile is that it can crack. Additionally, grout can get dirty and chip, taking away from the uniform look.

Hardwood Flooring

If you’re a person who loves to cook and you spend more time in the kitchen than anywhere else, hardwood flooring may be a better choice. Because it has some flex to its surface, cooks who spend a lot of time standing in the kitchen cooking will suffer less fatigue in their legs and feet. It’s also less expensive than tile and takes less labor to install. If your kitchen is smaller, hardwood is beneficial because it can make the space look larger. The most significant disadvantage of hardwood is that it isn’t water resistant which can be an issue in a kitchen. It also needs to be refinished often to maintain the surface protection.

If this blog has inspired your remodeling ideas, we’d love to help make them happen. Give us a call at 480-423-9300, visit our website at republicwesthome.com or stop in to our showroom.