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We love working with our homeowners to improve their homes. Three beautiful kitchens and a spa-worthy bathroom are among our latest projects. Check them out in these photos taken by Stuart Jones Photography. (Click on photos to enlarge)

Wood Wise uses Byrd Tile http://byrdtile.com/. Here is what they say about improvements in today’s grout:

“Grout is basically made up of portland cement with color pigments added. Due to the porous nature of cement, grout was, until recently, very prone to staining. Recent enhancements in the production of grout and its raw materials have made grout a much denser product. The addition of latex additives in the mixing of the product will also increase the density of the grout. There are also a large variety of penetrating sealers that can be applied to the grout as soon as 72 hours after installation. Though the initial cost for epoxy and urethane grout is more, these products provide a stain-proof and color-consistent grout joint.”

Wood Wise uses grout with a sealer built in since it increases stain resistance. There are several companies who make it such as Bostic “Vivid” and Tec Powergrout. Our clients have been pleased with the results.

Some people are house people. They notice all aspects of their home. The better their house looks, the better they feel.

House people admire, critique and appreciate home design. House people travel through life noticing the good, the bad and the asymmetrical. They feel sad for the design-deficient people in their lives and secretly envy everyone with a really big home enhancement budget.

House people go on home tours. They buy “Best Kitchens” magazines on impulse at the grocery checkout.  Home shows draw them in like free Ben & Jerry’s.

House people rearrange their stuff in pursuit of a fresh look. For them, furniture placement is less fixed, paint colors less permanent and artwork moves around wall to wall in their dwellings.

Problems may arise when two house people fall in love. While this may seem compatibility-positive (two home-design lovers planning and decorating together) it may be too many cooks in the kitchen. Relationships are tested during home remodeling but the thrill of enjoying life with updated design brings house people together.

For house people, spending time in design deprived places creates anxiety, even depression. They wither like unwatered house plants in tasteless or drab environments. They thrive in beautiful surroundings. For them, remodeling and decorating are special rewards, the fun part of life. Regular updating is essential, like Vitamin K. House people dream and plan and save for improvements. 

Are you a house person?

When you enter the world of remodeling, you find it is filled with decisions. You must decide on the budget, extent of work to be done, and much more. The most important decision is which remodeling firm to entrust with your renovation. That one decision can determine how easy or how hard the rest of the many decisions will be.

When it comes time to make selections (cabinets, countertops, tile, hardware, paint colors, etc.), many remodelers hand you a long list of decisions to make with a firm date to finalize. No guidance. No help. Just a list, a deadline, and a push out the door to a showroom to wander around on your own.

Homeowners who choose Wood Wise for their remodeling all have designer Kathy Walker accompany them to the various showrooms to help with all the selections. With 10 years of experience designing renovations, Kathy has developed a logical, organized approach. She gently guides clients through the selections process, step-by-step in a specific order. Kathy makes it easy.

There are multiple building-related showrooms in the area but through the years, Kathy has landed on those that provide top quality products, variety, and, equally important, great customer service.

Kathy’s favorite showrooms:

• Wood Wise Design & Remodeling: we have a beautiful cabinet showroom at our office that features KraftMaid and Waypoint cabinets. Cabinets are the first stop in the selections process.-  https://woodwisedesign.com/what-we-do/raleigh-cabinet-company-showroom/
• Byrd Tile: tile for kitchen backsplash, showers, laundry rooms, bathroom floors, etc.- http://byrdtile.com/
• Fergusons: plumbing, lighting, cabinet hardware, etc. – https://www.ferguson.com/
• Carolina Custom Kitchen & Bath: countertop fabrication- http://www.carolinacustomkitchen.com/
• Cosmos Granite & Marble: granite, quartz, marble slabs (importer) – http://www.cosmosgranite.com/raleigh

Kathy coordinates appointments with each showroom and our Wood Wise clients. 

This 1970’s Raleigh home has benefited from taking down walls to open up the kitchen to the living and dining rooms. It now lives larger, the kitchen is more accessible, and the cook is no longer separated from the family or guests. The tiered island becomes a great solution for keeping food prep out of sight while providing additional seating. Sporting a painted finish in contrast to the stained wood perimeter cabinets, the island looks beautiful and has tons of great storage.

This mid-century inside-the-beltline home was designed by a professor in the NCSU College of Design. The current homeowners love the modern layout of the home but needed an updated kitchen and family room. Because the house is built on a slab, the plumbing was in place and dictated a similar before and after kitchen layout. Wood Wise designer Kathy Walker created a larger island with additional seating and storage. KraftMaid “Putnam” style cabinets in Honey Spice finish are a great contrast to the existing terrazzo floor. The perimeter cabinets feature an area of open shelving to display a beautiful collection of glass. The subway style backsplash in glass is easy to clean and reflects the light. Good-looking granite countertops add warmth and character to this great kitchen.

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A favorite mountain resort was the inspiration for this master bathroom remodel. The homeowners wanted to create the spa-like feel including the barn door to the large shower. Wood Wise designer Kathy Walker guided them through the design and selection process and achieved exactly what they were wanting. Now these homeowners can enjoy the pampered feel of a mountain spa without leaving their comfortable home.

A favorite remodeling request from homeowners is to take out walls and open up. Older kitchens are often isolated, making the cook miss out on family and guest activities. These homeowners came to Wood Wise with that exact issue: they were faced with a small kitchen that was closed off from the dining and living rooms. The solution was to remove two walls which makes the kitchen larger and unites the three areas. The tiered island features seating for four as well as space to lay out a buffet. The results is an inviting home ready for family and community.

Details make all the difference in a room. In this recently remodeled kitchen by Wood Wise, the homeowners chose KraftMaid cherry Shaker-style cabinets in Honey Spice. The large island boasts beautiful matching wood corbels also by KraftMaid that support the granite countertop above and help hide electrical outlets below. With plenty of storage and seating for 4, this island blends the best of beauty and convenience.

A friend of Wood Wise shared the following comments that were made on her Nextdoor neighborhood app. A reader asked for recommendations for a remodeler. Some of her neighbors, past Wood Wise clients, had the most wonderful things to say.

We appreciate our homeowners and are thankful to have the privilege of serving them.