The CKD Blog
Where Sarah, and sometimes Steve, share design projects, renovation advice, and other project-related insights.
How to Estimate the Timeline of Your Kitchen Renovation
When you're ready to renovate your kitchen, you will have to decide whether you would like a full renovation or a partial renovation. Once you know which type of renovation you will be pursuing, you can look at the following steps to judge the overall length of your project’s timeline…
How to Find the Right General Contractor
To help you find the right person for your home industry project — regardless of whether you’re in Florida — I’m sharing the top questions you should ask your general contractor before hiring. I’ll include what to look for in the answers, how to spot red flags, and other important insights…
How to Create a Budget for Your Kitchen Renovation
Investing wisely in a kitchen renovation is essential — in quality, functionality, and of course, style you love. So, how do you build a budget for your kitchen renovation? And when should you start? I’ll be answering those questions and more in this post…
7 FAQs to Know Before You Renovate Your Kitchen
You’ve finally decided to say goodbye to dated kitchen finishes and a not-so-functional floor plan. Exciting! But now, your mind is probably racing with questions, ideas, and maybe even concerns. Let’s talk about 7 things to know before you start your kitchen renovation…
How to Renovate & Keep the Original Character of a Historic Home
Purchasing a historic home requires more than just the “fix and flip” mentality, especially if you want to honor the home's history. True, a quick fix may seem appealing, but over time, any issues that were covered up will resurface. And a historic home usually has A LOT. This is why Steve and I refer to what we do as renovating for resale. Not flipping…
How to Create a Home Beverage Center
It isn’t surprising that we’re seeing home beverage centers at the top of the wishlist during kitchen renovations. We’ve seen this feature take off in popularity lately, but even before COVID, we received constant requests for it. So…what is it exactly? What are the advantages? Why should you seriously consider it, if you haven’t before? Come take a look…
Stunning Chandeliers: FAQs & Where to Find Them
By definition, a chandelier is any prominent light fixture that has multiple bulbs — which really opens up a world of possibilities! Today, I want to share some of the FAQs I hear about chandeliers, along with a few of my favorite options in stunning yet versatile designs. Come take a look…
Cabinetry 101: 5 Steps to Selecting Cabinets with High-Quality Craftsmanship
Welcome to Part 2 of Cabinetry 101, where we’ll be talking about everything you need to know about the cabinets’ style and construction. While this isn’t as exciting as deciding on various colors and hardware details, the construction and features of the cabinets are like the foundation of a house. Build on a good foundation, and the rest will fall into place. Choose the right cabinetry construction, and your design will shine. Keep reading to find out how…
Cabinetry 101: What to Know about the Investment, Quality & Source
Did you know that there is far more to cabinet selection than just choosing the door style and color? That’s why, as part of our planning process, we always take our clients to the cabinet showroom for a first-hand look at the differences in quality, functionality, and style. Steve refers to this as “Cabinetry 101.” Today, I’m inviting you to an abbreviated version of Cabinetry 101 and answering 4 of the top FAQs we hear every time…
Guest Post: Steve’s Favorite Kitchen Cabinet Features
Hey y’all, it’s Steve again. I’m taking over for Sarah this week...so today, let’s keep it fun with my favorite kitchen cabinet features, the ones that make cooking, entertaining, and cleanup easy...
5 Decade-Defining Features in Florida Homes & How to Update Them
I’ve been in many homes here on the Gulf coast, and I can tell you that I’ve seen some definite patterns in the types of decade-defining features homeowners are likely to be living with — or buying, if they just moved or transferred here. While not all of these dated design elements need to be given the boot, if they feel out of place to you, there are several solutions you can implement, from renovating to a cosmetic refresh.
Designer By Your Side: How It Works & What to Expect
Renovating a kitchen or bathroom? Having a contractor asking for your design selections… but you don’t have them or even know where to start? Then this might be for you…