Kitchen Project in Richardson

Just a few pictures from one of our kitchen projects. The last photo is a picture of the two project managers we worked with on a daily basis.

Slow Time in Design Land

Such a slow time for us! Holidays always bring a slow down but we are continuing to market ourselves and hope to launch our new website sometime after the new year. We will share more with you as we go and hope you will stay tuned to learn more about our business and us as individuals. Happy Holidays!

Trusted Professionals

By Kait Downey:

Many times CKD Interiors comes across a few housewives that are kept well and have great taste. These same individuals seem to think that their knowledge of interiors/staging/taste in general my be more expansive than our own. I am sad to say that this is a great disservice to themselves. Don't think of a designer as just an artist, they are a broker, a manager of sorts. The designer is there to organize and move tasks along quickly ensuring a safe and beautiful project. We come across individuals with great taste all of the time and believe me they are just as fun to work with as someone that has no idea what they want. People with their own opinion about their surroundings are creative in their own right but not qualified to work in the professional construction industry.

My questions to the public are this. Would you allow a self-proclaimed surgeon operate on you? Let's say he/she possesses the confidence and knowledge but you never actually see a degree or certification. Another example; allow your neighbor to write up and execute your will and manage your estate. Your neighbor seems very organized, why not? 

If you make these comparisons you will understand my point. A decorator or anyone with decorative knowledge, taste, etc, is just that, a decorator. Designers are not decorators. Though they can provide the same services Interior Designer are qualified to take apart your walls, plumbing, and electrical and orchestrate all of this in an orderly manner. They are college educated and most likely state qualified. If they are not state qualified look at the number of years they interned in a professional office learning the construction and architecture part of the business.

So I leave you with that thought for today. I wish I could personally educate everyone on this subject matter, but alas, I cannot. Most individuals think I'm speaking myself up or trying to sell something when I start down the path of this conversation. People will find that I and other professionals in this trade do care about you and your home. We do not want a self-proclaimed quack coming in to tear up your hearth! So take that into consideration when you are looking at pricing and bidding your bath or kitchen. Shall you pay the handyman, neighbor, decorator, housewife, or hire the pro?

P.S. CKD Interiors adds 20 percent on all goods and labor in your project. You pay retail amounts and the 20 percent plus our hourly is how we are compensated. Trust me it's well worth it!

Ten Easy Ways to Save Energy This Winter

By Elle MacKenna

Winter is a great time of year but brings with it increased costs of homeownership. Cold winds, winter snows, less sunlight all present challenges to keeping warm. But there are easy ways to help ease the cost of heating your home and keeping it running throughout the winter months.



Install a Programmable Thermostat

Typical buildings usually heat with fuel-fired appliances. Just like any other operating system start up and shut down require a lot of energy. For this reason, constant temperatures or temperatures that heat and cool gradually provide the most efficient heating.

Installing a programmable thermostat allows you to use this principle to save energy and money. Set it to cooler temperatures at night and to start heating before you wake up. Your home will be warm during waking hours and you’ll shave money off of your heating bill.

Keep Temperatures Lower

A few degrees in temperature does little for thermal comfort but can make a big difference in heating costs. For every degree you take the thermostat down you can expect about 3% savings on your fuel bill. Optimal indoor temperature is 68 degrees during waking hours and 5-8 degrees cooler while you’re sleeping. Set your programmable thermostat and forget about the 70s. Come spring you’ll still be cozy and have a warm fuzzy feeling about all the money you saved during the winter.

Reverse the Spin

Ceiling fans are great for keeping cool in summer but they are also useful during colder months. Most fans come with a tiny switch that sets the paddle direction. In summer this should be set so the lower part of the paddle goes first around the fan. This draws air up. In winter, flip the switch so the fan pushes warm air down. This helps keep living spaces comfortable and will help take a load off of the furnace.

Add a Thermal Layer to Windows


A quick, inexpensive way to seal up leaky windows is to install shrink wrap, clear plastic films. These are available at most hardware stores and easy to install. Even if you just apply this to some windows throughout your home, you will notice a difference. The plastic creates insulating air pocket while still allowing the sun in.

Less Heat to Hot Water

We tend to use more hot water in winter because we’re cold. Showers get a little longer, we use hand washing as an opportunity to warm up a bit. To take the bite out of the bigger hot water bill adjust the temperature setting of the hot water heater. You can take it down even 20 degrees and still be comfortable. Who knows, you may not even notice the difference and keep it there year round. You will however notice a savings on your bill, about 10%.

Let the Sun In

Solar gain is a challenge in summer but in winter it should be invited in. Using the heat gain from the sun’s energy can help increase thermal comfort inside the home. If you’ve got long drapes or blinds, open them up to take advantage of this free heat source – especially on the south side of your home.

Do a little Maintenance

Forced-air HVAC systems usually have a simple filter integrated in the ducts near the furnace. These should be changed every couple of months to keep the furnace clean and running efficiently. This is especially important during winter months when the furnace is already working overtime. The filters are inexpensive and readily available so buy them two at a time and mark the calendar for change dates.

Seal Your Home

Even small leaks in walls and windows can be energy black holes where your money is literally out the window. Weatherstripping and caulk are two inexpensive products that will save you money. Use them around windows, doors, chimneys and anywhere two surfaces meet to stop drafts and seal up your home. The efforts will come back in noticeable energy savings.

Replace Old Elements

If your furnace is older than your teenager it’s likely time for a new one and it best to switch it out before the cold months. Hoping the old one will get you through one more season is a short-sighted approach to savings. Look for the Energy STAR label and increase your home’s energy efficiency.

Switch Bulbs

It’s darker in winter, the days are shorter and so we use more electricity for lighting. Switch out bulbs for energy saving Energy STAR products.

WBE Here We Come

We just finished our application for the WBE. Hopefully it won't take the full 90 days to be certified but we are well on our way to becoming an official Woman Owned Business!!!

Cool and Innovative Kitchen Ideas

By Kait Downey

Article Word Count: 591 [View Summary] Comments (0)

Innovation is not always a new fancy gadget or appliance for your kitchen. Have you ever considered that your layout may be the most important part of your work space? As an Interior Designer I divide kitchens into two categories, and believe me, being in either of these categories carries no shame. There are the cooking enthusiasts or those interested and then there are the entertainers. Entertainers are looking for aesthetic only; the microwave is their best friend. The cooking enthusiasts want function. Here is how you can have both!
First of all figure your work triangle. The work triangle consists of your sink, refrigerator and range top. These three items are the major functions and therefore should not be more than 9'-0" apart from each other. If you were to draw a line from the middle of the sink to the middle of your refrigerator and then connect to the range you should have a triangle. The purpose is to keep the cook within a range that is comfortable for food prep and cooking obviously. I, personally, like to put the dishwasher to the left of the sink when possible. I also like to elevate the dishwasher and put it in a built in floor to upper cabinet. This not only keeps me from bending to load but the unloading process is much easier. The sink is centrally located most of the time. When it is not I do my best to locate the range and refrigerator within the constraints mentioned above.
Another innovative idea would be to install a floor heating system to keep your kitchen warm in the cold winter months. Not everyone likes the idea but when you consider that the average kitchen is open these days, the heating system will save you some electrical bill nightmares. I also like to incorporate fluorescents under the cabinets for task lighting and now days energy saving bulbs here will help give the kitchen a designer glow without the fuss of incandescent.
Benches with pet supply storage and built-in closets that look like pantries are just a few of the features we include for our clients. One suggestion we make is, if you cannot afford it now, plan ahead by leaving the space for that future appliance in the cabinets when the cabinet maker is making his/her installation. This will allow you to put a level one appliance in its place so the space remains functional and pleasing until you make that purchase. Also adding trim to cabinets and base moulding to the floor helps really make the kitchen look expensive without breaking the bank. For those that truly want that designer look and won't settle for less we have an option for that too.
In today's economy we like to do what is called phasing. A plan of which a kitchen or bath is executed in phases. This allows the client to make choices that are pleasing and pay for the process in steps instead of all at once. This eases the pocket book and doesn't leave the space disastrous. People can assume that designers will cost you more money than doing the job yourself. This is a myth. Interior Designers can broker your project out to the best vendors and build it at cost. You will pay for our services but you will also save the money that you would have spent at the big box store. The time and labor is usually cut in half, so take those factors into consideration when you renovate your kitchen.

For more tips or to check out some of the renovation work we do please visit us at http://www.ckdinteriors.com/.
CKD Interiors is a residential and commercial firm located and working in Dallas, Texas. For more information please go to http://www.ckdinteriors.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kait_Downey

Beach Meets Contemporary

Just a few pictures from our latest and greatest bathroom project. The client was unhappy with the tub she currently had and requested a 6 jet tub deep enough to soak in. She also wanted to convert the adjacent shower into a frameless surround with built-in bench. By incorporating the bench into the tub surround we created a unique and contemporary bathroom space with a carefree beachy feel. For more pictures or questions about this project please feel free to contact us.