2019 Kitchen Trends: Make a Statement with Your Kitchen Backsplash

April 5, 2019April 4, 2019 ~ whitebirchdesign ~ Leave a comment

Here is our first blog looking at the trends in remodeling for 2019. First up – full height kitchen backsplashes! Tile backsplashes have been around for awhile now, a pretty tile splash going from the countertops to the bottom of the cabinets, sometimes with a little border running through, or a decorative accent here or there. Today, we are seeing more elaborate designs coming through and we are so excited about them!

White Backsplashes

White backsplashes add such a beautiful finishing touch to any kitchen. The bright color keeps the space feeling open and clean. Subway tiles are still very popular and they are being used in more ways that just your standard 3×6 tile in a brick pattern. Now we are seeing herringbone, larger formats, straight layouts, and vertical installations. This little bit of detail takes your backsplash from simple to sophisticated!

Metropolitan Victorian Grandeur in London traditional-kitchen

Photo by Lukonic. See more traditional kitchen designs

Sarah Richardson Design traditional-kitchen

Photo by Stacey Brandford Photography. See more traditional kitchen designs

Mosaic Backsplashes

Gone are the 1×1 mosaic tiles and the stone and glass blended tiles – now we are seeing mosaics in a larger format and with SHAPE! Hexagons and arabesque tiles are becoming more and more popular as they add dimension to the backsplash. What we love about this is it gives the look and feel of a pattern without becoming so obnoxious and overpowering. It really makes such an elegant statement to your kitchen!

Open-Plan Kitchen Diner Extension contemporary-kitchen

Photo by Trevor Brown Architect. See more contemporary kitchen designs

Photo by Fivedot. See more contemporary kitchen designs

3 Palms - Kitchen Featuring Heath Tile midcentury-kitchen

Photo by Real Estate Judge. See more midcentury kitchen designs

Cement Tile Backsplashes

This is probably one of my most favorite trends right now – the cement tile backsplash! Typically they are 8×8 square tiles, or hexagon too, with a pattern that when laid out with other tiles creates an even larger pattern. This is such a great way to add a feature wall to your kitchen. It can tie into other accents in your home or kitchen. For example, what if you had a cobalt blue sink and you tied in that blue color into your feature wall of your backsplash – how dreamy!

Granite Bay Design/Build transitional-kitchen

Photo by K Squared. See more transitional kitchen designs

Photo by Paul Lopa Designs. See more farmhouse kitchen designs

Didn’t get enough?

Check out our Ideaboard on Houzz to check out more beautiful backsplashes – we would love to hear your thoughts!

Your Lakeville Kitchen & Bath Design Resource

White Birch Design is your South Metro resource for kitchen and design. Located in Lakeville, Minnesota, we offer full range of services to fit your needs. From concept to completion, we take pride in guiding you through the process of creating the kitchen or bath of your dreams. Want to see more? Check out our Portfolio to see more examples of our work. Ready to get started on your kitchen or bathroom project? Contact us today!

Before & After: Drew Drive Bathroom

March 29, 2019March 29, 2019 ~ whitebirchdesign ~ Leave a comment

In the age of Joanna Gaines and all things farmhouse, its no surprise that homeowners are loving this style! And we do too! The neutral color palette, wood textures, and simple lines – what is not to love? This remodel we completed over the summer of 2018 in Woodbury, MN. These homeowners live in a townhouse complex built in the early 2000’s and the bathroom was stuck in that time. When the homeowners came to me with their vision, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and bring their dreams to reality! Here are some before pics:

And the afters!

We decided to keep the vanity in this project as it matched the woodwork throughout the entire home. We picked a gorgeous marble countertop! The flooring is a luxury vinyl tile from Mannington – made to look like wood.

The shower was the star of this project. The previous shower was just a simple insert that took up valuable space and was just plain. When selecting the tile, we really played with the design, wanting to bring in the gray tones without make the shower darker. The other tile is a wavy subway tile in white – so classic!

To bring in some of the metals used throughout the bathroom – we used oil rubbed bronze metal to edge the tile and, as you can see, we used it in all the fixtures. While the shower is essentially the same size as before, the frameless shower door and tiling the walls to the ceiling make this shower feel so much bigger!

I just love the accents of oil rubbed bronze we added between the 2 tiles on the shower walls! This little detail really helped separate as well as bring together the whole shower and bathroom! Its so cool how such a little detail can add such a punch!

I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t one of my favorite projects from last year! Working with these homeowners was such a pleasure and I loved how they were so open to trying out new things – like the shower tile! It completely made that shower and bathroom work together! Again, this is another project that wasn’t a ‘complete’ remodel, and we completely changed the feel of this space! Looking to channel your inner Joanna Gaines and bring the farmhouse feel to your space? Contact us today to schedule an appointment with us! We look forward to working with you!

Before & After: Lower 208 Bathroom

March 14, 2019March 14, 2019 ~ whitebirchdesign ~ Leave a comment

Well, its been awhile since I have been able to blog! Looking forward to adding some new content this year and showing you all of our projects and what’s trending this year for remodel!

So, last spring we had the opportunity to help out one of our customers with a semi-remodel. The homeowner wanted to freshen up her bathroom without gutting it. The tub itself was in good condition, but the walls were a thin fiberglass that had started separating from the walls and the shower fixture was probably original to the home. The floor was also in good condition, but the vanity was in need of freshening up as well!

Check out the before pics here

And here is the after!

As you can see, the update on the shower walls, countertop and a fresh coat of paint really made this space feel fresh and new!

For the shower walls, we used an 8×20 ceramic tile in a brick pattern and a lovely lantern shaped accent tile. The new shower fixtures are from Delta, including the In2ition showerhead, which includes a built-in handheld shower!

This vanity is from Holiday Cabinets, which we love! This taller vanity not only made brushing teeth and washing your face and hands easier, but gave our homeowner tons of extra storage! For the countertop, we used a quartz remnant with an undermount sink.

We really loved being a part of this project from start to finish. As you can see, just a few updates, not an entire remodel can give you such a fresh new space without the extra time and money of a complete gut. We enjoy being a part of any project – large or small – as long as it gets the end result of a new space and a happy homeowner!

Interested in a complete or partial remodel? Set up an appointment with us today! We look forward to working with you 🙂

Before & After: Jaguar Avenue Bathroom

December 11, 2018December 11, 2018 ~ whitebirchdesign ~ Leave a comment

This past spring, we worked on bathroom remodel in Lakeville, MN. This home was built in 1992 in a cute little neighborhood near Lake Marion. The bathroom had never been updated, so it was definitely time to spruce it up and bring it up to date with today’s trends and the homeowners desires.

The homeowners did not want to go too modern as they still had a very traditional home and eventually want to sell. With that in mind, our designer kept the materials budget friendly and kept within the style of the existing home.

Take a look at a few of the before pictures here to get an idea of the original space

Before

After

As you can see, we brightened up the space with a light blue color on the walls. Adding some contrast with the dark vanity and medium toned floors. The nice white tub and shower help brighten up the space as well!

In the tub and shower area, we used a Choreograph wall system from Kohler that has a brick pattern to it. It eliminates any grout lines, but gives the impression of tile! The floor is a luxury vinyl tile that has been grouted. This material is great for floors in bathrooms as it is softer and warmer than a regular tile!

For the vanity, we updated to a taller height. This allowed for more storage below and a more comfortable height for the homeowners to use. These beautiful cabinets come from Holiday Kitchens out of Rice Lake, Wisconsin! More about them later. The countertop is a remnant we chose that perfectly marries the whole bathroom together and gives them a wow factor as you enter the bathroom.

Here is a closer up detail of the Choreograph shower walls and the locker storage system. This is great for all of your storage needs within the shower!

This was a great project to work on and really answered all of the problems the homeowners had with this bathroom! As a designer, it is fun to see people be comfortable in choosing a few standout pieces (the countertops and dark cabinets!) but still keeping the space within the style of the rest of the home.

Are you thinking of taking on a remodel anytime soon? We would love to help you out! Let us know in the comments below or send us an email directly! We look forward to hearing from you.

Let us introduce ourselves…

November 7, 2018November 7, 2018 ~ whitebirchdesign ~ Leave a comment

Hi! Welcome to our page and our company! Well, we have made it through our first year together and we are so excited about the work we have accomplished and the work we look forward to in the future. I think it is about time we get on here and introduce ourselves to you!

Steve McDonald, who is the Owner of WBD, has been in the housing and real estate industry for 30+ years, from selling building products, managing residential construction companies, building a remodeling company to selling homes. He grew up in Burnsville where his dad was a well known builder. If you live in the south metro, there is a good chance that Steve is somehow related to you or someone in your family! He currently lives in Lakeville with his wife, Kari and his 2 children. When he is not busy updating or selling homes, he enjoys going to the cabin with his family and fishing.

I (Angela) knew at a young age that I wanted to become an architect. My dad built both of my childhood homes, one of which I remember going to every weekend and watching them build walls, tile bathrooms, and install cabinets. It was fascinating to me. I have been in the remodeling industry for 8+ years, from selling plumbing fixtures, remodeling kitchens and bathrooms, to making sure the project is scheduled and executed. When I am not busy designing dream spaces, I enjoy spending time with my husband Vince and our daughter Natalie. They light up my life! We have a great rescue dog too – Zoe! I also enjoy cooking, knitting, gardening, running and traveling around the world.

Steve and I have worked together for about 8 years. We really enjoy working as a team and are so excited to help you with your next remodel project! We take the time to get to know our customers, their family (& pets) and their homes, and then taking the time to understand what they wanted to accomplish with their space. Our goal is to make sure we first listen to our customers, design and come up with a realistic project, and then execute it to perfection.