Sometimes you have to do some finagling to make sure the Contractor has placed the light fixture exactly where you wanted it…
Day 17 and yesterday we did the templating for the countertops. Templating is when your countertop fabricator comes in after the cabinets are installed. They measure the exact site dimensions and any cut outs for sinks, electrical outlets, etc. They finish and cut the stone at the shop and bring it to the site-ready to go in perfectly! (we hope)
Things are finally moving along in our clients’ apartment and the cabinets are almost all installed. Next we drywall the soffits and finish the plumbing, electrical, and finish work. Over the weekend our client (who’s 7 months pregnant) was put on bed rest, so now she has to be HOME while all of this is going on! We’ve tried to put pressure on the contractor to finish up, and we’ve gotten through the dirty work with no major problems.
The Kitchen cabinets we designed are totally green. They are made with urea-formaldehyde FREE particle board and FSC certified veneers. The finish is an acrylic based lacquer that emits low VOC’s. All of the inserts and accessories are made by Blum. The hardware is from Hafele.
Tomorrow we template for the Caesarstone countertops.
Kati speaks with www.homeanatomy.com
HA: How to balance wall treatments when so much is glass / preferred window treatments?
KC: Let the view be your art, and possibly intersperse sculptural pieces that don’t interfere with the view. Remember that sunshine can damage art, furniture, carpet and even wall paint. We recommend using UV filters on framed art.
The best way to treat the interior walls in a high-rise apartment is to provide privacy and light control without obstructing the views! Silent Gliss has an extremely flexible system that allows many different options for light control while still preserving the views.
HA: How to avoid fabric fading?
KC: Use fabrics that are suitable for outdoor or commercial use. Sunbrella has gorgeous, luxurious, residential fabrics that are soft to the touch and are completely stain and fade resistant.
HA: What about balancing against dramatically day/night views?
KC: The beauty of living in a high rise is that your interior space is constantly changing. This can also be challenging when selecting colors and lighting for your space. Stick with a fairly neutral palette that compliments the outdoor view, with punches of colors that pop at night. Lighting should be extremely flexible and task oriented.
HA: What are some new ideas relative to energy conservation (reduce A/C use)?
KC: The best way to reduce heat gain in high rise buildings is by using low-e glass which also filters harmful UV rays. You can also add a film to your windows. 3M makes a great product that is metal-free and eliminates these problems, performing to the industry’s highest standards.
Photovoltaic panels can be used to harvest sunlight and generate electricity for the building.
We are a week behind on the construction of our client’s kitchen on the Upper West Side. The floor tile is down (Stone Source Chromtech 1.0), the ceiling is drywalled and we are now ready to grout the tile and finish the drywall.
Getting ready to grout the floor
Cabinets Still in Crates and Waiting to be Installed!
Ceiling Ready for Electrician to wire the light fixtures
Still coming soon….cabinet installation…
Today we’re laying out the porcelain tile floor. No matter how good your drawings are, it’s a good idea to get together with your installer and make sure everything is working out as you expected.
Featured in The Wall Street Journal and on HGTV.com, Kati Curtis's eco-friendly firm Nirmada brings a sustainable, modern approach to design. Kati is one of the few LEED AP ID&C residential designers in Manhattan and is the owner and principal of