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Unique DIY Touches For Your Kitchen Island

It goes without saying that a kitchen island can be one of the most prominent features in the entire design, and not because it’s literally right in the middle of everything, although that plays its part. This feature simply opens up an array of possibilities in terms of design and functionality. Today, I’d like to discuss a few DIY options that will make your kitchen island stand out in a very positive way!

Add Beadboard to your Kitchen Island

Adding this sorta subtle piece of decor gives your island a certain edge, a certain feel to it instead of plain ole cabinetry faces. The vertical lines give the island a grander appeal when one enters the kitchen, too. Keep in mind, you can also paint beadboard the color that you’d like, adhering it your overall design and style.

Using Reclaimed Wood on your Kitchen Island

Simply put, this looks is as legitimate as it gets. Seriously, no joke. Especially if you’re going for the rustic, antiqued look. It adds a certain flavor to the design, piquing an irresistible interest. If you’re looking for a simple way to give your island that well sought after rustic look to compliment your kitchen, I definitely recommend this idea.

Install Hooks on your Kitchen Island

Cause why not, right? You have this lovely island just chillin’ in the center of your kitchen, so I think it’s only fitting that you use it for storage! Duh. Put some hooks or some dowels at the edge of your island to hang coffee mugs, towels, and such. I feel like this gives the kitchen island more of a homey, comfortable look, you know what I mean? Not only does it look neat and it’s extremely useful, but it adds to the organizational element of your kitchen, giving you maximum functionality. This…is an excellent idea.

Add Shelves to your Kitchen Island

Much like the above, this is just another easy way to give yourself some more storage space or decorate it the way you’d like and put knick-knacks and sentimentals on them to make the design your own. Either way, no one has ever complained about extra shelving. Ever. Sidenote: Another great idea. Just saying.

Set Some Stools Around your Kitchen Island

If you have the room, then I supremely suggest this! It may not seem like such an addition at first, but wait till that first huge Sunday breakfast or when it’s your turn to host the Thanksgiving party, and you’ll begin to see its beneficial uses. Plus, it’s just as I explained in the intro, it’s simply a nice touch.

So, there you have it, folks. Just a few ideas to get the gears rolling! Just remember to never reject the opportunity to make the style of your home your own. It’s your niche, your sanctuary, and if it makes you happy, do it. You want a complete baby blue kitchen island? Do it. You want an entire island made out of Legos? Get it done. There is no bounds to your creativity, y’all. Embrace it…and use it. Also, I wasn’t kidding about the Lego island.

Builders Surplus is a full service renovation company with locations in Louisville, Kentucky, and Newport, Kentucky, which also serves Cincinnati, Ohio. We are the leading provider of granite countertops, quartz countertops and laminate countertops in Louisville, Newport, and Cincinnati. We specialize in interior design, kitchen design, bathroom remodel, building materials, and home improvement. Interior Design and measurements come as a free service to our clients. We sell building materials ranging in every price point, from unfinished kitchen cabinets to top of the line Wellborn cabinets. In addition to interior design, we also offer installation services. If you have any questions or would like to set up a free design consultation with one of our interior designers, we would encourage you to do so. We love sharing our knowledge with clients & potential home renovators. We write about interior design, home decor, decorating ideas, and home improvement. We hope you’ll check back in for our next article! Happy Renovation!
Written By: Chris Chamberlain

Easy DIY Decor Pieces to Refresh Your Bathroom Design

There are a plethora of little projects you can do yourself that can and will add to your bathroom design. Sure, a bathroom is full of accessories and hardware, but little knick-knacks can add character, and it gives you the ability to make your bathroom unique. Plus, they’re extremely fun to make, and you’ll definitely want to show them off somehow. So, why not your bathroom?

Add Shelves to Enhance Bathroom Design

Building shelves and stacking them vertically in your bathroom does a number of things. It allows for more storage space, which is usually great for any sized bathroom, for one. But it also relieves you of the look of unwanted wall space, adding a bit of character to an otherwise plain wall. Also, you don’t necessarily have to stack cosmetics on them, either. If you have a themed bathroom, use the shelves to decorate and emphasize your theme by filling them with tiny decorations!

Introduce Some New Lighting

There’s nothing wrong with a little more lighting in your bathroom, especially if you have elements in your design that are screaming to be emphasized. If you have a large vanity, consider hanging some lights such as these! Drape them in the corners, so they’re out of the way and create a better looking ambiance in your bathroom. It’s as simple as finding a fixture that fits your design and running a bit of wire. Well worth it for a look such as this one, and it adds to functionality as well!

Make a Clever Sign using Bold Typography

Whether it’s a quote, a family inside joke, or just merely a word, making a clever sign is an excellent added feature for a bathroom design! You can get creative with the type of style, too! A rustic looking sign or maybe something more modern looking? Whatever it is, this idea gives you the ability to truly make your bathroom design your own!

Paint an Accent Wall

Now, truly, I’ve never even thought about doing this before, because it’s such a small space, but it really does add to the design, making it pop out a bit. This is an excellent idea for those that don’t want the traditional one color, neutral kind of design and would rather go with something quirky and fun…like an accent wall. Honestly, out of this list, I deem this one my favorite. Simple, easy (if you don’t mind painting like I do) and can make quite a change of appearance for such a minimal effort.

Make a Collage

Maybe you’re a collector of magazine cutouts, or photographs of animals, or you just have a bunch of stuff that you’re relatively sentimental about and want to flaunt it somewhere, but there’s no room in your bedroom. Ta-dah! You now have a place to put it. Okay, okay, it may seem a little quirky, but I think it’s kind of fun. You could decorate a wall with a bunch of photos of your friends, loved ones, the little ones in the family. I think as far as decorations go, the bathroom is a space that is extremely underrated. In fact, in every decorated bathroom I’ve been into, I’ve had to compliment the owner because it truly is a rarity.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Add some vegetation to the mix, and breathe in that fresh oxygen! Seriously, adding some plants into your bathroom is actually a pretty neat idea. For one, when was the last time you walked into someone’s home and you saw a natural-green plant soaking up some sun rays. Yeah, me either. Fancy restaurants are one thing, but rarely in someone’s home.

Create your Own Bathroom Towel Rack

Much like the clever sign, you can use the same approach and build your own towel rack. Grab a few pieces of wood of your choosing, fasten them together, stain it, pain it, or leave it! Hardest part is making sure you hit a couple of studs behind the wall, and there you have it! A cost-effective way of holding your towels, and all in a decorative fashion.

Design Your Own Candle Holders

It’s no secret that candles and bathrooms go hand-in-hand right? Why not make yourself some cool-looking candle holders using your own design? It’s simple, easy-to-make and will work brilliantly with a fresh soothing scent!

Now, there’s a whole realm of ideas to work with, so don’t be afraid to explore your own creative outlet! It’s in my hopes that these 8 ideas did their job in sparking you with some inspiration for your bathroom design. The next time you look to enhance a room in your house, don’t overlook the bathroom, and remember these ideas. Add some character, get creative, and make it your own!

Builders Surplus is a full service renovation company with locations in Louisville, Kentucky, and Newport, Kentucky, which also serves Cincinnati, Ohio. We are the leading provider of Ledge Stone, wall tile and backsplash tile in Louisville, Newport, and Cincinnati. We specialize in interior design, kitchen design, bathroom remodel, building materials, and home improvement. Interior Design and measurements come as a free service to our clients. We sell building materials ranging in every price point, from unfinished kitchen cabinets to top of the line Wellborn cabinets. In addition to interior design, we also offer installation services. If you have any questions or would like to set up a free design consultation with one of our interior designers, we would encourage you to do so. We love sharing our knowledge with clients & potential home renovators. We write about interior design, home decor, decorating ideas, and home improvement. We hope you’ll check back in for our next article! Happy Renovation!

Written By: Chris Chamberlain

September 13, 2016

Get the Look: Coastal Kitchen

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Summer is beginning to turn to fall in the coming weeks and that means that families are returning from their beach vacations in droves. Gone will be the days of sun-kissed skin and relaxing morning mimosas on the veranda or energetic days building sand castles with kiddos. No, it’ll be back to the same old routine day after day. After a vacation like that everyone will be wanting to take a piece of the beach home with them! Bring yours into your home by transforming your cooking space into a coastal kitchen – then your entire family can relive every day as if they were by the sand!

Get the Look: Coastal Kitchen

Coastal Colors

The quintessential colors of a coastal kitchen – like any beach themed space – are white, beige and some variation of blue. Darker colors like Navy bring a more refined taste to a room while brighter, saturated colors like aqua are more fun and definitely add personality. Alternatively, a good compromise is to go with a pastel blue which allows for more light and brightness to enter the room but it also feels more delicate.

Coastal Kitchen: Facebook & Twitter Image

Countertops

Cambria has a beautiful selection of quartz countertops that directly reflect the sands of different coasts found from around the world. However any sandy colored countertop will mimic the swirls of an expanse of wet and dry sand on the beach! Alternatively, wood textures work really well in a coastal kitchen. Opt for a butcher-block countertop to add some texture and a unique focal point to your kitchen.

Cabinets

Depending on the look and feel that you’re wanting to achieve there are several different cabinet styles that you can choose from to complete your coastal kitchen. Choosing a lightly stained, natural wood like hickory that shows it’s different colored banding creates a more earthy and natural feel. However, the trend in painted cabinets continues to show no signs of abating! Shaker cabinets prove to be a simple and classic addition. Wellborn cabinets has several distinct beadboard styles which are a little more detailed in Harbour, Bridgeport, New Haven, and Nantucket.

Flooring

Flooring is by far the easiest decision you have to make when you have a coastal kitchen. Wood-look floors – it doesn’t matter if they’re real hardwood, laminate, LVT, or WPC – a textured, weathered wood-look floor brings in that old drift-wood feel that makes the space feel slightly less polished, but definitely more authentic!

Backsplash

This can be a tricky portion to figure out in a kitchen design! There are so many different styles of backsplash that even if someone ordered the same cabinets, countertops and floors, their backsplashes would be completely different! Backsplash tile can dramatically change the mood and personality of your space! Opt for a shimmery blue tile for a more funky oceanic look while a patterned tile that depicts shells or sea life is more traditional!

Builders Surplus is a full service renovation company with locations in Louisville, Kentucky, and Newport, Kentucky, which also serves Cincinnati, Ohio. We specialize in interior design, kitchen design, bathroom remodel, building materials, and home improvement. Interior Design and measurements come as a free service to our clients. We sell building materials ranging in every price point, from unfinished kitchen cabinets to top of the line Wellborn cabinets. In addition to interior design, we also offer installation services. If you have any questions or would like to set up a free design consultation with one of our interior designers, we would encourage you to do so. We love sharing our knowledge with clients & potential home renovators. We write about interior design, home decor, decorating ideas, and home improvement. We hope you’ll check back in for our next article! Happy Renovation! Written By: Kat Flaherty

August 5, 2016

Aqua Vision: WPC vs LVT Flooring

Finding the right kind of flooring for your home and your project can be a daunting task because if you’re anything like my Dad, then you want hardwood flooring throughout the home – including the kitchen and the bath, but you also want as little maintenance as possible on it. We all know that’s just not a possibility with hardwoods. However, now-a-days because the look of hardwood floors is so in demand vendors have developed floors that look like wood, can be installed anywhere in the home, and require very little upkeep. But what is this magical and mysterious unicorn of the flooring world? You might know it as Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) but this flooring is a subcategory of LVT, and it’s called WPC.

What is WPC flooring?

WPC stands for Wood Plastic/Polymer Composite. The fact of it is: many WPC flooring types don’t actually contain any actual wood, but a wood flour (a finely ground wood powder) made from hardwoods. However, this doesn’t hinder the strength or durability, especially since it’s combined with tough plastics!
WPC flooring is technically a LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile/Plank) because it has a vinyl surface. It can also be marketed as being an engineered or enhanced vinyl floor. People have known about LVT and similar products for a while, but WPC is just catching on in terms of popularity. The reason it’s gaining so much popularity and flying off our shelves is because of the promises that it makes as being dimensionally stable, waterproof, and recyclable! Our main WPC product, Aqua Vision, also starts at a lower price point than the other LVT’s we carry.

So it’s an LVT?

No, but yes. Just so we’re clear WPC is not actually vinyl – it’s just marketed as a Luxury or Engineered Vinyl because vinyl is more widely well known; and because people know what it is that makes it easier to market! So, basically at this point, until WPC becomes a household term for flooring WPC and LVT are somewhat interchangeable. Remember when you were in grade school and you learned that a square was a rectangle, but a rectangle is not a square? It’s the same concept. WPC floors are LVT but LVT floors are not WPC floors.

Aqua Vision vs. Other LVTs?

What’s the difference?

Well, we, like many other businesses that sell flooring have also been marketing our WPC floors along with our LVT products. However, the most distinct difference between Aqua Vision and other LVTs is that is it 100% waterproof. They use this stuff by pools! That’s how serious they are about this stuff being waterproof!

Any Advantages?

Many LVTs will advertise themselves as being waterproof to some degree – and some are – but Aqua Vision is 100% waterproof. This means that it can be installed below-grade, for example: in your basement, in moisture-rich environments, like your bathroom, or anywhere that other floors like hardwood, laminate, or carpet would never go!
Other advantages to Aqua Vision and other WPC floors is that it has a rigid core design! This means that it’s dimensionally stable and that, in turn, means that it can be installed just about anywhere and over just about any hard surface floor without showing any dips or imperfections! This also means that it won’t expand, so it doesn’t need time to acclimate before being installed in your home or business and that it doesn’t need any spaces during installation to account for any shifting or expanding!

Aqua Vision and other WPC is really the future of Vinyl and Laminate flooring! The way that the popularity of this product is rising, we’re sure that it’s going to stick around for a long time because of it’s many advantages of being waterproof, easy to install and maintain! Nothing is stopping this product from flying off the shelves and into homes around the country!

June 20, 2016

2016's Top Three Kitchen Faucet Trends

Not many people give much thought into their kitchen faucet as they do the rest of their cooking space! However, we have some ideas for you to consider when looking at your next kitchen remodel or if you just need to update or replace your existing kitchen faucet!

Metal Kitchen Faucets

“In 2016, metal will assume a more dominant role in kitchen aesthetics…” – Sam Ferris, Houzz Contributor

Metal is one of the biggest trends that is up and coming in kitchen design. Industrial style is moving in with the rustic and more and more people are fusing the two styles together. However, some homeowners will go with small helpings of metal, like kitchen faucets to gently bring in this new aesthetic. Replacing your kitchen faucet could be just what you need and one of the more simple steps to updating your kitchen!

Bold Fixtures

With more and more design trends moving towards a more streamlined, scandanavian look people are still wanting to have that piece that makes people say “Wow!” More homeowners are going towards using bold fixtures.
Some people think of ever faucet as being the same. Which if you really take a look down the plumbing aisle, you’ll notice that faucets have styles all their own as well. Some are tall, some are short, some are simple, some are ornate. Kitchen Faucets can have cool and unique features, one or two handles and they can come in all sorts of colors and finishes!
Choose a faucet that compliments or stands out from the rest of your kitchen scheme, without overpowering it! There’s no reason the faucet couldn’t be eye-candy as well!

Bold Features

Now that you’ve probably noticed that not all faucets look the same, you’ll also see that they don’t all do the same thing either! The biggest feature that we’re seeing more and more with kitchen faucets is the added benefit of automation!

With automated faucets there won’t be any worry about your toddler griming up the handles or spout when they decide that they want to help you in the kitchen!

Builders Surplus offers faucets in any style or color to fit your budget! We even carry new, unused special buy and surplus faucets to really help you save and find that unique piece that you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else!

June 4, 2016

Graphic Wallpaper Trend

For many of us, the word ‘wallpaper’ can bring up some pretty bad memories. Whether it’s the pink floral mess that you’re dying to get rid of in your 80’s remodel, or you’ve already begun removing it, only to find that it was the worst idea you’ve ever had. However, this trend ain’t your grannies wallpaper. The uprising began about 2 years ago, and it’s still going strong. No matter what your style, you can find the perfect paper to pair with your decor. I’ve compiled a few of the options to consider when you’re wishing for wallpaper. From dark florals to bright stripes, this trend is anything but old-school. No matter how you feel about each style, I can guarantee you one thing: you can’t look away!

1. Entry Statement

Decking out your entry space in a bold wallpaper will make an impression on your guests the moment they step inside. It shows your fun side, but with a smaller space like the foyer, you don’t have to deal with it TOO much in your every day life. This is a good option for people who like the trend, but don’t want to live in it 24/7.

2. Shabby Chic /Vintage Brick Wallpaper!

This happens to be a personal favorite of mine. If you’re not lucky enough to live in a beautiful historic home with exposed brick and too much character to count, this is what you need to shab your space. The distressed look of the brick looks SO real, and I doubt your guests will ever be able to tell a difference. Real brick can be expensive and time consuming, and although veneer is a good option as well, you can’t get cheaper or easier than this option. And what a statement it makes!

3. Going GLAM

If glam is what you want, but you don’t quite have that champagne and crystal budget, look no further than this silvery shade of circular wallpaper. With a statement like this, you hardly need to add accessories. Just a few pieces to tie it together, like the awesome circular string light fixture and you’re good to go! While it’s a big commitment to add it to the ceiling as well, I really think it makes a big difference visually.

4. Rustic Text

This can be a great option for males and females alike. The rustic style is all about wood, neutral tones and simplicity – with a pop! In the case of this room, the pop is no other than the wallpaper. It sets the mood so much more than if the wall was simply painted. There are many more rustic styles of wallpaper to choose from, so start searching for the paper to make your room pop!

5. The Mood Setter

This dining room is clearly going for the mid-century modern theme. But the thread that ties it all together? You guessed it – the wallpaper! Use this trend to really set the mood in your favorite room.

6. Black and White Classic

Black and white is a classic look – always has been, always will be. For a bold statement with timeless staying power, choose your favorite print in black and white. It fits virtually every style (depending on the pattern you choose), yet you can switch up your decor in the future without having to remove or re-paper your room. Add pops of color through your furniture, or simply stay solid for a show topping look.

7. The Understated Statement

To make an understated statement, go with a light, neutral hue like grey or silver. The pattern pops, but the color is not overwhelming. The room even has a calming vibe to it, which is not what you would typically guess with a graphic print. It just goes to show that no matter what style you like, mood you want, or color scheme you have, you can find the paper to make your place perfect!

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April 2, 2015

Recent Posts

Most Viewed

Add Beadboard to your Kitchen Island

Using Reclaimed Wood on your Kitchen Island

Install Hooks on your Kitchen Island

Add Shelves to your Kitchen Island

Set Some Stools Around your Kitchen Island

Add Shelves to Enhance Bathroom Design

Introduce Some New Lighting

Make a Clever Sign using Bold Typography

Paint an Accent Wall

Make a Collage

A Breath of Fresh Air

Create your Own Bathroom Towel Rack

Design Your Own Candle Holders

Get the Look: Coastal Kitchen

Coastal Colors

Countertops

Cabinets

Flooring

Backsplash

What is WPC flooring?

So it’s an LVT?

Aqua Vision vs. Other LVTs?

What’s the difference?

Any Advantages?

Metal Kitchen Faucets

Bold Fixtures

Bold Features

1. Entry Statement

2. Shabby Chic /Vintage Brick Wallpaper!

3. Going GLAM

4. Rustic Text

5. The Mood Setter

6. Black and White Classic

7. The Understated Statement

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