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    Month: September 2021

    The Wonderful Wet Bar

    Posted on by normandy

    Wet bar and beverage center in the basement under the stairs

    Sometimes the smaller spaces in your home can have a larger than expected impact on flow and usability. Adding a wet bar is an excellent example of this. A wet bar includes a sink. Having a sink with running water differentiates it from a dry bar. That sink makes entertaining easier and opens up an array of possibilities.  

    Plan to place your wet bar in close proximity to your entertaining area. This might be just off your dining room or family room. Sometimes it is right in the family room.  

    Think about if you’ll just be serving beverages from your wet bar while entertaining or if it might be more multi-purpose for your family.  Your wet bar can double as a butler’s pantry or coffee station. Because a wet bar has a sink, it’s a really convenient place to prepare coffee or tea.  

    Some people choose to tuck in a beverage fridge too, which will make your wet bar a great place to divert people away from the kitchen while you’re working in there. If you situate the wet bar off to the side, it stops people from coming in because they can grab a bottle of water or cream for their coffee. 

    Wet bar in living room that coordinates with kitchen

    The wet bar is an area of your home designed for enjoyment, and it makes perfect sense to have a bit of fun when designing it. Glass cabinets, sometimes with antique mirror backing will show off your glassware. You can use wallpaper because you don’t have to worry too much about the backsplash. The wet bar is a perfect place for a really pretty faucet or the hammered copper sink you love but that isn’t practical for a higher use area. Think of it like a powder room. You can have a little bit more fun.

    If you’re thinking of remodeling your kitchen or family room and possibly adding a wet bar, you can set up a time to talk to with one of our Normandy Designers about your needs. The Normandy Remodeling photo galleries are a good place to start if you are looking for ideas. We share our favorite projects, plus behind the scenes tips and tricks on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. You are always invited to follow along with our feeds.

    Rustic bar

    Hidden Mudroom Cabinets

    Posted on by normandy

    More families are exploring more ways to keep day-to-day necessities out of the eye line, since it creates a sense of calm. This is especially true in the mudroom where concealing the clutter means everything has its place, but no one needs to see every last backpack and cleat.

    That’s the beauty of the hidden mudroom, which can take shape a couple of different ways. For a home that doesn’t appear to have space to add a mudroom, try to think about unused that can be expanded in some way. For one of our La Grange projects, the answer was to knock down a wall and tuck a mudroom underneath a stairwell as a part of their kitchen remodel. Bags and keys stay organized and unless you know it’s there, you’d never realize that there’s a small mudroom in this formerly unused space.

    LArge Porcelein Hexagon Tile

    Making the most of difficult areas is an excellent way to get organizational space. But when you can’t carve out space, you can still create a mudroom that will keep you discreetly organized. You’ll need a bit of space in the kitchen, garage or hallway for cabinets that keep gear ready to go and out of sight. You and your designer can determine if it’s possible to convert existing cabinets by adding hooks and partitions. It’s more likely that your new cabinet order will include specialty storage with built-in separation, shelves and even drawers for organizing.

    If you are thinking of remodeling your kitchen and maybe even creating a hidden mudroom of your own, set up a time to talk with one of our Designers about all your storage needs. The Normandy Remodeling photo galleries are filled with inspiration. You can always follow along with us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

    Mudroom cabinets near the back door in the kitchen  Hidden mudroom storage in the laundry room  Black mudroom cabinets and landing zone at the bottom of the stairs  modern mudroom with locker style storage, purple walls, glass black and gray backsplash and gray flooring

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