As everyone gets ready to make the transition from summer to fall, most people also start their annual wardrobe change from warm weather clothes to sweaters, jackets and all the snuggly stuff we associate with colder weather. It’s also a great time to organize closets as we make this transition. With the options available today the alternatives to having a functional neatly arranged closet versus a jumbled mess is easy to obtain. We have several closet organizers that can be used individually or combined to meet every homeowner’s storage needs like a sweater closet with drawers or a drop zone base with drawers and shelves.

We also offer a variety of accent cabinetry that can add additional space to keep the home functional for any family. Lockers that work great inside the rear door to corral the jackets, backpacks, and sporting gear as the kids come home from school. Or the cubbies with open diagonal shelving that can be optioned into a bath to store towels, or use this piece in a dining room for wine storage and to have some extra space for those items you need for the next special gathering.

Check out all these possibilities and more in our brochures.

Debbie Stutsman

Corporate Director of Design

The Commodore Corporation

A great article from the Elkhart Truth Newspaper

Life Section, Friday July 25^th, 2014

Bold colors are back in contemporary kitchens

Appliance Options include metallic and pastels, or why not spice up the walls or ceiling?  

By Kim Cook (Associated Press)

Kitchens in traditional and vintage homes often are dressed in conservative garb: neutral hues, stainless steel, white-on-white or beige-on-beige.

Historically, however, kitchens were actually pretty peppy, according to Deborah Baldwin, editor of This Old House Magazine.

“Pastel greens, blues, creams and peaches reigned until the early 1930s when casual, built-in eating areas were painted Kelly green, red and even black,” she said.

“We have readers who are introducing bright colored cabinets and appliances in tomato, pumpkin and daisy,” she added.

At this spring’s Architectural Home Design Show in New York manufacturers were showing lots of vibrantly hued kitchen equipment.

Bertazzoni’s Arancio range cam in orange, burgundy and yellow. Big Chill displayed a wall full of paint-box hues including jadite (a milky green), cherry and pink. AGA’s Signature line of beefy, professional-grade ranges comes in intriguing colors like aubergine, duck-egg blue, heather, pistachio, claret and British racing green. (www.bertazzoni.com; www.bigchill.com, www.agaranges.com )

Fans of metallic might go for Blue Star’s dramatic collection of ranges, wall oves, and hoods in copper, gold and a chocolate-y ginger, as well as several hundred other colors and finishes. (www.bluestarcooking.com )

Kitchens of any vintage can look great with colorful walls. Pumpkin, cobalt and deep Prussian blue enhance all kinds of woods, whether you are working with 19^th century pine, Craftsman-era oak or mid century walnut.

Or consider the ceiling. In a small galley kitchen, bold color on the ceiling creates a “jewelry box” effect. Deep hues like eggplant, navy, magenta or carmine compliment white cabinetry in a large kitchen and look great in both natural and artificial light.

New York designer Gideon Mendelson applied a pea-green gingham canvas cloth to the ceiling of a country house kitchen, and painted the island in a similar shade. With a collection of vintage baskets, displayed along the tops of snowy wood cabinetry, the vide is relaxed, fresh and contemporary. (www.mendel-songroupinc.com)

Meg Caswell, a designer and host on HGTV’s “Great Rooms,” loves to add color to kitchens. She used a back-splash of crisp blue and green fused-glass tiles as a counterpoint to a rustic, Old World style metal and wood kitchen island, glossy black cabinetry and citrine wallpaper in an Art Deco-era home. IN another home she mixed sleek teal and white glass with farm house blue cabinets. (www.megcaswell.com; www.hgtv.com)

Baldwin of This Old House, advises painting upper and base cabinets different colors, or painting an island or hutch in a contrasting shade.

This helps reinforce their freestanding furniture look, which harks back to the 18^th-and 19^th-century kitchen,” she says. (www.thisoldhouse.com)

“Painting the floor – either one color or in a pattern like checkerboard – can reinforce the vintage look too,” she notes. Options include graphic designs or stencils, or illustrated rug motifs. Better Homes & Gardens’ website has lots of ideas. (www.bhg.com/kitchen)

If you’re in a rental with limited decorating options, go for color accents like Fiesta ware, rag rugs, a couple of snazzy stools, and counter appliances in candy hues. 

When you think of nail polish, the word style comes to mind. What a great idea for Clark+Kensington to partner with OPI to market their products!  Recently our Director of Design picked up these Paint selection flyers from a local hardware store.

Inspiration for your home can come from many different places, these great marketers are using this to their advantage and tying theri products together to get your attention! Check out thes great color combinations.  See all these photos also on our Pinterest page!

The goal of our Pinterest page is to not only show our beautiful homes – but to also give you decor ideas for your home, help you find cleaning tips, DIY projects, and more! Follow our boards!

Want your home to look like an interior designer designed it, but without the expense of hiring an Interior Designer?

Here are a few tips from “Freshome”:

*Use Pinterest to your advantage; search the many home designs and styles to find one to fit your style. Also Houzz can be beneficial while looking for ideas.

*Choose a Color Scheme – Choose a mix of 3 colors or shades.  One color will be the “main” this would be the wall color, the second color for large accents, and the third make a color that “pops” in small accents. The 3 colors could be the same color just in a variety of shades.

*Add a little texture – Think about pillows, draperies, baskets, throws, wall art and more.

*Statement Furniture – Select a large sofa or furniture piece and base the rest of the room layout upon this piece.  Be sure not to put too many small pieces in the room this will make the room feel cluttered and your eye will not know where to look.

*Use Baskets, Trays, & Bowls – gives everything a home, while also creating layers.

*Flowers! – Floral arrangements or live plants add a final touch to your home.

These tips work together to create a warm, well designed home, adding textures, color, statement furniture & elements of nature to your home!

“Freshome” Design and Architecture Magazine has a great article entitled “How to Make Your Home Look Like You Hired an Interior Designer”, visit their website to view the full article, but it is summarized above.