KASHAS BLOG
Kitchen Design Mistake #4 – The Raised Eating Bar
Someone, somewhere, sometime decided that raising the countertop to create an eating bar on an island or peninsula was a good idea. Like a lot of bad design, an idea catches on and spreads like a virus. This is one of them. I think the intent is to hide the...
Sorry, Plan Drawing Guy (or Gal) Is Not An Architect
Now and then a client contacts us who has plans from an ‘architect’. Most of the time they use the term architect generically - what they really mean is they hired someone to draw plans. This person usually is not a trained architect and often has no design training...
How Contractors Price a Project
Most projects are priced by a contractor creating an estimate of the expected ‘direct costs’ of the work - labor, materials, subcontractors, and other fees like permits, dump fees, etc - then multiplying the direct costs by a markup factor. Seems pretty simple....
What is quality?
Philosophers, thinkers, artisans, and craftsmen since the dawn of history have pondered this question. Perhaps the most famous modern book on the subject is Robert Pirsig’s 1974 classic ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’. In this book, he recounts in a...
Kashas Design Build Featured in Houzz Article
We are excited to share that Houzz included one of our projects in a recent article called 4 Stylish New Bathrooms With a Shower-Tub Combo This was a fun 2-bath remodel project in a 1970’s ranch style home we finished in early 2023 in Washougal. The bath featured in...
Kitchen Mistake #5 – Placing an island when there isn’t enough space
Kitchen islands are great. They allow for easy maneuvering around the kitchen, seating, gathering, and serving, among other things. But if you don’t have enough room for it, you will be making a big mistake trying to wedge one in where it doesn’t work. Let me...
Kitchen Design Mistake #13 – Kitchen Sink in the Corner
For some reason spec builders love to put sinks in an angled corner cabinet. Supposedly there’s some great view to be seen from the corner? Usually it’s a view of the neighbors backyard. Does anyone really like standing in the corner? I equate it to being in trouble...
Remodeling With a Broken Supply Chain
Have you seen the empty shelves in almost every store? Shopping online isn’t any better, as more and more items seem to be backordered. It’s happening almost everywhere. We’re being told “supply chain issues” are causing the shortages. It’s something we...
Building a Custom Return Air Vent Grille
The Design Challenge How do you place a return air vent for the heating and cooling system without making it look bad? Our solution: build a custom return air vent grille. On a recent project, the framing over kitchen ceiling was done with manufactured trusses. In...