Spaces for Life: How to choose a countertop
By Lance McCarthy Despite all the news reports and attention surrounding the presidential elections, it looks like the zombie apocalypse isn’t happening yet (give it time). And without zombies, people will still be wanting to make their homes nicer. Here are a few options to consider when replacing your countertops. (I don’t know any zombies
Spaces for Life: Door Hardware 101
By Lance McCarthy I have decided to bravely serve as tour guide to the home. Each month I dedicate one of my columns to illuminating some part of the house that most people might not know much about. This week’s topic is door hardware. I know–exciting! But this is the time of year that a
Spaces for Life: What to know before choosing a designer
By Lance McCarthy When you are getting ready for a project, the most important decision you will make is in picking the team. The contractor, architect and interior designer will be crucial to getting you the space you want. I’ve talked a lot about how to pick the contractor, but I wanted to share some
Spaces for Life: Ways to work with a contractor
By Lance McCarthy There are many ways to work with a contractor that are swirling around out there in Constructionland. I thought it might be helpful to give a brief overview of those different methods. As with chess pieces or Marvel Superheroes, there are strengths and weaknesses to each type. In case you were wondering,
Spaces for Life: Universal Design Frequently Asked Questions
By Lance McCarthy I have asked one of the other members of the ReTouch community (we have a number of companies in the construction and real estate industry that office together and work collaboratively) to write for this week, and I think you might find it interesting. Bryon Sunday owns Accessibility Remodeling, and they specialize
Spaces for Life: Where should I buy the material for my home project?
By Lance McCarthy One of the big questions in any remodeling project is where to get the materials. Do we get the tile from one of the tile stores in town? Do we order our lights online? Should we save some money by buying our cabinets at Home Depot? There are so many opinions, I
Spaces for Life: The Real Job of a Designer
Spaces for Life: Interview with a designer By Lance McCarthy What is the job of a designer? You might list: pick out paint colors, make things look pretty, draw, plan furniture placement, help pick out materials, or possibly to make your budget jump through the roof! Part design, part counselor When it comes to residential
Spaces for Life: How custom cabinetry can make a home feel authentic
By Lance McCarthy My house was just remodeled a little more than a year ago, but people that walk through it often don’t realize that unless they know the story. I think there are three reasons for that. 1. My wife has a really cool throwback style (if you know her, please let her know
Spaces for Life: Call In The Experts – who will you need for your home project?
By Lance McCarthy As you start planning for a project on your home, you might be wondering who you need to talk to? A modern home is actually a fairly complicated system with thousands of parts and pieces. The team you put together can help make sure the work lasts for decades to come. Architect:
Spaces for Life: What I’ve lin the last 6 months
By Lance McCarthy A few weeks ago, I ended a column with this: “One of my favorite phrases for my clients is “the pain of the experience will be outweighed by the joy of your new life in a new space”. In the coming weeks we will see if I knew what I was talking