Author: Michael Gutelli

It’s no surprise that I am completely over my kitchen space. We’ve been in our house for almost 4 ½ years now. Within that half a decade I’ve lived in a kitchen space that lacks in all the things: from design and execution to style and function. While a complete kitchen renovation just isn’t possible in a weekend time frame I needed something to give my kitchen some life. We did 4 quick weekend projects together to give our kitchen a mini makeover.

Hardware

First up for us was hardware. I love how hardware immediately changes any cabinetry. I’m always telling my clients that hardware is a truly important design element of the kitchen, it’s the accessory to give the space some extra visual appeal. 

I am not even sure how we lived with this generic brushed nickel hardware for this long. We had these left over from a client project and I love them. Since they weren’t the exact size we had to fill the existing holes with drydex and apply a slight sand with a flat paint to match our cabinet fronts. I would recommend buying hardware that matches your existing hardware if you are looking for a truly easy fix, but I am always up for utilizing materials we already have. To find the hardware size simply measure the space from the center of each screw. Pull cabinet hardware comes in 3”, 4” and increasing size from there. 

For our uppers we switched them from knobs to pulls to create a more modern look in the space. To make this switch we had to add an extra hole in our cabinet fronts. Michael used this hardware template. However, there are several more affordable options on here and here. He used the template on both the base cabinet fronts and uppers.

Faucet

Another detail in kitchens that make a major impact is the faucet. We updated ours a while back to a touchless one from Delta and I’ve been pretty obsessed with it ever since. So clearly leaving the touchless scene just wasn’t happening in our life. We worked with Delta on this amazing new faucet that makes my heart skip a beat! You better believe it’s touchless too. 

Paint

This is hands down my favorite way to make a major change in any space. Paint can completely change the vibe of a room. We simply changed the coloring on the back wall with the leftover paint we had from the fall One Room Challenge, in our living room, Peppercorn by Sherwin Williams, once again bringing a second life to otherwise leftover material. We then painted the board and batten creamy mushroom by Behr. 

Style

If you don’t have the budget to do any of the above things then this is for you! We’ve talked about how to update your space for free before here. This is another way to make an impact on your kitchen. I styled my shelves with cookbooks, vintage jars from our grandparents kitchen, dishes and glasses we love. I used things I already had in my kitchen to bring the countertops to life. Hello cutting boards, plants and small bowls! I love how lemons add color to any kitchen and this one needed some love. I switched out the dish towels for some new ones that I love from Target. Nobody wants to look or use old dirty tea towels! Revamping your dated kitchen doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg, just an eye for the little details can bring a revival.

For the last 47 days we’ve been on a challenge to mentally and physically better ourselves. As part of the challenge each of us have been drinking a gallon of water a day. Yes, you read that right. An entire gallon a day. When we started this challenge I was wondering just how much water do I need to take in daily?

There are varying opinions out there as to exactly how much water a person needs daily but health officials typically say 8 – 8oz glasses daily. Which is also considered the 8×8 rule and it’s easy to remember. However, what you drink is truly based on one’s own body, sex, age, activity level and location all play a part in exactly how much water you need to take in daily. Sounds like a simple question with a not so simple answer. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine the adequate daily fluid intake is:

• About 15 ½ cups daily for men
• About 11 ½ cups daily for women

Today we are breaking down how to drink a gallon of water a day…at least how we’ve been accomplishing our own water intake over the last 47 days straight.

Always Keep Refillable Water Bottles

Having a refillable water bottle has been key to staying on track with our daily water intake. Michael’s go to water bottle has been this Yeti. Being able to bring this with him throughout the day and keep all the dust out is amazing. And I am obsessed with my staw Yeti!  There is something about having a straw that makes it so much easier for me to finish all of my water. I bought two lids with straws to keep rotating them in and out, as the straws often get dirty (or caked with lipstick). But no worries, these clean up easy with a straw cleaner or dishwasher.

Drink Water First Thing In The Morning

Drinking water first thing in the morning not only helps get our first 24 oz in, we have also found that it wakes both of us up quicker. Nothing like a 5 am wake up call followed by 24 oz of water to really get your body moving. We both keep our water bottles on our nightstands. Creating an easy system to ensure we get that am water in before we’re even out of bed. 

Planning Water In Your Day

Drinking the amount of water your body needs means you’ll go to the bathroom a whole lot! We’ve found that knowing what your day is going to look like helps make sure you are able to use the bathroom when you need to. Nobody wants to get stuck in a car having to go without a bathroom anywhere nearby. 

Spread It Out Throughout The Day 

When it comes to drinking water, spreading your water intake throughout the day is always helpful. However, the last thing we want is to be waking up in the middle of the night to have to go to the bathroom because we took too much water in before bed. We’ve both found that front loading our day with at least two to three of our six Yeti’s is so helpful. Having all water intake done before 7pm is key to not having to get up in the middle of the night.

I hope this helps guide you to get the water your body needs everyday. You’ll be happy, and your body will be even happier with you. 

-much love

Well it’s official, we are both 37 now. Michael likes it to be known that he is younger than me, by a whole 75 days to be exact. With that being out in the universe we thought it would be fun to share the 37 items we cannot live without. It only seems fitting since we’ve both made 37 trips around the sun!

Happy browsing!

[show_boutique_widget id=”917892″]

-much love

The last element of our Auburn + Dayton basement remodel project was a custom railing. This stair railing continues to bring all kinds of enjoyment to us and our clients. Fortunately enough for us we get to call our client’s friends and see this beautiful yet functional railing all the time. It’s by far the one thing we’ve created that gets the most questions about how to build one at home. So here’s a step by step guide on how to build a modern horizontal railing. 

Oh yeah…you may want a second set of hands for this project.

Tools you need to make a modern horizontal railing

• Miter saw 
• Drill
• Tape Measure 
• Level 
• Rotary sander or sand block

Materials you need to make a modern horizontal railing

• Lumber (select pine is great for a painted railing, while red or white oak is great for a stained railing)
• Wood glue 
• Construction screws
• Wood filler (or plastic wood)

Instructions for a modern horizontal railing

1. Install your posts at the top and bottom of your stairs. For this railing we used a 4 x 4 post and attached the upper to the wall and stringer, and lower to the floor and stringer with construction screws. Make sure to hold a level tight on all sides prior to fully driving in construction screws. 
2. Once your posts are installed and sturdy, measure the total span of your railing to determine the length of the horizontal balusters, or rails, whatever you prefer to call them. Traditional balusters are vertical and installed every 6 inches, but this modern horizontal railing is a different design.
3. Once you have your measurement, cut the horizontal boards. If your posts are level you’re looking at a 45 degree cut. 
4. To install the horizontal balusters, pre-drill holes on the tops and bottoms of the horizontal boards near the ends with a 3/16” drill bit. This will avoid splitting of the wood when you fasten with your construction screws. 
5. Attach your bottom board first, followed by the middle and top. We recommend spacing the boards by 3” – 5”.
6. Once everything is installed and fastened tight, it’s time to fill all holes with wood filler or plastic wood. Allow to dry as recommended on the product packaging prior to sanding smooth. A good rule of thumb is a day, unless you’re in a rush to finish. Also, make sure the filler you choose is painted or stainable.
7. Finally, it is time to finish with paint or stain. 

We hope this tutorial was insightful and helps you create a modern horizontal railing in your home. This is also a really stunning design to use on exterior spaces, such as a deck or porch. Just make sure you follow local codes and ordinances prior to constructing. 

Let us know how your project goes! We’d love to hear all about it. 

-much love

Gold hardware might just be the easiest way to update your kitchen at the moment. It stays on trend without taking you back into the 90s. I know so many of you fear you’re going to head right back to where you came from, but we promise you’re not going there. The best way to find any hardware is to order samples and see it in person. Our full comprehensive hardware guide includes all of the gold cabinet hardware we love, and it might just be the perfect place for you to start if you’re just not sure where you want to go. 

If you know gold is speaking your name then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve broken down our favorite gold hardware at the moment, and we can tell you for the foreseeable future it isn’t going anywhere! 

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Silver hardware is a sure bet to always achieve a classic look. It’s never going to go out of style and always finds a way to stay on trend. Not sure if silver is what you’re looking for? Are you slightly overwhelmed by all the hardware options out there? No problem, because we have developed a full comprehensive guide to hardware that includes all of the silver cabinet hardware we love. So check it out. We promise you won’t be disappointed! 

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Black hardware can sure make a statement on any cabinet front you place it on. We broke down all the hardware selections for you with our comprehensive hardware guide! It might just be the perfect place for you to start if you’re just not sure where you want to go. If you know black is where you’re, we’re here for you. We’ve included all of the black cabinet hardware we love at the moment.

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Know the perfect white paints for your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and other parts of your home.

Let’s talk about white paint. While some people see white paint as just that, white paint, we’re here to assure you it’s far from that. White is exactly like gray and all its 50 shades…and more! There are so many shades of white it can be a daunting task to find the perfect one for your space. Just how do you choose the perfect white paint?!? Today we broke down 10 white paints we love to work with from Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore and Behr.

Please please please don’t pick a shade from this list without actually seeing it in your space first. Here is our full guide on exactly how to choose the perfect paint for your home! Make sure to scroll through to the end to see what some of the paints look like in actual spaces!

Much Love-

Sherwin Williams Origami White

Sherwin Williams Alabaster

Sherwin Williams Greek Villa

Sherwin Williams Extra White

Most everyone who has worked a job has had a clearly defined set of roles and responsibilities, or wished that they had. These details would include where to be, when to be there, what to do (or not do), how to do it, and who they work with or answer to. It is pretty standard stuff. But what about defining a path to grow and achieve further success?

Through our experience we’ve found where many business fall short is defining a success path for its employees. When we started Clark + Aldine we had a vision of a strong, supportive team that truly represents the brand we’ve built. Part of that vision for us is setting meaningful goals for our team. And for ourselves, which we wrote a post about! Check it out.

Let us explain.

Our individual team goals go further than the standard outline of a success path. We’re more concerned with empowering our team members to invest in themselves – mind, health, and ultimately happiness. Where a majority of corporate businesses get it wrong (speaking from experience here) is that they don’t practice what they preach. For instance:

You take a vacation and vow to unplug. You’ve set expectations and arranged for team coverage accordingly, only to have round the clock notifications pop up on your phone. And then guilt sets in and you dive right back into work in order to appease and just “get it done”. But here’s the kicker…those vacation days, that PTO that wasn’t truly PTO, is gone. 

OR

You live a healthy lifestyle and part of that is eating clean and at appropriate times of the day. Unfortunately, work meetings have you booked nearly every day from 11 – 1 which is a traditional timeframe for lunch. But you can not miss the meeting, so you try to stay attentive but ultimately feel fatigue and a loss of focus. Kind of hard to maintain that healthy life balance when you have unavoidable roadblocks in front of you, right?

OR

Piggybacking off the above, those days full of meaningless mismanaged meetings means little to know work gets done. You know, those things on your roles and responsibilities outline that you agreed to do when you signed up for the job. Well guess what, they have to get done. Which means you have to find the time at night, after work hours, to get it done. Yup, that likely means less time for yourself, or your family, and more time for work. 

This post is not about the amount of work we should do, or not do, but rather one about knowing limits, understanding the importance of balance and as leaders, investing in our team. Our philosophy and pledge to practice what we preach is this:

MINDFULNESS

Taking time to unplug and recharge is essential. Burnout is a real thing and it has a significant impact on one’s mind and body, as well as their performance (which is felt within a business). And while some days may require an all hands on deck till the job is done approach (hello final install days), those days that do not require time to take care of our minds. We believe meditating, visualizing and reading should be a part of our daily routines. And we are frequently checking in with our team to see how and if they are embracing these practices, and how we find it helpful in our day to day. 

HEALTHINESS

We’re constantly encouraging each other, collectively, to live a healthier lifestyle. Whether it be through diet and exercise, how we speak about the world and others, or what we choose to consume during the day, our health is important. When it comes to smoking tobacco, it is a no go for us. But seeing as one of us (Michael) is an ex-smoker we can understand how difficult it is to just stop (although Michael did quit cold turkey). So instead of saying “no way can you do that”, we set a goal in place. And when that goal is achieved we shall celebrate!

HAPPINESS 

Work is work. Anyone who states do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life is just fluffing your pillow. We do hard work, every single day. But we all have fun doing it. If one of us is just off that day, or not feeling the vibe, we take a little time off site for some coffee or lunch and just talk about other things in life. If we aren’t having fun we aren’t happy. We strive to embrace happiness every day and give it our all to ensure it is reflected amongst the entire team. 

We could go on and on about this topic for hours, but we think you get the point. If you manage a team, a person or just have some incredible goals for yourself please share them! We would love to know how you’ve prioritized goals in your business or life. 

-much love

It’s no surprise I love a good round mirror in design. The mirror not only adds great character from the round edges they can add dimension, depth and create a welcoming vibe to any space. I’ve used round mirrors in bathrooms, bedrooms and entryways over the past year and I don’t see it stopping there. Below is a round up of 12 affordable round mirrors for your home now!

Click directly on each image to shop!