BeckySue, Certified Master K&B Designer's Portfolio

Tile over tile in a shower ??

I met a General Contractor at one of my clients home today and he said they often do not tear up the tile in the master shower when there is a mud pan below. They will put levers over and ...»

Dcz665 on Jan 31, 2013

In the midst of a bathroom renovation at our church the member overseeing the project (a ...»
construction o. supervisor) urged us to just level and then tile over the old 1960 tile job. To save money we agreed but the subcontractor HE contracted wouldn't do it, seeing it as a bandaid over bad. Luckily we listened to him as the flooring supports were rotting and would have failed. Think of how long a tiled shower will be in place. Now divide that by the extra cost of doing it right. It will probably work out to pennies a day.

Project Case Study: Kitchen Renovation from 80's to NOW!

This renovation was for a kitchen in Brookhaven area in Atlanta. Design by BeckySue Becker, CMKBD, CAPS. ...»

75000 Challenging

Jean R on Mar 03, 2013

75 grand! I would leave the kitchen as is and move to a newer house with the kitchen I like.

Outdoor Living: Advice for privacy wall

Looking for our options to put in shrubs along this fence to offer privacy between our yards, in addition to put a bigger buffer between our dogs :)Note the left end could not grow deeper than 4' as there is a gate - otherwise depth is no issue. Thought about Forsythia (which variety grows the tallest?) - i would love the addition of the color! But wonder if a whole row would be too much. This is our backyard I am not likely going to put anything at the base of these other than grass. ...»

Flowerscapes Garden Desig... on Nov 11, 2012

Thanks Donna! I like to use shrubs and trees that offer more than one feature, such as ...»
fragrance and blooms, or winter and fall interest. Depending upon how large the plant is at purchase,and growth speed, will also determine the selection. Furthermore, I love it when a neighbor or visitor proclaims, "I want that plant". I am leaning towards Banana Shrub, maybe tea olive but she has one by the deck for sweet summer fragrance, camellia, and several others-not enough time just now to list. I want to do a layer in front of the shrubs to keep the eye more centered below than over the neighbor's fence. A ferns, some evergreen, varigated yellow/green vinca vine, sneak some native avaleas in towards the rear, pink and white dogwoods. Many more ideas in my head prior to a final plan- Besides just a screen, I will divert attention away from that side and lead the viewer to a breathtaking open space along the rear, and for the climax, to the other rear corner where there is a large farm pond just beyond the property line. I did not notice it untill the end and wow! I am so excited about highlighting this view!! To me, it looked just like a Robert Wood landscape.

Home Maintenance & Repairs: HVAC maintenance service contracts worth the money?

We moved into a new home and had some issues with the HVAC that were outside my DIY husband's knowledge. They came out an did diagnostics and resolved our issue -- and tried selling us on ...»

Jerry on Mar 08, 2013

If your budget allows you to invest in a preventative maintenance plan with a local ...»
contractor, then you definitely should. The costs could be astronomical if the unexpected happens. It's like raising kids without insurance.

Home Security & Alarms: Entry door security/lock question

We are buying a home - need to buy new lockset for front entry door which has the full handle type (still need to measure the centers, but its around 9") and it has the separate deadbolt ...»

Becky on Sep 20, 2012

Yeah, I guess I didn't think about that, but dulling on ORB wouldn't bother me so much if it ...»
stayed mostly the same color.

Furniture Revivals: Help with cypress table

Ok wood working masters, what would you do here? We bought this very cool cypress table several years back and it came with a very thick top coat that got exposed to elements and thus.. ...»

WallsTreat Studio/ Kass W... on Sep 18, 2012

KMS, you are right about the haze that can occur with "over the counter" water based products. ...»
That can easily happen if the correct applicator tools are not used or if the products are over-worked. Good point.

How would you treat your refrigerator?

Today the choices for how well a refrigerator works is generous these days. Some chill wine inside 30 minutes, one even have a system originally developed by NASA that scrubs the air in ...»

BeckySue, Certified Maste... on Jul 06, 2012

Most everything is renovations these days.. that was the angle I was coming from too. ...»
Bringing over a water line to a faucet isnt always the easiest thing to do.
Hot water? I have never heard of using that line for a pot filler. I know there is myths/debates on which boils faster, but from a cooking standpoint, starting potatoes or making broth from meat bones can drastically affect the outcome. Cold water is essential..
Another twist? Often times water that goes through your hot water tank will taste differently than cold water right from the well or city water lines. Sitting in a tank brewing.. changes it more ways than one.
Whoops.. this shouldve been another post huh? Not much about refrigerator styles here! haha

DIY fix to hide damaged walls or paneling

If you don't want to invest in new drywall/sheetrock and having paneling, here is a straight forward DIY option if you dont mind a textured wall. Also a good option if you have a heavily ...»

Flora on Jan 31, 2013

Hi ladies.. loved reading all your comments.. we have purchased an older single wide mobile on ...»
it's own land.. has good "bones" and is on a reat lot.... sound roof, underpinned, etc but the inside is another matter.. It is going be be completely stripped, planning to move a couple of walls and then drywall the entire place and then add new flooring.. then will come paint, paper, etc... I am hoping to take pics as we go along to show the progress... thank you all for your interest and suggestions.. I will keep yo updated.. will probably a slow process.. (doing it on a budget) I love reading all the comments on here and seeing all the talent.. you are awesome...

Details. They do matter when it comes to molding!

Here is an array of examples of how the addition of trim, moldings, and other wood workings can enhance design to take it from boxes... to furniture like quality. A little attention to ...»

BeckySue, Certified Maste... on Jun 12, 2012
Example of details ... in a simple, modern application below. Do you appreciate them? ...»
1. 2pc crown instead of just one
2. stainless steel (laminate) toe kick
3. how about using sconces instead of a can over the window? :)
4. milk/sand blasted glass instead of clear glass
5. float the shelves .. unexpected
6. s/s stand offs to support the snack area instead of a knee wall (noting the glass does not divide the space like the alternative)
7. do not discredit outlets. note the outlet in the side of the peninsula - it is brown so it virtually disappears. Often times, colors are special order .. so plan ahead!
8. ... err.. what did you catch that I didnt mention? :)

Gardening: Flowering Cilantro :(

Ive read once they flower there is no hope for leaves. I bought a plant at a Nursery and put it in the ground .. no fertilizer/food .. and it started producing flowers within 2wks. So ...»

Douglas Hunt on May 24, 2012

BeckySue, if you want to try to harvest your own coriander seeds, wait till the flower heads ...»
are dry then cut the stalk and stick the whole thing upside down in a big paper bag and leave it in a dry spot for a couple of weeks. Then give the stalk a good shake and all the coriander seeds should fall off. Herbs are pretty generally their own bug deterrent.

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BeckySue, Certified Master K&B Designer

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