Retirement Home Design Details

The home the Harmon team is finishing up for soon-to-be retirees was especially interesting to see as the finishing details were beginning to go in. The culmination of the design choices was striking: a structure was magically becoming a home right before our eyes.

The homeowners took care to include elements that reference their experiences together, which makes for a wonderful celebration of their family life. The exterior gives a nod to the architectural history of Williamsburg, VA where they lived while attending school and began careers. Referencing a career as a Naval historian and professor at Annapolis, there are also some nautical design motifs. One (not pictured) is a compass rose mosaic in the entry hall.

Sink for the grandchildren's space in the basement bathroom; a whimsical blend of the nautical theme with youthful flair.

The team installing stone kitchen counter tops with custom cabinetry constructed in the Harmon Builders' cabinet workshop.  Not seen in this photo are nautical-style pendant lights (over bar).

My previous post called attention to the beautiful counter surfaces that color match with the adjacent cabinetry. The photo above allows you to better appreciate that. Search a little to find the lovely stone flooring peeking out of the cardboard protecting it. It pulls all the colors together and is gorgeous in its own right.

Built-in buffet and pair of hutches in the dining room.

The dining room I described (also in the post linked above) extends toward the back of the house and is sized to accommodate large family gatherings. This beautiful piece of custom cabinetry is crafted to make hosting adult children and young grandchildren easy to accomplish.

I look forward to sharing more about the home in an upcoming post. There are some energy efficient technologies in use in this home, as well as practical considerations that are determined by building codes, which have been both exciting and interesting to learn about.

Caring for Your Beautiful Custom Cabinetry

Keeping your custom cabinets as spectacular as they are the day they are built is not any more time consuming than day-to-day cleaning, but adhering to some specifics will ensure that your cabinets stay beautiful and unblemished.

It is essential that cabinets stay dry, so all splashes or spills should be wiped away immediately. Also, avoid draping any damp towels or other wet cloth over the doors and do not use soap and water to clean cabinets. Place small appliances so that they are not causing extreme temperature changes that may cause wood to expand and contract. Clean cooking residues from smoke and vapors using a soft cloth moistened with furniture polish, just like you would dust your wood furniture.

Oven cleaners, ammonia, bleach or other harsh cleansers should be kept safely away from wood finishes. Never use abrasive cleansers or sponges on your cabinetry, and avoid using furniture polishes that contain any silicone or wax. These will build sticky residue over time, which not only makes it difficult to keep them clean, but can make repairs or refinishing impossible.

Guardsman makes some of the best products for wood care, including soft cloths for gentle use on wood finishes. Their Kitchen Cabinet Polish is meant for light cleaning, and does not contain any silicone or wax. The Kitchen Cabinet Cleaner product is for heavier cleaning, and their purifying wood cleaner is one of the only products that is capable of removing silicone or wax residues if the wrong polish has been used in the past.

This should be all you need to keep your custom wood cabinetry beautiful for a lifetime.