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Custom Kitchen Blog
Everyone deserves a beautiful kitchen. The most important part of designing a custom kitchen is the planning.You'll find out how to quickly, easily and painlessly plan the perfect kitchen. By clicking on the orange button to subscribe to this feed you'll be pleased with my gathering of information. The items below are my custom kitchen cabinetry blog updates
Architecture at the Speed of Disaster
DXA Studio’s modular homes for Lahaina wildfire survivors prove that emergency housing can deliver dignity, beauty, and permanence—not just shelter.
When the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century tore through Lahaina, Hawaii, in August 2023, housing survivors became the state’s most urgent design brief.
Today, nearly 170 factory-made housing units offer shelter to the displaced with more units to yet to come. They’re situated along a stretch of Maui coastline—small, bright colored dwellings that look permanent and communal. That’s by design.
New York-based DXA Studio launched Liv-Connected with the goal of deploying disaster-relief housing that doesn’t sacrifice design, health, or durability. In Maui, the result is FEMA’s first prefabricated, modular temporary homes built to the International Building Code and local amendments. One-, two-, and three-bedroom units meet Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS), are fully furnished on delivery, and can serve as either interim or permanent housing.
“We have thoughtfully designed the homes so they are comfortable and functional enough to become permanent, and the families affected by the fires deserve to have a comfortable, safe home to recover in,” says Wayne Norbeck, co-founding partner of DXA Studio and Liv-Connected.
Inside the homes, Liv-Connected specified low- to no-emitting materials, generous daylight, and cross-ventilation to support indoor-air quality and thermal comfort in a tropical climate. A warm palette and high ceilings keep the small footprints from feeling cramped; windows are sized and placed to frame views and keep residents connected to the landscape.
The Conexus line uses Liv-Connected’s Component Linked Construction (CLiC System)—a kit-of-parts strategy that locks repeatable elements (structure, MEP, smart tech) into a manufacturing flow, then allows finish and plan variations. That modular approach reduces rework, absorbs supply variability, and keeps field labor focused on siting and hook-ups rather than stick-building. For public clients, the predictability is as important as speed: fewer unknowns, fewer change orders, and better odds of hitting deadlines when a community is still displaced.
Where Housing Inventory Grows, Sales Follow
Key Points:
* Existing-home sales are projected to end 2024 higher than one year ago.
* Housing supply has increased in 34 of the top 50 markets we track on a year-over-year basis.
* Our analysis suggests a strong and positive relationship between increasing new listings and improving sales.
Despite a year marked by elevated interest rates and the persistent rate lock-in effect, the housing market is showing signs of mild recovery. Our latest Existing-Home Sales Outlook Report indicates that existing-home sales are projected to conclude 2024 slightly above 4 million annualized sales, surpassing December 2023 levels, but still trailing historical norms. The year-over-year increase is partly attributed to an increase in inventory.(opens in a new tab/window) Nationally, for-sale inventory1 is 19 percent higher than one year ago but remains nearly 26 percent lower than pre-pandemic, November 2019 levels. New listings2 in November were just 0.5 percent higher than a year ago, and 16.3 percent lower compared to November 2019. However, real estate is local and it’s important to note that the growth in listings has not been uniform across the country. Moreover, not all housing inventory is created equal.
What’s Inventory Got to Do With It?
One unique factor about the housing market is that the seller and the buyer are, in many cases, the same – the existing homeowner. In order to buy a new home, you have to sell the home you already own, and then find a home to buy, but not just any home – one that you like better. The fewer homes there are for sale, the harder it becomes to find a home better than what you already own. Therefore, a lack of inventory doesn’t just prevent first-time home buyers from jumping into the market, but it also keeps existing homeowners staying put and limits existing-home sales. The opposite is also true.
According to Zillow’s new listings metric, housing supply has increased in 34 of the top 50 markets we track on a year-over-year basis. Using the U.S. Census Bureau’s definition of the four U.S. regions, the strongest growth in new listings is in Southern and Western markets, and more muted improvements occurred in the Northeast and Midwest.
Continue reading "Where Housing Inventory Grows, Sales Follow"
Meet the African architect making ‘Africa great again’ by building cities that cost nothing
Across Africa’s skylines, from Dakar to Lomé, one name consistently echoes in conversations about modern architecture: Pierre Goudiaby Atepa.
A trailblazing Senegalese engineer, architect, and businessman, Atepa has not only influenced the physical architecture of the continent but has also been a strong proponent of sustainable urban development, Africa-centered design, and economic independence.
Born on June 30, 1947, in Ziguinchor, southern Senegal, Pierre Goudiaby Atepa’s story is one of perseverance, talent, and purpose.Atepa received a scholarship to study in the United States and attended the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, which he highlighted during an exclusive with Business Insider Africa on the sidelines of the Fii Senegal 2025 investment Forum.
“As far as architecture is concerned, I was fortunate enough to study in one of the greatest architectural schools, which is the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, upstate New York. I graduated back in 1973. I was very lucky,” he stated.
Subsequently, his passion for constructing architectural masterpieces intensified, leading him to immediately undertake the construction of Senegal’s tallest building, the BCEAO Headquarters, in a competition.
Before You Remodel Gather Kitchen Design Ideas
Before a kitchen remodel create a checklist and gather kitchen design ideas. What do you dislike most about your present kitchen? What do you like most about your present kitchen?
Continue reading "Before You Remodel Gather Kitchen Design Ideas"
Ideas For Designing A Kosher Kitchen
A Rabbi is an expert on Jewish Law and would be perfect to design a kosher kitchen.
Basic Kitchen Layout Shapes
When it comes to a kitchen layout...form follows function. here are some basic shapes.
Plan Your Kitchen Budget
Control your kitchen budget. The most important part of any remodeling project is to make sure you don't go over budget.
The Kitchen Plan and Kitchen Guidelines
Let's Draw a Kitchen Plan.The Most Important Part of Designing a Kitchen is the Planning.
FREE Kitchen Project Workbook
This kitchen project planner will take you through every stage of creating that perfect space. Get started with your Dream Kitchen Now!!!
Kitchen Design Questionnaire
Kitchens are highly complex rooms that serve many different functions. To best meet your expectations, we need to know about your lifestyle needs, and desires.
Choosing Kitchen Cabinets
Stock, Semi-Custom, and Custom cabinetry fully explained in the ABC's of cabinets.
