https://theuptownhouse.com/ The Uptown House is an independent magazine about residential design in the United States: kitchens, bathrooms, lighting, materials, storage and remodel planning explained in plain numbers. en-us https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/kitchen-island-two-cooks-clearances/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/kitchen-island-two-cooks-clearances/ Island clearances decide whether two people can cook without colliding. The working numbers are 42 inches on the work side and 48 inches where a walkway crosses a seating overhang. Kitchens Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/where-the-kitchen-trash-pull-out-goes/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/where-the-kitchen-trash-pull-out-goes/ A kitchen gets judged by the trip from cutting board to trash. Placing the pull-out first sets the sink, the dishwasher and the prep counter around it. Kitchens Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/range-hood-cfm-for-a-real-kitchen/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/range-hood-cfm-for-a-real-kitchen/ Range hood sizing runs on burner output, duct length and make-up air, not on the number printed on the box. Here is how the math works for a standard American range. Kitchens Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/family-bathroom-morning-rush-plan/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/family-bathroom-morning-rush-plan/ A shared bathroom fails at 7:15 a.m., not on the floor plan. Separating the toilet, the shower and the sink zone lets three people overlap without waiting. Bathrooms Fri, 07 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/why-curbless-showers-leak/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/why-curbless-showers-leak/ Curbless showers leak when the slope, the pan and the door swing get decided separately. The fix happens during framing, months before tile. Bathrooms Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/layered-lighting-in-plain-english/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/layered-lighting-in-plain-english/ Ambient, task and accent lighting are three separate jobs with three separate switches. A room lit by recessed cans alone is doing one job badly. Lighting Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/bulb-color-temperature-room-by-room/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/bulb-color-temperature-room-by-room/ Kelvin ratings change how paint, wood and skin read. Warm 2700K suits living rooms and bedrooms, while 3000K to 3500K holds up in kitchens and baths. Lighting Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/quartz-quartzite-granite-countertops/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/quartz-quartzite-granite-countertops/ Three countertop materials, three maintenance contracts. Quartz resists stains but scorches, quartzite takes heat and needs sealing, granite sits between them. Materials Fri, 24 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/engineered-wood-vs-solid-oak-floors/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/engineered-wood-vs-solid-oak-floors/ Engineered flooring wins on slabs, over radiant heat and in humid climates. Solid oak wins on refinishing count and resale expectation. Materials Tue, 21 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/paint-sheen-chart-before-you-buy/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/paint-sheen-chart-before-you-buy/ Sheen decides scrubbability and how much wall texture shows. Matte hides drywall seams, eggshell survives hallways, semi-gloss belongs on trim and bath ceilings. Materials Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/mudroom-for-kids-and-dogs/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/mudroom-for-kids-and-dogs/ A mudroom works when every family member has a landing spot within reach. Bench height, hook height and a floor that takes salt do most of the work. Storage Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/closet-math-hanging-space/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/closet-math-hanging-space/ Closet planning runs on linear feet, not square feet. One adult wardrobe averages 6 to 10 feet of hanging rod split between long-hang and double-hang. Storage Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/pantry-question-remodels-get-backwards/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/pantry-question-remodels-get-backwards/ A walk-in pantry loses to shallow reach-in shelving in most American kitchens. Depth past 16 inches turns groceries into an archaeology problem. Storage Tue, 07 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/read-a-floor-plan-before-you-sign/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/read-a-floor-plan-before-you-sign/ A floor plan hides the expensive decisions in plain sight: swing directions, wall thickness, header spans and the plumbing wall nobody wants to move. Floor plans Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/open-plan-noise-nobody-budgets-for/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/open-plan-noise-nobody-budgets-for/ Removing a wall removes the sound barrier that made the TV and the dishwasher coexist. Soft surfaces, ceiling treatment and appliance ratings buy it back. Floor plans Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/where-a-home-office-belongs/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/where-a-home-office-belongs/ A home office needs a door, a power run and a wall without a window behind the desk. The spare bedroom is rarely the best of the available options. Floor plans Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/remodel-timeline-week-by-week/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/remodel-timeline-week-by-week/ A kitchen remodel spends more calendar on lead times and inspections than on labor. Cabinets and windows set the critical path before demolition starts. Renovation Tue, 23 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/permits-inspections-you-cannot-rush/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/permits-inspections-you-cannot-rush/ Rough-in inspections gate insulation and drywall. Scheduling them late adds weeks that no amount of crew size buys back. Renovation Fri, 19 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/last-ten-percent-of-a-renovation/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/last-ten-percent-of-a-renovation/ Reveals, outlet alignment, caulk lines and switch heights arrive last and carry the finished impression. Budget punch-list time before it disappears. Renovation Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/measure-a-room-before-a-sectional/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/measure-a-room-before-a-sectional/ A sectional fails on the delivery path more often than on the floor plan. Doorway width, stair turns and ceiling height decide what fits. Furniture Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/exterior-paint-colors-that-work-with-your-roof/ https://theuptownhouse.com/posts/exterior-paint-colors-that-work-with-your-roof/ Exterior color starts with the roof and the masonry, the two elements nobody repaints. Undertone matching keeps a body color from turning pink at noon. Color Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT