Dynamic colors and finishes tell the energetic story of a life spent in high gear. "Energetic" is the fourth palette in our series of kitchen design ideas.

I wrote a post on 30 November and in it I told the story of a client who was panicking about a back splash that was being installed. She was regretting her decision to follow my suggestion and she had a melt down. It happens. Sometimes, people reach a breaking point and they can't handle any more renovation-related aggravation.

The other day, I came across some interesting return on investment numbers from the National Association of Realtors. Based on what I've been seeing, I think these nationally averaged numbers are pretty accurate for my market. The average returns are just that, averages and they take into account everything from Home Depot specials to projects that are well-thought out and executed. But if the average return on a major kitchen remodel is 81%, maximizing that return would be easy to do. How? You may ask? Why, by hiring me of course.