Organizing the space into work zones is becoming very popular now.  This allows everyone to move around in the kitchen instead of someone just being confined to one area.

And if you’re thinking what about my aching back…then the next time you’re thinking about remodeling your kitchen, think about using dishwasher drawers or raising the dishwasher all together.  The same if you have small children at home, make a separate zone for them so they can help themselves to drinks and snacks with a separate refrigerator drawer on the other side of the kitchen, out of the main prep area where you do most of your work.

When laying out appliances, think twice about putting the microwave above the cooktop, I know it’s a space saver and it has a venthood, but think safety, it just isn’t a good idea.  Also think twice about stacking it above a double oven.  That’s awfully high.  Even a double oven with a warming drawer down below can be somewhat high for some people.

I could go on and on and on…there’s so many changes and ideas that can be made so that your home is universally accessible to all and it’s constantly changing!

Used to be when we heard these terms we automatically thought handicapped or “this is for old people”, but not anymore!  More and more we’re seeing a blending of generations.  We’re seeing people wanting to stay in their homes “forever”, so when they build or remodel, they think long term, not just short term and they think about what little things can be done so anyone can access their home.

It used to be that if you made an accessible design, it screamed handicapped, but nowadays, there are so many products and options that the goal with a good design is to make the entire design accessible without it looking that way.

For instance, open floor plans continue to be the trend and that’s great for accessibility.  With the green movement we’re seeing the use of daylighting more and more often, meaning we’re seeing natural light used in the design of homes to light the interiors during the day and at night we have so many new options in lighting now that there’s no reason not to have great lighting.  When considering any lighting, it’s always better to over light, put your lights on dimmers, that way you can turn down your lighting, but if you didn’t put enough lighting in, there’s no way you can turn it back up!

Plumbing is making it easier and safer for all of us…there are some of us that still remember when you could get scalded as a child taking a bath if someone flushed the toilet, now the manufacturers install water temperature controls to prevent this.  They’ve also come up with attractive faucets that with a wave of the hand or a touch to the faucet, the water comes on – now how easy can that be?  For those that are little and can’t quite reach those handles way in the back or those that have arthritic hands…it’s all much easier now.

Let’s not forget our porcelain thrones now!  How many times have we all said…oh my aching back!  The plumbing manufacturers have now come out with “comfort height” toilets.  They used to call them ADA…but so many homeowners liked the higher toilets, that now just about everyone of our clients wants them installed as their new toilets.  The comfort height is the same height as that of a standard chair, making it much easier to sit down and stand up from.

And don’t forget the overall bathing experience…tubs with doors allowing you to walk in and close the door and tubs with walls that raise once you’re seated in the tub, and transfer seats for those that are wheelchair bound with plenty of room for a caregiver as well.  Of course, let’s not forget the grab bars in the showers…they’ve come a long way baby!  Now a days, they’re decorative and a lot of times, built into the design so you don’t even realize they’re part of the bath.

http://www.cityofkeller.com/index.aspx?page=692

Ok the kitchen is done…and it looks great!  Now you can’t keep everyone from touching the surface of these beautiful stainless appliances! (You can try but having your entire family wear gloves all the time may not be an option!)

Let’s take a look at a few rules that I find to be helpful when cleaning Stainless Steel.   Stainless Steel is known for its ability to be a clean surface that resists corrosion, rust, dirt, dust and grime.  It responds well to cleaning, as long as certain rules are followed.

Microfiber cloth!

Microfiber Cloths and warm water is the less risky option. Dry with a towel or cloth to prevent water spots. Wipe in the directions of the polish lines. Keeping a spray bottle of water and white vinegar on hand to clean instead of just water will help with the tougher stains.  Dish washing liquid can be used if your cleaning needs more power! Another tip I found helpful is to use a microfiber cloth with a small amount of olive oil on it for the shine.

Fingerprints…ugh!

How many times have your friends that have stainless complained about the fingerprints???  Well, fingerprints are one of the biggest complaints about stainless steel, but can be taken care of by using glass cleaner or household ammonia. Rinse thoroughly and towel dry.

Stainless Steel Cleaner

If you have had staining or scratching, or need to polish your stainless steel, a stainless steel cleaner may be a good option. Some of these cleaners and polishes can help minimize scratching and remove stains. They also can polish surfaces nicely. Read the directions on the stainless steel cleaner and test in an inconspicuous spot. Be sure to rinse thoroughly and towel dry.

These are rules not my opinion, remember if you used the wrong product on Stainless like a chlorine based chemical or harsh sponges the product will be damaged and not able to be fixed.

I personally as a designer am not a big fan of stainless steel for various reasons.  It’s hard to keep clean, it shows scratches, and I really like appliances to blend into the background. I like to hide them when I can into the design, to put panels on them and make them completely invisible when I can. 

That all being said, Stainless Steel appliances have been around a long time and I don’t see them leaving for some time.  They can be a beautiful addition to your new kitchen and I have used them in many kitchen remodels we have done. 

Do any of you that own Stainless Steel Appliances have tips you would like to share?

Join us on October 1^th, 2011 at 10am at the Ferguson Showroom for our last Remodeling class of  the year!

You have decided that it is time to remodel the kitchen, so where do you start?

This class is to help walk you through the steps from the do-it-yourself point of view or if you have decided that you would like to hire someone. 

Come Join us…we look forward to meeting all of you and sharing our experience with you!

Buying an appliance is a big investment in your homes decor, and making sure that it will stand the test of time is a big decision maker when choosing them.  (or mothers or grandmothers were trying to be very trendy unfortunately this didn’t work out and they were stuck with them!)

So which finish is best? Well this is a personal decision based on your decor but lets explore the choices and what makes one different from the other!

Stainless Finishes

Stainless Steel finish is by far the most popular of the finishes.  The consideration when choosing this finish for your appliances will depend on your cabinets, but on a whole this finish will blend perfectly with most any cabinet you have currently or are looking to change to. The other benefit to stainless is that if you are only buying one appliance to blend with your other appliances, generally stainless will blend nicely with your other products.

Will you be staying in your home forever? Will you be moving in the next few years? These are questions that should be considered also.  If your plan is to stay in your home and have no intention of moving then this is your personal choice, what you like and what you feel will make you happy in the years to come.  If your plan is to move in a few years, picking Stainless as your finish for the appliances will be a huge selling point as this is generally what buyers are looking for.

Stainless Steel finishes on Appliances are more expensive and the price does fluctuate with the type of stainless finish but overall the investment in stainless will prove to pay for itself overtime.

Black Appliances

Black Appliances are a great way to not have that matching look if you do not like it. Black will go great with Stainless and based on the color cabinets you have you may be able to have both in your kitchen.  Using both of these together will give you a trendy look and add some depth to the room.

This option primarily is lower in cost for the appliance and could keep your costs down when updating or remodeling your kitchen.

Color Appliances

This is not your mother or grandmothers kitchen ! This option is also not for everyone!  Look at this, its unbelievable and very trendy and can’t be ruled out.  What a statement you would be making in your home, no one could walk in and not be wowed at your creative, daring spirit!

Some things to consider when thinking about color in your appliances:

• Color dates appliances and can quickly give your kitchen an outdated style. It’s great to have a trendy kitchen, but over time, you may want your appliances to age without notice.
• When one of an appliance pair needs replacing and that color is no longer available, you’ll have to settle for mismatched appliances or also replace the companion appliance.
• If you’ve decided on a particular color, is it a color you can live it, for 5 – 10 years or more?
• Does the color blend with other long-term colors in your kitchen, such as flooring, countertop and tiling.
• Colored appliances are generally more expensive than white or variations of beige or cream.
• Do you consider this your last appliance purchase?

Which Finish is Best for you?

This is a personal decision for you and your family, hiring a trained interior design professional could be the answer to all of these questions when deciding what will work best for your needs and wants now and in the future!

Thomas Edison’s incandescent light bulb was possibly one of the oldest electric technologies still sold today in stores all across the world.  On New Year’s Eve in 1879 Thomas Edison first demonstrated his new incandescent light bulb to the public.

Congress passed a law in 2007 mandating that bulbs producing 100 watts worth of light meet certain efficiency goals beginning in 2012, along with bulbs 40 watts and above in 2014.

Incandescent light bulbs have been the most widely used design for nearly a century. As electricity enters these bulbs, it passes through a metal filament with the base of the bulb. The filament grows so hot that it glows bright white and can be used to light a room. Because these bulbs rely on heat to produce light, they are considered vastly inefficient and have a lifespan ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 hours.

The operational life of current white LED lamps is 100,000 hours. This is 11 years of continuous operation, or 22 years of 50% operation. The long operational life of an led lamp is a stark contrast to the average life of an incandescent bulb, which is approximately 5000 hours. If the lighting device needs to be embedded into a very inaccessible place, using LEDs would virtually eliminate the need for routine bulb replacement.

There is no comparison between the cost of LED lights vs. traditional incandescent options. With incandescent bulbs, the true cost of the bulb is the cost of replacement bulbs and the labor expense and time needed to replace them. These are significant factors, especially where there are a large number of installed bulbs. For office buildings and skyscrapers, maintenance costs to replace bulbs can be enormous. These issues can all be virtually eliminated with the LED option.

Replacing one incandescent bulb with a LED light bulb prevents the release of 300 pounds of carbon dioxide in just one year. LEDs are efficient, durable and produced in great quantities, but can be very expensive.  The biggest problem with LEDs is that although they don’t produce as much heat as the incandescent bulbs, the heat they do create shortens the life-span and reduces the efficiency.

The incandescent bulb still holds a place for us in the world today. For instance the 100 watt bulbs have kept pipes from freezing in the cold winter, and young chicks warm in the hen house , our children’s science projects and of course if you have a young cook in the home the Easy bake Oven will not operate without it!

Engineers designing new lighting technologies ultimate goal is to produce more lumens per watt of power consumption.  Making sure the product is reliable, affordable and environmentally correct is the goal but also remains to be the most difficult part!

Southlake Kitchen Before Remodel

This clients needs were to reconfigure cabinets for better storage solutions and update all the kitchen appliances and fixtures. First the new custom cabinet design will be from the DeWils Designer Series.  They will be a in cherry wood with a beautiful black glaze finish. The KitchenAid refrigerator and Bosch dishwasher will have panels installed that match the cabinetry. This will keep the appliances from being a focal point in the kitchen. There will also be the addition of a JennAir double oven in black floating glass. (Glass that magically shows no fingerprints.) The venthood will be from the Stanici M Series. Once custom made, it will be shipped to DeWils and stained to match the rest of the cabinetry.

We are also adding the beautiful Addison Touch faucet from Delta and matching soap dispenser. We love the touch technology that is integrated into the faucet.  The Blanco undermount sink will be installed into 3cm thick Golden Kosmos granite countertops.

Some of the finishes such as paint color, backsplash design, and cabinet hardware are still to be determined. However, here is a rendering that will give the homeowner a peek into her new kitchen. Again, this is the beauty of hiring a design/build team as opposed to a general contractor.

We will keep you posted as demolition begins and we get to work! Stay tuned, we are also doing a master bath and a powder bath for this client. More to come on those.

Rendering of Southlake Kitchen After Remodel

Over the past few working days here at Curb Appeal Renovations. Work has continued on our Keller Kitchen.

As you can see, after proper dust protection from the rest of the house, all of the countertops, flooring, cabinets, and walls have been removed. The granite from the kitchen will be re-purposed for the upcoming laundry room “facelift.” Framing, plumbing rough in, and electrical rough in have also been completed.

Next we will have drywall installed and paint as needed. The DeWils custom cabinets have arrived and are patiently waiting in the warehouse to make their big debut.

Tomorrow we will be hosting a SubZero/Wolf event at our local Ferguson showroom. Chef Garth Blackburn will be doing a cooking demonstration and sharing brunch with some of our clients, friends and neighbors. Have a great weekend and stay tuned!