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January 01, 2015
Great Solutions for Small Kitchens
Designs and Ideas for Small Kitchen Spaces How to get by when you don't have room. *Designer Joanna Simmons suggests that if you have a tiny kitchen space, blow out the ceiling to create some volume. A skylight like the one pictured below might also help. I also really like the idea of pull-outs such as a cutting board or a drop-down table to create an instant eating area. Another idea is taller upper cabinets for extra storage if ceiling space allows. Depending on your cooking needs, forget the standard 30" range and consider a 24" or even 20" range. Some urban folks, rarely cook at home. You might consider a simple 2 burner cooktop supplemented by a convection microwave, or even better one of the new steam/convection ovens. There are lots of choices for built-in appliances that fit in a 24" cabinet. Creative lighting will help the room look more spacious. Consider under cabinet lighting. LED's give you a lot of light and take up little room. Of course, white or other light colors can make a room look bigger, and even small windows and skylights for natural light help enormously. If you can get by with an undercounter refrigerator, here's one from Danby that has a separate freezer compartment. Perhaps width, not height is the issue. Here's a Liebherr refrigerator that's a tall 79 inches in height, but only 24 inches wide. It's surprising how true the saying is "Necessity is the mother of invention." For more ideas -
December 30, 2014
Beware of your Fabric Softener
4 Fabrics to Keep Away From Fabric Softener Shared from Good Housekeeping Most of us think fabric softeners are good for ALL fabrics. Not so. Though we all know fabric softeners will...well, make fabrics soft. Perhaps, we're not aware that fabric softener should not be used on all materials. Here's a list from *Good Housekeeping: 1. Microfiber I just love microfiber, but I had no idea that using fabric softener when microfiber is in the wash could remove the effectiveness and the durability of the microfibers. 2. Athletic Sportswear Evidently, athletic gear frequently has "wicking technology" that will absorb sweat when you are exercising and help keep you cool. However, the coating that fabric softener leaves on your athletic wear will not allow "wicking" to occur, thus eliminating the absorption and cooling benefit of your athletic clothing. 3. Flame-Retardant Clothing Kids' sleepwear is required by law to be flame-resistant, but washing flame-resistant sleepwear with fabric softener actually makes them MORE flammable. 4. Towels How nice is it to dry off with a nice, warm soft towel? Nice, huh? But, when you use liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets, you'll be reducing the moisture absorption factor of terry cloth (and similar fluffy fabrics). Appreciate this content? Want to see more like this? Leave a comment below, and subscribe to this blog. For the best availability and lowest prices on major appliances and plumbing fixtures, contact Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center. *list is from GH, text is original. -
December 28, 2014
Our Top 3 LA Events for 2014
Design, Food, and Wine Inspiration in 2014 Favorite Los Angeles Area events for 2014 Dwell on Design Los Angeles Convention CenterLos Angeles, CAJune 20 – 22, 2014 Dwell on Design L.A. is touted as the largest design event in the U.S. It's a unique three-day event featuring content from over 200 top minds in design, and exhibitions by more than 400 exhibitors, with exceptional educational events for attendees. Nearly 300,000 square feet dedicated to exhibitions —from Dwell Outdoor to the Modern Family Pavilion to the Tech Zone, the 30,000+ attendees will find themselves immersed in Design. At the kitchen and bath zone on the show floor, brands like Miele, Dacor, and GE Monogram showcased their latest appliances and designs.Over at Miele, attendees checked out the super-sleek Contour Line of ovens and temperature-controlled, under-counter wine storage systems. Dacor welcomed attendees with champagne, and showed off induction cooktops and Discovery iQ Wall Ovens that connect wirelessly to a tablet computer for easy smart phone access. On the bathroom side, Brizo displayed freestanding tubs and tub fillers from the uncluttered, single-handle Odin line. British brand Victoria + Albert brought naturally white, freestanding tubs and Amiata basins made of volcanic limestone and high-performance resin. LA Food & Wine Santa Monica, Downtown, Hollywood, Beverly HillsAugust 21-24 In its fourth year, the Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival, is made possible with generous support from founding partners FOOD & WINE, Lexus, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, JENN-AIR, and -
December 27, 2014
2014 Kitchens
3 Kitchen Trends in 2014 Here's what has been trending in kitchen design: Contrast A little more than a decade ago appliance manufacturers called it white-on-white. White appliances with chrome trim had been de rigueur for years, so the early movement to solid white was a big deal in the beginning of the last decade. Kitchen cabinets, countertops, sinks and even faucets contributed to the solid white kitchen. Even today, an all-white kitchen is not unusual or out of place. However, for several years, we've seen the ever popular white kitchen complemented with contrasting yet subdued colors, in particular grey. Now, contrast is becoming more bold with black showing up in islands and base cabinets, stainless steel sinks, and chrome, or even gold faucets. Color Along with non-white cabinets, sinks, and faucets, 2014 saw more solid contrasting colors on kitchen walls not just gray or black, but also bright colors and pastel shades. Thanks to specialty appliance manufacturers such as Smeg, BlueStar, Bertazzoni, and even Viking, many appliance color options are now available even though stainless steel continues to dominate. Changes in upper cabinets and islands. Upper cabinets are sometimes being replaced by shelves, and occasionally disappearing entirely. See the limited use of upper wall cabinets in the photo above. Islands have been around for a long time, but we're seeing more use of islands for seating, and even tables and chairs as substitutes for islands. What can we expect in 2015? There will be more of the same as -
December 17, 2014
2015 Color of the Year
Pantone's Winning Color for 2015MarsalaThis hearty, yet stylish tone is universally appealing and translates easily to fashion, beauty, industrial design, home furnishings and interiors.Leatrice Eiseman-Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute®In 2014, Pantone's Color of the Year was Radiant Orchid, a shade of purple lightened with a bit of pink. Below is a BlueStar Range in Radiant Orchid - dramatic for a splash of color, but hardly an underlying theme. For 2015, Pantone is taking a leap away from the boldness of the 2014 Color of the Year and moving to a beautiful wine colored Marsala, a deep red subdued by earthy brown. It's a welcome change. Marsala is a hearty red; a strong color that doesn't as much provide a splash of color as it does create a warm theme to build around. It works well in various environments, is gender neutral, rich and full, but at the same time, complex and subtle.I feel that it's a sophisticated color, almost regal, yet grounded and accessible. Designers will welcome Marsala because of its versatility in so many settings.
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