Ooh and Aah Over Granite Countertops.

For years when we've watched House Hunters International, the couple searching for a house ooh and aah over granite countertops. Those days are over says Ben Keough. "EuroCucina 2014, there was a huge variety of granite alternatives on display. From
stainless steel to tempered glass, from ceramic to wood... we’ve seen the future of your kitchen, and it’s not granite."

Now we have:

TEMPERED GLASS - The thick, translucent material is tough and has a pleasant tactility, while still remaining easy to clean. According to company reps, it’s also available in a huge variety of colors.

CERAMICS - the “closest thing you can get to indestructible.” The material is scratch-resistant, easy to clean, and cool but not cold to the touch.

NANOTECH MATERIALS - The most unusual alternative countertop at EuroCucina came from Italian designer Arrital, courtesy of Arpa Industriale. Referred to as a “nanotech matte material,” the Fenix NTM countertop is anti-reflective, anti-fingerprint, self-healing, and soft to the touch without being... well, soft.

WOOD - Solid wood and wood-finished countertops, often contrasting with or overlaid on a stone or synthetic material. Everything from mahogany and ebony to light pine and bamboo was used, and often paired with matching cabinetry to create a minimalist yet warm look.

STAINLESS STEEL - plenty of designers at EuroCucina made a virtue out of this particular vice and made stainless countertops look fresh and new again.

TILE - At least one designer at EuroCucina is aiming to bring them back. Minacciolo’s Minà multi-function island employs a beautiful mosaic tile top with subtle hues of red and orange.

5 Questions to Ask When Organizing Your Kitchen

The kitchen is most likely the most-used and least-loved room in your home. When you're working all day, running around after children, and basically leading a busy life, it's easy to let the kitchen become disorganized and unwelcoming. However, with a little bit of love and elbow grease, you can transform your kitchen back into the heart of your home.

Source: http://kaboompics.com/one_foto/762

Where Do I Start With Organizing the Kitchen?When faced with the mammoth task of putting your kitchen back into order, it can be overwhelming. Where do you even start? Many recommend first of all going through your cabinets and emptying them, discarding anything that's out of date, broken or never used. You'll instantly have more room and fewer things to organize.

How Do I Make Cooking More Efficient? Now you'll be looking to rearrange what you have left into your existing space. A good tip is store items where you'll need them the most. For example, put cooking utensils in a jar near the stove, and store like items, such as pans, all together in one area for easy access. Less-used items that are kept for holidays can be kept in less-accessible areas, as you won't need them as often.

 Can I Use “Dead” Spaces in My Kitchen? You can and you should. There are myriad ideas online for using every last inch of space in your kitchen, but our favorites involve hanging items wherever you can. Put in hooks on the inside of doors to hold aprons and shopping bags, or underneath your upper cabinets to hold utensils. Empty wall space can be used, too, to hold smaller items such as spices on a spice rack.

 How Do I Make My Cabinet Space Efficient? Once you've emptied your cabinets of all the excess things that clogged them up, it should be easier to keep them organized. A good tip is to use a Lazy Susan in your cabinets, especially for anything that may spill. You can easily access anything you need with them, plus it's easy to clean up messes if they do occur. Also, use see-through storage, such as clear plastic tubs or wire baskets, so you can see everything in there.

Can I Recycle Anything? Of course you can. Nearly everything in your kitchen can be reused to organize something else. Some ideas include using old LEGO bricks for stacking cookie sheets and using empty baking powder containers to store small amounts of things, like salt and flour. Old magazine files can be attached with magnets to your fridge, keeping all your papers tidy. There are endless possibilities for recycling.

Once you've gone through your kitchen and re-organized it to fit your needs, hopefully it will be much easier to keep it neat, tidy and clutter free. Now your kitchen will be a room fit for living, eating and entertaining. Plus, it will be much easier to find everything. Enjoy your new, stress-free kitchen.

BIO: James works in construction and blogs in his free time at Homey Improvements. He also enjoys hiking, photography, and buying new gadgets. Follow him on Twitter @DIYfolks.

A Talk About the Kitchen Countertop Design

By Anna Aamone

The perfect kitchen should look good but it should be also easy to clean and big enough for you to feel comfortable. The countertop is an important element in the design of this room of your home and also essential one, especially when it comes to cooking and cleaning. You need to have enough space to place some of your appliances and different kitchen supplies, as well as designate a certain area which will be big enough for cooking. Keep in mind that the insufficient space will turn the cooking into a tedious task and will also make you feel very uncomfortable in the room. This is the part of your kitchen which you will have to clean every day, so before you choose a certain design for your countertop, make sure that you will be able to wipe it and maintain it always perfectly clean.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1e/Engineered_stone_countertop.jpg/1024px-Engineered_stone_countertop.jpg

There are a lot of things that could influence your opinion when choosing a particular countertop design. In order to pick just the right model for your kitchen, you have to consider some specific elements and more importantly make sure that the design of your countertop is suitable for your kitchen. When we talk about this specific part of the room in which you will spend a lot of time every day, we have to mention some of the main rules which is good to follow when picking a specific design. Whether you are renovating the old countertop in your kitchen or installing one for the first time, here are some tips you can use: 

• Look at the counter space as most valuable – Undoubtedly, you will use the countertop in your kitchen more than any other part of the room. Therefore, you have to be sure that it will be big enough for cooking but also not too big, so that it takes up all the space in your kitchen. Even if you like a specific model, you have to be certain that it will fit into the current design of your kitchen. It also has to be made of good material that will be easy to maintain. You can consult with professionals on the matter.
• Consider different styles – There are a lot of options out there and it will certainly take a lot of time to research each one of them before you pick a certain countertop design. That's why it's better to focus on the most popular styles which will definitely make your kitchen look good. You can try a classic countertop which looks great in any kind of room. An elegant marble style or an eco-friendly model will be certainly good choices. Like we've already mentioned, you have many options but don't forget to make a research first.
• Focus on the materials – When it comes to the material, you have to be sure that you will pick a solid countertop that you will be able to use for many years. The granite and marble are the absolute favourite materials which most people prefer. If you pick them for your countertop, you can be sure that it will be a good investment. The stainless steel is another great option because it is very easy to clean and it is resistant to the heat. If you like stone but you can't afford a granite countertop, you can pick the engineered quartz model which not only offers a variety of colours but it is also more affordable.

When you finally choose the perfect countertop style for your kitchen and you install it, you have to remember that regular cleaning and proper maintenance will preserve its good looks far longer, Shiny London Southfields remind. Also, try to keep the space always organised. This way you won't have to lose time looking for the thing you need and you will have more free space when you cook.

RMLS Has Our Listing

Our house is up now for sale on RMLS: #14025421

REMARKS: Charming Alameda cottage with formal living and dining rooms. The gas fireplace is centered between original built-in book shelves. Hardwood floors on main floor. Upstairs is being used as office, but could be master suite by adding bath. Kitchen has been updated. Private back yard with decks and privacy. The neighborhood is wonderful and the homes and the street are beautiful. This is a treasure waiting for your buyer. This is exciting!

New From Mike: Chef’s Eye for Your Kitchen

If Chef Gordon Ramsey visited your kitchen while you were preparing dinner to host a multitude of family and friends, would he give you a withering stare for using the wrong cooking equipment or would he cast an appreciative eye at how you have outfitted your kitchen? Chef Ramsey is stopping by next week, how do you get ready? What do you need for him to see? You know you will dissolve in tears if he yells at you. Julia Sexton, an award-winning food writer, restaurant critic, and ex-professional cook says you need three basic kitchen knives, and a good set of pots and pans.
Read the rest here: Chef’s Eye for Your Kitchen

New York City Kitchen Trends In 2014

Kitchen Designed By MSA

I spoke with Shelly McClure, Kelly Solon’s partner in kitchen showroom design at Murdock Solon Architects. Ms. McClure has been designing kitchens for over 11 years and recently returned from the Eurocucina-International Kitchen Furniture Exhibition in Milan, Italy.

I asked, “What are some of the big kitchen trends in the U.S.?”

Read more at http://iciny.com/2014/06/13/u-s-kitchen-trends-in-2014/

Beautiful Counter Top

Denise McGaha Interiors has the photo of a green counter top that wows:

A Page Devoted to the Modern Kitchen

Take a look at the Kitchen Trends for 2014 on a separate page. "2014 is the year of finding ways to save time, space, and money (through energy savings) in kitchen design. This infographic breaks down every part of the kitchen – from cabinets to flooring, to countertops and appliances – to show you how it all comes together to create the concept of a “social kitchen”, a space that’s both stylish and practical."

Update: Check out a comprehensive article on Modern Kitchen: 7 Standout Decor Ideas which I think you will truly appreciate and add value to your awesome article.

You can check it out here: https://www.luvmihome.com/modern-kitchen-7-standout-decor-ideas/

Top 10 Trending Smart Gadgets

Digital Cutting Board

 Yanko Design

The Almighty Board is the ultimate kitchen assistant. This smart-board will simultaneously serve as your cutting board, display your recipes, provide step-by-step directions and weigh your ingredients out for you. After you wash it, it will even tell you if it has been cleaned enough to avoid cross-contamination or food poisoning. If only it could do the dishes too!
Designer: Jaewan Jeong

Four in 48: DIY Renovations You Can Finish in a Weekend

Looking for more than a mini makeover for your bedroom, backyard, or kitchen -- something beyond new throw pillows and furniture? Get that wow-factor in just a weekend by renovating the more enduring fixtures in your home. With the right tools and a bit of basic knowledge, you don't even have to hire a professional. Do it yourself can be doable. Below, I've outlined four DIY transformations perfect for the weekend warrior.

 Living Room

Stand up to scuffed floors by refinishing your room's hardwood base. With the right sanders, you won't have to give a carpenter a cut of the work.

 

MISSION: Refinish the hardwood floor.

TOOLS: Pry bar, drum sander (rentable), hand sander, hammer, sealer/stain

PLAN: First, confirm that the floor is at least three-quarters of an inch thick (so you don't sand down to the subfloor).

• ·         After you've removed all furniture, curtains, and artwork from the room, cover light fixtures with trash bags; tape over outlets, switches, and vents; seal any doors with a plastic sheet and masking tape; and vacuum the floor.

• ·         Using a pry bar, remove the shoe molding, taking care not to damage the baseboard.

• ·         Beginning in the room's center with a drum sander, move from one end of the room and back, overlapping with each pass; repeat on the other side.

• ·         Use a hand sander in corners and around edges. Repeat multiple times using smaller grit sandpaper, working down to 120-grit and vacuuming between each pass.

• ·         Wipe the floor with a dry cloth before applying sealer or stain to the newly refinished floor, following the manufacturer's instructions.

• ·         Reinstall the shoe molding and buff the floor, if desired.

Backyard

Create a patio and grow your yard's appeal without throwing green at a landscaper.

  

MISSION: Lay a stone patio.

TOOLS: Shovel, steel rake, plate compactor (rentable), level and leveling rod, rubber mallet, polymeric sand, push broom, pavers or stones of your choice

PLAN: Use marking paint to designate your patio outline, then excavate the area six inches and smooth with a rake.

• ·         With a plate compactor, tamp down the surface.
• ·         Working in batches, add and tamp gravel to a final depth of three inches. Use a level and leveling rod to guide you in grading the area at a rate of half an inch per yard.

• ·         Beginning nearest the house, arrange pavers across the base, hitting each with a rubber mallet to secure it into the gravel. Maintain a consistent gap between stones.

• ·         Spread polymeric sand over the pavers and use a push broom to sweep it into the joints, taking care to fill them completely.

• ·         Lightly water the sand to permanently lock the pavers in place.

 Kitchen

 

Cook up an open kitchen by adding glass panes to your existing panel cabinets.

MISSION: Replace cabinet doors with glass fronts.

TOOLS: Screwdriver, jig saw or router, clear silicone caulk, glass clips

PLAN: Unscrew the cabinet doors you plan to change.

• ·         If you have a router, use it to cut away the back edges of the grooves holding the center panel in place. Otherwise, use a jig saw to carefully cut out the center panel of each door; apply thin molding to cover your rough cuts and paint to match.

• ·         Take your frames to a local glass shop or hardware store, where they can measure the openings and cut the glass to size.

• ·        On the backside of the doors, run a very thin bead of clear silicone caulk into the grooves, then press each pane into place and allow it to set overnight. For added security, anchor the pane with glass clips set no more than 12 inches apart.

• ·         Screw the doors in place.

Bedroom

 

Spark new life in the bedroom by swapping a run-of-the-mill fan for a beautiful chandelier.

  

MISSION: Replace the ceiling fan with an elegant light fixture.

TOOLS: A-frame ladder, screwdriver, wire cutters and electrical tape (for installing wire nuts)

PLAN: No need to feel wiry about working with wires -- switching out old fixtures for new ones is safe as long as you remember to cut the power in the main electrical panel.

• ·         Detach the existing fan by unscrewing the blades and canopy; removing the wire nuts, noting which wires connect to which; unhooking the down rod; and unscrewing the bracket.

• ·         To install a chandelier, attach it to the ceiling fan junction box using screws provided. The ceiling fan box can hold at least 35 pounds.

• ·         Match the white (return), black (hot), and green (ground) wires, and then twist and cover each pair with a wire nut.

• ·         Slide the canopy into place and screw it on. (If your fan included a light operated by a separate switch, you may see an additional red wire -- cap it with a wire nut, then replace the double light switch cover with one made for a switch and a blank.)

• Before diving into any of these projects, be sure to do your homework by asking questions of reliable sources (like the experts at your local home improvement or hardware store), take safety precautions, spend time prepping and measuring carefully, and, of course, anticipate at least a little chaos.

What are some other weekend projects you've done yourself? Any tips newbies should keep in mind, or things to otherwise avoid?

Chris Long is a Home Depot store associate in the Chicago area, and writes online about truck rental tips, carpet cleaner rental tips, and other equipment tool rentals. To view Home Depot’s truck rentals, click here. Their carpet cleaner rentals can be found here.