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Entries from August 1, 2012 - August 31, 2012

Friday
Aug102012

Planning Multicook Kitchens

There Are Ways to Accommodate Multiple Cooks Without Causing Accidents

Pictured Above: This kitchen has a third prep area visible beyond the island with access to the prep sink, microwave and island.We have been crowding into kitchens to enjoy the camaraderie of friends and family since house parties were invented. Candice Olson, in the the introduction to her book, Candice Olson Kitchens and Baths, puts it this way: "Today's kitchen is all about a well-planned space that makes cooking a completely interactive experience between family and friends."

Regardless of a kitchen's size, there are ways we can modify spaces to encourage socializing and helping.

Average - to smaller - sized kitchens can be enhanced by incorporating a pass-through opening into the kitchen. An extended counter will encourage conversation and can hold hors d'oeuvres. A slight adjustment in the positioning of the available counter space adjacent to the sink or cooking surface could provide enough space to act as a secondary prep area.

Duality or redundancy of appliances can be beneficial in medium to large kitchens by creating additional activity centers. Still, each work center should have its own work triangle if possible. The primary work triangle is defined by the large refrigerator, corner sink/cleanup area and the range top. Microwaves, drawer dishwashers and refrigerators can anchor the work triangle along with a hospitality sink. Sharing a major appliance also works well as long as individual work triangles do not cross paths.

Islands and opposing countertops should be a minimum of 48-inches apart to allow for crossing traffic. The perfectly designed multicook kitchen will have very few occasions when preparers would need to cross paths. However, this minimum spacing will accommodate persons crossing paths while carrying plates or trays. 

Avoid positioning major appliances directly across a walkway from each other. A secondary sink should be far enough from the primary sink so it defines a discrete work center, and the addition of an under-counter refrigerator and the extra countertop space it provides will make an excellent salad or baking prep area. 

Not all multicook kitchens will be this inclusive while some might duplicate each appliance - specifically, an additional cooking surface. Two-burner cooktops, fastcook ovens, steam ovens or another secondary device might be incorporated. 

Thursday
Aug022012

Getting the Most Out of a Kitchen Remodel

Hey, have you heard the one about the 36-inch pro-style range that ripped the molding off the back door on its way into the house? Or the poured-on-site concrete countertop that cracked three months after installation? Or maybe it was the contractor who was paid in advance, promptly skipped town, and was never heard from again.

Well, misery may love company, but what we all crave is a happy ending - a smart - looking, functional workspace that is a source of comfort and efficiency. To help you get there, we've complied this handy guide to some common kitchen-remodeling disasters and offer expert strategies for steering clear of them. 

For each major phase of the job: - hiring, planning, budgeting, and living through it - we've got an easy plan to follow. Take our advice, and your biggest regret when your dream kitchen is complete will be that you didn't do it sooner. 

Finding the Best Pros

Kitchen remodeling is at the top of homeowner's wish lists. It is also, according to attorneys general across the country, a leading source of consumer complaints. Recommendations from friends are the best place to start your search for a qualified contractor. But before you make a decision, keep these caveats in mind:

  • They're only as good as their last job. "General contractors often win jobs based on their good reputations," explains architect Dennis Wedlick, author of "Good House Hunting: 20 Steps to Your Dream Home." "But circumstances can change. When the contractor switches subcontractors or laborers, quality can be affected." Ask your top three candidates to supply references, and follow up with the most recent ones.
  • What you see is what you get. In addition to completed renovations, try to visit a job in progress. You can learn a lot about a contractor's commitment to quality and safety by seeing for yourself how clean the site is and how carefully the drywall is hung and taped. 
  • The best ones are worth waiting for. The best contractors tend to be the busiest ones. Build your schedule around the GC of your dreams, not vice versa. Keep the crew happy by following the three R's:
    • Refreshments - you don't have to cater three squares a day, but at least offer a thermos of coffee or a cooler with soft drinks and some snacks. They'll appreciate it.
    • Responsibility - the crew can't work efficiently if you're in the way. Ask questions, but don't overwhelm them with your TOH-taught (This Old House) smarts. And teach kids and pets the meaning of KEEP OUT.
    • Respect - say good morning, good night, and good job when appropriate. And please: don't ask if they've met any desperate housewives lately. The appliances can be top-of-the-line, the finishes the most expensive around, but if the space doesn't work, it's money down the brand-new In-Sink-Erator.
Plan, Plan, Plan the Smartest Layout

An experienced designer can save you time and money by heading off potential problems. Kitchen planners know all the tricks: how to maximize storage, smart substitutions for high-end materials, even the best local contractors for the job. But first, they need a few things from you. Here are a few things that'll help on your first meeting. 

20/20 Design Proposal Drawing by Designer Ed Sheats

  • An architectural rendering or to-scale drawing of your existing kitchen, showing the location of windows, doors, heating, plumbing lines, and electrical outlets. If you're not working with an architect, you can do it yourself with 3-D kitchen design software. 
  • A detailed wish list indicating your goals for remodeling. Do you want more space? More storage? More style? A built-in dog bed? Organize by priority, from the "must haves" to the "in our dreams."
  • An idea folder: pictures of rooms, products, materials, and architectural details that appeal to you; notes on what you like about friend's kitchens (and hate about your own); and general concepts translated from other areas of your life. Are you a neat freak? Glass-front cabinets are sleek, but you may be happier with painted doors that conceal clutter.
Cut Costs Without Cutting Corners

One of the surest ways to shave costs is to do more with what you've got. So before taking the sledgehammer to your existing kitchen, try this: empty every drawer and cupboard. Revisit where you've been putting things. Is there an organizational scheme that makes more sense? Think in zones, storing items closest to where they are used. 

"In the end," says architect Dennis Wedlick, "you may like the reconfiguration so well that you'll decide to just paint and stick with the kitchen you've got." And if you do go forward, you'll have a clearer sense of how you really use the kitchen, which will help save time and money on the redesign. But if you kind of need to cut corners, here are a few budget-balancing scenarios:

Problem #1: You really need more storage space, but you plan to move in a few years and would rather not invest in custom cabinets. Custom-crafting every nook and cranny for the way you cook may not be the most economical use of your dollars when someone else - with different cooking and lifestyle habits - will be living in your kitchen before the home-equity loan is paid off. 

Affordable alternative: Consider working a walk-in pantry into your plan. It's a remarkably economical way to upgrade your kitchen - a pantry can supply as much storage as a wall or more of custom built-ins.

Problem #2: You want granite countertops, but they'll bust the budget. Granite's resistance to moisture, scratching, and high heat makes it a perennially popular (if pricey) choice.  

Affordable alternative: If you love the look of granite - or soapstone or marble or handcrafted tile for that matter - work it into your plan. But instead of using it for every countertop, try limiting it to a high-visibility island or to the areas flanking the range. Elsewhere, use less expensive options like plastic laminate or ceramic tile. Mixing also adds visual interest. 

Problem #3: You want a lighter, brighter kitchen, but knocking down walls just isn't an option. The space may be drab and dingy, but it gets the job done, and a major overhaul isn't in the budget right now. 

Affordable alternative: Sometimes a well-planned lighting scheme is all it takes to brighten a kitchen. Spend the bucks for the services of a professional planner or lighting designer. That plus simple cosmetic upgrades, such as a fresh paint job, new cabinet hardware, upgraded countertops or flooring, and a couple of new appliances can totally transform the space. Save untold thousands by sticking to the original layout. 

Wednesday
Aug012012

August 2012 Newsletter

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American Cabinet & Flooring August 2012 Newsletter

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Brandom Cabinets on A&E Television "Sell This House Extreme"

See Brandom Cabinets on A&E Television's


 - Sell This House: Extreme! - 

Airing on : August 11th & August 22nd, 2012
11:00 am EST
(Check local listings for showtimes)

Join in our support of these episodes of Sell This House: Extreme! Host Tanya Memme and construction expert Charlie Frattini join forces with new designer Daniel Kucan to create a triple tiered approach to extreme renovation featuring genuine Brandom Cabinets in an effort to help desperate homeowners prepare their difficult-to-sell spaces for today's tough real estate market.
The cabinets you will see in this episode were manufactured in Brandom's Hillsboro, TX facility and feature the Lexington and Euro door styles and custom sizes. 

Check your local listings to check the episode numbers, channel, and times in your programming area of the country; as your local provider may vary programming for this show. 

August 11th - episode 013 - San Antonio
August 22nd - episode 014 - San Antonio

August 2012 Designer's Corner
Designer's Corner

"London: The Design Capital of the World"
The summer Olympics isn't the only event that will be attracting the world to visit London this year. The Ninth Annual London Design Festival will be held this September 17th - 25th. Events will take place throughout the city, with the Victoria & Albert museum of Decorative Arts and Design (The V & A) being the central hub of the festival, a natural home for an event which celebrates the best of design. The festival was set up to promote London as the design capital of the world and to celebrate the wealth of creative talent based there.

London is often looked at from around the world for fashion but interior design and architecture are also heavily influenced by the "London look." One of the design trends that will most likely be displayed at this year's design festival is "hyper-personalization". The idea is to bring the unexpected in and to create a space where the room is not only a work of art, but created by you. By customizing each room to fit the specific needs of the person or persons that will occupy it, we are creating an uplifting attitude towards the home, giving each room its own personality and ambiance. Many of the current design trends today compliment this design idea. Some of the hottest London design trends to help you achieve "hyper-personalization" include:
  1. Using Darker Tones - in particular black to create focal points. Off set by using lighter colors, all the way down the spectrum to white, producing balance in the space. This creates opportunities to have fun with colorful decor without overstimulating the mind and creating uneasiness in the space. 
  2. Less is More! - to embrace as much space as possible people are trading their over-sized furniture pieces with small and more functional ones. Paired with thoughtful ways to create storage, a minimal approach gives more opportunity to utilize the space in a maximum way.
  3. Bold Colors & Bright Patterns - create focal points and personality in a room. Not only do bright colors make a room cheery, but it can be an easy and inexpensive way to give a room a make-over. By adding color and patterns in things like rugs, pillows, lamp shades, and art; you can achieve this design trend without remodeling your entire space.
  4. All White Furniture - though all white may sound boring, it is one of the most popular design trends today. A white piece of furniture can serve as a focal point to a colorful room or be a backdrop to something ornament that you wish to draw attention to. Again, you are causing contrast between light and bold colors, creating balance in the space. If white isn't your thing, using light grays and browns should have similar affects. 
  5. Practicality - innovative ways to use space is the biggest goal in interior design. A room should not only be beautiful, but a space that you want to spend your time in. It's all about using the space you have, to fit the life you want, no matter how big or small. 
The current trends are all about celebrating your personality, which will never go out of style. By taking care of details to make a room function specifically for the person that will occupy it - a pleasant, comfortable, and highly personal - interior design will be created. A room that celebrates personality is a beautifully functioning space, because it is from your perspective. So if you are looking for design ideas and trends, look at one of the world's leaders in design - London; and come see me at American Cabinet & Flooring to get your remodel project started!
 
(Pictured Above: Moderner London kitchen expresses the all white furniture trend paired with colored accents - backsplash & fruit bowl - as focal points in this space.)
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Wednesday
Aug012012

Sustainability in Floorcovering

The concept of sustainability had not reached the floorcovering industry in 1992. Sustainability was first defined by the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations in 1987 but it took several years to impact the flooring business.

During the early 1990s, many companies had aggressive environment management systems (EMS), but none had taken the steps necessary to move EMS from a tactical management tool into a strategy that integrated sustainability as part of the overall business strategy. This time was one of regulatory compliance and cost containment. The focus was on conservation of resources, energy consumption and costs, water consumption and processing, and compliance with clean air acts. No one was looking at sustainability as a driver for the industry over the next 20 years. However, change was inevitable as the industry leaders began the journey toward sustainability that thrives today.

The landscape of sustainability began a rapid transformation in the mid-1990s. Companies began to publicize their efforts in environment impact reduction and publicly share their goals of environmental stewardship. During this period of time, meaningful steps were made in educating the industry on the impacts that materials, processes, transportation and reclamation had on the environment. Many organizations attempted to use sustainability as a marketing tool. The greenwashing associated with these efforts resulted in the creation and implementation of standards by which products could be rated as sustainable. Through these times of rapid change in the sustainability arena, the floorcovering industry was positioning itself as the sustainability leader in the interiors product segment. 

One of the early drivers that brought focus to the need for a deeper understanding of products and their impacts was the concern over indoor air quality. This issue brought the flooring industry together in an effort to dispel false information and to instill confidence into the marketplace that flooring was not a contributor to sick building syndrome. From this effort, standards for indoor air quality were developed. These were leading standards for the interiors industry. In later years, this success contributed to the cooperation among manufacturers in crating sustainable flooring standards. These holistic product, manufacturing and social responsibility standards served as a template for numerous other industries. Today, most flooring has been subjected to some type of environmental measure - a lifecycle assessment study (LCA), an environmental product declaration (EPD), or some of the many other certification and standard evaluations. 

Another watershed moment for the industry was the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) introduction of its LEED green building certficiation. This standard and others to follow reinforced the market's demand for sustainable products. Today, many of the products manufactured provide all the credits available to flooring under these standards. 

Leading manufacturers realized that just making sustainable products was not enough; the manufacturing of these products must also be made utilizing sustainable practices and processes. The adoption of ISO 14001 as a leading measure of manufacturing facilities became standard. Resources were committed to the development of new processes for manufacturing to reduce the environmental impact that manufacturing bore. Products changed from heavy weights for performance to lower weights with tighter constructions. A key tenet of sustainable products - make more with less and make products that last longer - became commonplace. The industry realized that you cannot make green products in brown factories. 

While the key focus of the industry was on sustainable products, manufacturing and processes, it was realized that tons of potentially valuable resources were being landfilled at the end of a floorcovering's useful life. The challenges of transformation of products engineered to perform for extended life to products engineered to perform for extended life to products with components easily separated and recovered were many. The industry continues to work on the transformation of materials that meet the requirements of performance, cost and ease of reuse/recycling. Through the leadership of the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), the carpet industry sought alternative uses for products that were reaching the end of their useful lives. Since CARE's beginning in 2002, more than 2.3 billion pounds of carpet had been diverted from landfills in the U.S. Not only has CARE been influential in the diversion of carpet from the landfill but by doing so had helped fuel a new industry to recycle and renew old carpet

During the last decade, the triple bottom line had been adopted as the overall approach to sustainability by leading companies. The phrase was coined by John Elkington in his 1997 book, Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business. The triple bottom line is a balance of environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic viability. The approach towards sustainability to include more than environmental stewardship has expanded the boundaries of sustainability for every company. Now we must mange the social responsibility challenges along with environmental impacts, all while being fiscally responsible. Companies are rising to the commitment to be good neighbors as well as creating jobs. Using the triple bottom line idea allows industry to balance doing good with a cross-sectional approach.

As we look into the furture, sustainability will continue to be an important part of the product and manufacturing landscape. It is proven that with sustainability filters in place, products can be produced more efficiently, materials can be chosen that are better for the environment, and it has also been shown that green products and manufacturing do not have to cost more. As we continue our journey toward sustainability, predicting what is around the next corner is difficult, but the flooring industry had proven it is up to the challenge and will continue to lead in sustainable practices. 

Twenty Key Elements in Flooring Sustainability
  • Bio-based Content
  • Green Energy (solar, wind, hydro, etc.)
  • Recycled Content
  • Third-party Certifications
  • Cradle to Cradle Philosophy
  • PET Reuse
  • Landfill Methane
  • Dematerialization
  • CARE (Carpet America Recovery Effort)
  • Closed Loop Recycling
  • LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
  • ISO (International Standards Organization)
  • Rapidly Renewable Materials
  • LCAs (Life Cycle Assessments)
  • Green Installation Systems (click systems, LokDots, water based adhesives, TacTiles)
  • Waste Reduction
  • Waste Water Reuse
  • EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations)
  • Cogeneration
  • Local Manufacturing

 

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