Latest in Stimulus: 'Cash for Refrigerators'

Over at Business Week, Mathew Boyle's article discusses the latest stimulus package to boost sluggish sales in home appliances. You can read the article over there by clicking the link here.

Highlights:

• A $300 million cash-for-clunkers-type federal program to boost sales of energy-efficient home appliances
• When: late this fall 2009.
  
• The program authorizes rebates of $50 to $200 for purchases of high-efficiency household appliances.
• Only appliances covered by the Energy Star seal will qualify.
• There is no trade in value for old appliances.
  

Will a $50 to $200 rebate be enough of an incentive for cash strapped consumers to buy new appliances? Perhaps but it is not enough to stimulate a stagnant remodeling industry. Appliance manufacturers have always offered rebates and discounts to consumers without stirring up sales based on a rebate alone. People buy based on features and looks. The rebate is a bonus, but it does not drive the sale. $300 million dollar program for appliances? What would really sweeten the deal for consumers? Why not take advantage of the tax credits offered for installing energy efficient products? There are tax credits available for some home improvement projects. For more information on products that qualify for a tax credit see the link below.
Stimulus Products

$1,500 Tax Credit? Not So Small A Credit.

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A new design app for your phone.

Who knew that phones would be able to do so much? Now you can have a personal design assistant right at your fingertips. Created by interior designer Mark Lewison, Mark On Call™ for the Apple® iPhone and iPod Touch, lets the interior design professional, their clients—and do-it-yourselfers alike—plan, preview and carry out their design visions while staying organized and within budget.

So many convenient apps, I may have to say goodbye to my crackberry.

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Saturday musings: Paring down with Wabi Sabi.

Photos of simple, unadorned rooms I admire.



Photos from Apartment Therapy via Sköna Hem and Emmas Design Blogg: Unlike shabby chic, wabi-sabi decor inspires minimalism that focuses more on the people who live in the space than anything else.


The aesthetic of Wabi-Sabi is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" (according to Leonard Koren in his book Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers).

The concept of finding beauty in "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" may be more true in today's economy than ever before. Look for beauty in found objects, your grandmother's antique hutch, a hotel letter box.

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Put some cash back in your wallet!

Who doesn't want to save a little money?
There's never been a better time to make a fashion statement in your home. Between now and the end of the year, purchase any Vesi™ or Tresa® bath faucet to qualify for a rebate up to $500 on additional purchases. Don't miss this opportunity to make your dream bath a reality.

Tresa reunites us with the past by taking design elements from the earliest of European fountains. A simple bend in the neck and traditional styling provide the classic feel of these graceful structures.

The curve of the spout against the crisp lines of the base creates a startling contrast between fluid and structural design.

http://www.brizo.com/landing/vesi-tresa-rebate.html

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Designing with Leather and Cork

New product watch: I saw this product at my local flooring store and had to do a double take. Torlys launch was in October 2008. New to my town at the insistance of a very bright salesperson who insisted his store bring in the line! Thank you Rich!

This is TORLYS Leather Tile. Shown is Novara Black Tile, this pattern has a distinctive and rich graining. It has a cork backing- environmental cushioning improves acoustics and precludes the need for an underlay in most circumstances.

Made from 100% recycled leather, Torlys Leather Floors ensures a cycle of material re-use, where leather would otherwise be wasted.

CARB Compliant: No Harmful VOC emissions, no added formaldyhyde.


What is so unique about Torlys Leather Floor is that this leather is incredibly durable. The first thing I had to do when I saw it was put it to the test. I tried to dent and scratch a sample. Now granted, I am standing in my local hardwood flooring store trying not to draw attention to my self as I slide my car keys across the surface. (Shhh...don't tell). I could not scratch it. The material is very hard. For skeptics thinking leather is not durable, Torlys carries a 25 year residential wear warranty and a lifetime structural warranty. However, if there is a problem, an act of God or another type of household disaster, the manufacturer says it can be repaired without damage to the other tiles. They have a tool called a bulldog that allows any plank, even in the center of the floor to be replaced, without damaging the rest. This is why it is unique and considered a "smart floor". Not even tile and hardwood cannot be replaced as easily.

TORLYS CORK
Also another favorite of mine is their Cork Flooring. Beautiful colors. Durable. Comfortable underfoot. A good insulator. All reasons to consider cork as an option for your floors. Torlys has done a wonderful job on the color selections available.

Eco-friendly note: Cork is an entirely renewable resource. Cork bark is carefully harvested once every nine years in a centuries-old tradition with hand tools- without destroying a single tree.

Check out their website, Torlys.com, for more information. They have a great interactive tool for you to preview floor tiles, planks, colors in different room settings. Beautiful!

Torlys Cork, shown in Florence Plank.

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