Welcome to Kitchen Design Notes. Whether in the middle of a kitchen or bath remodel, planning one or just dreaming, stop in and browse. Follow one Kitchen Designer's journey though trends, hot topics and remodeling advice. This blog is your remodeling source for the latest news in cabinetry, kitchen and bath fixtures, appliances, tile, lighting and more.
Grab bars or Safety Bars, what ever you call them, when you think of grab bars, what comes to mind? Utilitarian? Ugly, even? Well the folks at Health Craft Products came out with a new line called the Invisia Collection.
The Invisia™ Collection is based on a simple concept; GRAB BARS SHOULD NOT LOOK LIKE GRAB BARS.
In keeping with this concept, Health Craft Products has designed a series of luxurious bathroom accessories that also happen to be grab bars hidden in plain sight. Great ideas for "Aging in Place" Design.
WTRH-CRP, Wall Toilet Roll Holder, Bright Polish Chrome Plate
Add a touch of elegance and just the right amount of support with the Accent Ring. Corian® shelves provide ample space for toilet roll storage or other items while the discrete hand rail offers trustworthy support.
ACR-CRP, Accent Ring, Bright Polish Chrome Plate
A unique and incredibly solid handrail designed to contour circular shower fixtures and provide support when accessing controls.
CS-CRP, Corner Shelf, Bright Polish Chrome Plate
The Corian® shelf provides a generous surface that can be removed for easy cleaning. The reliable support rail is always within reach to offer a helping hand.
TB-24-CRP, Towel Bar, 24"/61cm, Polish Chrome Plate
Add a simple yet elegant touch to any bathing area. The 16" or 24" towel bar provides ample space to display virtually any towel set while the graceful arc of the integrated support rail creates a functionally superb design element.
I am talking "art relief". Here is a product I stumbled on today that I like called Hardwick Home Decor. These pieces are designed to be inlayed into kitchen backsplashes, indoor and outdoor fireplaces. However, you can use the pieces anyway you wish. Hanging on a wall or simply leaning against a backsplash or a mantel. The website is www.hardwickhomedecor.com. The web site does not say what material theses are made out of, so I am assuming they are bronze. http://www.hardwickhomedecor.com/Artreliefs.html
This is a beautiful way of handling a small kitchen space. Kitchen designed by City Studios. I love the slate blue accent color on the island against the white cabinets. Rustic details like the warm-toned recycled antique terra cotta floor. The kitchen's eco-friendly curved soft ivory concrete countertops are made with concrete - a locally made material - and were given have a patina for an aged look. Other details: energy-efficient appliances, insulated and double-paned windows and door and drawer hardware made from high-quality recycled metal. For the full story visit: SF Gate: Greening the Kitchen.
Think “going green” always means sacrificing comfort? Think again. JACLO’s exclusive line of low-flow showerheads and handshowers save water and energy without compromising performance. Their secret? An innovative low-flow regulator, as opposed to restrictors, that keeps the pressure and flow of the water strong. The technology lowers the average rate of gallons-per-minute from 2.5 down to an impressive 1.75 – nothing to sneeze at when you consider the average household uses over 22,000 gallons of water per year in showers.
And if you don’t want to sacrifice aesthetics for ecology, JACLO’s low-flow technology is available in over 30 showerhead and handshower models in styles ranging from traditional to contemporary. The regulator also works with all available shower sprays and strengths – full rain, massage, full rain massage, Nebulizing mist®, and Nebulizing mist full rain. Turns out less really is more.
JACLO®, an industry leader since 1961, is the leading manufacturer of decorative plumbing products and advanced shower solutions. They continue to inundate the market with highly-stylized shower systems, faucets and decorative accessories that marry steadfast durability with seamless style. Available at over 2,500 dealers nationwide, JACLO’s products create luxurious fully-coordinated bath suites that exude the finishing touch. Implemented in numerous high-end hotels and residences across the country, their product lines provide a superior experience that enhances daily rituals and defines elegant living. Given their wide range of product and dedication to detail, the company is well-equipped to meet the needs and growing demands of its customers with unparalleled efficiency. Visit JACLO on the web at www.jaclo.com.
It's been a week since we installed the new Delta Pilar Touch 20 faucet and so far so good. But, as with any remodeling effort, the domino effect ensued. The new faucet required new angle stops. Then suddenly our garbage disposal decided it had enough and quit without notice. The nerve! We replaced it mid week. The consensus in our household: we all love this new faucet.
Comments from the Peanut Gallery: Here is what we think of a few parts and what would make it better: The button cap that covers the set screw on the back of the faucet is not flexible and wont stay in. We tried to get it to fit over the screw but it popped out. It broke. We then tried the chrome one, (two came in the package depending if you ordered chrome or stainless), but that one popped out too. It's a real hassle. Since we don't see this little button cap part because it's on the back side of the faucet, we are not going to sweat over it.
The plastic battery pack (4 C size batteries) came with stick-em tape to attach to the inside of the cabinet. Well, the batteries are heavy and over time that stick-em tape will not hold the battery pack in place. We think screws to attach the battery pack to the inside of the cabinet would be more helpful.
A design feature we noticed could be problematic for the elderly, forgetful or for kids...the faucet rotates all the way back. Right away we worried Mom would swing it out of her way and forget to swing it back, turning the water on and flooding the counter top behind sink. We have forewarned her not to swing it that far back.
Oh, also the video has an older model, some of the parts were different than we saw in our faucet box, we were worried we were missing parts.
On the box, it does not mention new 3/8 angle stops are required. That would have been helpful to have printed on the outside of the box to remind us, (eh-hem) plumbing novices, while we are still at the big box store, to be forewarned to get new angle stops before we (I mean they) leave.
The hose is not as long as I thought it would be. I need another foot to be really practical and reach the plants behind the sink or to fill a heavy stock pot on the counter. My mom has arthritis and lifting a heavy pot up and out of the sink is a problem. But the braided hose is very durable. The retraction for the Magnatite spray head is really good. A simple push and it finds it's home snugly.
If you are not a plumber and installing a new faucet, be sure to read ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS to the letter. For example, the instructions warned not to over tighten. Tighter is not better. We g-e-n-t-l-y tightened and of course we wound up with a gentle leak the next day. So we gently tightened again. No leaks so far. All is good. Also, plumbers tape is not necessary on the threads. Learning curve aside, we are happy we have our new Delta Faucet.
so "So Cal". I have to admit, we are a different sort out here in Southern California. We live in a time of strange dichotomies. We import our fun, not content to love what we have, and what the rest of the US wishes they had, oh no, we go to great lengths to import faux weather. Go to the snow? Not us, we bring the snow to us. We are not exactly living in a "Winter Wonderland" but we try. Snow in LA is a rarity so I had to do a double take while driving on the 101 Fwy. this Sunday afternoon when I saw the small hilly front lawn the size of a football stadium at Oaks Christian School covered in snow and kids frolicking with their sleds. It was in the 60's today. No rain, no snow. We are in middle of a drought and Oaks Christian can afford to import truckloads of snow. Hopefully it was a fund raiser for a good cause. Thousand Oaks City Hall also has a hand in creating faux weather. The concrete lake is frozen over to create an outdoor skating rink.
Meanwhile I am heading towards another charity event for a good cause and anticipating having a fun time with friends. It's the annual jaunt to the Holiday Home Tour put together by the Wellness Community-Valley/Ventura Chapter. We go for many reasons. Not only is it a warm fuzzy knowing our money is going to support a worthy cause. The Wellness Community provides a wonderful network of free programs to those individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer as well as provide support for their family members.
Moreover it is fun day out for girl friends to get together, throw a little money back into the local economy while we "ooh and ah" at the spectacular 10,000 sq ft. Mega Mansions in all their holiday faux-snowy glory. Tuscan, "Zen-tarian" (Mediterranean meet Asian), French Country and Tudor style estates, one more spectacular than the next.Oh My! I would have loved to have shown you pictures but no cameras were allowed.
As we are at one home on the tour, we notice the Carolers. My feeling is there is something really out of sync watching Christmas Carolers adorned in Dickens Era Caroling Costumes replete with Heavy Coats, Tops Hats, Bonnets and Petticoats gathered deck side near the infinity pool on a pleasant Southern California Sunday.
We saw enchanting displays of Christmas Trees in front halls, libraries, dens and dining rooms but I have to admit the real show was the backyards! As I walked through beautiful mega-manse estates, I wondered why some homeowners overlooked the kitchens. There were some kitchens that were downright dull with builder grade cabinets that looked so out of place when the rest of the house was so exquisite. It then hit me as I entered the back yards, (indoor-outdoor living space as we call it in California). The backyard is the other living room. It was no surprise to see where the money was invested. Outdoor kitchens! And what kitchens they were! We are talking beautiful resort worthy backyards. Infinity pools, jacuzzi's, one had a zip line traversing over a stream in the Santa Monica Mountains, another had a water slide formed out of the mountain side, Separate Structures for the Cabana Houses with wide screen TV's, fireplaces, "His and Her" bathrooms were some of the amenities I saw. Then my heart skipped a beat when I saw the outdoor cooking cabanas. I mean these backyard designs and construction must have cost the price of a small house. Complete Viking Outdoor Kitchens: fully equipped with bar-b-cue grills, refrigerators, dishwashers, sinks, beer taps, plenty of granite topped counters, teak style cabinets, fireplaces and flat screen TV's around cozy seating arrangements. Who would ever want to leave home? With outdoor living spaces like this, no wonder why the indoor kitchens were ho-hum. Who needs to use the indoor kitchen when outside is so beautiful?
In a time of such great disparity, it is a pleasure to see many people come together to donate their time, their labor, and their homes for a worthy cause. We stopped at the Holiday Boutique and bought some gifts. I found a beautiful knit scarf and found out the ladies who knitted the scarves donated their time and yarn just for the event. I was told all their proceeds go back into the charity. That meant something to me. It was a good show and a lot of fun.
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