The Best Kept Secrets In Kitchen Designs

It has often been said that the heart of the home is the kitchen. If that is really true, then why is it that some kitchen designs just don’t seem to support more than one cook or guest at a time? You can turn your kitchen into a functional and beautiful workspace and gathering place for the entire family. Even if you have limited square footage, there just may be more room for expansion, storage, and oh yeah, cooking in your kitchen than you think.

Counters & Cabinets

Storage is definitely a consideration in designing a functional kitchen. If you are limited by floor space, just look up. There is often a great deal of space between the counter tops and ceiling that just isn’t being used in a kitchen. Look at the space above the refrigerator.

Is yours just collecting dust or take out menus? If so, add a cabinet and you’ve got a great place to store seldom used platters or treats you want to keep hidden from the children.
Kitchen cabinets also don’t have to be limited to one side of the countertop. If your kitchen design has a peninsula or island, you can use the ends and back side for more cabinet storage space.

Kitchen cabinets come in more styles and finishes that you can imagine. However, if your budget is limited then you don’t need to replace them for an entirely new look. Cabinet refacing lets you select cabinet patterns that are up to date and beautiful.

New countertops don’t always need to be included in this home improvement project either. Laminate countertops come with repair strips that will give new life to a worn surface.

Laying Out Completely New Kitchen Designs

If your budget calls for a complete renovation, then now is the time to really think about layouts and maybe calling in some specialist. The basic theory is that there should be no more than 2 steps between work stations. That means you should be able to go from the sink to stove in 2 steps; from the range to the refrigerator in 2 steps and so on.

However, with today’s extra large sized kitchens that’s not the case any more. You still should choose layouts that consider how much time it takes to accomplish the normal tasks of putting dishes away from the dishwasher or getting foods from the refrigerator to the stove.

The newest gadgets in these mega kitchens make timesaving and energy efficiency into an art form. There are refrigerator drawers right next to the range and microwaves that brew your coffee while making your toast!

Fixtures and Furniture

The finishing touches are what make kitchen designs more inviting than ever. The furnishings, light fixtures and even the cabinet hardware can make kitchens into real living rooms. Look for task lighting that can highlight work spaces and then radiant lighting for atmosphere.

You can even turn the legs of old furniture or newel posts into bases for centre islands to make you kitchen furnishings blend with the rest of the house. Get creative and enjoy doing much more than cooking in your new kitchen.

by: Guy Morris

About The Author
Guy Morris is author and designer of the website http://www.kitchen-cabinets-tips.com/. He is featuring kitchen cabinets and articles on kitchen designs http://www.kitchen-cabinets-tips.com/kitchen-designs.html.

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The Four Essential Tips to Consider Before Choosing Flooring for Your Home

When building your home or redecorating, choosing your flooring is going to be one of the most important elements in giving your home its unique character, look and feel. Selecting the right flooring fore your home though, is not just as simple as choosing the look you want. There is so much more to take into consideration before you find the right floor for you.

Tip One - Think about the kind of lifestyle you lead before you pick your flooring. An extremely important thing to consider when choosing your flooring is its durability and toughness. If you have a large family and pets, hardwoods may not be the most ideal choice as they are not as durable as most floors and can tend to stain easily as well as being sensitive to water and humidity.

If you want something that is stain resistant and tough then laminates may be a good floor to consider. They have become a very popular choice these days. Many even come warranties for 25 – 40 years to guarantee their durability. Tiles are also good for durability and are easy to clean. Certain types of carpet can be great for durability as well but may be harder to clean.
Tip Two - Make sure you don’t get so caught up in how the flooring looks that you neglect to think about comfort.

Carpet is great from children as it is a little more cushioned than other floors. Also take in to consideration the climate you live in. A wood floor may not be the best option if you live in a cold climate as it can get drafty. Carpets are a better choice for cold climates and you can even consider floor heating. Tiles and Laminate can also be cold although you can put mats over them
Tip Three - Choosing the right look for your home can be a challenge. Make sure you have an idea of the look and feel you want before choosing your flooring as it can make a massive difference. Hardwood was a popular floor for the wealthy in old times and still has a natural warmth about it that is just exquisite.

It has a timeless classic look and there are many different types of hardwood to suit many home styles. Everything from the regal air of Brazilian cherry to the welcoming warmth and elegance of Maple hardwood.

Laminate looks very modern and sleek and ads sophistication and simplicity to any home.
Floor tiles can be of stone, slate, marble, ceramic, wood, linoleum or carpet and are available in a bewildering variety of shapes, sizes, colors and qualities that can be matched with almost any style of home.

An attractive floor matched with interiors of your house can drastically enhance the total look of your home so choose carefully!

Tip Four - One thing you want to know up front is how much cleaning and maintenance your flooring is going to need and how easy it is to clean and maintain. Hardwoods take a little more care. They need careful cleaning and maintenance where as most carpets require minimal care as do laminates and tiles.

For rooms that get a lot of family use like kitchen and bathrooms, it is important that floors for these rooms are easy to clean. Linoleum and textured vinyl can be a pain as dirt can accumulate in the crevices and also, tiles with white grout can become stained and dirty looking. If hardwoods are kept in these areas it can be a pain as they don’t cope well with spillages and humidity.

by: Mellissa O'Brien

About The Author
Mellissa O’Brien is a writer and expert in Flooring. She has written over 300 articles on the topic including reviews of online flooring retailers, tips & advice on flooring, specializing in hardwood, laminates, carpets and floor tile. Check out www.best-flooring-sites.com.

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Five Reasons Why Your Home Needs New Sidingv

ARA) - It's not too late for homeowners to evaluate their home this year and make it more energy efficient. While a barrel of oil is at an all-time high and natural gas prices nearly doubled, homeowners should take action to save money and make their home more beautiful.

If you're wondering if your home needs new siding, consider this:

* Were my heating and cooling energy bills much higher than I wanted them to be?

* Has it been more than three years since I repainted or stained my home's exterior?

* Do I think my home's exterior has lost its luster and do my neighbors hint about when are we going to do something?

* Do I have enough insulation between the siding and walls of my home -- if any insulation at all?

* Is my home 10 years old or more?

Rick and Julia Hartman have been living in their home for nine years and plan on staying, but wanted to make it look nicer.

The Hartmans had new siding installed on their home this summer. "The installers put insulation between the siding and the house. We could already tell this summer it was easier to cool. The electricity bill is already lower. We're anxious to see what it'll be like this winter."

The Hartmans had masonite siding on their home. "I painted it once and said never again. I don't like painting for one thing," Rick said.

Most siding installed on homes today is constructed of steel, vinyl or wood. Steel siding is the most durable. Wood siding needs to be scraped and painted every few years. Temperature changes can cause vinyl to expand, contract and crack.

How the siding is installed on the home is also very important. Some siding comes in standard 12-foot lengths, which can leave the average home with more than 130 visible seams. Dirt, moisture and bugs can get behind these seams leaving the home looking dirty and detracting from its curb appeal.

There is a company that can manufacture and install its siding to fit any size. ABC Seamless Siding brings the siding to your home in a factory on wheels. The siding is roll-formed and cut to the exact dimensions of your house. This eliminates ugly seams and gives your home a clean seam-free look.

Rising energy costs have many homeowners looking at ways to improve their home's energy efficiency. An investment in professionally installed seamless steel siding and insulation wrapped around your home can protect your most valued asset while saving you time and money for years to come.

For more ways to make your home more energy efficient, contact an ABC Seamless professional at (800) 732-6577 or log on to www.abcseamless.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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Enhance Your Garden with Beautiful Edging

Adding edging around your garden or landscape is as important as the garden itself. The edging frames your garden much like a picture frame. A picture can be interesting and beautiful but it needs a frame to enhance its appearance, so it is with your garden.

There are various types of garden edgings. Many people prefer to use something heavy and permanent, like a low brick wall, or rocks set together with mortar. However, not everyone is physically capable of creating such a structure.

Bricks set freely can be just as effective. They can be placed in a simple line, end to end, or stacked in a double row, with gaps in between. They can also be set diagonally, leaning against each other for support.

Another attractive alternative is to decorate short lengths of board with old tiles. Tiles can often be purchased very cheaply from re-recycling places. Glue your choice of tile along the board using outdoor glue. On each end of the board, tack a peg with one end pointed. This will be used to push into the soil to support your board and keep it off the ground.

Bush rocks can also be used to give your garden that finished look. They need not be too big, unless you have plenty of muscle or help. You may be able to gather rocks from a friend's farm, or from the bush if that is legal in your area. Otherwise, garden suppliers usually have plenty to choose from.

How about flowering plants or shrubbery to create a living border. Choose a plant that will be suitable for your climate and conditions. The pretty pink of alpine phlox is an attractive border and the plants can be divided and planted again and again. Many other plants can be propagated in this way, thus reducing the initial costs. Of course, your border will take a little more time to get established than if you bought all the necessary plants at once.

Gazanias are another hardy border plant that can be divided many times. Bulbs might seem like a good choice too, but remember that they will die down and leave your borders looking messy for ages. In addition, they remain dormant for at least six months, so if you plant anything else there you risk damaging the bulbs. Of course, you can dig them up and replace them with something else, but you may prefer a more permanent border edge to save on the workload.

If you have a larger garden, comfrey is a plant to consider using for an edging plant. Its thick growth habit will prevent any grasses intruding into the garden, and the leaves can be pulled for excellent mulch around roses or other plants. It has delightful, dainty flowers in season too. However, a small garden could be overwhelmed by more than one comfrey plant.

In a small garden attractive annuals like sweet alice, pansies, violas or petunias make great borders. For something a bit different, try an herb border. Then you can go out and pick your herbs any time you want. Chives have a crisp green color that would make your garden sparkle while strawberries will entice the kids out into the fresh air to have a healthy snack.

Some people prefer to simply bevel an edge around their garden with the shovel. This is a good option if your lawn has the sort of grass with runners, like kikuyu. Those runners can be kept under control by chopping them off every so often with the edge of the shovel.

Whatever option you choose, it will enhance your garden to have a beautiful edging. For more ideas on creating a border for your garden, visit the links at the bottom of the page.

By: David Chandler

About The Author
For more information, visit these sites: http://www.gardeninfocenter.com/ and http://www.gardendesignguide.com/ . David Chandler, The Stock Market Genie For your FREE Stock Market Trading Mini Course: "What The Wall Street Hot Shots Won't Tell You!" go to: http://www.stockmarketgenie.com/

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