Consumer's Voice Blog

It seems as new houses are built, the kitchens seem to get larger with more creative built-in storage options.  So what happens if you just bought a bungalow built in 1920, or a studio condo on the 48^th floor in Manhattan?  Those kitchens may not be built to hide all of your small appliances, pots, pans, etc.  If you’re looking for more storage space, think outside the box and utilize forgotten space in your kitchen.

New houses are often built with a half bath on the lower level.  This is great when you have company as friends do not have to run upstairs through your bedroom to use the restroom, and when you are in the kitchen cooking a large meal,  you can step out for a quick second when nature calls.  But what about when you have a house full of overnight guests and everyone needs to get ready at once? The half bath suddenly turns into a hindrance because there is no storage or counter space to lay toiletries.  

In Part 1 of The Great (Kitchen) Outdoors, we went over some outdoor kitchen cabinet and countertop options worth considering.  Instead of leaving you hanging with a partial project, we decided to finish up with a couple more complimentary options for your outdoor kitchen project.

A couple of my dear friends made their ways to Louisville this week to be part of the magnificent Kentucky Derby festivities.  As much fun as it would be to join them, some of us are left to daydream about the horses, roses, big beautiful hats, parties, and ah… the mint juleps!  

With the warmer weather upon us, who can’t help but think about being outdoors by the pool, or in the backyard having a cookout with friends?  It seems that outdoor kitchens have become a hot trend in the past decade, making this daydream even easier to make reality.

When it comes to kitchen renovations, a backsplash is one of those elements that too often get overlooked.  Maybe that’s because many kitchen remodelers don’t fully understand the importance of it, past aesthetics alone.  Or, maybe it’s due to the fact that they tend to look at them as just another unnecessary expense – something for the “wants, not needs” list.  Either way, it's time to give kitchen backsplashes the recognition they deserve.

If you’re one of those people who need reassurance on any decision you make, you’re not alone.  Maybe you’ve wanted to remodel your kitchen for years, but since the cabinets haven’t yet fallen off of the wall, you just don’t see the need.  It’s kind of like when you say, “we’ll wait until the right time to have children,” and then that perfect time never really presents itself…sometimes there is no perfect time.  Lucky for you, we’re here to help guide your decision with four positive things a kitchen remodel can do for you.

We've recently discussed some eco-friendly kitchen ideas including windows, appliances, cabinets and floors, and it would just feel wrong if we stopped there.  Kitchen countertops are a great area to add some "green," as well as some color pops that really jazz up the décor.  Sure, you’ve heard of granite, laminate and even butcher block countertops, but here are some green countertop ideas that may not be so top-of-mind.  

We recently published an article about eco-friendly ideas for your kitchen, and with St. Patrick’s Day being tomorrow, it seemed fitting to continue on the whole “go green” idea.  In the earlier article, we touched upon some bigger ticket kitchen items that may require a little more “green” up front, but will certainly make an impact on your utility bills; the appliances, windows and cabinets.  Currently I am in the process of updating my own kitchen, and looking at my chipped floor tiles inspired me look into “green” alternatives to the popular flooring we all know and love.

Spring is in the air, and it got me to thinking about all the “spring cleaning” projects I would like to do around my house this year.  There is such a popularity demand right now on green household products, so I did a little research to find out ways to spruce up a kitchen with more than just a fresh bouquet of flowers.  There is a green product out there for just about everything you can imagine, so below are a few of the big ticket items that will really help you get things going.