In defense of the underdog

by Mike Ferrara, The Lazy Homeowner

Hello there. I just read the Consumer Reports story on kitchen countertops. As always, they do a good job of covering all the options. However, as a person who's done his share of kitchen remodeling, I have a few 'bones' to pick over some of the statements made about the perennial stepchild of this subject, laminate.

Consumer Reports starts out well when it states in their Granite section that: "It's still what you'll see in magazines and real-estate ads, but fancy faux materials are giving granite serious competition." That's for sure. Any remodeler on a budget can see why...using the new high-definition laminates will give you the same look for less than half the cost. And without the yearly chore of resealing.

The report states that laminate shows seams on the front edge and elsewhere. This is old information. When you combine laminate with a custom edge, there is literally no 'brown edge' to be seen. And a good fabricator can make sure you don't get any obvious corner seams as well.

Now the editors get into trouble when they claim that laminates are "no longer trendy..."After looking at just some of the newest stone, marble and granite patterns at my local home center, this statement couldn't be farther off the mark. Kitchen trends come and go, but the current trend toward natural materials is being met quite well by the newest laminate designs. And when the current trend is replaced by something else, the good news is that with laminate, you're not looking at taking out a second mortgage if you want a new countertop!

Lastly, Consumer Reports says that laminate is easily "scratched and nicked..." Just about any countertop material, including natural stone and recycled glass can get scratched or nicked if you don't employ common sense and use a cutting board or a hotplate.  The newest laminates from Wilsonart are infused with a high-tech aluminum oxide finish that is very resistant to wear, and keeps the countertop looking new for a long time.

So maybe I just have a soft spot for underdogs, but in this case I needed to speak out...let's not keep repeating old information and state the clear fact that the new generation of laminate is a viable alternative to granite.

Mike Ferrara, also known as The Lazy Homeowner and TechnoDad, has spent the last 20 years covering the home and garden industries, serving as a magazine and newspaper editor, TV personality, and most recently as a blog editor and public relations consultant to Wilsonart International and other home improvement companies.  His views are his own.

An open mind about an open kitchen

By Gale

Opening your kitchen up is much more convenient for the cook as well as everyone else who enjoys being there. It also requires planning ahead to make sure that what you see from the next room is what you want your family and friends to see in the kitchen.

Stand or sit in your family room or dining area and imagine what that will be before you open up the walls. This little step may affect your plans for an open space kitchen. Here are three visual solutions to consider:

This birch kitchen design by KraftMaid Cabinets in birch in Prairie finish illustrates how the space was created to feel open but allow the cook to have some privacy. The multi-level island adds more storage as well as serving space.

This open-plan kitchen resolved two problems: where to eat casually and merged a color scheme from the nearby great room into a new kitchen with an extended countertop.

The choice was a countertop pattern with multiple colors that blends with the wall color and fabrics. Find more blending ideas by visiting WilsonartHD.com.

The Urban Pioneer: The Kitchen Should be Condemned

by Andrea, The Urban Pioneer

Oh the Kitchen. When I purchased my little piece of urban heaven, I turned a blind eye to the kitchen. The location, the charm, the garage all won me over and allowed me to forget about the kitchen.

So what makes it so bad? Well, take a look at some of the pictures.


We'll start with the lighting. You could put Heidi Klum under these lights and she would look like a troll. Not only is the lighting bad, the refrigerator blocks what little natural light comes in from the north facing window.

The cabinets are in sad shape. The sink was apparently used for paint clean up and someone forgot to clean it. And the floor sticky tiles keep peeling back.



And oh the countertop...we are talking late 70's early 80's yellowish laminate, the cornerstone of every girls dream kitchen, ha!

So what's next? Deciding if this kitchen can be saved or needs to be completely gutted. What do you think?

The Urban Pioneer: Oh the List

By Andrea

My place was built in 1911, it has been kept in decent to good shape but when a condo reaches 100, it has some fixin’ up to do. Before I even start the decorating process, I have to conquer ‘the list’ and get the bones of my condo in good condition. It’s a given that everything will get a fresh coat of paint…but here’s the rest of the to do’s and a few pictures of the work ahead.

1. Front Door
a. New Lock to cover all the holes

b. New Numbers, I want to make a great 1st impression
c. Re-varnished, it looks like someone took a power sander to the door.

2. Living Room
a. Ceiling fans
b. Crown Molding
c. New Windows
d. Refinish woodwork

3. Dining Room
a. Replace Light
b. Level floor


4. Kitchen
a. Too many to list, I'll tell all about this mess next week.

5. Porch...I'll let the picture speak for its self.

As you can see, I have a project or a million projects on my hands!