A Good New Year’s Resolution

By Gale

It’s that time again when you make promises to yourself for 2011. I find that I always include my home somewhere on the list of “to-do.” What I am going to ask you is to really take a really good look at your kitchen before the resolutions are firm in your mind.

What do you see? If you have not remodeled your most heavily-used room in years, then I will bet that what you see is outdated cabinets, faded or chipped countertops, tired appliances, stained flooring, and more. Is it time for a complete makeover or just a facelift? Much depends on your budget. The bad news is that a total re-do can be very costly. The good news is that you can replace just the countertop and feel as though you have a new kitchen.

The truth is your countertop is your most visible source of color in the kitchen. If your cabinets are white or wood, then what catches your eye is the color of the countertop. Think of a nice piece of jewelry on a plain dress; it becomes an attention-getting accessory. The same is true of your countertop.

Think of how often colors go in- and out-of fashion in your clothes. This is true of kitchen colors as well.
Take a good look at what’s available, and you will be amazed at not only the selection of colors but textures and finishes, too.

Your goal will be to find a durable, stain resistant, and easy-to-clean surface material. There is nothing to say that it could not be good-looking as well. Laminate answers all those needs. Its smooth exterior finish can be easily maintained; nothing else is as hard-working. The bonus is that it is a great bargain when compared to alternatives in stone or solid surface materials.

Make a big difference with a new laminate countertop and have money left over to pursue those other resolutions you listed.

See You in Salt Lake City!

By Heidi

We're excited to announce that Wilsonart is a proud sponsor of the Altitude Design Summit! Tammy and I will be flying out to Utah this January to meet with some of the greatest design bloggers in the country. From graphic designers to photographers, this conference is our chance to introduce ourselves to a great group of creative minds.

In addition to simply attending the conference, we'll even be joining some extremely talented panelists to show attendees how to make the most of their creativity. Our hands-on session will ensure you have the tools to create a fully thought-out design plan. We'll keep you updated as our session develops, so check back later for more details!

As for you other conference-goers, any advice for Tammy and I? This will be our first time in Salt Lake City, so do you have any travel tips for us? We need all the help we can get!

A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place

By Gale

I am so tired of people telling me that they have “a place for everything and everything in its place.” While I can admit that this does seems like a good idea, in the end, I find it not always possible to put everything back where it is supposed to be. I could do it if I were not always off to another task, say I! Instead, I place it in the same general area and hope that when I look for it again, I will find it nearby.

Now I have friends (and I am sure you do as well) who run their kitchens with precision, like army generals moving troops. They cannot understand my casual approach to storage, but then they do not know that I actually do try to sort things out once a month. That is my real secret for keeping the clutter down and relative calm out of potential chaos.

Kitchen designer friends always suggest that when you plan your kitchen that you do a complete inventory of what you have before you complete the plans. In that way, you can understand the width and depth of what is hidden inside. And it may amaze you about what you have collected over the years. When you restore it all to the new or newly revised cabinets, you will have a better handle on where it goes and what goes with what… plus a place for everything in theory.

Some Cool Refrigerator Ideas (Pun Intended)

By Gale

I follow Houzz.com for some of the best ideas for inside and outside the house. One issue had a compelling article by Susan Serra, CKD about “Refrigerator Nation – Creative Built-In Ideas” She talked about how the refrigerator takes up so much room as the largest appliance in the kitchen. Yet her caption for this image notes “Dual refrigeration designed with a rectilinear motif to emulate the upper glass doors”.

In my wildest dreams, I would have two refrigerators dueling it out for space, but now that the family size has diminished, there seems to be no need for two. I do like the idea of disguising the refrigerator front so it does disappear. The problem with most refrigerators is that they do not come with a trim kit, which allows a panel that matches your cabinets to hide in place. Only at the very high end of the luxury refrigerators is this possible. What’s a regular person to do?

Log onto Frigo.com, a company that realizes you may not like stainless steel all the time and gives you the tools to change your mind. Their install-it-yourself panels come in a wide variety of options. I like the chalkboard alternative, but you may like their bright color panels or even the option to support your favorite sports team. These work for side-by side styles or top-mount refrigerators.

If you are really creative, Frigo has a clear plastic panel which could be transformed into a giant picture frame for all the current family photos. The cost for this runs from $300 to $500, and that is much less than buying a new refrigerator.

Alternative ideas are available at the CabinetDoorShop.com, TheKitchenSource.com (they stock chalkboard panels for both dishwashers and refrigerators and Vincon.com. The latter has removable decorative panels on magnets, which sound like fun.

One last alternative is to paint the front of your refrigerator. Buy paint that is specially formulated to be used on appliances. You need to purchase appliance paint because it is designed to hold up to heat and cold without cracking and peeling. This may be called a specialty appliance epoxy. This type of paint is available as a spray type or in a can where you use a brush to apply it. Before you start to paint, clean the outside door thoroughly in order for the paint to adhere to the surface. Practice before you start to apply the paint to make sure you have the technique down pat.