How To Plan A Perfect Kitchen Design?

Here and article on kitchen design I though was helpful.

Tom

By Ruchi Pandya

A Well planned home kitchen design certainly enhances the cooking experience and imparts an inviting persona to the heart of your home. A well lit and comfortable home kitchen design transforms your cooking space into a welcoming place to eat and chat besides preparing meals. Understanding the importance of kitchen the contemporary interior designers now a day give it a well dese

rved thought process and planning. Home kitchen design is conceived keeping in consideration vital aspects like storage need, cleaning space, cabinetry, lighting style etc.

The primary concern while drawing a kitchen lay out is to make the kitchen airy, well lit and spacious. Everybody desires a roomy and bright cooking space which is sadly not always possible due to space constraints. A functional and artistic approach though can make a small kitchen appear larger. The trick is to find unique storage options in the form of cabinets and smart racks accompanied with suitable lighting solutions to offer maximum space and roomy feel. Modern technology also aids by rendering a wide array of appliance like food processor, which besides being compact serve multiple functions, hence saving lots of space. These gadgets though a bit expensive would be a sensible choice as they save space, increase efficiency and keep home kitchen design at par with new trends. Introducing creative ideas in furniture could also enhance space and fascia of your kitchen. Using a small wall board as table or employing an island with storage space can indeed help a lot.

Often a huge kitchen might look dull and dingy due to poor lighting where as strategically placed light solutions could serve vice versa. Light equipments set under cabinet or counter can give the illusion of a large kitchen especially with the fluorescent tinge.

Alongside offering great convenience and organization kitchen cabinet design brings a holistic feel to the entire space thus you must prudently select the wood and pattern for the cabinetry. Simple patterns usually last longer and are always considered smart instead of heavy ornate ones. Light wood like maple or ash would impart a light feel where as darker wood would leave a dark impact in your kitchen. Besides the shade of your kitchen cabinet design, the color of your back lash tiles and flooring should blend harmoniously with each other as well as the adjoining rooms to create a holistic feel for the entire house.

The markets today are loaded with a plethora of options in countertops and flooring in various colors and finishes. Granite, marble and lime stones, the natural options can be found in various colors. Counter tops and flooring are also available in a vast range of ceramic tiles offering versatility and practicality.

With the abundance of options in market limitless combinations are possible. The home kitchen design should ideally be conceive as per the requirement of the owner and shall serve to increase the functional and aesthetic value of the heart of the home, your kitchen.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ruchi_Pandya

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What Can and Can Not be Placed in a Garbage Disposal?

The second big garbage disposal issue is what can go down the disposal. Some will say nothing (so why have it) and some say they put everything down the garbage disposal and never have a problem. Of course, some of this depends of the size and power of the motor in your unit. What does not belong in a garbage disposal other than the obvious; silver wear and fingers?

Grease and fatty materials even if liquid when dumped in the unit can solidify and cause problems. If this material gets past the unit it can also plug drains.

Stringy vegetables such as celery, asparagus and rhubarb can wrap around the blades and cause the unit to run slow or stop. This also applies to tea bags if the string is attached. Even banana peels can get stringy and wind around blade. Starch vegetables such as potatoes can become past solidify and plug the unit and pipes.

Noodle and rice can continue to expand in drain even if cooked and particularly if they are uncooked.

Coffee grounds will go through the unit but will not be ground up and can settle in traps. No bones should go in.

Even soft bones can shatter and wedge or cause small marbles that will bounce around making noise and never leave.

Pits or hard seeds such a peach pits.

Hard vegetable ends like carrots, onions and garlic can be as hard as bones and have the same problems. The garlic and onion will also leave an odor.

Artichoke leaves can be particularly difficult.

And lastly napkins or paper towels will both wrap on the blades and is they are ground up can cause a paste that can gum up the works.

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Which Side of the Sink Does the Garbage Disposal Go?

The two great mysteries of the kitchen are which side of the sink does the garbage disposal go and what should you not put down the disposal?

In this article we will address which side the garbage disposal goes.

Eclipse 513 Marin Sink

Which side the disposal goes is strictly personal preference

but like religion and politics there are those on both side who insist their way is the only way. If you have a double equal sink then there is little difference because the bowls are the same and the depth of the sinks are the same. With an uneven offset bowl such and the Eclipse 501 know to the trade as a 70/30 bowl or the 513 which is known as a 60/40 bowl the smaller bowl is usually shallower and if the shallower bowl plugs you can get back up into the larger lower bowl. The double bowl was invented so you could fill one side with soapy water and scrape and rinse in the other.

If you wash dishes by filling the larger of the sinks with soapy water and scrape to the small bowl then that is where it belongs. However, if you rinse only and lea

ve the washing for the dishwasher you may want it in the large bowl. If you rinse wash a number of large pots you will likely do in the larger sink and therefore want the disposal in the larger sink to catch the runoff from rinsing. Today this is far less important because with the dishwasher rarely does either sink get filled and used to actually wash dishes. .

Because the need for two bowls is less important we are seeing more orders for single bowl kitchen sinks in kitchen when the homeowner replace their kitchen counter such as the Eclipse 3018 Napa. With this arrangement there is only one drain so it gets the disposal.

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How to Maintain Your Stone Countertop

 

Natural stone countertops are a beautiful addition to your home. With proper maintenance they will last a lifetime.

  • Next to diamonds granite is the hardest material in nature. Marble, limestone and other stones offer the same beauty but can be softer and more susceptible to stains and etching so more care many be necessary.
  • Your countertop has most likely be sealed. Sealer are different and have to be reapplied at different intervals. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions but if water soaks into the top instead of beading up on the surface  it needs to be resealed.
  • Wipe up all spills as soon as possible particularly  acid liquids like orange juice and white wine.
  • Do not use abrasive cleaners or acid based cleaners. They may dull or mar the surface.  Cleaners with balance ph are best.
  • Cutting directly on the top will likely not damage the granite but might put micro scratches in the finish and dull the surface. You will also wind up with dull knives.
  • Hear will not usually be damaged by heat but because the slab is thin it may not absorb all the heat from a hot dish. It is best to use a heat pad under hot dishes.
  • If you see a dull or rough patch call your countertop fabricator.  It is likely that etching can be repaired.
  • Use coasters for drinks.
  • Stains, if they occur, can often be removed but it is best to consult with you fabricator.
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Myths About Free Sinks in Granite Countertops

The three biggest Myths about free sinks given away by granite fabricators as sales incentive:

Myth 1: Free sinks add value to a counter top project.

Myth 2: Because the sink is “free” the fabricator can use the cheapest sink they can find, after all it is free.

Myth 3: There is no inconsistency between Myth 1 and Myth 2.

Myths busted:

Myth 1: Most consumers do not believe the sink is free. They believe it is built into the cost of the countertop. They believe that if they do not take the “free sink” they have already paid for  the sink so if they upgrade they are paying twice.  MYTH BUSTED

Myth 2:  The customer expects that the countertop fabricator is a professional and understand his or her product. They expect to receive products that are of an equal quality to the countertop. If they are disappointed with the sink they understand there is nothing they can do including complaining to the fabricators because “they got what they paid for.” They do not complain to the fabricator but they do to their friends and family.  MYTH Busted.

Myth 3: Consumers are smarter than ever. They have access to more information than ever. They understand when they have been fooled into thinking they are getting a valuable addition to their countertop but have been given the cheapest product on the market.  If they are unhappy they have access to unlimited channels to express their dissatisfaction; word of mouth, Twitter, Facebook.  MYTH BUSTED

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Eclipse Stainless Internet Warranty Policy

Eclipse Stainless products are distributed only through authorized dealers. This policy allows Eclipse to control the distribution and warranty to best serve the consumers who will use the product. There are a number of look-a-like products that are not made to Eclipse standards. There are also bait and switch sites who advertise Eclipse but are not Eclipse dealers. When a consumer attempts to purchase an Eclipse product the company tries to switch the consumer to other products that may not be to Eclipse standards.

If an Eclipse product is purchased through the internet, Eclipse will not honor any manufacturer’s warranty.

Eclipse products occasionally show up on resale sites such as E-Bay. Eclipse cannot prevent these sales but Eclipse will not cover any warranty issues.

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Pull Out Faucets, Hoses and Weights

Many modern faucets have pull out hoses to combine the function of faucet and sprayer into one appliance instead of having a faucet and separate sprayer for rinsing dishes. To assist in the retraction of the hose into the body of the faucet many faucet manufacturers place a weight on the hose. This also assists in holding the head of the faucet in the body particularly the goose neck faucets where the heads are pointed down.

The weights have several issues. If the weights are mounted to the hose, as most are, the Hampton Faucethose can only be pulled half way out before the weight hits the body.  When the hose is retracted the weights often bang on the plumbing. If a boxes are stored under the sink the weight will hit the box  which will stop the weight from helping with the retraction.

Eclipse faucets come with a spring retraction system. With the spring retraction system the hose can be pulled out farther so more of the hose can be utilized. There are no weights to bang on the plumbing. The spring will work even if there are boxes under the sink.

The spring retraction system including spring and spring holder (see insert) provide a superior retraction system.

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Why GOOD Stainless Steel Sinks Shine – the Story of Tom’s Sample

I have had a loyal companion for the last three and one half years as I traveled the Midwest. Named after the City at the center of the California wine industry, Napa, my companion, road in the back of my van – actually two different vehicles over the years and over a hundred thousand miles. Napa never complained about the heat or cold just sat there being beautiful.

Napa was a 3018 stainless steel undermount sink. Over the years it acquired a number of scuffs and scratches on the underside white coating.

It was abused.

I was meeting with a prospect and showed him Napa. I told him Eclipse sinks were made with better steel. Steel so good that if the sinks were scratched they could be repaired. Without hesitation he took his keys from his pocket and put several deep scratches in  Napa. Deep enough that it took me several minutes to use our repair kit to completely remove the scratches.

Napa continued to travel with me for over another year. It even co-stared  in several videos on the Eclipse YouTube Channel, www.youtube.com/eclipsestainless. Everyone who met Napa heard the story of the prospect who scratched it. No one was ever able to locate the scratches in Napa.

I took Napa with me with pride. But last week we parted. A fabricator had a problem. He forgot to order a 3018 sink and we were out of stock in Illinois so his sink would take a few extra days. His customer needed the sink now. I told this fabricator all I had was my three year old sample. I told him it had been with me for a long time but while the outside, that no one would see, was not like new the inside was.

We cleaned up the sink and indeed after removing some finger prints and a few minor scratches it was like new. Napa is now retired from the road to do what it was designed and built to do.   It is serving a family in a granite top and years from now it will still be bright and shiny. If it could talk it might talk about its days on the road and how it appeared on video.

Click here to see Napa in its glory days.

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What are Sink Grids (or Grates) and Why Do I Need Them?

High quality stainless steel sinks are made to last a life time just like the granite, marble,

Ecliipse Sink Grid (Grate)

quartz or other high quality countertop you have selected for your home.  They do however scratch. In a counter intuitive way the shinier and more brilliant the sink the more the scratches will show up.  On a cheap stainless steel sink the scratches may blend in with the dull finish and not be as noticeable.

Many people are not sensitive to the minor scratching that comes with everyday use but if you are sensitive and want you stainless steel sink as scratch free as possible or you use  heavy pots and pans you can reduce the scratching by using grates or grids to protect the bottom of your sink.

What should you look for in a sink grid? This is a tough question because so often the question is never asked.

  • You should have sink grids made of the same high quality stainless steel as your sink. In the case of Eclipse sinks that is 304 stainless steel.
  • Make sure the grid fits you sink. The grids should have an even space around the edge between the grid and the sink. The drain openings should line up with the drain holes.
  • Look at the welds on the steel particularly at the intersection of the wires. If the weld is rough it may trap particles, dirt and bacteria as well as look bad.
  • Eclipse uses black legs (the rubber like pieces that the sink sits on) and shoes (the barrel shaped pieces on the sides top keep the grid from scratching the sink.) Grids with clear plastic feet can show the wear and often will have black or discolored build up around or inside the feet and legs.
  • Avoid grids with plastic coatings as they will likely not take the wear of everyday use.
    Sink grid with plastic coating
  • The best way to assure you have high quality grids is to purchase them with your premium Eclipse Sinks.

 

 

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Eclipse Faucet – Features and Benefits presented live

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