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Posts Tagged ‘granite countertops’

5 Must-Have Items for Kitchen Bliss

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Cooking at home can be a wonderful adventure that provides you with the opportunity to explore foods and spices, allowing for the discovery of new tastes without having to jet around the world. Equipping a kitchen for usability and convenience can be a challenge or it can be fairly easy to accomplish. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the most common features built-in to kitchen remodeling jobs to achieve the ideal level of beauty and flow in your kitchen.  If you are in the process of remodeling consider adding one or more of the following to your home, making time spent in the kitchen as enjoyable as possible.

1. Granite countertops

granite-countertops

In the kitchen, resiliency and durability are paramount. Granite countertops meet this need well, offering heat- and scratch-resistance, making it possible to cook without having to scramble for a trivet when it’s time to move a hot pot off the stove. The scratch-resistant surface will not be damaged by knife use. Granite surfaces also resist stains and come in a variety of styles and designs, making these types of countertops ideal for all kitchens.

2. Island

kitchen-island

An island is a great way to maximize space in a kitchen, a room where work areas and storage availability are sometimes in limited supply. A mobile island allows everyone from cooking hobbyists to professional chefs to create a layout that works best for their changing needs. Scoot an island next to a stationary counter to add space, especially for involved recipes with several preparation steps, or move the island between your kitchen and dining area to divide the room without having to add a wall.

3. Wall ovens

wall-ovens

As mentioned, optimizing the space available in a kitchen can make the preparation of even the simplest meal that much easier. Wall ovens can help with this goal, freeing up counter space that can be utilized for other tasks. Wall ovens also eliminate the need for bending over to attend to simmering meals, and, given their adjustable placement in the wall, make foods easier to access. Double wall ovens are also an option and extremely convenient when cooking several foods for the holidays.

4. Slow cooker

Ideal for the person who wants to come home to a prepared meal or cook a meal while something else is going in the oven, a slow cooker is a handy tool in the kitchen. They take up little space, are energy efficient, and can be used to  prepare everything from entrees to desserts. What better way to simmer a winter stew while still being able to leave the house for work or errands?

5. Henckels knives

A quality set of knives in the kitchen can make food preparation tasks that much easier. Well known for the comfort of their grip and ease of use, Henckels is a brand used by people all around the world. Start with a standard and practical 8-inch cook’s knife, which can be used to slice, peel, and chop. Invest as well in a serrated knife, which can be used to slice through crusty breads or anything with a tough surface and soft interior. Kept sharp, knives will remain widely useful in the kitchen. Investing in a reliable brand like Henckels will ensure a long life of this necessary kitchen tool.

Spending time in the kitchen should be as fun and stress-free as possible, a goal within reach with these must-have items. Save money by investing in durable tools that will hold up under years of use and discover anew the joy of cooking.

Thomas Stone, who blogs on behalf of Sears and other prestigious brands, enjoys Korean barbecue, and spending his time keeping up with the latest innovations in elite kitchen appliances.

Getting that Custom Kitchen for Less

Monday, March 14th, 2011

Installing custom granite countertops in your home is a prominent way to define the style of your unique space. While creating a customized counter might make your wallet start to tremble, there are some easy and affordable ways to create a custom look without breaking the bank.

Pick a countertop that fits.

Pick a countertop that fits.

Traditional countertop installation involves giving up use of your kitchen while a team of contractors rip out existing furnishings and mount new counters in the space, possibly damaging your floors and walls during the demolition period. This installation process can take anywhere from several days to several weeks. Time is money, and more time spent kicking up dirt and dust in your home is certainly less money you have to spend on achieving the custom look you want.
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Granite Countertops for Your Business

Monday, March 7th, 2011

Since the dawn of domesticity, granite countertops have been the bee’s knees of classy kitchen surfaces. Today, however, tuned-in business owners are realizing this natural material has uses far beyond the housewife’s cutting block. The same key functions that have been attracting homeowners to granite for decades offer even greater advantages for a productive workplace.

Granite Transformations work at a Marriott.

Granite Transformations work at a Marriott.

To create this stone, various minerals combine deep below Earth’s surface as molten rock cools slowly, giving granite its trademark crystalline appearance. The density of granite, contributed to its volcanic origins, prevents bacteria, mold and mildew from forming on its surface. This quality ensures your products, equipment and employees will stay clean and healthy in their work environment.
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Outdoor Kitchens: The Joy of Eating Outside

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

Last week’s granite bar post got us thinking: outdoor kitchens are a pretty nice deal if you can swing it. For every homeowner or homebuyer, outdoor entertaining is a must have in their households.And new trends in design are aiming precisely to open-air constructions of rooms that usually have an indoor concept, entering the kitchen. What most designers and homeowners around the world are discovering is that an outdoor kitchen can be both functional and attractive, not to say original.

A sit down and dine outdoor space.

A sit down and dine outdoor space.

“The outdoor kitchen is not an area looked at as a ‘work’ space, but it is a place to express hospitality and creativity – and to enjoy family and friends”, said Barbara B. Berry, sales associate with Downing-Frye Realty.
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The Unique Beauty of Granite Bar Countertops

Friday, February 11th, 2011

With people spending more time in their kitchens today, home makeover trends are paying extreme attention on transforming this room in the most enjoyable part of a house.

With this exciting journey ahead, you must keep in mind that granite countertops for your center island and wraparound breakfast bar deserve the most care in your remodeling plans. After all, these features play vital roles as the highlights of your kitchen.

Granite bars go great outside.

Granite bars go great outside.


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Don’t Forget About the Range Hood!

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Piecing together all of the different necessary kitchen cooking tools can be a hassle. We don’t just mean tools. We also mean all the heavy duty appliances that go into every top-notch kitchen – the microwaves, the stovetops, the ovens, the sinks, etc. One item that always seems to go a bit overlooked, or at least saved until last is the range hood.

A range hood is that large installation above your stove top that stylishly whisks away the cooking exhaust that emits from every no-doubt gourmet meal you prepare. When thinking about getting one remember this one thing, they’re huge! And since they’re so huge they usually catch the eye quite readily, so make sure you get one that helps shape the room. Here are some of our favorite designs.

The classic chrome range. This is something you’ve probably seen before. It’s clean looking, fits with a variety of colors, and is probably on the less expensive side compared to some of these others.

Classic chrome

Classic chrome

The copper tinted range. For a more rustic feel go with a copper colored range. It gives a warmer feel to the room and some might say a bit more creativity also.
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Tis the Season to Evaluate Your Home Fixtures

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010
This could be you...after the holidays?

This could be you...after the holidays?

The time is almost here. The days we must entertain and impress our loved ones for Christmas, unless you plan on travelling to someone else’s house this upcoming holiday weekend. It’s never an easy task, what with making sure the food is prepared, the house is clean, the children aren’t tampering with the gifts under the tree until the morning of Christmas. This time of the year also acts as a real litmus test for you and the current complextion of your home.

How do your countertops stack up? Are the linoleum finishes beginning to wear? Could new granite countertops perhaps be in the cards after the holidays? Perhaps some new mosaic shower walls to wash away the grimy tile you currently have? When people come and see what you’re packing from a domestic perspective the weakness become that much more glaring.

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The Artistic Inspiration of a Contractor

Thursday, December 9th, 2010
Thinking outside the box can prove to be great.

Thinking outside the box.

Much of the time people look at home remodeling as if it’s all one big bag of the same thing. Remodelers know how to remodel, replace cabinets, install electrical fixtures, countertops, appliances, etc…right? Sure, anyone who says they can remodel can probably get the job done to its most limited and barely satisfactory levels, but sometimes people demand artists. People who actually pride themselves on creating home additions, and even entire homes themselves, beyond just fix it work are the people you want to seek out for your next (or first) home addition or renovation.

We recently got wind of a story about an in-wall television installation in a kitchen and liked what we heard. The person in question had a relatively old flat screen television, meaning that the back portion of the set protruded out some three inches or so. These three inches were ruled wholly unacceptable when it came to mounting it, so a solution needed to be found. Enter the intrepid contractor.
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Kitchen Trends for 2011

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

If you’re remodeling your kitchen or simply updating the design you currently have, here’s a  list of fun kitchen trends to look out for once the ball drops in a little more than a month!

Bright Appliances.

Colorful appliances and cooking accouterments can add an unexpected element of fun to your kitchen. They are an easy way to breathe life into an otherwise bland kitchen. Kitchenaid offers a wide array of colorful countertop appliances, including stand mixers, blenders, and toasters in a spectrum of eye-popping colors. There’s something delicious about the nostalgia these vintage-inspired items arouse.

Lightly colored, highly functional.

Lightly colored, highly functional.

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Granite and Glass Countertop Previews!

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

It’s been a long time coming, but we’ve finally enabled the functionality that you’ve been waiting for (we’ve sure been waiting for it). Previously, if you had happened upon our product colors preview pages within the granite countertop and glass countertop sections of our website you’d be treated to a list of some of our stylish colors – problems was the pictures were small and hard to see. Detail is everything, we get it.

Our new pop-up boxes.

Our new pop-up boxes.


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