I want to point out this photo by Richard Perry of the New York Times.  It’s from an article about the renovation on the top floor of a townhouse in Harlem.  Don’t let it scare you that the renovation in the photo cost oodles of money (he renovated the whole flat, plus the outdoor area). 

My point in showing you this photo is how exquisite white cabinets can look.  Yet they can be the least expensive to buy.  You can take ideas like this and use part of them in your renovation projects.  What I like in the design below is the simplicity of it – it’s very elegant! 

Even a person on a budget could pull off a simple, chic look.  Take white…  add one other color for the floor and backsplash (and possibly the countertop) – in the photo the other color is brown…  and you have a timeless look.  No matter how styles change, the kitchen in the photo below won’t look outdated.

I’ve found a page detailing fire risks in the bedroom. It talks about kids, appliances, and general safety. (Read the PDF on the page for even more information.)

Here’s a good rule of thumb about remembering to change the fire alarm batteries in your house: always make sure you put in new batteries when you change your clock at Daylight Savings Time.

This website has a lot of information about countertops. It talks, about money, matching with cabinets, cost, etc… (The image is the link.)

There are two main issues when buying appliances in a house where young kids live: aesthetics and safety. 

The main aesthetic issue is how well the surface of the appliance will hide or show fingerprints and smudges.  Little kids put their little fingers and hands on everything.  Their marks will show up more on stainless steel and black appliances.  There are some appliance surfaces that hide fingerprints better than others.  Some brands now use a special stainless steel material that hide marks – on the traditional stainless steel marks will show up right away.  You can usually tell when you walk into the appliance department which ones will be a problem.  They’ll be all marked up with prints.  But you can test them out yourself by putting your hands on them (better that you know in advance).  Unless you’re the type of person who doesn’t mind wiping down your appliances every day, keep this in mind when you’re buying.

The other appliance issue with kids is safety.  Some appliances now come with locks built in so that young kids can’t open the doors. If you’re buying a new stove, I’d recommend buying one with the knobs at the back of the stove where young kids can’t reach them.  Also, make sure to anchor your stove into the wall.

Finally, ensure that your kitchen has all GFCI outlets.

If you’re thinking of installing concrete countertops in your home, here’s a great video that goes through the steps.

It’s true, it’s a luxury…  But if you can swing it, there’s nothing like a hot tub!

The Spa Depot offers a complete selection of everything you’ll ever need for the care and maintenance of hot tubs.  It includes an informative feature called ‘Ask Dr. Tubbs’ where you can find answers to questions like How To Wire A Hot Tub.

One feature I’ve decided I’d like in my new dishwasher is a stainless steel interior.  The alternative is plastic.  A plastic interior is more likely to break down harmful chemicals into the water supply, onto your dishes and into the air you breath when the plastic gets hot.

Stainless steel will also aid in the quicker drying of your dishes and it’s more durable.

Once you have your dishwasher, make sure you use a dishwashing detergent that’s free of phosphates.  Phosphates are harmful to aquatic animal life.

You can read more about Green Dishwashing at Planet Green.

Unfortunately, I’m in the process of looking for a new dishwasher.  My current one is only 5 years old.  It’s an Amana and it’s very loud.  We have to leave the room for the first hour it’s running.  The bottom rack wore down in places and the plastic came off.  Now the metal underneath is exposed and has turned rusty.  It leaves rust marks on my white dishes. 

I had a repair guy come in.  It cost $125 for him to just walk in the door.  He said the cost of just the parts to fix the machine would be a couple hundred dollars.  He thinks that at this point we should just buy a new one. 

Needless to say, I won’t be buying another Amana dishwasher.  The repair guy recommended Bosch.  He said he rarely has to repair them.  That even the cheapest Bosch would be better than most other brands.  I found this view was supported online: “In recent appliance-reliability surveys, Bosch dishwashers are the quietest and most reliable dishwashers overall.”

I looked at the Bosch dishwashers in the store and noticed that that racks have very small slots for plates and bowls.  The guy in the store measured them and they were only an inch apart.  My dishes are deep and won’t fit into the Bosch machines. 

I’m on to researching other machines.  The KitchenAid dishwasher looked good.  It was  stainless steel inside (as opposed to plastic) and the slots for dishes were wider.  So,   next I’ll research KitchenAid and some other brands.

This article shows one of the dangers of renovating your home – asbestos. According to the article: “If asbestos-containing materials are found, don’t panic – they can be safely removed and disposed of by trained and qualified workers. If the materials are found during work, stop work immediately and have qualified professionals remove the material before resuming the project.”

http://www.chiff.com/a/asbestos-renovations.htm

The most difficult part of any renovation is managing contractors.  Most in the business are honest and responsible.  But no one would deny there are a few bad eggs.

Here’s an article that can help, by discussing a ‘reiterate-and-confirm letter’.

Did you know that you can create a binding agreement without securing the other party’s signature? A simple letter that I call a "reiterate-and-confirm letter…"

It’s from a book called The Homeowner’s Guide to Managing a Renovation, by Susan Solakian.