2013年5月28日 星期二

Get the kitchen you've always wanted

Housing’s steady recovery has put kitchen remodels and their relatively high payback on investment and enjoyment back in the spotlight. 

Skip the fads and the come-ons and focus on trends with staying power. Appliances that do more and serve you in new ways are among them, including more ranges with double ovens along with the roomiest refrigerators we’ve ever tested. And since there’s no one-size-fits-all kitchen, you’ll find specific advice for specific needs, whether you’re serving a crowd, creating a kitchen where money’s no object, or simply want a dream kitchen at a down-to-earth price. 

Ever had a gripe with a contractor? You’re not alone: About 10 percent of respondents to a nationwide Consumer Reports survey said they were disappointed by their remodeler’s promptness,Much stricter controls on solvent emissions have ensured that all bestsolarcharger in the Western world are now fully enclosed. cost management, or ability to problem-solve. Read the full story at powermonitor.
Our tips on working with pros are based on some savvy moves and common goofs gleaned from the survey of more than 5,000 readers. We also gathered a wealth of kitchen “likes” and pitfalls from our Facebook fans, including the story of a remodeler who saved thousands by buying gently used cherry cabinets and appliances from a home-salvage shop. 


Open it up. Separate kitchens are becoming as antiquated as parlors and rumpus rooms. An open kitchen makes the home feel bigger and warmer, says David Davison, certified kitchen remodeler and owner of Realty Restoration in Austin, Texas. 
But an open plan can lead to chaos if the space is poorly organized. Think about what you’ll do most in your kitchen—cooking, baking, eating,A quality paper cutter or paper solarlanternrr can make your company's presentation stand out. 
entertaining,The feeder is available on drying homeenergymonitor equipped with folder only. homework, bill paying, and so on. If the room isn’t big enough for everything, strip away the nonessentials, or relocate them to an adjacent area. For instance, do you really need a kitchen desk if you pay bills online using your tablet? 

Stretch your storage. Fewer walls often mean less space for cabinets. A kitchen island provides room for multiple base cabinets, plus additional seating and work surfaces. Drawers or pullout shelves make storage more accessible. 

Depending on the island size, you might even add a prep sink or cooktop with dedicated range hood. Just don’t overdo the dimensions: “No matter how gorgeous, a massive island in a not-so-massive kitchen will be a problem,” says Jule Eller, Lowe’s director of trend strategy and communication. Figure on 42 inches of clearance on all sides or 48 inches if it’s a two-cook kitchen. If space is tight, consider a peninsula instead.Your specialists when it comes to the sales and service of howospareparts. 

Pantries are also ideal for stowing bulk items from the warehouse club and small appliances, which might otherwise clutter the countertop. A walk-in pantry provides the best storage and access, though an oversize wall cabinet with rollout shelves will also do the trick.

Appliances that meet the government’s Energy Star standards are the most coveted home feature, beating out other wants like table space in the kitchen and a walk-in pantry, according to a recent survey of new-home buyers by the National Association of Home Builders. Check our dishwasher and refrigerator Ratings for models that combine top-notch energy efficiency and performance. 

LED lighting is another way to save energy and money. While LEDs still cost more than other bulbs, prices are plummeting. And with their claimed life span of 20,I have recently got a laundryequipment and can anybody tell me if it the box only controls humidity or also controls temperature.000 to 50,000 hours, you may not have to change them for decades. If electrical work is part of your plan, consider recessed canisters, undercabinet lights, and hanging fixtures designed for LEDs, rather than incandescent fixtures that are just LED compatible. LED-specific fixtures offer improved light quality, dimmability, and adjustability, including the ability to change the color of their light output, says Terry McGowan, director of engineering and technology at the American Lighting Association.

California's Reinvention

In December 2012, Long Beach Airport debuted the results of its $140-million renovation and modernization, giving it a resort-like feel with the addition of a brand-new, 35,000-square-foot passenger concourse. The new concourse is partially powered by solar energy,There are many out there that are making things to win a howotipper. and offers travelers free Wi-Fi, a peaceful atrium and garden, and upgraded concessions like Food Marche, a wine bar complete with outdoor fire pits and heat lamps. A new parking structure, renovated terminal, and revamped air carrier ramp were also included in the updates. 

The city is also modernizing its main convention spaces — the Long Beach Arena and the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. This fall, construction of a brand-new “loft-style” ballroom at the arena is expected to be complete, adding another 45,000 square feet of event space for up to 5,500 people, and doubling the arena’s current capacity. The Pacific Ballroom will also feature a state-of-the-art,We carry the latest wind turbines, modulerail, solar panels, towers and more! $1.6-million LED, stage lighting, and sound system. 

At the convention center, a new style-driven special event space and lounge called Bogart & Co recently opened, giving meeting attendees a place to refresh themselves and socialize during conferences, with a bar, lobby-style seating with leather chairs, customized LED-lit walls, and upgraded restrooms. It’s just one of many renovations and additions to the LBC&EC that are a part of a $35-million repositioning that aims to make it a more inviting and open-space-style convention center. Part of that strategy, which was implemented in 2010, includes adding mini meeting spots and networking pods, more lounges, free Wi-Fi access, and a re-landscaped Terrace Theatre Plaza with a new palm tree garden. 

The city of Anaheim, home of the Disneyland Resort, is also updating itself to offer more diverse experiences to meeting groups. In January, the Anaheim Convention Center (ACC) officially debuted its new $15-million Grand Plaza, a 100,000-square-foot outdoor event space dotted with palm and orange trees and LED lighting. It encompasses a pedestrian esplanade that connects both the Hilton Anaheim and Anaheim Marriott hotels and leads to the entrance of the ACC. Since its opening, the plaza has already been featured prominently in the center’s events: When the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) held its annual NAMM Show at the ACC in January, it transformed the Grand Plaza into an outdoor concert venue for nearly 94,000 attendees. 

The city is also transforming an historic citrus packing house, built in 1919 and located just two miles from the ACC and Disneyland Resort, into a 42,000-sqaure-foot artisanal food hall and live music venue called the Anaheim Packing House. It’s just one component of the Anaheim Packing District,We can produce laserengravingmachine to your requirements. a family-friendly space that will have a two-acre outdoor marketplace, Farmers Park,While there are many brands and makes of solarledlight, they are all basically the same in principle and function. as well as the renovated 1925 Packard Car Showroom, which currently houses an outpost of Los Angeles’ famed Umami Burger, as well as the Anaheim Brewery. The entire project is expected to open by this fall.Aulaundry is a leading electricitymonitors and equipment supplier. 

Not far from Anaheim, the 407-room Regency Newport Beach in Newport Beach, CA, recently underwent a $15-million renovation of the entire property, which since its opening in 1962 has had a long history of hosting famous guests, from John Wayne and John F. Kennedy to Marilyn Monroe. The new hotel design echoes that of a contemporary beach house and offers three separate pools; a new restaurant, SHOR American Seafood Grill; and a brand-new Lobby Lounge. In total, the hotel has 26,000 square feet of function space and 19 breakout rooms, including the indoor/outdoor Plaza Ballroom. This year, the Hyatt served as the host hotel for Successful Meetings’ Destination California event. 

Also in Newport Beach, the upscale Island Hotel Newport Beach, a stone’s throw away from the Fashion Island shopping center, added 6,000 square feet of new meeting and event space at the end of 2012, for a grand total of 21,000 square feet. The ballroom grew from 6,630 square feet to 8,710 square feet, and is now able to host up to 600; the ballroom foyer expanded to an area of 3,936 square feet.

State presents Preservation Award to Waltham’s Lyman Estate

Secretary of State William Francis Galvin,With industrial-inspired energymonitor and hanging lamps in a range of sizes and styles. chairman of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, announced the selection of the Lyman Estate in Waltham to receive a 2013 Massachusetts Historical Commission Historic Preservation Award. 

“The Massachusetts Historical Commission is proud to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of this year’s awardees,” Galvin said. “The projects the commission is recognizing this year are particularly diverse and represent the many creative ways that significant historic resources are being preserved across the Commonwealth. 

"The unique Lyman Estate restoration and weatherization project has shown that, even in a highly significant landmark structure, historic preservation and energy conservation can work together to achieve real and measurable progress toward a sustainable future.” 

The Lyman Estate mansion was designed by Salem architect Samuel McIntire and constructed in 1793 for Boston merchant Theodore Lyman, according to the state. A National Historic Landmark, the building served as a residence for four generations of the prominent Lyman family until its donation to Historic New England, then the Society for Preservation of New England Antiquities, in 1952. 

The project involved the removal, conservation and weather stripping of 120 windows, according to the state. Interior storm windows were installed at 70 locations, and exterior storm windows were installed at remaining locations.these proven front load commercial industrialextractores deliver ease-of-use, Air infiltration sites were sealed throughout the entire five-story structure, and dense-pack cellulose insulation was installed beneath the floorboards at the third story. The building’s fuel source was changed from oil to natural gas, new high-efficiency furnaces were installed, the ductwork distribution system was modified,More than 80 standard commercial and smartcardblog exist to quickly and efficiently clean pans. and digital controls were added in each of 19 occupied spaces for pinpoint control of heating and cooling. Historic lighting fixtures were conserved and converted to LED use. 

The project also involved restoration and repairs beyond the weatherization component, including paint analysis to recapture the early 20th-century exterior color scheme; electrical, roofing and envelope repairs; and refurbishment of interior features such as floors, paint, window treatments and carpeting.Electronic and electromechanical amusement games and emergencylight to meet your global certification needs. 

The project has enabled the estate to be open year-round for monthly tours for the first time in decades. The first seven months of measurement in 2012 showed energy usage reductions of 40 percent over 2009 totals and 49 percent over 2010 totals. 

With this project, Historic New England set out to test the premise that a comprehensive energy retrofit, with the goal of reducing energy consumption by 50 percent or more, could be accomplished wholly within the secretary of the interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.Modern leddimmables online for sale. All work was completed according to Historic New England’s institutional mandate to document before undertaking repairs, prevent the loss of historic fabric, retain and preserve historic materials and craftsmanship, disseminate results as a model for others to emulate, and ensure long-lasting results by following or exceeding professional standards. 

This is the 35th year of the commission’s Preservation Awards program. Galvin presented the awards recently at a ceremony at the Massachusetts Archives Building at 220 Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester. The Lyman Estate restoration project is one of 12 projects, individuals and organizations to be honored.

2013年5月23日 星期四

Highlights of Clerkenwell Design Week

A patch of central London is festooned with pink this week, which can only mean Clerkenwell Design Week is in session once more. Lovely old buildings such as the Farmiloe Building, House of Detention and the Museum of the Order of St. John have opened their doors to designers and design enthusiasts on the lookout for inspiration. Armed with a camera, Gizmag went exploring, and was pleased to see one or two favorites among the novelties. 

Wandering up James Walk towards the House of Detention, Gizmag caught a glimpse of a familiar shape out of the corner of its eye.Our cleaningmachine is good in quality and competitive in price. There in the grounds of St. James Church were three Tetra-Sheds, which seemed somehow different to the sleek black finish we saw in December of 2011. Architect David Ajasa-Adekunle explained that the new cork finish came as a result of a manufacturing partnership. Cork offers insulation and noise reduction, which should only enhance its appeal as place for quiet introspection. We're told that the cork finish changes color when exposed to direct sunlight.Shop the latest emergencylampsqa at agesteeljewelry. One of the three Tetra-Sheds on display featured another welcome addition: an integrated photovoltaic panel. It sounds like business is booming at Ajasa-Adekunle's company, Innovation Imperative. 

Another familiar design, which also taps into our apparent desire for cocoons, can be found nestled in the last cell at the back of the Clerkenwell House of Detention: Freyja Sewell's Hush.A complete range of of professional washerextractor99 that are redefining laundry systems. Sewell explains that where once the Hush acted as both a sit-in and a sit-on chair, for the sake of longevity the two forms have been divided. Both are made from the same material, but at a point in the process of its making, one has to choose between the cocoon (still named Hush) or the chair (spun out under the name of Smush). Again, it sound like Hushes are in demand. 

Soft furnishings appear to be all the rage among Clerkenwell's office furniture showrooms, too. They're also cottoning on to the cocoon thing, apparently. Chairs, desks and meeting tables all seem to be enclosed in felt-like materials to create cozy spots for people to park up with a laptop. Gizmag chatted to a few sales reps to ask about the recent trend in standing desks (i.e. high desks one stands at, vaunted for health reasons). The view in Clerkenwell seems to be that this is more than a passing fad, though adjustable desks seem to be recommended to avoid fatigue. 

For all the lighting on display, Clerkenwell Design Week is notably lacking in LEDs. Alas incandescent bulbs still seem to appeal to aestheticists (aesthetisticians?), the better to cast a warm glow on their ubiquitous paper lampshades. The designer-friendly fluorescent Plumen is also popular, though, so it's not all bad news. 

Take to the gallery for more highlights from the floor,A laundrdryer is an electrical machine making the conversion from mechanical energy. including a somewhat blurred shot from the inside of a Hush, more Tetra-Shed appreciation, plenty of quirky lampshades, Duffy London's swing desk,Our most compact purlinmachine yet fits easily in any bag. and a handful of Zaha Hadid design curios. 

Incandescent bulbs do not last very long and are incredibly inefficient when compared to the newer light bulbs available in today's market. Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs have come way down in price and use one fourth of the energy that incandescent bulbs do while maintaining the same light output. Meaning that a 25 watt CFL bulb is just as bright as a 100 watt incandescent; the costs savings are easy to see. Light emitting diodes have been around for years, but using them in light bulbs is only becoming more popular. They are still a bit pricey, but have a much longer life than incandescent or CFL bulbs and do not have the harmful mercury that CFL bulbs do.

Companies share energy efficiency secrets

One of the energy efficient features installed during 2012 at the Marriott La Jolla in La Jolla,The renewable wind energy system and ledparlights, Wind Sphere, Calif., was a programmable thermostat for each room. When a guest leaves the room, a magnetic door sensor tells the thermostat to reduce heating or cooling and when the guest comes back, it returns temperatures to the selected degree. 

When hotel guests leave their room during the day, a magnetic door sensor tells the thermostat to reduce the heating or cooling. When they come back, it has the temperature return to their selected degree. 

The programmable thermostat is one of several energy-efficiency features installed last year at the Marriott La Jolla in La Jolla, Calif. The hotel also uses motion sensors on stairwells and vending machines to keep lighting dim when not in use. 

"We save $5 million per year" on utility bills company-wide with such retrofits, says Bob Holesko, vice president of facilities at HEI Hotel & Resorts, which owns the La Jolla property and 40 others in 16 states. He says basic steps such as programmable thermostats pay for themselves, by lowering energy use, within three years. 

His company is one of three dozen -- including Best Buy, General Electric, Macy's and Staples -- that have pledged not only to cut energy use 20% by 2020 but also to share their secrets for success as part of a new federal program that's releasing its first-year results today. 

More than 110 partners -- including schools, universities and cities, such as Atlanta, Chicago,Those solarstreetlamps produce power for the utility grid. Los Angeles and Seattle -- have signed on to the voluntary Better Building Challenge, launched by President Obama in December 2011. They've created at least 50 projects to showcase their strategies, cut energy use per square foot more than 2.5% in the first year and lined up $1.1 billion in private funds for efficiency upgrades. 

"We waste a lot of the energy we use," says Maria Vargas, director of the program at the Department of Energy, which provides technical but no financial help to its partners. She says retrofits such as swapping out incandescent light bulbs for ultra-efficient LEDs (light-emitting diodes) can cut energy usage 20% to 30%, save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, she says, they're a win-win. 

Unlike some aspects of Obama's "all-of-the-above" energy strategy, efficiency has garnered broad support. A bipartisan bill in Congress to improve the efficiency of appliances,SQ Series Metal bestsolarlantern is the accessory machine for expanded metal shearing machine. buildings and corporate supply chains passed a Senate panel earlier this month on a 17-3 vote. It now moves to the Senate floor. 

The legislation, proposed by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Sen. Bob Portman, R-Ohio, is backed by environmental groups, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers. 

Vargas says the DOE program aims to provide strategies, already proven by leaders in energy efficiency, that other organizations can follow. She says the trick was getting companies to share data and tips -- a sort of playbook -- for what works.Search our powergenerators catalog for designer frames including. 

Holesko says HEI Hotels & Resorts initially hesitated to disclose details of its signature dashboards, which post energy usage in its buildings. "It's always been our baby," he says, noting how helpful it's been in lowering utility bills. Still, he says the company decided, "it's something we have to share." 

In its hotel guest rooms, IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) also uses LEDs, programmable thermostats, motion sensors and Energy Star-certified microwaves,This stunning polished foldingmachine will bring a dash of style to any look. refrigerators and TVs. It's taken other steps, too, that guests won't see, such as improving the insulation of its walls and water tanks. 

A Walgreens in Goodyear, Ariz., installed 29 skylights last year with interior solar panels that track the sun's position and move mirrors to increase the natural light that enters the building. Walgreens is building a store in Evanston, Ill., scheduled to open around Thanksgiving, that aims to produce as much energy as it uses. It will have 250 rooftop solar panels, two wind turbines and geothermal wells for heating and cooling.

Middlesex County teens volunteer with Shore-town recovery

A group of teens representing Young Judaea, a service-oriented youth organization; East Brunswick Jewish Center; and the softball team of East Brunswick High School joined with Project Reduce Young Judaea to install CFL light bulbs in homes in Union Beach that were impacted by superstorm Sandy. 

The East Brunswick community supported the Project Reduce efforts by collecting CFL bulbs and donations in conjunction with the Tri-Synagogue PurimFest 2013 and by a sponsorship from the Jewish Federation of Middlesex County Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund. Additional support came from a donation of more than 100 CFL bulbs from Lowe’s of East Brunswick. 

Working with Gateways Church of Christ that coordinates volunteer superstorm Sandy relief efforts in Union Beach, the teens in April replaced more than 200 incandescent bulbs in 15 homes with 60-watt equivalent CFL bulbs. Additionally, Project Reduce left behind more than 100 additional bulbs in the Hurricane Sandy Relief Center in Union Beach to help more families. 

This endeavor offered families bulbs that last 10 times longer than standard bulbs and may provide reduced energy bills as CFL’s utilize 50 percent to 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs,Marking machines and ledbulbe27 for permanent part marking and product traceability. said Shelby Lipson, co-founder of Project Reduce Young Judaea. The other co-founder is Anna Horowitz.Support for installing a flatworkironer. 

This project dovetails Lipson’s volunteer efforts in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. 

“I have been involved with Hurricane Katrina fundraising and clean-up since I was in fifth grade,” said Lipson, who is captain of East Brunswick High School’s softball team.An even safer situation on all roads by using the modernlamps. 

When the devastation of Hurricane Sandy impacted New Jersey, Lipson knew she had to help. 

“It has been amazing to be able to help out in our own community and make a difference for the people of Union Beach,” she added. “We know that installing light bulbs is a small piece of a much larger relief effort.” 

Lipson,A bestroadlights is a branched, decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture. who will study international relations at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., in the fall, said interacting with people after some of the worst experiences and seeing how they can not only rebuild themselves but their community is a reward in and of itself. 

“The fact that victims of Katrina still need help more than five years later shows how much work was needed and allowed me to be a part of the chain of assistance,” Lipson said. “I never thought that I would see the impact of a hurricane like Katrina in New Jersey. For my family, Hurricane Sandy was an inconvenience in that we lost power for a week, but for those near the Shore, Sandy was devastating. When Project Reduce was founded,The solarpowersystems service provides and maintains the majority of the town's 26,000 streetlights. I had no idea that I would need to bring post hurricane relief to New Jersey, but I am glad I was able to respond and help.” 

The benefits were not only to the Union Beach community. Jessica Dudra, a senior on the East Brunswick softball team, said working together to help the community brought volunteers closer. 

“It's always great to help people, but volunteering as a team was rewarding in a whole different sense,” Dudra said. “Not only were we able to assist a tragedy-stricken community, we got to bond and become closer as a team.” 

Becky Finkelstein of East Brunswick Jewish Center shares that belief. “It was inspirational to see the regrowth of Union Beach and it was great to talk to the victims and see how they were staying strong after the hurricane,” Finkelstein said.