Home Instincts Blog

Archive for the ‘Kitchen’ Category

Range Hood Style

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012

Range hoods (otherwise known as vent-a-hoods) are a necessity for some cooks. My husband cooks crazy things on high heat and is often tossing smoking hot wok dishes around willy-nilly. A range hood is a necessity for us… especially when you live in a highly inefficient 1957 atomic ranch style home with very old (but awesome) metal windows.

But along with function, comes form. And these days you are not limited to the run-of-the-mill range hoods that don every apartment kitchen built in the last 30 years. Check out our “Range Hood Style” Pinterest board to see the many available styles, however far and wide they may be, of the range hood. A smattering of that comprehensive selection include:

Source: homeinstincts.com via Home on Pinterest

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Source: signaturehardware.com via Home on Pinterest

Tags: kitchen, kitchen renovation, modern range hood, oven hood, Pinterest, range hood, rustic range hood, vent-a-hood
Posted in Rangehoods, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Discontinued retro Formica countertop options

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

Pan Kueber, resident awesome retro lady at RetroRenovation.com, got wind that some of the old-school retro formica countertop surfaces are being discontinued! This is a huge bummer for boomerang pattern lovers, but no fear! Some companies are releasing new retro-inspired collections that might just do the trick.

Discontinued boomerang Formica

New Arborite options (in other colors as well)

Details of the discontinued laminates can be found on this Retro Renovations post. If you find other sources of this kind please pass it on!

Some other sources of similar retro countertop surfaces are listed below:

Tags: formica, Formica Boomerang, laminate countertop, retro countertop, retro laminate, Retro Renovation
Posted in Kitchen | No Comments »

NEW Cast Stone sinks

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

We’re adding new products all the time and one item we’re especially excited about are our Cast Stone sinks. They’re stunningly beautiful and extremely durable, not to mention statement-making.

These Cast Stone sinks are all handmade stainless concrete vessels, thus each one has a slightly different appearance.They’re extremely stain and acid resistant and will last you forever!

Tags: cast stone sinks, farmhouse sink, modern sink, sinks, stone sink, vessel sink
Posted in Bathroom, Kitchen, Sinks | No Comments »

Money saving tips for your kitchen and bath

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

In the shadow of the recession, consumers are keeping a sharp eye on their bills and their pocketbook. We’re becoming keener and savvier in light of the recent national economic struggle and that’s not likely to change when, and if, the recession lifts.

{ click on the images to view the full article }

It seems as if people are taking to heart the pleas for conservation and green living, and it can literally pay to keep our eye on the way we’re living and affecting the environment around us.

Freshome.com has put together a great breakdown of ways to save a little money in our homes’ kitchens and baths by doing things like changing our lightbulbs, installing water saving fixtures and more.. It’s a worthy set of rules to apply to our own abodes, and could really end up saving some dough in the long run.

Tags: cut down energy in kitchen, energy saver bathroom, energy saving tips, Freshome, green living, save energy
Posted in Bathroom, Kitchen | No Comments »

Vetrazzo recycled glass material

Monday, August 29th, 2011

One sure way to add some pizazz to your kitchen or bathroom is with a great countertop material. The options are endless these days, from stainless steel to concrete, to acrylic to tile to granite and back again. And those are just a FEW options to choose from.

While researching interesting countertop materials this weekend (and fantasizing about the crazy color combos and fun aesthetic I could create) I came across this fabulous Vetrazzo recycled glass material. Vetrazzo® is a recycled glass surface comprised of 100% recycled glass. It has 85% glass per volume, tons of color palette options and can be a truly unique piece of art!

Just a few options available:

It’s recycled, STUNNING and way different than your standard granite. I’m sold!

Tags: modern countertop, recycled countertop, recycled glass countertop, recycled glass material, recycled glass tile, Vetrazzo
Posted in Bathroom, Home Decor, Kitchen | No Comments »

Inventive home features from the 50s

Monday, July 18th, 2011

Our homes today are oh, so modern. Equipped with tv screens on our appliances, shiny chrome pop up vents, under cabinet lighting and the fanciest in floor and counter surfaces, our homes have transcended simply convenient and have made our lives EASIER to live.

It’s fascinating to look back at home and technology trends of decades before, marveling at their silly future predictions and clunky “modern” designs. RetroRenovation.com often features such wonders of antiquity on their blog, and they’re a riot to behold!

A medicine cabinet with a locking “poison shelf”? Ingeniously NOT useful at all. Recessed “package receivers” and shoe racks? Not quite useful either, but must have been all the rage in the 50s!

What is YOUR favorite outdated house trend that you scoped out in an older relative’s house growing up?

Tags: 1950s kitchen, 1950s technology, 50s homes, poison shelf, retro home, retro home trend, retro kitchen
Posted in Design, Kitchen, Technology | No Comments »

DIY and your kitchen cabinets

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

So you move into a new house. It’s gorgeous, perfectly sized and has a great backyard with that perfect tree-covered deck for your grill. But there is ONE itty bitty problem: the kitchen cabinets. They’re of an awful color and extremely dated, and you want to fix that STAT! It could cost upwards of fifteen or twenty thousand dollars to replace the lot of them and that MAY not be an option for you. You JUST bought a house right?!

There are options other than ripping out and replacing, therefore causing a construction nightmare and putting a heavy dent in your pocketbook. If you like the overall shape and style of your existing cabinets, and they are in decent condition, the answer could be as easy as re-paint. Before you get all gung-ho with this idea, take a look at a few expert posts outlining the steps you should take to repaint. There are even cabinet refinishing kits that provide a fancy new look with minimal effort!

Without doing a lot of work, or hiring a lot of extra labor, you can give your cabinets a quick facelift and entirely change the look of your kitchen with faux finishing. Now, faux finishing (on walls in particular) has gotten a bad rap. And for good reason! Suspend your skepticism momentarily, and check out these DIY faux finishing options for your cabinets.

Having problems deciding HOW you actually want to move forward with revamping your kitchen cabinets? The experts have all the answers to your questions. Keep in mind all the factors involved, and with these tips from the pros you can make the best possible decision about your kitchen cabinet re-do.

Whatever avenue you choose to take, there are a TON of diy and how-to resources online to help you make your decision, and walk you through the steps to ensure that your cabinets come out looking fantastic, on budget and don’t cause you a tremendous amount of stress in the process!

Tags: DIY kitchen cabinets, how-to paint cabinets, paint kitchen cabinets, refinish kitchen cabinet, remodel kitchen, replace cabinets, rust-oleum cabinet transformations
Posted in Home Decor, Kitchen, Remodel Renovate | No Comments »

Kitchen color

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

Spring is here, and summer is close on her heels. When this time of year rolls around I get inspired by color. Pure and vibrant, splashes of color in your kitchen, traditionally the most occupied room of the home, can be the perfect pop that you need to brighten things up. Cabinets and countertops are often best left neutral (though outrageous countertop materials can be an excellent crowd-pleasing choice), but one fantastic way to add a little “kapow” to your kitchen is through multi-colored appliances.

Dacor recently introduced 24-inch dishwashers in an array of colors, catering to the more funky modern aesthetic that a lot of homeowners are craving.

Bluestar is going above and beyond, now offering their ranges in a whopping 190 colors. Not only are their ranges fantastic quality, but now you can get one to match ANY color scheme you could dream up. What’s more fun than that!?

The trusty and ever-valuable Kitchenaid broke the mold early when they started offering their mixers in a bevy of fun shades. And how about a cool blue microwave to set the color tone? With this mod Bodum toaster you can’t go wrong if you’re on the hunt for some color!

If you’re like me, and your kitchen is straight out of the 50s, these retro Northstar fridges and ranges might be just the ticket to finish out your cutesy cooking space!

Tags: 50s inspired appliances, 50s inspired kitchen, color in the kitchen, colorful appliances, colorful kitchen, Dacor dishwasher, kitchen design, Northstar fridge, Northstar range, red fridge, red stove, retro kitchen, retro kitchen appliances
Posted in Design, Home Decor, Kitchen | No Comments »

Earth friendly materials

Friday, April 15th, 2011

When buying a new surfaces for your home, including countertop and flooring, there are many things to consider. The cost, surely. But also durability, method of cleaning, heat resistance and how it LOOKS to you. Increasingly, though, consumers are adding another question to tick off their list, and that’s how earth friendly the material is.

Manufacturers are taking note too, churning out more and more green products, and retailers aren’t hesitating to stuff their shelves with them. Being earth-conscious isn’t only the right thing to do, but it also just so happens to be the “in” thing as well. Today there are more options than ever for the environmental loveys, and the selection is only bound to increase.

Teragren is a bamboo flooring manufacturer that has championed strict environmental standards. From their inception they have been committed to developing and manufacturing beautiful bamboo products that Reduce dependence on dwindling timber resources, rely on renewable-resource materials, adhering to stringent, environmentally sensitive specifications. Teragren’s formaldehyde-free, food-safe bamboo parquet butcher block, available in natural or caramelized colors, is perfect for kitchen counters and tabletops. They make beautiful AND eco-conscious materials for the home.

The EQcountertop from VT Industries uses a low-emitting particleboard core, water-based adhesives, and Greenguard indoor air quality-certified laminates. They make gorgeous, versatile AND durable countertops for your kitchen and bath. They’re 100% pre-consumer recycled material, low-emitting GREENGUARD certified laminates, VOC-eliminating, water-based and made with biodegradable adhesive.

Recycled ceramic tile, low VOC butcher block, recycled glass and composite materials are among the most environmentally friendly materials to use, though recycled concrete and stainless steel are good options as well. So when you’re thinking of replacing that old carpet flooring, or upgrading your kitchen from those 50′s tiles with those hard to clean grout lines, take a look at the green products. You may be surprised with what you find, and for what price you find it. The quality of these products are sure to shine bright in your home, and maybe even help out this earth of ours a bit in the process.

Tags: bamboo flooring, composite countertops, concrete countertops, eco-conscious, environmentally friendly countertop, environmentally friendly flooring, flooring options, green countertop, green flooring, kitchen countertops, recycled stainless steel contourtops, renewable flooring
Posted in Design, Kitchen, Remodel Renovate, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Pink kitchens

Monday, April 11th, 2011

Color is a whiz-bang change that can transform a so-so space into spectacular. The mood and the feeling of a space can turn on a dime with a dose of saturated color. A bold choice, and not necessarily an easy sell, a pink kitchen may just add the quirk and pitch-perfect punch to your drab kitchen.

Forget Barbie and Ken, and think mod, elegant and playful! Pair a hot pink with modern white and stainless steel appliances and surfaces for a chic and clean feel. Adore retro? Nab that vintage style pink range oven and incorporate some cutesy sweet elements like chintzy floral curtains and vintage utensils hung on a pegboard backdrop to achieve a kitschy 50′s feel. Want to make a splash at your big BBQ or family dinner? Add a pot o’pink to your cooking space and guarantee the “whoas” and “wows” will follow.