|
|
For every homeowner who dreams of an entertaining enclave defined in the beauty of brick or stone, be it a luxury outdoor kitchen, stylish veranda or stunning dining room, there is the very real and intimidating prospect of actually creating it. Such custom installations have always translated to substantial investments in time, cost, materials and labor, until now.
With Eldorado Outdoor, Eldorado Stone makes it possible for anyone to enjoy a luxury backyard space within days, with outdoor cabinets that are easy for any contractor to use, and then dress with any of the authentic stone profiles offered by Eldorado Stone. Eldorado Outdoor cabinets come in a variety of sizes and quickly assemble into custom barbecue islands, kitchen counters, bars, fireplaces, fire pits and more.
Eldorado stone allows you to create beautiful and authentic masonry outdoor spaces in less than half the time compared to traditional building techniques. Even cut outs for custom features such as barbecues, sinks, drawers and burners can be done on site, allowing for limitless options when selecting their appliances and accessories. Eldorado Outdoor components are [...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
Ever wonder how that new Whirlpool, Kitchen Aid or Maytag appliance with all the newest technology came to the marketplace? Well, Whirlpool, the parent company has formalized a process to sort through the thousands of ideas that, at any one time, are percolating up from product groups, new business development teams, and i-mentors — employees trained in innovation who have been deployed throughout the organization to identify promising ideas. From that first grab-bag of concepts, managers green-light several hundred for study, giving each a slice of an innovation budget that ballparks at several million dollars for North America this year.
Ultimately, almost half of those flow into its innovation pipeline, which currently numbers close to 1,000 products. On average, 100 are introduced to the marketplace. “Every month we report pipeline size measured by estimated sales, and our goal this year is billion,” says Norena. With Whirlpool’s 2008 revenue totalling .9 billion, that would mean roughly 20% of sales would be from new products.
Beginning Affresh
The process has helped Whirlpool find such innovations as Affresh, a hockey puck-shaped tablet that consumers can toss into front-loading washers for a cleaning cycle. In less than two years, Affresh, which works [...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
Choosing flooring is a lot like choosing countertops. Which type you choose depends on the style of your kitchen, the amount of use it will get, and the price. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages.
Vinyl, linoleum and carpet are the most comfortable underfoot. Laminate, vinyl and polyurethane-treated wood are the most durable. Stone and concrete look good and are also hard-wearing, but are also harder to clean.
Decide whether you want to install flooring under your removable appliances or around them (whichever you choose, make sure you can roll them out for repairs). Talk to your designer about this.
Vinyl
The most common kitchen flooring material, vinyl offers the best value and versatility. It is available in many patterns and colors, either inlaid, where the pattern and color runs through the material (most durable, works well in high traffic areas), or a with a surface-only printed design which is not as lasting. Make sure you buy the appropriate grade for the area it will be used in. It is easy to clean and is stain- and water-resistant. It comes in either sheet or tile form.
Advantages:
Nice ‘bouncy’ feel underfoot (dependent on thickness). [...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
|
|
