Sunburst Clean

(BPT) – Kitchen upgrades can seem daunting. From full renovations to hardware updates, the possibilities are endless when it comes to creating your dream kitchen. To make the process as smooth as possible, Delta Faucet compiled key tips to keep in mind as you embark on the remodeling journey. These quick guidelines will help you focus on the end result and ensure the overall experience is enjoyable.

Storage solutions

Determine storage needs based on how you work. Take inventory of kitchen tools and accessories to determine your path forward. For example, install a cabinet near the stove specifically tailored for pots and pans, or add a narrow cabinet by the oven to house cookie sheets and trays within easy reach. If you rarely use your food processor or slow cooker, choose a cabinet out of the way to guarantee storage space for the items you will need to access more readily. Plan a designated place for every kitchen utensil and appliance to avoid messy drawers and cluttered cabinets.

An island for your needs

A multifunctional island delivers additional storage and prep space to almost any kitchen. Customize your island area based on your cooking and entertaining style. Make the most out of the space to fit your needs. Avid cooks who prepare many big meals might consider including a prep sink for rinsing fruits and vegetables. Conversely, those who love to entertain can use the island to add counter space for hors d’oeuvres and accommodate bar stools.

Faucet functionality

Few people enjoy rinsing messy dishes, but the proper faucet can make this chore easy and carefree. Blending design and functionality, the Delta Mateo Kitchen Faucet with optional Touch₂O Technology is an ideal choice for any kitchen redesign. Touch₂O Technology with the TempSense system allows the faucet to be turned on and off with just a touch, simplifying kitchen tasks during food prep and clean-up. An LED light at the base of the faucet changes color from blue to red to alert users to the water’s temperature and avoid surprises. Beyond innovative technology, the faucet’s transitional design — inspired by the Italian countryside — works well with a variety of style preferences, creating a beautiful kitchen focal point.

Quick and easy design upgrades

When designing the kitchen of your dreams, take into consideration that tastes and styles are ever evolving. Peel-and-stick backsplashes are budget-friendly as well as quick and easy to install. If your favorite finish or pattern preference changes in a few years, simply replace with a new design for an appealing refresh.

Take the time to plan appropriately with these four tips in mind and you will create a space perfectly tailored to all your kitchen needs. For more information, visit deltafaucet.com.

(BPT) – Hardwood may be one of the oldest building materials known to man, yet architects, designers and homeowners are always finding fresh ways to use it in the modern home. What’s the appeal? Flexibility and variety, for starters.

“We’re constantly delighted to see how traditional woods like oak and walnut are being employed with renewed flair and imagination,” says Linda Jovanovich, of the American Hardwood Information Center, www.hardwoodinfo.com. “Subtle tweaks can make something familiar, look innovative. The current trend is to take a classic hardwood application, like paneling or flooring, and give it a stylish, up-to-the-minute twist. Here’s a look at what’s trending.”

Wide-plank flooring

Perhaps no recent trend has been more influential than the use of wide-plank hardwood flooring. Traditional plank widths, ranging from 2 1/4 to 3 1/2 inches, are still popular. But today’s homeowners often ask for widths between 5 and 7 inches, and there is even demand for up to 10 or 12 inches. “Wider floorboards can make a space look larger and more modern,” says Melissa Morgan of M Interiors in San Antonio, Texas, who has used the generously proportioned planks in traditional and contemporary homes. “With fewer seams, these floors can be treated like a canvas: ebonized oak or walnut for a sleek, dark look; light woods like ash or maple for a chic, urban vibe; weathered-gray tones for a slightly rustic affect — the possibilities are endless.”

Wood ceilings

It used to be that hardwood planks primarily went on floors or walls, but today they’re appearing on residential ceilings too. “Simple poplar beadboard, painted white or with a light natural stain, looks crisp and airy overhead, adding visual interest while remaining quiet and unassuming,” says Rebecca Ascher, Ascher Davis Architects in New York and Newport, Rhode Island. “For a more assertive affect, I might specify tongue-and-groove walnut or hickory, characterful woods that provide a degree of drama. For that reason, they’re best reserved for large, high-ceilinged rooms that are not easily overwhelmed. In smaller, lower spaces, a ceiling with too much personality can feel oppressive.”

Mix and match

Architects and designers, who once avoided using different varieties of hardwood in a single residential space, now mix and match them with newfound enthusiasm. Clearly contrasting wood tones — blond maple and black walnut, for example — create a striking effect that can work well in both traditional and contemporary settings. This is particularly true in kitchens, where a favorite configuration features upper cabinetry in a light-color wood such as birch, and lower cabinetry in a dark-color wood like cherry. The result is a space that has strong visual interest, and is light and airy, yet solidly grounded.

Gray stains and finishes

Gray is a classic “neutral” that never truly goes out of fashion. It’s currently one of the most popular colors, ranging from pale smoke to deep charcoal, showing up in hardwood flooring, paneling and cabinetry. “Whether light or dark, gray stains bring out any wood’s natural grain and texture,” says New York interior designer Laura Bohn. “Grays are versatile and timeless — quiet and soothing colors that recede into the background without losing personality or becoming faceless. That’s why they work in any style décor, yet always look modern.”

Distressed hardwoods

Homeowners drawn to the popular look of weather-beaten rustic and elegantly timeworn are turning to distressed hardwoods — new product to which scrapes, nail holes, notches, saw marks and other signs of wear and tear have been carefully applied, often by hand. Manufacturers are able to reproduce convincing facsimiles of anything from the burnished walnut floorboards of an 18th century salon to the rugged oak-plank siding of a 19th century Pennsylvania barn. It’s a distinctive look that offers a wide range of aesthetics.

Visit www.hardwoodinfo.com for more about residential design trends and other applications and products using American hardwoods.

(BPT) – While it’s important to be prepared in the event that a fire breaks out in your home, it is also very important to evaluate your home for fire safety and fire prevention beforehand. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) S…

(BPT) – There was a time when only a few could afford a large screen television. The resolution was clunky, the sound poor and the cost high. But over the past decade, technology has advanced so remarkably fast that today a 60-inch television with unbelievably crisp resolution is within many people’s budget.

Add to this the fact that tickets for movie theaters are more expensive than ever, and it makes sense why more people are building a home theater in their house. With some planning and amazing electronic toys, it’s possible to create a media room that delivers theater-quality sound and visuals. And you can enjoy it in more comfortable seats and without obnoxious strangers interrupting the show.

But 4K televisions, surround-sound speakers and bass cannons are only part of the overall experience.

To compliment these electronics features, you need the right setting to amplify the experience. This means taking the time to design a proper media room that enables your equipment. These five indispensable tips will help you do just that.

1. A great media room begins with the right walls. Incredibly strong, Habito(TM) drywall is able to hold up to 30 pounds on a single screw. This drywall does away with wall mounts and the need to find a stud, allowing you to mount your speakers, television or screen exactly where you want them to go.

2. Paint wisely. While what color you choose for your room will be based off personal preference, aim for earthy, neutral colors that minimize glare. To help draw the focus of the room toward the screen, many paint the wall a burgundy or maroon.

3. Great sound is a result of more than speakers. Designing your room with acoustics in mind is key. Hard surfaces create a sharp, echoing quality to the sound. To avoid this, your media room should be carpeted and instead of hard blinds, use sound dampening curtains to help enhance the sound and keep out the sun. The density of Habito drywall also contributes to reduced sound transmission between rooms, helping to create separation between your media room and the living area of the home.

4. Think about speakers, walls and storage. Though most people’s attention will be drawn to the wall with the television on it, the surrounding walls are equally important. Here is where you mount speakers for the 360-degree sound effect, sconce lighting and floating shelves for design and storage. To properly achieve this, you need a durable wall, such as Habito drywall, that can both hold the needed weight and is strong enough to make it easy to redesign and remount fixtures as needed.

5. Create lighting to accommodate a variety of moods. A media room is meant to be used in a number of ways. Even when you’re watching a movie, you’ll probably turn the lights up then down before it’s over. For this reason, be sure to install dimmable lights that can easily be controlled. This way, you can keep it dark for the dramatic scenes, and when the pizza arrives, have just enough light to see your food but not detract from the picture quality.

It’s easy to only focus on the big “toys” when building a media room. But the secret to a truly great home-theater experience begins in the construction phase, well before anything is plugged in. To learn more about Habito drywall, visit HanginWithHabito.com.

(BPT) – Just a decade or two ago, home automation was still something of a novelty. Some homeowners might have had programmable thermostats in their homes, but many probably hadn’t thought of automating things like window coverings. Moreover, they likely viewed any home automation they did have as a convenience. Today, home automation is becoming an essential efficiency-enhancing element in many homes.

Right now, just fewer than 6 percent of American households have automated homes, but within four years that percentage is expected to triple to nearly 19 percent, according to data compiled by Statista.com. What’s driving more people to automate their homes? A report by icontrol networks found security, cost savings and eco-friendly energy efficiency are what people find most exciting about home automation.

Heating and cooling, lighting and security systems are among the most common elements automated in homes, but they’re far from the only ones that can save you money and make your home more efficient. Here are three surprising things you can automate in your home to further improve efficiency, boost energy savings and lower energy costs:

Window coverings

Shades, drapes, blinds, and awnings can all help control the amount of heat and light that enter your home. Selecting window coverings to block out light and heat in summer, and admit light in winter, can help your home’s heating and cooling systems work more efficiently. However, the effectiveness of window coverings hinges on opening and closing them at the right time — something you may forget to do, or not be home to do.

Automating and powering window coverings can help automatically maximize their effectiveness. Depending on the climate where you live, automating window coverings could yield energy savings of 11-20 percent, according to a study commissioned by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).

Somfy’s motorized solutions easily integrate with any home automation system, regardless of brand or technology, and offer many options for controlling window coverings. Select from a wide variety of hand-held remotes, sensors, wall switches, and the myLink app that allows you to control your motorized window coverings from mobile devices.

Door locks

If you’ve ever been locked out of your house or had a guest arrive at your home when you were out, you probably wished there was some way to unlock your front door without a key — and from miles away. Smart locks allow you to do both those things and more.

You can replace or supplement an existing lock by installing a smart lock, and you won’t need a professional locksmith to do it. If you can install a regular lock and operate a smartphone, you have the expertise you need to add and use a smart lock.

In addition to allowing you to lock and unlock your door without a key, smart locks also allow you to operate the lock remotely from an app on your phone. You can also receive alerts when the door has been unlocked — a great way to track the comings and goings of latchkey kids. Many allow you to generate a single-use digital key that you can email to guests or service providers who may need to enter your home when you’re not there. Smart locks can also be paired with most popular home automation systems.

Smart appliances

Many appliance makers are offering smart, connected appliances with the big draw being their “wow factor.” However, some of the features of these appliances do hold the potential to improve a home’s efficiency and energy savings.

For example, a refrigerator that tracks groceries and lets you know when you’re about to run out of an important item could help you better plan your shopping trips. Fewer car trips conserves gas and reduces greenhouse emissions. Cooking is another area where automation can relieve some of the energy waste caused by human error. Smart ovens and cooktops can sense when to turn themselves off in case you forget to do it — reducing energy waste and fire risks.

More homeowners are discovering the convenience, security and efficiency advantages of home automation. Technology is helping make American homes more livable and enjoyable.