Design Trade

Huge Appliance Savings at Universal Appliance and Kitchen CenterSave up to $4300 on Jenn-Air$4300 savings on 3 or more Jenn-Air appliances. Read specifics from Jenn-Air below:"Purchase a select Jenn-Air kitchen appliance and receive $1300 towards another appliance.Buy a built-in refrigerator and get an additional $2000 towards another appliance.You will also receive up to $1000 towards installation of your new kitchen."Click to download rebate forms:UAKC APPLIANCE REBATESHere's a new Jenn-Air refrigerator you might want to consider. Available now at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center.Striking Obsidian Interior in Jenn-Air Built-In RefrigeratorInstead of being built with a standard white (boring) interior, Jenn-Air has jazzed up these built-in refrigerators with a black interior they call Obsidian. My first reaction was, "Duh! What were they thinking? Black is way too dark for a refrigerator interior." Well, my friends...that is not necessarily so. This refrigerator is loaded with cool LED lighting from the sides and even from above. Turns out, it's brighter, it showcases your food, and everything is easier to find. The look is elegant, and the features such as soft-close drawers tie in with the idea that the inside of your refrigerator can also be elegant, beautiful, and stylish.Jenn-Air's new refrigerators with Obsidian Interiors have also caught the eye of the design community. Here are a few notable comments:"Opens your eyes, every time you open the doors" - Provantidesigns.com"Gorgeous! Makes the color of the food really stand out as well." - Studio M Interior Design"Obsidian is very nice! Love it." - Schwarz­mann Eu­ro­pean KitchensThere

DIY Kitchen RemodelingBeen There - Done ThatHaving remodeled two kitchens in the last 5 years, here's some advice for Do-It-Yourself kitchen remodels. Don't.Seriously, unless you're an electrician, a plumber, a painter, and a carpenter, who can lay tile, and install cabinets, and granite countertops you're going to need help. In my case, I wasn't any of these. For my first kitchen remodel I hooked up with a designer. She saved me a lot of money with some great ideas and connected me with a general contractor. He took care of the trades while I took care of the materials with an assist or two from the designer.I later sold that house, and moved into a small older home that was perfect for us, but needed a complete update. In this case, I didn't use a designer. We did a complete gut job, but there was not much design work - just remove and replace. New floors, new paint, etc. In the kitchen we replaced everything, but kept the basic layout. If you choose to go this way, get ready for a very long process. In hindsight, I would have done everything the same, except I'd have hired a project manager to inspect the work in process and keep the job moving forward in a more timely fashion. If you decide to manage your own remodel, I'd recommend at a minimum that you stick with professionals for the work you can't handle yourself. I had a handyman scrape the popcorn ceilings,

Find the right place for your microwave Creative Design in the Kitchen One of a design professional's enduring issues with microwave ovens is where to locate them. Many designers fight the idea of locating the microwave over a range or in an upper cabinet. They argue (correctly in my mind), that it is not ergonomically sound for most homemakers because it is too high, and it's certainly not ADA compliant in an over the range location. One solution is an oven microwave combination. It's certainly doable, but it does require a 24" deep cabinet top to bottom instead of the more common 12" upper cabinet over the counter. However, a microwave above the oven is also likely to put the microwave controls a bit too high, and certainly not ADA compliant or universal design. An option we've discussed before is an under counter installation. The main disadvantage of installing a microwave under the counter is that the microwave oven is too low. Manufacturers have worked to overcome this with a slide out drawer and/or controls that are rotated upward. That's a great solution. Here is another possibility that builders or designers could work into their plan. I really like this one. Nearly any brand or model of countertop or even drawer microwave oven will fit in this location. This particular Jenn-Air is designed as a built-in microwave, and is available in either a 30" or 27" width. The raised granite breakfast bar is also super convenient. Of course this design

America's Largest Design Event: Dwell on Design 2015Right Here in Southern CaliforniaWhat is Dwell on Design?Dwell on Design has grown exponentially from its humble beginnings in San Francisco in 2005. One decade and several cities and venues later, the largest design show in the United States, drawing more than 31,000 visitors annually, takes over the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. During the weekend of May 29–31, 2015, on a show floor encompassing 240,000 square feet, Dwell will host architecture, design, landscape, and building industry leaders for three days of discussions centering on four key concepts influencing the way we live in the modern world. It's great to have such a huge design show as Dwell on Design taking place right here in Southern California, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. On Friday May 29th, the show will focus on hosting the design trade, and include educational events specifically created for industry members. On Saturday and Sunday, May 30 and 31st the show will be open to the design trade as well as interested members of the public. In addition to the three day exhibition and conference on site, there will be several home tours.Here's a recap of what you can expect: 400+ Exhibitors presenting 2000+ products 250,000 square feet of Exhibition space to explore 250+ Speakers on 3 stages 3 days of Continuing Education Seminars 450+ registered Press 5+ Full-scale prefab homes 2 days of Ride and Drives International & Cultural Pavilions Student Design Gallery and MoreProfessional