Bed Bath & Beyond Blog

Tuscan Kitchen Decorating Ideas

2007-05-26T17:57:00.001-07:00

By Kathy Burns-Millyard

More and more people today find the thought of a sunny cottage kitchen in the Tuscan countryside as their ideal. If you long to have that cozy-cottage feel in your own kitchen, the good news is that it's easy to do-it-yourself!

One of the reasons Tuscan kitchen is such a hot decorating trend is that it celebrates the simple things in life: Food, friends, and family. A Tuscan kitchen is functional, not fussy, and decorating in this theme is as simple as paint and a few touches.

The walls in a Tuscan kitchen have a unique, old-world look. You can achieve this using a faux painting technique. First, you paint the walls a bright base color such as butterscotch or butter yellow. Then, sponge on a deeper shade so that the walls look as though they have faded in some spots. There are many books and Internet sites that can give you step-by-step directions on this method of applying paint, as well as product suggestions. If you want to go the extra mile, you can texturize your walls using joint compound mixed with paint. "Pouncing" the mixture onto the walls creates a colored, rustic roughness characteristic of an authentic country kitchen in Tuscany.

The next places to paint are cabinet doors. Use a strong, contrasting color to really give your Tuscan county kitchen character. Deep reds and bright forest greens are especially popular on cupboard doors. While you're out looking for just the right shade of paint, spend some time in the hardware section of your home improvement store. This is where you'll find the pulls and handles to add the finishing touch to your Tuscan cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Heavy, burnished metal or ceramic knobs will both look great in your kitchen.

Now that you have the background set, it's time for the focus pieces. A Tuscan country kitchen harkens thoughts of family and friends. A large table with simple chairs is a sure invitation to your own family to spend quality time in the kitchen. Brightly colored seat cushions make the chairs even more inviting, and a wooden bowl of fruit and nuts encourages a long visit.

Browse through kitchen supply stores and you'll find a dazzling array of decanters for oils and spices. In a Tuscan county kitchen, cooking ingredients are often stored in plain sight. Glass jars filled with dried beans and pasta should line your counters, along with terra cotta planters and cooking utensil holders. Pewter and copper vessels are also a good choice you're your Tuscan kitchen. If you have the floor space, freestanding metal or wooden racks can be used to hold commonly used pots and pans, as well as sunflower-print table linens. Pots of herbs on a windowsill and trailing houseplants on top of the refrigerator add even more of an Old World feel to your new kitchen look.

Additional information, resources, and updates for this article can be found at: http://www.diyhomedecorating.com/articles/2005-10/208/tuscan-kitchen-decorating-ideas/
© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Visit The Do It Yourself Home Decorating Network - http://www.diyhomedecorating.com - for more Decorating Ideas, Tips and Resources.

Kitchen Island Ideas for Great Custom Kitchen Islands

2007-05-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

By David Buster

Use kitchen island ideas to better understand how to create a more functional and comfortable kitchen. Using custom kitchen islands means having the most appropriate island for your home and kitchen area based on your kitchen space and your needs. Kitchen island ideas take us back to the farmhouse kitchen, even back to medieval times when a large worktable was used to do most of the preparation work.

Besides meal preparation, the kitchen can become a gathering area for family and friends if there is enough space. Since so much happens in the kitchen on a regular basis, getting the layout right is important. The kitchen island can serve as an additional eating area, and food preparation can easily be done there. In a large kitchen, the kitchen island can shorten the distances within the working triangle (sink, refrigerator and range or cooktop) and make it more efficient.

Here are kitchen island ideas to consider when planning your kitchen:
1. Kitchen islands work best in larger L, U or G-shape kitchens. If the kitchen is too small, the kitchen island will become an obstruction and hinder easy movement. The best custom kitchen islands for small to midsize kitchens are a portable butcher block or kitchen cart for food prep or extra storage.

2. Include a ventilation hood overhead to eliminate smoke, steam and cooking odors if your kitchen island is going to have a cooktop. The range hood should extend beyond the cooking area by 3 inches or more on the sides for proper ventilation. Using the correct fan size will ensure that removal happens as intended. Have a fan capacity of about 50 cubic feet per minute (cfm) for each square foot of cooktop area.

3. A second kitchen sink can be included on the kitchen island. Use a sink that is deep enough for washing large pots and pans, and consider equipping the kitchen island with a trash compactor, garbage disposal, recycle bin and even a dishwasher. Cleanup will be much easier when these appliances are close by the sink.

4. Allow adequate countertop space on both sides (left and right) of the kitchen island if a sink or cooktop will be used. Include at least 15 inches of countertop space on each side, and if your kitchen is large enough, allow even more space. You can never have too much countertop space in a kitchen. Also, rounded countertop corners help protect everyone from bad bruises -- this is true about all kitchen countertop corners.

5. Additional kitchen island ideas are to consider using shelf space on the sides of your kitchen island for cookbooks, collectibles or storage. A built-in TV works here, especially if it faces the family room. Or a microwave may work well for heating up after-school snacks and cooking foods quickly.

6. Countertop material for the island doesn't have to match the rest of your kitchen countertops as long as it is harmonious with the room's overall design. You may want to splurge on solid surfacing here, for example, and use laminate on the other countertops. A butcher-block countertop is ideal for chopping, while granite or marble works well for baking purposes and for rolling pastry dough.

7. Maximize natural light by having windows and skylights, and keep kitchen wall surfaces light in color to reflect daylight. Custom kitchen islands work great by using pendant or recessed fixtures to direct light onto the kitchen island and other work areas. Electrical codes will likely require that electrical outlets be located on the sides of fixed kitchen islands, not on the top, to prevent electrical shock.

Use custom kitchen islands ideas to help you know how to create an attractive area that will perform a variety of useful functions. Designed correctly, kitchen islands will make your work area more functional and efficient and will be enjoyed by everyone for many years. Read as many kitchen island ideas as you can on using an island to improve the functionality and comfort in your kitchen -- after all, your kitchen is most likely the most popular room in the house.
Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

Learn more about kitchen design online and creating the very best kitchen for your home. David Buster is VP of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.yourdreamloghome.com - visit the website and find informative articles for a variety of home improvement topics on kitchen design, bathrooms, fireplaces, home storage and more.

All About Color: Bed and Bath Trends Today

2007-05-01T23:24:00.000-07:00

By Dylan Miles

The main trend in bed and bath décor today is making a statement about color. Bold, sophisticated and modern expressions of color are in, while fluorescent and pastel expressions are out. Stripes prevail over fussy patterns. Go crazy with colors, but keep them subtle, never extreme.

Color your bed

You may use color in many ways, but the most trendy way of expressing your style right now is in the abundant use of decorative pillows. Decorative pillows are all the rage in home décor today, and they come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and styles.

Throw as many as you like over the bed to create an overall effect of a rich and sophisticated color explosion. Choose decorative pillows that are printed with enriched brights; blues and yellows, orange and greens. Decorative pillows make exceptional statements when they are printed with a complex mix of vertical and horizontal stripes. Other excellent choices are decorative pillows that come with buttons, pockets, ribbons and textured fabrics.
The impact of color in your bedroom should reflect the overall design concept of your duvet covers, sheets, coverlets, and rugs.

Color your bath

Color is back for the bath as well. In the bathroom, color is used in similar ways as in the bedroom. Instead of pillows, however, experiment with towels, shower curtains, mats, robes, and slippers. Use sophisticated brights, that are rich in color, but are not garish and not pastel. Something in between. Mix and match: greens and oranges, blues and yellows.
In the bathroom, color statements should reflect luxury and comfort. Select towels, mats, curtains of ultra quality. Luxury is a basic characteristic of bath trends today.
http://www.luxurybedbath.info

Designer Shower Curtains

2007-05-01T23:12:00.000-07:00

By Max Bellamy

If you are looking for a quick and easy way to make over your bathroom, consider buying a new shower curtain. Shower curtains are available in a variety of styles, materials, and prices. Shower curtains can be whimsical, floral, traditional, or a host of other styles. And, of course, they can be designer.

Many of the big-name designers have taken part in shower curtain designs. Liz Claiborne, for example, offers a Cable Knit shower curtain in Ivory or Aloe. If you decide to have a Liz Claiborne master suite or guest room, matching accessories include duvet covers, towels, shams, wastebasket, lotion pump, and more.

Nautica- offers a sophisticated shower curtain in classic colors. It is offered with matching sheets, duvet, and bed skirts. Regent also offers shower curtains. Their embroidered shower curtain is multi-colored and offers many matching accessories, including wastebasket, lotion pump, tissue box, towels, toothbrush holder, soap dish, and tumbler.

Eddie Bauer- offers a nice selection of shower curtains, including a denim curtain. They also offer towels and robes in coordinating colors.

Tommy Hilfiger- has also entered the home décor arena. Their shower curtains have a retail price of $90. Hilfiger also offers many color-coordinated accessories like towels, lotion pump, wastebasket, soap dish, and tumbler.

Ralph Lauren,- DKNY, and Hotel
are a few other well-known designers now offering bathroom décor.

Many fine department stores such as Macy’s, JC Penney, and Foley’s, sell designer shower curtains. Specialty home stores, such as Linens N Things and Bed Bath and Beyond also carry a selection of shower curtains by well-known designers. While designer shower curtains can be more expensive than their non-name brand counterparts, you can sometimes find them at a discount. Overstock offers many products at deep discounts over retail. While their inventory changes regularly, it is worthwhile to visit their site and do a search.

Whether you pay full price or get them at a discount,
the look of your finished bathroom is sure to be priceless.

The Benefits of Air Mattresses

2007-05-01T23:03:00.000-07:00

By Eric Morris

Given the amount of time that we spend sleeping -- or trying to sleep -- it only makes sense to make our beds as comfortable as possible. Today, we have many choices in mattresses, from pillow-top to firm. But what happens if your mattress preferences change from day to day? Maybe an ultra-firm mattress works for you sometimes, but other times you prefer a softer bed. For changeable comfort, an air mattress just might be your best bet.

Air mattresses are equipped with inflatable, adjustable chambers. such air mattress, the Sleep Number bed by Select Comfort, comes with two separate air chambers. A numbered remote dial controls each air chamber. The customer adjusts the mattress to the desired firmness -- or softness -- with the touch of a button. Since there are two chambers, each side of the bed can be controlled independently. This is ideal for partners with different mattress preferences.

Lounge air is offering a unique air mattress that converts to a lounge,ir, or recliner. Another type of air mattress is the low-cost, foldable variety. These inflatable mattresses are great for spare bedrooms, guest rooms, slumber parties, and even camping trips. Most of these air mattresses are simply put on the floor. These mattresses can be found at bedding stores such as Linens N Things and Bed, Bath & Beyond. They can also be found at department stores. At the time of this writing, WalMart was offering a two-position air mattress on a frame for $34. Some outdoor and camping supplies stores also sell air mattresses, as well as many online stores.
One company, however, created a more comfortable alternative to the on-the-floor air mattresses. The Raised AeroBed, by Aero Products International, Inc., is an inflatable bed that stands about two feet high. This type of air mattress can be inflated with a small electric pump.
Mattresses Info Memory Foam Web.