Kitchen and Home Design Ideas

When you hear the phrase “aging in place” regarding residential bathroom design, it’s not hard to imagine a clinical, unappealing hospital-like room, unadorned and simply equipped with grab bars, high toilet, and the like. But that’s not the picture you have to paint today when it comes to bathrooms designed for “visitability” (a measure of a place's ease of access for people with disabilities) or aging-in-place. The elements that make a bathroom safer and easier to navigate for seniors (or those with disabilities) are actually elements that make the bathroom safer and better for everyone regardless of their age or...

Extra storage, seating, and workspace. These are the reasons homeowners desire kitchen islands. According to the Research Institute for Cooking & Kitchen Intelligence (RICKI), three in ten homeowners polled have a kitchen island in their home with two-thirds using it to prepare food. Cutting up food and mixing ingredients topped the list of how the island is used in the kitchen (64 percent). Coming in third was conversations with family and friends (52 percent), serving food was fourth at 47 percent, and eating was fifth at 41 percent. Another RICKI poll asked homeowners what would be most important to have in a kitchen island. the number...

As the season of rebirth and renewal, Spring is the harbinger of all good things to come: gardens filled with growth, vibrant colors, and fresh flavors to awaken our hibernating taste buds, along with an eagerness to refresh and renew our environments. And for many, it's the beginning of a yearning to indulge in outdoor living and cooking whenever possible. There's no denying that outdoor living spaces have evolved into so much more than a patio set and simple grill; outdoor living now often encompasses elaborate living "rooms" complete with kitchens that offer all the amenities of the indoor versions and more. Are you considering making the outdoor living plunge?...

One of the big decisions to make when designing a bathroom is the type of vanity to install in your new space. Your basic vanity styles to choose from are freestanding, floor-mounted, and wall-mounted (also called a floating vanity). Here's a look at these different vanity options. Floor-Mounted Vanity A floor-mounted (also called built-in) vanity is basically a cabinet attached to the floor. This traditional, "kitchen cabinet" style of vanity typically offers the most under-counter storage space, and you don't have to worry about cleaning the floor underneath because the vanity cabinet usually goes all the way to the floor on all...