A Note About Paneled Appliances

Kathy Passarette, over at Creative Home Expressions,
has a beautiful post with lots of great images of refrigerators blended into the cabinetry, mirrored, made to look like armoires, etc.

One thing to note about paneled appliances, typically dishwashers and refrigerators, is that eventually you will have to replace the appliance.

We HAD a paneled refrigerator until it died and we had to buy a new one.

Even though we bought the same make, size and configuration refrigerator, the panels would not fit and could not be re-used. A $1000 investment, useless and in the trash.

I LOVED those panels too >:-C

I actually kept them in the garage for months before I would let my husband dispose of them...And we are not keepers of "stuff".

Our cabinetry is stained wood. Perfectly matching old stained wood is difficult if not impossible. In a kitchen it has been exposed to all those vapors and such for years.

The cabinet company was no longer in business.

For all of the above, we now have an un-paneled refrigerator.

















Imagine if it was and armoire investment...With TASSELS no less.

A further note:

Refrigerators have been growing in height ever since I became a kitchen designer.

Back in the '80's they were no more than 69" high. Nowadays more like 72" high.

Sub-Zero is the only company that still makes their refrigerators the same height as in the '80's - 84" high.

That means the "built-in look" your designer so carefully tried to achieve with the cabinet over the top coming right down to the top of the fridge, won't allow you to install a new fridge without replacing that upper cabinet.

I learned my lesson on this issue years ago and started specifying a space above, with a removable valance to close the gap that could be easily trimmed.

In spite of what you are thinking about the longevity of your appliances when you plan your new kitchen; they are never going to last forever.

What a shame to have to tear out a perfectly good kitchen just to replace your armoire...oops - fridge. Kinda shows where we are as a society. Doesn't it?

Peggy

Q&A Where Can I Find Someone To Help Us Design A Kitchen And Bathroom?

Q.

We bought a cottage type place that has no kitchen in it at all and a bath with just a toilet and shower, we are having trouble figuring out what to do that would look good.

Is there a virtual site that we can go to or someone that can design something that won't cost a fortune for them to plan something?

A.

You need a kitchen and bath designer with demonstrated talent and experience in space-planning.

The fact that there is no kitchen at all, also means that you will have to bring electrical and possibly gas to the area. That means services that are (likely) not in the house will need to be brought there.

Depending upon where you are located, there may also be requirements and codes that need to be met to install a kitchen.

The fact is: In some locales, you may even need an architect to plan your new kitchen.

I suggest the first thing to do is to go to your local building department with jurisdiction, explain your situation, and ask them what they require (They won't follow you home. Don't worry).

I'm afraid we designers don't come cheap, let alone free. But you will find that the right designer will save you far more than you spend on the design portion of your project. There are scores of products that go into every kitchen and bath. Saving money on each of them saves a lot. Designers know what works and what doesn't, what's a waste of money and a bargain.

There is nothing more costly than doing a project and finding that you hate it so much that you have to do it again.

Cost from my office: = Around $1000-1800 for a bare bones concept to take to IKEA, if you wish; up to $3-5000 for complete documents to submit for building permits.

Some charge more or less. I can only say what my fees usually are, and these are generalities since I charge by the hour.

A designer never knows how decisive a given client is going to be going in. A client who is very clear about what they like and don't like, and very decisive, is very likely to spend less on design services that a client who waffles and wavers about every decision and has to feel their way or see something before they know what they like.

The latter client will be just as happy with the results, but take a lot longer getting there and thus spend more money.

Peggy

Payatham Paruppu Payasam(Moong Dal Kheer)

Easy, healthy and delicious!

Serves-2

Ingredients:
Moong Dal(Payatham Paruppu)-1/3 cup
Jaggery-1/4 cup or more(if you want more sweetness)
Milk-1 cup
Cardamom-1/2 tsp
Grated Coconut(Optional)-1 tsp
Roasted broken cashews-1 tsp(optional)

Method:
Pressure cook moong dal with enough water for 3 whistles.
Add jaggery, coconut and cardamom to the mashed dal and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
After 2-3 minutes, add milk and roasted cashews and serve warm.
If the consistency of kheer is thick, you can add some more milk.