Most Popular Kitchen Cabinet Color
January 26, 2012 | 
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Is your kitchen looking a little tired? Is it more depressing than delightful now? Maybe it is time to do some thing about it, but if a total renovation is not necessary, you could just modify the colour scheme. For example, you could repaint the walls and the ceiling. Repaper if that is what you prefer and you could choose new kitchen cabinets to suit. This is a relatively economical way to give your kitchen a makeover without going the whole hog.
Many people believe that you have to change everything in the kitchen in order to remodel it, but that is just not the case. You change what you want. You renew what needs renewing. However, it is remarkable what effect a change of colour scheme can have. In fact, you do not even have to replace the cabinets.
The base units of wall and floor units or cabinets are all standard sizes. They are usually 600 mm, 400 mm or 300 mm and the doors come in sizes to suit these units. Therefore, all you have to do is change the doors. So, you can make a substantial change to your kitchen, with just a lick of paint and a dozen replacement cabinet doors.
So, how do you choose the colour of these new cabinet doors? Well, maybe you have seen some at a friend’s home that you admire. You could get a couple of home improvement magazines or you could look on line. Maybe the first choice that you should make is, whether you want wooden cabinet doors or whether you want painted doors.
There are scores of natural wooden colours available, but if you are willing to paint your own cabinet doors then you can literally have whichever colour you want. If you are not altering everything in your kitchen, match swatches of different colours against what you are not changing until you find a colour combination that you like. Get the whole family embroiled, it can be enjoyable.
It is a big decision to choose the colour of new cabinet doors, particularly if you decide on a natural wood such as oak, mahogany or maple. It is the same if you choose pre-coloured cabinet doors. If you are really having problems coming to a decision, just get cabinet door blanks and paint them yourself.
In fact this is not simply a lazy option, because it permits you to change your kitchen colour scheme every year or two at no more cost than the price of the paint and your time. It is probably the best choice for people who get fed up with colour schemes quite often.
This advice is a good method of saving money on new kitchen cabinets, although you may have to renew a few base or wall units if they have become damaged. Damaged cabinets will allow insects and dust to enter and infect your crockery and food so they should be replaced straight away.
In general, kitchen cabinet base units cannot be easily repaired because or the matter they are constructed from. In this case, you will need a few new kitchen cabinets.
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Review of Benchmark Fiberglass Entry Doors by Therma-Tru
Doors are not made equal. Exterior doors, such as the front door, are the most exposed to climate change and repeated use. Fiberglass is now a preferred surface material for doors because it does not rot, warp or crack like wood, nor does it rust or dent like steel. Traditional doors are a throwback to the time of exquisite handcrafting and craftsmanship but this artistry would be wasted on wood surfaces that would soon fracture and crumble too early. Benchmark fiberglass entry doors are now some of the most popular for new homes and replacement doors for old homes that once had wooden doors like mahogany or oak. These products are backed by the Therma-Tru name, pioneers in fiberglass doors, and exclusive distribution by Lowe’s stores. As wood doors are sliding from staple to next best, fiberglass doors are gaining interest. Architects and remodelers want to know how to find the right ones and make the most of those.
Benchmark fiberglass entry doors are increasingly known for achieving a balance between design and price. They are good-looking but affordable, an attractive possibility to savvy builders and homeowners who may be on a budget. Their classy designs mirror handsome doors of old but clean lines harmonize with unexpected elements like glass and metal. At the same time, their reasonable prices compete with real hardwood doors that reigned over the market with an iron hand in the past. The real test is in weathering and usage. If your location is troubled with fluctuating outdoor conditions, or if it is a high-traffic area requiring a new door, you should have a realistic budget with a ceiling for a top-of-the-line product. For a low-traffic area, especially inside the home, you may opt for something charming and mid-priced.
The promise of a long-lasting, energy-saving product that offers peace of mind adds to the appeal of Benchmark doors. They feature a “leak protection pad” that has been designed like a special corner pocket to block air and moisture where it is most expected to penetrate. Dual bulbs and dual fins make a heavy-duty door bottom sweep that further seals up against air and water infiltration. These enhance the quality of energy efficiency attached to fiberglass, which provides three to five times more insulation and lets natural light inside homes. The door sill has been developed to resist rotting and corrosion, with a cap using non-wood composite material and adjustable hardware using stainless steel. Greater resistance to rotting and insect damage can be had with the optional jamb, primed and ready for painting. An optional three-point locking system promises increased security. It has also been constructed from stainless steel and is resistant to corrosion.
Therma-Tru Doors, which owns the Benchmark by Therma-Tru brand, specializes in doors made from fiberglass rather than steel, composite material or wood, specifically, pre-hung entry doors and door systems. It manufactured the first fiberglass entry doors more than 25 years ago. With Benchmark fiberglass entry doors, the company is working on establishing an expertise in other aspects of the door business on a par with veteran manufacturers such as Masonite, Milgard and Feather River. An order delivery system and aftersales service are examples of those other aspects that have great impact on buyers. As Benchmark entry doors are pre-hung, you can choose do-it-yourself installation or professional installation, either by exclusive carriers Lowe’s or a company you have contracted. Unless you are skilled, installing a door yourself would most likely be troublesome. If the door area must adjust to a particular architecture, design or age of the house, you should probably obtain a professional installation service on your own.
How To Stain Kitchen Cabinets
Staining kitchen cabinets, and how you prepare to stain depends on what you are starting with.
Are you building your own cabinets?
Are your cabinets unfinished in your garage waiting to be installed?
Are your cabinets new and already installed, but in need of staining?
Are you stripping your cabinets and then re-staining and refinishing them?
Or are you going to try your hand at re-facing?
You will prepare and stain a bit differently for each of the above situations; however, there are some basic steps and supplies that are universal when you are staining kitchen cabinets.
List of Basic Supplies You Will Need:
a good stain (I like a good oil-based stain, like a Sherwin-Williams oil based wiping stain)
stirring stick
sand paper (150 to 320 grit)
saw horses or work bench to stain on
drop clothes/cardboard
cotton rags
carpet pieces or other tool to apply stain (the right carpet really works well to get into those nooks and crannies)
clothes/shoes you don’t mind getting dirty (the stain won’t come out – it’s a good idea to invest in a body apron that you don’t mind getting ruined)
dust mask/respirator face mask
latex or rubber gloves
lacquer thinner or acetone (to remove stain off of where you don’t want it – like hinges or the floor; if you don’t have these, you can use finger nail polish remover, most contain acetone)
well ventilated area to work in
area to set wood to dry
Step #1 – Remove Doors, Drawers, Hardware and Lay Flat
If you are building your own cabinets, staining them is simply a step in the building process. You can stain everything, and put finish on it too, before you ever put anything together.
If your cabinets are pre-built, try to remove as much hardware as possible (handles and hinges). It is much easier to put the hardware back on than to try and clean it later. If you can take the hardware off, number each piece, then also put that same number on the wood where the hardware sits – making sure it is inconspicuous.
You should also remove the doors and drawer fronts before you begin staining kitchen cabinets, if you can, so you can lay them flat. Again, if you remove hinges, etc., do so and number so it won’t show on your finished product.
The advantage of having an item lying flat while you are staining kitchen cabinets is that the stain and finish won’t run all over and create a look you don’t want – sloppy. Who wants to put a lot of work, time, and effort into staining kitchen cabinets, just to see the finished product look sloppy and completely unprofessional? Learning how to stain kitchen cabinets means ending up with a stain job that looks beautiful and professional and says to the world that you know what you’re doing. You want your cabinets to look like you paid a fortune, even if you didn’t.
Step #2 – Look Your Pieces Over and Sand If Necessary
When first staining kitchen cabinets, look over the pieces you want to stain. Do they need to be sanded first? Most likely they are already sanded well, and you’ll just have to sand out small scuff marks which resulted from handling them or installing the cabinets.
Use a fine grit sandpaper, 150, 220, or even higher. Once you begin staining kitchen cabinets, any marks you’ve missed in sanding will jump out at you. You can always sand out marks and scuffs after you’ve stained your kitchen cabinets, but that takes more time and energy, so try to do a good job of sanding initially.
Step #3 – Setting Up The Area Where You Will Be Staining Kitchen Cabinets – Remember Safety First!
It is a good idea to stain items on saw horses if you have them, or on any sturdy table or bench that is about waist high. As you learn how to stain kitchen cabinets, you will be glad you used a drop cloth or cardboard on your floor or on any area that you don’t want stain on. You can use lacquer thinner or acetone to wipe up stain, but it doesn’t always work (like you can almost never get stain out of clothes). Also, lacquer thinner or acetone might melt or ruin what the stain is sitting on. If you don’t have lacquer thinner or acetone, use finger nail polish remover. It has acetone in it. Don’t inhale the fumes of such products, or get them on your hands.
You’ll also need to mask off any parts of the cabinets you don’t want stained, such as the interiors.
Wear clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting dirty, and/or a full body apron.
You should also wear latex or rubber gloves and safety glasses when you are staining kitchen cabinets. These precautions are not only for when you are learning how to stain your kitchen cabinets, but are necessary even if you become an expert. Safely is of the utmost importance.
ALERT: BEWARE OF DANGEROUS FUMES. Wearing a dust mask won’t do any good against fumes. Only wear a dust mask if you are in the sanding process. You will either have to invest in a respirator face mask for your safety, or ensure that you are in an extremely well ventilated area, such as your garage with doors wide open, or both. Fumes from the chemicals used while you are staining your kitchen cabinets are extremely dangerous, not only to breathe in, but, if concentrated enough, they can cause an explosion. And, don’t be fooled by water-based products. They can give off fumes and hazardous odors as well. Each product’s danger level is different, but error on the side of caution. Knowing how to stain kitchen cabinets means knowing how to do it safely.
Step #4 – Applying The Stain
Once you know where you are going to be staining kitchen cabinets, and have yourself and your area prepared, open your stain can and stir well. This cannot be overstated enough. When the can sits for any length of time, the stain will separate and sediment (color) will sit at the bottom of the can. If you do not stir well, the stain you use from the top of the can will be much lighter than the stain you end up using at the bottom of the can (and at the end of your project). These results will not look good. The things you stain first will be much lighter than the last pieces you stain.
To apply the stain, one of the easiest tools to use are old carpet remnants. Cut them into approximately 4 x 3 inch rectangles. Dip one end of the carpet into your stain, then rub the carpet onto your wood. It doesn’t matter if you go with the grain or against the grain at this point, you just want to make sure that you cover all surfaces. If you are doing intricate work, such as doors with groves or raised panels, be sure to get stain into corners. Over staining at this point is a good idea, because the excess will be wiped off. This is where the drop clothes and wearing an apron come in handy, because it can get pretty messy!!
After you apply stain to your piece, look it over to make sure you didn’t miss any spots. Areas that are commonly missed in learning how to stain your kitchen cabinets include: grooves, door edges, drawer edges, or any corners – like where the raised panel corners meet the door frame.
Step #5 – Wiping The Stain Off – A Very Important Multi-Step In Ensuring Your Piece Looks Great
As you are first learning about staining kitchen cabinets, I suggest you wipe the stain off immediately. Most cans of stain suggest leaving the stain sit for 10 minutes, then wiping off the excess. I’ve found that this does not usually change the color, so why wait? Also, if you are staining kitchen cabinets that are already installed, or already built, and you can’t lay pieces flat, your stain will run all over if you let it sit for any length of time. You will want to wipe it up as soon as possible.
If you want a darker piece of wood, purchase a darker stain color. The only time that waiting to wipe excess stain off will actually darken your piece significantly is if you can let it sit for over 30 minutes. This is really a false darkening, and the problem with it is that your stain is usually so dry by then that it’s difficult to remove smudges and wipe off the piece properly. The stain ends up sitting on top of the wood, not soaking in. Use your own judgment. If you decide to wait the 10 minutes, do it on every piece to ensure consistency.
Actually wiping the excess stain off in itself is a two step process.
First, have several cotton rags at your disposal. Put a rag in each hand. Never touch your wood with bare or gloved hands alone after it’s been stained, as it will leave a smudge mark. Wipe off the bulk of the excess stain. At this point it doesn’t matter if you are going with the grain or not, you just want to get the big spots of stain wiped up.
The second step is a finishing type step in staining kitchen cabinets. Take another clean rag. Go back over your piece of wood, this time with the grain. The second rag takes more stain off, preventing smudge marks. The biggest enemy in staining is leaving smudge marks.
Following these two steps and not being afraid to use rags as needed will ensure that you don’t leave any smudges. Look your piece over. If you have left any smudges, wipe off gently and blend color in with your cotton rag.
Step #6 – The Final Step In Staining – Set Your Pieces Aside To Dry
Now that you’ve learned how to stain kitchen cabinets, set your pieces aside to dry (or just let them hang there if they are already installed). You can lay your piece on a flat surface if only one side is stained. If your piece has multiple sides that are stained, you can lay it flat on something that allows for air circulation to the back, such as saw horses, or if you do enough staining, purchase a professional staining rack. One caveat: where the saw horses or rack touch the stained piece, smudge marks may be left. Before you finish a piece that has dried on such equipment, you may need to touch up that side.
You can also lean your piece against a wall to dry. When your stain is drying, it is best to let air get to as many sides that you have stained as possible. It’s also okay to let fans run in the area where you are drying your piece. This helps it to dry faster and doesn’t hurt the end result; however, never let fans run on a a piece that you’ve put finish on.
How long your piece has to dry depends on what type of stain you are using. Read the label and act accordingly.
ONE FINAL AND IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SAFETY AS YOU LEARN HOW TO STAIN KITCHEN CABINETS
Remember to hang your rags to dry, ensuring air movement around them as well. Too many times, bunched together wet staining rags have caused a tragic explosion resulting in fire and even death. Please be careful!!
You Are Now Ready For The Next Step – Finishing
Congratulations!!! You have learned how to stain kitchen cabinets and have completed your staining project!
After your pieces are completely dry, you are ready for the next step – putting a beautiful, clear finish on your beautifully stained kitchen cabinets!
And remember – HAVE A HAPPY KITCHEN!!!
Rustic Log Cabin Theme Bedrooms for Kids
One of my favorite themes for a little boy’s room is the log cabin kids rustic bedroom theme. This was the choice of my son, Dakota, and we had a lot of fun achieving the “lodge” look for his room. What I liked best about it, was that it was suitable for a young boy, but works just as well for an older boy. There is a lot of room for creativity with a rustic style theme room. Lots of boys like to camp out, go hiking, fish and explore the outdoors. The room can be created to feel like your child is experiencing a wilderness adventure every night! Some design tips and suggestions are as follows:
1. There are so many options for bedding that are suitable with a rustic look, such as comforter sets that feature bear, moose, elk, deer and camping scenery. Log cabin quilts are another option, and there are numerous log cabin and rustic theme quilts available. Denim bedding or plaid flannel patterns for bedding and linens can also be used. Homespun fabrics in ticking stripes also works. For my son’s room, we used a solid print earth tone comforter, a beautiful rustic coverlet with moose in a fall scene, and an assortment of throw cushions with wildlife and navaho prints.
2. Rustic wood beds, heavy timber-look bed frames or handcrafted log beds work the best for the rustic bedroom theme.
3. Walls can be painted in earth tone colors, such as tan, rust, copper, or warm shades of brown. A color scheme of red and hunter green contrasts well with wood tones. Choose a color from the bedding if possible, or a complimentary contrasting color. Wall paper borders are available with everything from bear, moose, elk, camping scenes, snowshoes, forests and trees, and trout. Another fun option is to use log wallpaper. This works best if it is run partially up the wall. The paint above can be a neutral creme or tan color, to prevent the room from looking to dark. Wood paneling or rough-sawn plywood panels can also be used. Try painting log ‘beams’ on the ceiling.
4. A stone fireplace running up the length of one wall, creates a cozy feel. Fake stone can also be purchased. Wall art can be purchased with wilderness scenes, animals, the woods etc. Photos can be cut out from books or magazines, framed, and hung on the walls, or clustered together in groups on dressers and bookshelves. We used prints by Bev Doolittle for my son’s room, as we both loved the color and scenery. Stock photos can be purchased online of bear, moose and deer, for a minimal price. They can be printed and framed. Rough frames can be made by hand. Small tree branches can be used as curtain rods.
5. Use stuffed animals, such as beaver, bear, moose, elk, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons and owls. Throw pillows with the same animals can be used on the bed or grouped together on the floor. Hang fake geese in mid-flight from the ceilings. Use old trunks to store toys.
6. Try painting an outdoor scene on the wall, or purchase a wall mural of the forest. This can then have a ‘window frame’ applied to the surrounding edges. Accessories can include: vintage signs, country cabin or wildlife area rugs, rustic lighting and decorative lanterns.
7. Wooden furniture works the best in the log cabin theme room. Simple squared-off furniture in oak, pine, or rustic furniture. Vintage household items, fishing lures, canoe paddles, or a set of weathered snowshoes can be hung on the wall. Canoe bookshelves work well in this space.
I hope you find these tips helpful. Have fun!
Hanging Wall Curio Cabinets – Fine Decor Within A Limited Space
When people think of curio cabinets they generally think of large, big, and beautiful cabinets that seem to reach from floor to ceiling. While this is a popular form of curio cabinet, you may be surprised to learn that there are many different sizes of curio cabinets available, for example, hanging wall curio cabinets.
Hanging wall curio cabinets are great because they help save space and cost much less than full sized curios. Anything that is lighter on the checkbook or wallet works well for us. What is more is that these call curios are just as beautiful and elegant as their larger counterparts, just a great deal smaller.
You might look at a wall mount curio cabinet and wonder, just what will I do with that. Well, there are many things you can do with a wall curio cabinet and in this article; we will discuss the various uses.
Wall curios are excellent for displaying your valued treasures. However, remember the saying “One person’s treasure is another person’s junk”. We each have our own treasures for our own different reasons.
One might collect shot glasses. In fact, many people collect shot glasses. I collect them myself from every place I visit. I do not use them, but they just look great and serve as a bookmark of my travels. I have shot glasses from several states, as well as one each from Canada, Australia, and Spain. Even Disney World is in my collection. I am not alone in the world, many people collect shot glasses. A wall curio is great for these collections, as they are small and on the wall, they are out of harms way.
Just as with the shot glasses, some people collect spoons from the different places they visit. You always see decorative spoons everywhere you go, they are quite popular. Again, hanging wall curio cabinets are perfect for these spoons; they are small and fit easily within the elegant curios.
I have seen people collect bells as well. Bells are very elegant and treasured by many people. Therefore, they want something just as elegant to display them in, which is where a great wall mount curio cabinet comes in very handy.
Other uses for wall curios just depend on your collection. Here are some other ideas for displays within the curios:
Miniature Action Figures
Flags
Thimbles
Plates
Figurine Collections
Ceramics
Crystals
Porcelain
Sports Memorabilia
War or Armed Forces Memorabilia
Special Gifts
There is so much more you could display in a wall curio, it would be impossible to list. Your imagination is the only limitation. The beauty, elegance, and quality of a hanging wall curio cabinet makes it perfect to display any of your timeless treasures.
Let everyone know where you have been in the world, how much you enjoy your favorite activity, or your investments in art, with a high quality and beautiful wall curio cabinet.
Hardwood Logs and How to Buy Logs
Now is the time to buy Logs for the winter!
It’s that time of year again when the weather starts to turn colder and most are thinking of turning the heating on or lighting a log fire.
Whilst lighting a log fire is a simple task it is important that you use the correct wood for your logs.
Use dry logs If possible, buy dry wood, but how dry?
Well, buy yourself a moisture meter (about £20) and test the logs for the moisture content. Anything around 20% is fine, the lower the better for logs. Drier wood gives more heat and fewer residues, meaning you do not have to clean your log burner quite so much.
Choose hardwoods Hardwood logs are denser and heavier than softwoods, providing a higher calorific value and a longer burn time.
Sizes Ideally, logs should be no more than about 10cm in diameter and split. If any larger, the log will need to be split again to ensure it can burn properly.
We also believe that logs are a good solution to an eco friendly source of heat.
We buy logs from FSC sites within the UK, unlike some logs that are imported from mainland Europe.
Remember, the later you wait to buy your logs the less likely they are going to be dry as all the seasoned logs are gone!
Facts and information about Logs. It is better to buy all logs by volume than by weight because between 35% and 60% of the weight of freshly felled wood comes from water. Poplar is one of the wettest woods when freshly fuelled and ash (at 35%) one of driest. Trying to burn wet wood will produce steam, less heat (as so much of it is being used to dry the wood) problems with the chimney and pollution.
Seasoning reduces the moisture content of the logs. Wood felled during one winter should be seasoned until the next before it is burned. Whilst seasoning it should preferably be stored under cover in an airy place such as an open sided lean-to. Wood should be burned when the moisture content is below 30% – ‘air-dry’. You can tell if a log is dry because the bark will come away easily in the hand and the log will have splits across the grain. Ideally, logs purchased should be no more than 10cm thick. Any that are will need to be split again to ensure that they burn properly.
In terms of what type of logs to burn it is worth bearing in mind the heavier and therefore denser the wood, the higher its calorific value and therefore the longer it will burn. Hardwood logs tend to be denser than softwoods such as pine and spruce and some of the densest are oak and beech.
Different Types of Wood Cabinets
If your kitchen or bathroom cabinets are getting worn out, outdated or becoming obsolete in style, or if they have scratches or nicks, it’s time to do something. You can have other options than just replacing your cabinets. You can apply quality refinishing job to make your cabinets return to their original look. You can hire cabinet refinishers or refacing experts to refurbish them which will entail lower cost than to replace them.
In doing this, you need to know from wood experts the different kinds of wood made for cabinets to guide you on what type of services you need to apply in restoring them. The types of wood cabinets are:
Cherry
Most of fine furniture is made of cherry, which is identified for its even, closed-grain and uniform patterns. This type of wood cabinet is considered top ranking in hard woods. It displays a pinkish-brown hue when it is raw and has a variety of shades in white, yellow, green, pink and gray colors. The main identities of cherry wood are mineral streaks, spots of gum and bits of pinholes. This type of wood will become darker with years of exposure to sun or any kind of artificial lights.
Maple
This wood is known for its strength and shock resistance that’s why it is normally used as hard wood floors and in bowling alleys. It has a white natural color and its color variations range from light red brown heartwood to white-colored sapwood.
Hickory
Hickory is hard, heavy and has a strong shock resistance. Its natural characteristics are intermittent pecks, burls and mineral streaks in its fresh and finished condition. It has different color variations ranging from white to chocolate brown.
Oak
Oakwood is strong, heavy and has a great shock resistant capacity. It is widely used for cabinet-making and fine furniture. It has various colors like salmon-pink and dirty white.
Birch
This strong, hard wood is resistant to any form of abrasion making it primarily suited as kitchen cabinets. It is even textured and fine-grained. It has a creamy white or yellowish color. It can be identified thru a display of small pin knots or shiny burl wood. Its smooth surface produces a beautiful blend of textures, paints, stains or polishes. In the past, most kitchen cabinets were made out of birch wood. Today, birch still remains a popular choice due to its lower price and ease of workmanship.
Whether your cabinets are made of the above types of wood, there’s nothing to worry. If you like the look of maple but your cabinets are made of oak, the kitchen cabinet refinisher can do something to do what you want. Your kitchen cabinets can have a factory finish for half the cost than it would entail to have new cabinets.
Highly skilled refinishers can restore the looks of your kitchen or bathroom cabinets in less time and lower cost. Your cabinets will look like brand new and will have no more scratches, marks or dents. There are many colors available that you can choose from to paint or stain your cabinets. When the job is done, you will certainly be amazed about the outcome.
The Beauty of an Antique Murphy Bed
Murphy beds have been in existence since about 1900, when William L. Murphy invented the patented mechanism to hide his bed away in the closet of his one room apartment while he entertained. The beds have been in use ever since, always appreciated by city apartment dwellers and homeowners who needed an extra bed in a multipurpose room.
During World War II and directly afterwards, the beds dropped in popularity, first because of the scarcity of steel, and then because people were moving out of the city to larger, suburban homes, and space was not at such a premium. In the decades of the fifties and sixties, the beds were mainly remembered as props in slap-stick comedy, or the place to hide the body in a mystery story.
Now, Murphy beds are experiencing resurgence, as professional people move back into the cities and make their smaller living spaces more functional. Many apartment dwellers are finding these beds already existing in older buildings, especially in places like San Francisco, where the Murphy bed was invented, and where many Murphy beds were sold for the apartments built between the 1906 earthquake and World War II. Antique Murphy beds are now much sought after conversation pieces and design focal points, as well as practical, still-functioning pieces of furniture.
Antique Murphy beds are also being sold in fine antique stores all over the country. Many of the original mechanisms still function and the cabinetry used to create the units can be quite beautiful. Buyers should remember, however, that a true Murphy bed is not going to be older than the invention, patented in 1900. The piece may be housed in a cabinet that is older than the patent, but the mechanism cannot be older than that. The buyer should be knowledgeable about the furniture of the period as a whole, and about the mechanism itself. Intelligently purchased, these beds can be an investment and a functioning piece of furniture.
What to Drink at Thanksgiving or Christmas
As Christmas is coming, with the inevitability of a credit card bill, and there are a whole load of things to worry about. Buying Christmas presents, usually an expensive and traumatic period, is followed by the Christmas card list, the decorations, the food, yes, all that food and cooking and normally the last on the list, the Christmas drinks. Christmas drinks are possibly the least thought about but are the subtle catalyst that can turn an ordinary Christmas into a great one. Yes, you can go with all your normal standbys but Christmas is special and so should be your Christmas drinks. Although these tips are primarily directed at Christmas, they will work just as well for your Thanksgiving meal.
To start with, there are many traditional Christmas drinks like Egg Nog and mulled ale. My father used to put his beer into a pewter tankard, heat a couple of pokers in the fire, then plunge them into the tankard. This should only be attempted with metal drinks containers, I have a vague recollection of him trying it with glass and making a mess on the floor when it broke. This doesn’t really work with lager or other blond beers, a good bitter, brown ale or porter should be robust enough to take that sort of treatment.
Possibly the most traditional of all Christmas drinks is mulled wine, know in Germany and around the world as Gluhwein, this is a warm infusion of red wine, lemons, cloves, cinnamon and sugar. This traditional Christmas drink has a whole host of modifications, not only in the different regions of Germany but around the European continent. To the basic ingredients can be added rum, brandy, Calvados even, I have heard, vodka which would add a kick, but not much taste. Another popular ingredient is the orange, either as slices or zest but I think you could add any citrus fruit that you prefer. Please do not forget to wash thoroughly and. if possible, get the unwaxed variety of fruits. Another variation worth considering is the addition of juices, orange or apple are best or some people add fruiy cordials, elder flower is quite refreshing, or even herbal teas. Any of these will make a different and interesting drink for Christmas that, if you remember to make a note of how you have made it, could become your signature Christmas drink that everybody looks forward to.
The basic recipe is a bottle of red wine, make sure it has some body to it either a classic, but inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon or another robust Vin du Pays, to which you will add 5 to 20 cloves, depending on your taste, a stick of cinnamon and 2 to 4 tablespoons of sugar, normal or demerara if you want to be bold. Chop a wedge of lemon and stick your cloves into the skin, this will stop them floating about in peoples drink, then slice the rest. Pour the wine and the rest of the ingredients into a saucepan and heat. Do not, I repeat do not allow to boil as this will remove all the alcohol and ruin the taste. This is the basic recipe so you can adjust to suit your taste, it is best served in heat proof glasses, but you can improvise.
Another good starter is, of course, Champagne, it is a very elegant way to kick your party off. Nowadays there are a lot of sparkling wines that can compete with the original Champagne, in England there are many Champagnes available via the supermarkets that are extremely good and at very competitive prices. There are also a number of good English sparkling wines made in the champagne method that are very good as well, in fact, global warming has led to a number of French Champagne producers buying land in the South of England and planting vines. If you would like to make your Champagne go further serve a Bucks Fizz which is Champagne and orange juice or for a bit more sophistication, why not try a Kir Royale made from Champagne with a dash of Creme de Cassis, a blackberry liqueur.
When it comes to the Christmas meal there are a whole range of drinks to think about, from the appetizer to the digestive, if you want a truly memorable day. If you are on a strict budget, you can decide what to drink to meet your pocket, so if an appetiser is more important, drop the digestif or vice versa. When you are serving Christmas lunch, a Sherry is a grand way to kick things off but you have to think of your guests palates. A good bottle of fino and oloroso will cater to the dry and sweet taste with excellent examples coming from Domeque or Harveys although there are a wide range of excellent sherries around, even if your budget is tight. If you can only pick one type, then go for either a medium sweet or medium dry type.
A wine to accompany the main dish is purely a matter of taste, much is talked about the merits of red wine with red meat and white wine with fish or chicken but at the end of the day it really ought to be what you prefer, just because the gourmands try to intimidate you with their knowledge, you don’t need to buy into that, have a bottle of red and a bottle of white and let your guests decide what they want to drink, it is Christmas after all, not a society luncheon. That said, a little direction will not go amiss when it comes to choosing a wine for a special occasion. Certainly beef, turkey, particularly the dark meat, duck or goose will suit a good red wine.
A Bordeaux, perhaps a St Emillion or Fronsac will not break the bank, there are a lot more expensive wines in this region, but if you can afford them you should visit a fine wine shop with knowledgeable staff who will give you very good advice on the wines available. You could also try a Rioja from Spain, a Montepulciano from Italy or any of the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Merlot or even, my favourite Malbec that are available from vineyards around the world, particularly Argentina. I must confess that my own particular favourite area is Cahors in France, they produce some big bold wines with lots of body. If you are having a large number of people to dinner, you could buy your wine in a box, it is still very good quality and you don’t have to pull all those corks, just serve it in a decanter or a good jug. Serving any red wine this way is better as it lets the wine breathe, rather than just pulling the cork out of the bottle an hour or two before serving, if you think it can get to breathe through that tiny neck, try to breathe through a straw and you will get the idea.
For a white wine the standby is a good Chardonnay although you should be aware that some of the heavy oak overtones may be too much for a white meat such as chicken or fish. You may wish to investigate a French wine like a white Burgundy, or if you like very dry wine, a Sancerre from the Loire Valley. Others to consider are Pinot Grigot a grape associated with Italy but is grown around the world or a good German Reisling or Hock, Bordeaux has good white wines like Entre Deux Mers but you should ask your local wine merchant or the wine manager in your local supermarket for ideas. Some people will compromise and go for a Rose wine and there are a number of acceptable wines in this category, Mateus Rose is probably the best known, but Rose D’Anjou from France is very good and there are remarkable rose wines from California, Australia and other parts of the world.
If you are really pushing the boat out, you will want a wine for dessert and for a cheese course. The dessert course is ruled by Sauterne, an expensive wine whose king is Chateau d’Yquem at a price that Bill Gates may blink at. There are other Sauternes, less expensive but a more economical option could be a Malbec, from the same area, still very acceptable. You may also consider a Muscadet from either France or Spain.
For a cheese course. the classic wine accompaniment is Port, although a red or even certain white wines are acceptable, depending on the cheeses served. Ports come in several different qualities, white should be avoided as this is more an appetizer, but the rest is a matter of taste and budget.
At the end of the day this is going to be an enjoyable time and providing there are not any glaring errors people will enjoy whatever you serve because this is a time of sharing and goodwill to all.
One final tip, a drink that is really hot right now is Perry, it is like Cider but is made from special pears it is going to be really big in 2007 so get in first, if you can find some.
A Word About Iron Balusters
Throughout the 1970′s and early 1990′s, wood balusters were the prominent feature in remodeling and new construction. Wrought iron was used primarily in the first time home buyer market, but it was a complete iron balustrade (newels, balusters, rail, and shoe rail).
The transition from wood balusters to iron began in the mid-1990′s. At that time I thought this was only a phase that would quickly come and go. I was dead wrong.
Iron balusters exploded in demand and to date have not diminished.
In the beginning the only available powder coatings were a matte phosphate, flat black, primed, and silver vein. Matte phosphate is raw iron coated to keep it from rusting. Flat black had a sandy texture, allowing it to receive any oil based or acrylic paints. Silver vein was a texture black and silver speckled coating.
As time progressed, other colors became available: satin black, nickel (satin and antique), oil rubbed bronze, copper patina, copper vein, and oil rubbed copper. Bronze and copper accents have become the most popular in design, as the colors worked well with oak, American and Brazilian Cherries, as well as the darker hardwoods such as walnut and mahogany. Style choices became more numerous. Now one has the chance to be totally creative.
Iron balusters are 43″ or 44″ in length, which will accommodate almost any situation. They are designed to be cut from the bottom. The top has a 3/4″ or 1″ long dowel for installation into the handrail.
Sizes of iron balusters vary from 1/2″ to 9/16″, 5/8″ to 3/4″. They come round or square, solid iron, tubular steel, or stainless steel.
The shoes available for square iron balusters (optional for round) are designed to cover a square peg in a round hole filled with epoxy or construction adhesive. Generally shoes are used on the floor, but can also be used under handrails, especially in remodeling when replacing wood balusters requiring the need to cover a 1/2″ square baluster in a 5/8″ round hole. Shoes come with or without set screws.
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