Modern European Kitchens

Using European Cabinets in designing kitchens can increase the level of customer satisfaction because they create a fusion of old world charm and contemporary functionality. While differing from the conventional cabinets in terms of form in that they are more elegant, they never lack user friendliness. In fact, they are more practical in nature than many other styles.

One of the aspects of the European Cabinet that guarantees customer satisfaction is the availability of various intricate designs. European inspired cabinets are moving towards frameless doors and drawers which give a stylish uncluttered look. From designs reminiscent of the Victorian era to the timeless Greek, from the Romantic French to the Danish Modern, the range available is at once incredible and breathtaking. Contrary to the popular belief, European Cabinets are not about old-fashioned look alone. They can be endearingly classic, awesomely rustic or surprisingly sleek and modern. In other words, they appeal to customers with varied tastes and expectations.

European cabinets provide substance to the heart of homes. Because of their compactness and neatness, they depict a sense of warmth. It lends an air of authenticity to the general ambience and adds originality to the décor.

European style cabinets that were in the market only as a high-end option, not so long ago, are now available mainstream at an attractive and affordable price range. They are not only trendy but an investment worth your while. Make a great fashion statement today by getting a beautiful European kitchen cabinet from companies MyHome MyPlanet http://www.myhomemyplanet.com/.

LED lights brighten a city parking garages

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Things are looking a bit brighter inside a city's parking garages these days, thanks to new lights bought with federal stimulus money.
Electricians are hanging LED fixtures from the ceiling on the upper floors of Garage No. 1 along McFarland Street.
"We're taking out these old-style lights," said George Farley, head of the city's 15-person in-house construction department.
You'd recognize the old-style lights they're removing -- utilitarian florescent fixtures with twin 8-foot tubes. Energy efficient in their day, they're now dinosaurs of the illumination world.
"These old ones, the ballasts are hard to find anymore," Farley said. They're originals, installed when the garage was built 40 years ago. Tubes need to be replaced about every two years, at $5 a pop.
The new fixtures, guaranteed for five years and supposed to last twice that long, are almost too bright to look at straight on. They're compact, too, with 42 tiny LED bulbs packed into a squarish box just over a foot long.


Though the first lights went up only about a month ago, Farley has already calculated the energy savings.
"The ones we took out -- high-output fluorescents, 240 watts per fixture -- are on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They cost about 25 cents a day [for electricity]. The new ones are 50 watts and they cost one nickel a day.
"We estimate the savings for this building alone at $27,000 a year."
What's more, the new fixtures light the garages more efficiently by directing their output downward, where it's needed, instead of in all directions.
"If you look at the building at night from outside, it looks like the lights are off," Farley said. "[The light] doesn't come out the sides."
That allows the crew to space the fixtures farther apart. "We're putting in six less per floor," he said. "We haven't even counted the savings for that."
Once they finish the McFarland Street garage, Farley's men have three more garages to tackle. All the lights and related gear -- new wiring and steel conduit -- are being paid for by a $582,300 federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, from the Department of Energy. City officials received the grant allocation two years ago.
"The next one is the [Park Place] cinema [garage]. That's our biggest parking building," Farley said. "Then we'll do the Civic Center and Greyhound."
The city previously put new lights in its two newest garages -- Shanklin (City Hall) and Summers Street -- but couldn't afford the LED system there. Engineering consultants recommended in 2007 that the city replace lights in all six of its parking garages.
Farley said he's impressed by the new lights. "I actually didn't think it would work as well as it does. I mean, I saw it on paper, but it worked out better than I expected. I'm an old electrician.
"The technology, it's the finest it can be," he said. "This is the future, right now."
Reach Mayan Metzler at mayan@myhomemyplanet.com or 914-244-9099.

Kitchen Remodeling on a Shoestring Budget

Designing a dream kitchen that is well within your budget is an exciting prospect, always. Building a kitchen that has all the essential ingredients like high end gadgets, constituents, facilities and accessories requires you to be innovative and creative. A few creative ideas that suit your budget are,

● Omit, add and replace

A clear idea on the things that you need to add, remove and change in your existing kitchen will help you in building a cost effective kitchen. Buy items that suit your personal style without altering your budget and modify your plan, whenever necessary.

● Visit homes

Prior to building a dream kitchen, paying visits to your friends’ or families’ houses in the local are, to know more about kitchen designs and interior design that will help you in understanding how ideas are implemented and the average cost of remodeling or building kitchens.

● Use internet

Browse through the internet for a variety of kitchen plans, appliances and rates. Companies like MyhomeMyplanet offer a clear picture about kitchen products like Leicht cabinets, European cabinets and an array of items. Virtual showrooms of companies like these help you to get a clear idea on how the products will look, when they are assembled in a kitchen.

● Seek the help of Kitchen contractors and planners

Kitchen planners and contractors provide numerous ideas about creative designs for low priced kitchens and guide you with every single process of building your dream kitchen within a specific budget, through their knowledge of every aspect of the field.

Best Gifts for the Kitchen

Kitchen is the most important constituent in your home and it bears witness to your cozy gatherings, late-night talks, homework sessions, celebrations and most importantly great food. To have a great and well equipped kitchen is the most rewarding gift you can get yourself and your family. With kitchen designs available in galore today in the market, choosing the perfect one that is in tandem with your home design or interior design, taste and necessities has become an easy task. For building a great kitchen, the following tips can be extremely useful like,

 ●      Shop online

Online shopping has many advantages over normal shopping since, you can choose from a wide range of products, from the convenience of your living room, without venturing outside. Companies like MyhomeMyplanet offer a wide variety of products like Leicht cabinets and European cabinets and every single ingredient essential for building a kitchen and remodeling. You can also visit the virtual showrooms of companies before making your final decision.

 ●      Employ a kitchen planner

A kitchen planner’s specific job is to customize the kitchen and even indulge in remodeling it, according to the budget allocation, needs and tastes of a particular client. With his expertise and experience, he will actuate your dreams and kitchen planning agencies also offer substantial discounts, on many occasions.

 ●      DIY kits

You can also realize your kitchen designs by purchasing ‘do it yourself’ kits and as the name suggests, you can order kitchen items or components and install the same, yourself.

Cabinets - How to install Kitchen Cabinets

A Tutorial on properly installing kitchen cabinets:

To remove old cabinets yourself you will need the following:
● Measuring tape
● Level
● Phillips and flat-head screwdrivers
● Shims
● Hammer
● Stud sensor
● Drill with drill bits and screwdriver attachment
● Hole saw
● Decorative molding or valance
● Trim
● Finish nails
● Chalk line
● Utility knife
● Safety glasses

Wall Cabinets
The most difficult part of hanging wall cabinets is lifting them to the appropriate height and holding them in place. This makes installing wall cabinets a 2-person job.
1. Remove old cabinets; repair any holes in the walls.
2. Locate wall studs using the stud finder. Snap vertical chalk lines to indicate either stud centers or edges. Note: studs are spaced at regular intervals. Most common is 16-inches, although 24-inch intervals are sometimes used in newer houses. Once you locate one stud and determine the distance to the next, measure to locate others.
3. Measure 54-inches up from the floor at both ends of the wall; this is the standard height of wall cabinets. Snap a horizontal chalk line.
4. Start in the corner, at the highest floor point; nail up a 1X3 temporary straight so it is level. It may not match the vertical chalk line if the floor is not level.
5. Place either a corner or end cabinet on the temporary straight; make sure it is level. Drill 3/16-inch pilot holes through the top hanging strip inside the cabinet into wall studs. Drive 2 ½-inch roundhead screws into the pilot holes.
6. Position the next cabinet on the temporary straight, snug against the first; make sure it is level. Drill 3/16-inch pilot holes through the top hanging strip inside the cabinet into wall studs. Drive 2 ½-inch roundhead screws into the pilot holes.
7. Install remaining wall cabinets following step 6.
8. Clamp together face frames of adjacent cabinets; counterbore 2 ½-inch drywall screws through the inside edge of one face frame to the other.
9. Fit a filler strip into the remaining gap at the wall juncture. Attach the filler strip to the face frame of the last cabinet with counter sunk screws.
10. Remove the temporary straight; plumb cabinet fronts by shimming between the wall and bottom hanging strip of the cabinet at stud points.
11. Drill 3/16-inch pilot holes; attach bottom hanging strip to shim and stud using 2 ½-inch roundhead screws. Trim shims using a utility knife.
12. Apply trim using finish nails to cover gaps between the backs of cabinets and wall. Stain or paint trim to match cabinets.
13. Fill the gap between cupboards over the sink space using decorative molding or a valance; stained or painted to match the cabinet. Secure in place using counterbore screws through adjacent face frames into the valance.

Base Cabinets
1. Remove old cabinets; repair any holes in the walls.
2. If you plan to install new vinyl flooring, do so before new cabinet installation. If you plan to install marble, tile, or a wood floor, use a piece of plywood the same thickness the new floor will be; lay the plywood under the cabinets to serve as a height reference.
3. Mark the locations of wall studs using the stud finder. Note: studs are spaced at regular intervals. Most common is 16-inches, although 24-inch intervals are sometimes used in newer houses. Once you locate one stud and determine the distance to the next, measure to locate others.
4. Not all floors are perfectly level. You will want to use the high point as the reference for installing the cabinets. Mark a level line at the height of the base cabinets at the highest point of the room floor.
5. Set a cabinet in place; level it to the line by tapping wood shims under low points. Level cabinet front to back, and from side to side.
6. Drill pilot holes into a stud; drive screws through cabinet framing into the stud using the drill screwdriver attachment.
7. Once cabinet is level and securely in place, remove any shims using a hammer and chisel.
8. Clamp together face frames of adjacent cabinets. Counterbore screws into the inside edge of one face frame, ¼-inch into the other.
9. Follow steps 5 to 8 for installation of remaining bottom cabinets.
10. Before installing the sink cabinet, measure from the reference line to the top and bottom of the drain and water supply pipes; measure from the side of the adjacent cabinet to both sides of the drain. Transfer measurements to the back of the sink cabinet; drill appropriate holes using a hole saw.
11. Complete the job by installing molding or filler strips to cover any gapes between the counter and the walls or floor.

Note: if a thin shim is required between cabinets to compensate for minor irregularities, make sure face edges butt tightly.

Handy Tips for Project Success
● Schedule enough time to complete the project. Once old base and wall cabinets have been removed, expect to spend 4 to 5 hours for a straight run of cabinets; more if corner cabinets are complicated.
● Before installing cabinets, separate base cabinets from wall cabinets. Install wall cabinets first so you don’t have to lean over base cabinets.
● Remove cupboard doors before installing wall cabinets; they will be lighter and easier to handle.
● Use the type screws specified by the manufacturer; drive screws through frames as opposed to the back or side panels, which are thinner and less sturdy.

New Offers @ My Home My Planet

We carry all major plumbing fixture and fitting brands including faucets and shower systems, tubs, tub doors, toilets, sinks, vanities, medicine cabinets and other bathroom storage.

Please contact us with your project details to see how we can help specify and price any products you require. To take a look at our plumbing-related products, click http://www.myhomemyplanet.com/products/plumbing-fixtures/

Leicht Receives “iF Product Design Award 2011″

Leicht Cabinets is honored to receive this most prestigious award:

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