Armstrong’s Salon Center and Chef Center have a similar design to provide storage solutions for the bathroom and kitchen, respectively.

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Will Barack Obama’s presidency see a return to economic boom times the way Bill Clinton’s did? No one knows for sure, including—as they admitted themselves—the economists who provided a housing and economic outlook at the 2009 International Builders Show. Still, in these volatile times, it’s good to be as informed as possible, so here is our Average Jane overview.

Good news first:

• Housing affordability is at its highest levels since at least 1970, said David W. Berson, chief economist of mortgage insurer PMI Group.

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Red remains one of the most popular color choices in kitchens, but maybe you’re like us and the thought of covering your walls with crimson makes you blanch.

Fortunately, Jackie Jordan, the Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin-Williams, was on hand on the IBS show floor and shared a few good tips for introducing red into the kitchen without inundating its design.

For a great punch of red, try painting the walls behind glass-insert cabinet doors your favorite shade of red. This abbreviated punch of color gives just a peak of the hue, making a big impression without overwhelming your kitchen’s design.

Another option Jordan recommended comes in handy with kitchen island cabinetry. Instead of swathing all your wall cabinets in red, try painting just the kitchen island. This change is both easy and makes a great focal point and conversation piece.

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Can a fridge read your personality? With the colorful new line of designs from Amana, a fridge can do that and more.

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In the coming weeks, your kitchen will see lots of action with dinner parties, family get-togethers and more. Take a deep breath and prepare your holiday headquarters for the festivities with these great little gadgets that will make your life easier. (Or consider them as a gift instead.)





Images courtesy of Rotato Express


Peel it Away
There are few kitchen tasks we dread as much as the mundane peeling of a potato. Fortunately, the Rotato Express takes care of all our troubles by peeling veggies in seconds. By rotating the potato on its end, the Rotato uses a small blade to scrape away the peel, then stops rotating once the potato is skinned. If potatoes aren’t your thing, the Rotato Express can peel apples, lemons and more. [$24.95, Fresh Finds]

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With all the eco-talk out there, it’s easy to get greenwashed. Sometimes companies claim their products are eco-friendly or their practices are environmentally conscious, but a closer look at the small print reveals that the goods are less green than they seem.

Fortunately, there are some companies that walk their talk with deeply green materials, processes and more. Check out some of our favorite deep green products below.

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Not everyone can be so lucky as to have an outdoor kitchen for these warm summer days. If the only steak-grilling and patio-partying you do is in your dreams (or at the neighbor’s), then try these tips and products designed to help you bring the outdoors inside and transform your kitchen into a summer entertainment epicenter.

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Got Olympic fever? You’re not alone. While some people may be more likely to hit the track or uneven bars during these 16 days of competition, a few of us take our passion to other venues—like the kitchen.

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To modify the words of H. L. Mencken, no one ever went broke understimating the desire of the American people to organize their homes. At least that’s what a lot of the exhibitors at K/BIS 2008 were thinking. Having just completed the bulk of my spring cleaning, I’m with them.

Kitchen Organization
One significant problem in the kitchen: having storage that is not easily accessible. The folks at pegRAIL addressed this issue with a modular storage system that keeps everything out in the open and at the ready.

pegRAIL puts your dishes and cook’s tools in easy reach.

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The representatives at the Coway booth thought their new air purifiers looked iPods. I thought they looked more like a Sony Cybershot, but we both agreed they looked pretty cool. Of course, don’t take our words for it.

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A six-foot long kitchen sink probably seems more superfluous than functional, unless you find yourself washing off and preparing marlin on a regular basis. Yet two of Elkay’s newest sinks, the six-foot long Ripple and Cascade don’t scream “too much sink!” rather, the first thing that grabs your attention is all their custom accessories.

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There’s no denying that everyone wants to be (or even claims to be) green these days. Products are laden in the right earthy colors and textures to convey that warm, fuzzy, eco-friendly feeling. And occasionally, a product will be as eco-friendly as it looks.

That’s the case with Sea Stones, a new line of hardware made of natural stones picked from the eastern seaboard. Owners Arra David and Anne Johnson handpick each stone and then “plant” a new stone (purchased from a quarry) back into the water as its replacement. Their wood backplates for display are enviro-conscious too, made from FSC-certified wood. (Arra and Anne also plant ten times the number of trees that they use for their backplates each year.)

The Serena line of Sea Stones is available in two color palettes—naturals and neutrals.

Design trends come in all shapes and sizes, but squares stole the show this year. While squares are nothing new and sweeping curves are by no means on their way out, we couldn’t help but notice lots of booths flaunting squares as their “new” shape. Here is just a sampling of the four-sided stuff we saw.

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Is the Amana Jot the type of novelty item that grabs everyone’s attention at trade shows but is unlikely to be seen in many homes? Probably, but that didn’t stop us from channeling our childhood urges into writing all over the Jot, a fridge that has a door doubling as a whiteboard.

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