Month: June 2019

Imagine if you could turn your bathroom into an spa retreat that could help to remove toxins from your body, rejuvenate your skin, refresh tired muscles after a workout and help you to get a better night’s sleep. A steam shower offers an easy button to convert your dreams into reality. A steam shower creates a personal oasis in your home that provides an escape from the outside world. It is a space that you can call your own, devoid of texts and tweets, where you can literally wash away the stresses of the day.

Steam’s therapeutic benefits result from increasing the body temperature ideally to 100 – 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Increased body temperature occurs quickly in a steam bath. As body temperature rises, pores open and the body starts to sweat. Taking a cold shower after a steam bath causes pores to close.

The therapeutic benefits of steam bathing have been known for centuries. Several of the more common benefits of steam include:

• Reduced stress: The heat generated by a steam shower causes the body to release endorphins, also known as the “feel good” hormones, that help to reduce stress. Steam also helps decrease cortisol hormones that are released during stressful situations. Drops in cortisol levels make people feel more relaxed, in control and rejuvenated.
• Removes toxins: Nothing releases toxins from the body with the same precision as a steam bath. The soothing warmth opens pores, which lifts out impurities of everyday living. This is especially important to clients who may not exercise and/or perspire regularly. Sweating can remove up to 30% of a body’s toxins.
• Improved immune system: An increase in body temperature that results from sitting in a steam bath causes the body’s immune system to respond in the same manner as it responds to infections. The body produces more white blood cells and antibodies that serve to fight and destroy other germs in the body.
• Improved skin health and tone: Heat and steam change metabolism and blood flow for the better, nourishing skin and producing a healthy glow.
• Improved respiration: Steam opens airways in the lungs, helping to improve the respiratory function of those who suffer from allergies, asthma, sinusitis and some strains of bronchitis.
• Improved sleep: Steam bathing promotes a better night’s sleep. While in the steam room, body temperature increases. After the bath body temperature returns to normal, causing rapid eye movement to increase significantly. This results in more people waking up more refreshed and alert.
• Relaxed muscles: Steam baths generate heat, which helps aching muscles to relax, widening blood vessels, allowing more oxygen to flow through them and in turn easing tension. The heat generated by steam causes the whole body to retreat into an inner sanctum, which is why steam baths are perfect for those who suffer from arthritis, consistent muscle pain, joint pain or soreness after a workout.
• Environmentally efficient: They conserve more water than a regular shower or bath. Steams systems are green, requiring only one gallon of water to power a 20-minute steam bath compared to regular showers, which can use 30-gallons of water during the same time frame.

If you would like a steam system to be at the center of your in-home refuge, please give our showroom a call at (401)526-4173 visit us at 2949 Hartford Avenue Johnston RI or contact us here.

‍

We are always tracking trends in the kitchen and bath industry to help assure that our clients’ kitchens and baths are capable of withstanding the test of time. Here are the top mid-year trends in our region.

Mixed Colors

The kitchen and bath industry often follows fashion trends, and 2019 is no exception to the rule. Homeowners who have recently renovated their kitchen in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut made distinctive design statements by opting for a mix of different colors, textures and finishes. While white kitchens continue to be a choice for many, that option is not as popular as in the past. Many of our clients recently choose cabinets painted in rich colors, and that trend is borne nationally as blue and green cabinetry have greatly increased in popularity.

Island Fever

There’s a reason kitchen islands are wildly popular and have become the centerpiece of many of the kitchens we design. For nearly 40 years, islands have withstood the test of time and are largely responsible for making open concept designs work. Islands are often the focal point of a new kitchen. Employing contrasting colors and sometimes unique countertop materials enable homeowners in the northeast to put their stamp on their new kitchen.

Open Shelving

Increased demand for more modern space is transforming design as an increasing number of clients opt for open shelving systems. Open shelves replace the lion’s share or all upper wall cabinets to provide clean lines and a minimalist look.

When our clients opt for open shelves in place of upper wall cabinets or more streamlined looks, we often recommend taking advantage of organizational accessories to avoid countertop clutter. Commonly specified storage accessories may include plate racks, spice racks, pull out drawers and other organizing tools that provide designated places for small appliances, plates, glassware, cutlery, knives and other kitchen gadgets and accessories.

Color My Sink World

The days of having to choose between stainless steel or white kitchen sink are over. Composite sinks that resist heat damage and scratching come in a rainbow of colors, sizes and configurations that can meet almost any style preference or design parameter. Sinks increasingly are serving as focal points with material options that span the imagination.

Gold Rush

Metallic finishes continue to command consumer interest. All shades of gold on faucets, instant hots, pot fillers and other plumbing fixtures are hot. Recent introductions include rose gold, bright gold, black gold, polished gold and rose-colored bronzes.

Two Is Better Than One

Because the kitchen serves as the most important room in the home and serves multiple purposes for homeowners, we’ve noticed a new demand for multiple kitchens. The main kitchen serves as the dining, entertaining, gathering, homework area, etc., and a second kitchen serves as the primary space for appliances, meal preparation, cooking and cleanup.

The Right Light

Homeowners are more frequently taking the use of pendants over islands up several notches by specifying a group of mini-pendants instead of a chandelier or to have a row of pendants installed at different heights.

If you want to know how you can leverage the latest design trends and technologies for your new kitchen or bath, please give us a call at (401)526-4173 or visit our showroom at 2949 Hartford Avenue Johnston RI.

‍

Hardware is the finishing touch of most kitchen and bath cabinetry. Choosing the appropriate hardware for cabinets in a new kitchen can affect the look, feel and enjoyment of the finished project. The challenge for homeowners in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut is that the unlimited options make it extremely difficult to select the perfect combination of knobs, pulls and other hardware without the help of an experienced professional.

Cabinet hardware is made from a broad range of materials, from wood and brass to iron and even leather and everything in between. Hardware ranges in size, shape and material. Most hardware pieces are fixed, but some operate as latches. Cabinet hardware is attached by integrated woodscrews, woodscrews from behind, glued tenon, machine screws, bolts and nuts. Some hardware pieces come with backplates to protect cabinets from finger oils, others come with decorative escutcheons, but most hardware is sold as standalone without any type of backplate.

Our experience teaches that there is not a single best knob, pull or handle for any project. Often a combination of different styles and shapes may be the best solution to help maximize the look and feel of a new kitchen. Stylistically, mixing different types and finishes of cabinet hardware can build tremendous character and visual interest in a new kitchen, especially in larger spaces. Frankly, using the same style of hardware on every door and drawer can be underwhelming. There are also functional considerations that make using a variety of cabinet hardware in your new kitchen a smart choice because different types of cabinets, drawers and doors require different types of hardware to function most effectively.

Guidelines for Mixing Cabinet Hardware in A New Kitchen

Select one manufacturer. Most cabinet hardware manufacturers offer a wide array of different styles, textures, materials and designs in multiple collections. The reason why you should select a single manufacturer is to assure consistency of the finish. If you select the same finish from more than one manufacturer, there is no guarantee that it will match exactly.

The number of doors and drawers in your kitchen serves as a guideline for the variety of hardware that will look best in a new kitchen. For example, if your new kitchen has 20 doors and drawers or less, stick with two different types of hardware.

To create consistency of image, choose one style of hardware for upper cabinets and a second style for lower cabinets or drawers. A key to mixing multiple types and styles of cabinet hardware is to differentiate the look by relying on different sizes for upper and lower cabinets. An example might be knobs for upper cabinets and three- to four-inch pulls for lower.

We understand that selecting cabinet hardware is not easy. If you would like to discuss the perfect combination of hardware for your new kitchen, please give our showroom a call at (401)526-4173 visit us at 2949 Hartford Avenue Johnston RI or contact us here.