Trying to decide between two living room designs
Neil Mathew
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
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eld6161
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Who else is trying to decide between Culinarian and Blue Star?
Comments (95)I understand that the oven door on older versions of the BlueStar RNB could get quite warm (I've heard this described as "very warm" and "surprisingly warm" by two personally-known owners and in various ways by folks posting on the internet). My range is from this spring, 2011 -- I wouldn't say notably warm for either the door or the knobs. I can place my hand flat on the oven door, while the oven's in action, without any discomfort -- half a second, ten seconds, it just doesn't matter. It's not hot. Three kids and two small dogs and it's a non-issue. The culinarian is probably a very fine product -- certainly the specs look good and far be it from me to dispute anybody's happiness with his or her purchase. Folks should keep in mind that problems and praise for that range or any other on this board -- for all of this board's virtues -- represent a very small number of reports that may be more or less representative (or wildly unrepresentative) of the larger universe of consumer experience. With the culinarian, especially, we're talking about a very small number of reports on a fairly new product. Reported problems have not been many, but they have not been zero. Reports on Trevor's interventions have been very, very favorable, but not everybody has been instantly pleased by the company itself. I really don't mean to suggest that there are any major problems with the product or the company -- not at all. And for any particular person, for all I know, this may be an excellent choice -- maybe the best one possible. But surely folks know that the record is limited?...See MoreHow to decide between light and airy vs. dark and cozy for living room
Comments (31)Thanks, Monica. : ). Your room looks so homey, and very much like normal life around here. ; ) I was picturing a wall color more like your orange- rust colored pillow when I heard burnished pumpkin. Aimee, it could be partly a function of climate, which might be why I find this to be a challenging decision! That's very interesting that you find cozy colors to be more intimate. I find that appealing, rather than off-putting, but we seldom have "strangers" in our home, and if they are here, I usually want to help them feel welcome and as much a part of the family as possible. Annie, can I come over and stay at your house and see what it's like to live in warm and cozy for a week? : ). I've seen a few pictures of your home, and it looks very warm and inviting. Thanks Lisa. Yes, the little blue library is off our kitchen. The kitchen can just be seen to the right of it. The doorway to the living room is between the library (errr, the bathroom, to be more specific) and the kitchen. Could we possibly get away with a color like this in the living room? This was my absolute favorite room at the home show this year. It's a dark bluish green....See Moretrying to decide between 2 layouts kitchen
Comments (10)In the first picture, the fridge is convenient to the prep sink and prep area, but the dishwasher is far. If the dishes are kept near the dishwasher, they are far from how you might make a cold meal, like a sandwich or a cold breakfast. In the second picture, the island is a barrier between the fridge and range, though a prep sink might make it better. On the plus side, there is a decent prep space between the sink and range, making it easy to put your tools in the dishwasher as you finish. The cabinets at the end come down to the countertop which might look charming but becomes a bother because you have to have clear counters to open them. If they hold the toaster, coffee maker, and the like, and you don’t like those things out on the counter, then that could be okay. The rest of the lower storage should be more drawers, not cabinets. In general, I would say the first kitchen looks pretty but is too disjointed for my own personal situation. I might like the layout if the back wall and right wall were joined, because I like an L or a U. The second kitchen looks cold (photo quality?) and while I like an L or U, this one looks too big. There seems to be a lot of space to the right of the range, what is it for? Do you want to have family meals at an island? Or just snacks and breakfast? And if you do eat at an island, do you want it to be where the prep or cleanup is? (When DH cooks, he doesn’t clean up before he serves, so if we were eating at the island, especially where all the prep is, well, ugh.) Again, that’s a very personal thing. And, if you do want to have meals at the island, do you want to be in the middle of the cooking area, as with kitchen 2? It’s really impossible to say which kitchen I like better, or less. The widely varying quality of the two photos doesn’t help. And either of these could be facing front. or back, or the side. The kitchen isn’t in isolation. Talk with your architect about your pluses and minuses for front or back kitchen, dining area flow, and so on. He/she may have an idea you never thought of....See MoreHelp deciding between sectional vs 2 sofas in awkward living room
Comments (2)Personally, I'd get two sofas. This will allow for an end table and lamp to be placed in the corner. Also, people usually like arms to lean on when they sit. However, if you like the extra seating the sectional offers, I would decorate the curved void with a large floor vase or floor lamp....See MoreElaine Doremus Resumes Written
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