Technicolor Solutions to 3 Popular Home Peeves

I second that CinC! We have a long pathway into our house and didn't realize until we came home one night in the Fall that the light switches didn't light it up with any kind of logical pattern. We called in an electrician and they were changed with at as one was lit, the one behind could be turned off. Before that, there was no way to come in the house without being in the dark at some point.

The other thing that is handy are timers switches on closets so the light is not left on by accident. We also have timers on bathroom fans. You just have to be careful not to put two timers next to each other in the same panel, they can overheat and cause a hazzard.

My pet peeve is the typical way that kitchens are designed, and the self-perpectuating cycle that seems to dictate that if they aren't designed as a virtual shrine to cabinets that the value of a property will be affected. I am a big fan of kitchen storage rooms, constructed adjacent to the most heavily used kitchen prep area. The storage room can contain much less expensive shelving systems than the typical kitchen cabinet, and if they are modular and adjustable, a much more flexible use of space. With a storage room, almost all overhead cabinets can be eliminated, opening up wall space for much desired natural light (windows) and views, display of art and beautiful objects, and make a kitchen seem more spacious. I think the trend toward large islands reflects the desire to have work spaces without cabinets hanging over our heads. Also, at least half of the space in overhead cabinets cannot be reached by the average woman without using a stool, so they end up as storage areas for those things we don't use very often. Put those things in a kitchen storage room, build large deep drawers with heavy-duty sliders under the counter for dishes, pots and those items we use the most often, and get rid of at least 75% of the overhead cabinets in a typical kitchen.

Me? Cat, dog, and guinea pig pee poop, and vomit.