branshew's Profile

No ice maker? Seriously? You lose enough space in a counter depth unit as it is. I couldn't imagine stacking ice trays in one.

It's a neat idea, but lets get real. That bread would become stale and rock hard in about 2 days. Does anyone really keep that many onions and potatoes on hand?

SMEG refrigerators are completely geared to the European way of life: keep a few staples on hand and buy fresh only what you are going to eat in the next 24-48 hrs. Unfortunately their smaller capacity doesn't work for our superstore bulk buying habits here in the suburban United States. Plus, the freezer couldnt hold 1/3 of my seasonal fishing catch. If I had the luxury of shopping daily, I would love a SMEG refrigerator. As it is, I go once a week for our family of 4 and we have a 2nd refrigerator in the garage for overflow...

If you want to see something beautiful, look at SMEG ranges. I bought a 36" dual fuel model last year and love it! It's by far the best bang for the buck in its class.

Treat it like a suit and tie. Reupholster in a solid charcoal gray. Add pillows in houndstooth, polkadot, pinstripe, and/or plaid with small touches of color.

"Pandara?" "Romantical?" Have the editors left for the winter break, or are they just hung over from the company Christmas party?

The Lutron and Nest are up on my list of home improvement wants.

Kartell Masters chair in white.

Our F&P Dish Drawer at house #1 w/o a macerator did clog once, but it was an easy fix given the incredibly simplistic design of the unit. Our Bosch at house #2 didn't have a macerator either, and while it didn't clog, it always had a funky off odor that came out a day after running the cycle leading me to believe that the cause is food residue left behind (It didn't clean dishes that well either). Our current Kenmore at house #3 is about 10 years old w/ no macerator. It cleans ok with no odors.

Whatever you do to the walls DO NOT paint the ceilings.

Paint sure isn't what it used to be (although it's getting better). This seems to be the case with all types of paints from latex to autos (if you breathe too hard on my wife's Toyota it will scratch).

When I first started painting, the paints were a lot more durable, abrasion resistant and lasted longer. Then the EPA took away all of the "good" paint chemicals and paints went downhill. Sure, the formulation may be better for the environment, but is it really that much better when it takes more coats and you're having to paint more often?

What I really hate is that all of the manufacturers keep changing their formulations without really telling the consumer. 10 years ago I used to like Behr as a good budget based paint, but not any more. Then I went to Sherwin Williams and they changed. Benjamin Moore has always had consistently good paint - it flows well, covers well, adheres well, and lays evenly, but it is expensive.

What I really want to know is how many of you saying "buy the knockoff" were supporting Apple in its recent fight with Samsung about the very same design infringement issues?

Originals cost more because designers need to make a living too.