It is part of the frustration of our fast moving world that improvements are continually becoming available on most products - often making our purchases "last season's" within months. On the up-side, it is also the reason why, as consumers, we enjoy more and more choice.
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<br>Replacement windows and doors used to be available in grey aluminium if you didn't want wood and the styles rarely improved the aesthetics of the buildings they adorned. Consequently, we are left with a legacy of spoiled period homes which in some cases constitute a fire hazard because windows were designed without large enough opening sashes to escape through.
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<br>And then they became available in white PVCu which were initially cheap and of poor quality and poor design but which went on to become the excellent quality they are today and designed to suit the house - not the pocket. As the old-fashioned designs become obsolete, home owners now have a plethora of window and door styles and materials to choose from. The majority of products' enhancements reach a plateau at some point when the essentially ideal has been achieved and what follows are simply tweaks. As with all home improvement products, doors are no exception.
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<br>For many years, there has been a very big market for patio doors, which offer convenience and allow light and air into a home whilst providing a highly effective thermal barrier when closed. This market is still buoyant and the products will continue to be installed successfully in homes where economics or taste insist, but fairly recent developments in this market looks to have found us at that plateau where doors are concerned. Patio doors have recently made way for the "Rolls Royce" in this market which is now the hugely flexible bifolding door. Anyone looking to buy patio doors now should first be considering whether they could increase their investment to a bifolding door.
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<br>Bifold doors can be configured to span a very wide aperture or smaller spaces, behaving when closed as a glass wall to allow in increased light and to provide panoramic views over the outside vista or garden. They can very easily open up an entire wall to allow seamless integration of external and internal areas, for example, for parties or for children to play safely inside and outside on a lovely day. Alternatively, they can serve to expand available space in restricted areas, such as allowing inclusion of a balcony to form part of a small apartment on a clement day or lightening up an otherwise dark corner.
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<br>Fully opened, the doors concertina and store compactly to left, right or both sides to limit their intrusion. They can be configured to provide french style doors when full opening is not required and a single opening door for pedestrian access in the normal way.
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<br>Available in most modern materials, including timber, aluminium, PVCu and aluminium clad timber, this product is available in a wide range of colours and finishes from specialist window companies. It is particularly attractive in aluminium clad timber where the choice of colour on the maintenance-free aluminium outside can complement your home's exterior whilst the beauty and warmth of wood can enhance any interior.
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<br>A not insignificant investment, this product should last, trouble free, for very many years. It is essential to ensure that your supplier can offer all of the many security features available for bifold doors which make them a high security option, suitable for commercial use by garages displaying high worth cars and restaurants alike. The manufacturer should use only a top quality sliding mechanism for guaranteed trouble free use and should offer the widest range of materials and finishes to ensure you are happy with your investment for many years to come. As a new product, not all door manufacturers can offer these and consumers should be prepared to shop around and ensure that they buy the best quality from a reputable manufacturer.
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<br>About the Author: Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. For information on Bifold doors, he recommends Henry James Doors and Windows, a leading supplier of <a href="http://www.henryjamesdoorsandwindows.co.uk/public/bifold_doors.php" rel="nofollow">bifold patio doors</a>.
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Monday, October 5, 2009
Free Your Kitchen: Declutter and Make the Most of Your Cooking Space!
Are you secretly craving a stress-free cooking haven? Has your kitchen turned into a disorganized and cluttered nightmare that any cook would dread? If you've answered yes to both questions, you might not have to panic just yet. Interior designers in Seattle will tell you many people like to think of their kitchen as the heart of their home. It's important that you keep it in good shape so not only will you be able to cook with ease, but also enjoy cooking and preparing the meals that feed you and your family. Luckily, that stress-free kitchen haven is not out of reach. Follow these three simple steps and you're sure to fall in love with your cooking space again:
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<br>1. Get ready to get tough
<br>You'll need to empty out all your cupboards, units, and drawers. Then you should evaluate what really needs to stay in your kitchen and what you should throw away, give away or sell. This means making tough decisions to help you reclaim valuable kitchen space. Get rid of appliances you know you will hardly use and can do without, like that fondue set or bread maker you were given last Christmas. Throw away duplicates of any kitchen tools that you don't need. And let go of chipped kitchenware or containers with missing lids that you've always hoped you might find a use for one day. Don't forget to look through your food closet, fridge and freezer too - make sure you aren't keeping hold of foods you'll never get around to eating.
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<br>2. Make your cooking space make sense
<br>The next step is to evaluate how you use your kitchen. Assign different areas of the kitchen to different cooking tasks, e.g, cutting and chopping foods or mixing and stacking ingredients. Then store your foods and utensils that are most relevant to these areas close by. Keep utensils that you will need at the stove, like wooden spoons and pans, within close reach, and likewise with oven and sink. You can then place items that you use less often in cupboards that are harder to reach or access.
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<br>3. Organize as much as you can
<br>Once your cooking space makes sense, you'll still need to ensure each cupboard and drawer is well organized so you don't have to search hard or route around to access the items you need. It's easy to buy organizers for kitchen areas such as the cutlery drawer or for foodstuff like spices. Invest in a lid organizer for your pot and pan lids, too, as stacking these in your cupboards can be a messy and clumsy affair. If you want to organize a cupboard but can't find the appropriate organizer, use simple plastic baskets to store and separate where possible.
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<br>Once you've completed these three steps, enjoy the difference of a stress-free, clear and uncluttered kitchen!
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<br>If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to post it to your site or blog and forward this link to your friends. Have a great day!
<br>
<br>Don't forget to visit my interior design blog.
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<br>About the Author: Amely Wurmbrand is nationally-recognized for both her West Coast and <a href="http://www.amelydesigns.com" rel="nofollow">Seattle interior design</a> work. Amely and her team work closely with clients to reflect their personalities and lifestyles through innovative and sophisticated designs.
<br>
<br>
<br>1. Get ready to get tough
<br>You'll need to empty out all your cupboards, units, and drawers. Then you should evaluate what really needs to stay in your kitchen and what you should throw away, give away or sell. This means making tough decisions to help you reclaim valuable kitchen space. Get rid of appliances you know you will hardly use and can do without, like that fondue set or bread maker you were given last Christmas. Throw away duplicates of any kitchen tools that you don't need. And let go of chipped kitchenware or containers with missing lids that you've always hoped you might find a use for one day. Don't forget to look through your food closet, fridge and freezer too - make sure you aren't keeping hold of foods you'll never get around to eating.
<br>
<br>2. Make your cooking space make sense
<br>The next step is to evaluate how you use your kitchen. Assign different areas of the kitchen to different cooking tasks, e.g, cutting and chopping foods or mixing and stacking ingredients. Then store your foods and utensils that are most relevant to these areas close by. Keep utensils that you will need at the stove, like wooden spoons and pans, within close reach, and likewise with oven and sink. You can then place items that you use less often in cupboards that are harder to reach or access.
<br>
<br>3. Organize as much as you can
<br>Once your cooking space makes sense, you'll still need to ensure each cupboard and drawer is well organized so you don't have to search hard or route around to access the items you need. It's easy to buy organizers for kitchen areas such as the cutlery drawer or for foodstuff like spices. Invest in a lid organizer for your pot and pan lids, too, as stacking these in your cupboards can be a messy and clumsy affair. If you want to organize a cupboard but can't find the appropriate organizer, use simple plastic baskets to store and separate where possible.
<br>
<br>Once you've completed these three steps, enjoy the difference of a stress-free, clear and uncluttered kitchen!
<br>
<br>If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to post it to your site or blog and forward this link to your friends. Have a great day!
<br>
<br>Don't forget to visit my interior design blog.
<br>
<br>About the Author: Amely Wurmbrand is nationally-recognized for both her West Coast and <a href="http://www.amelydesigns.com" rel="nofollow">Seattle interior design</a> work. Amely and her team work closely with clients to reflect their personalities and lifestyles through innovative and sophisticated designs.
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