LoveMyPlace.com - Renovation, Design, Real Estate

Consumer choice is, in general terms, a good thing. Except when it means you’re presented with a mind-numbing array of options, as was the case when I recently set out to replace a beloved, but much battered, cooking pot.

The range of materials and styles now available in cookware means that picking the right pot requires a lot of legwork, and at least a basic understanding of the conductive properties of metal. Here’s some of what I learned during my search for new cookware. 

(more…)

Induction cooktops were big news at the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show held in Las Vegas last May. That’s because they offer they offer “the best of both worlds,” according to Mathieu Sabbagh, marketing director for Bosch.

“It has the convenience and clean lines of an electric cooktop with the responsiveness of gas. It’s also very safe,” says Sabbagh.

An induction cooktop is basically a large electromagnet panel that quickly transfers or “induces” heat onto any magnetic surface, such as a cast-iron skillet, placed on it. Since the heat transfer is between the electromagnetic field beneath the cooktop and the magnetic surface with which it makes contact, only the pan heats up. So there’s no wasted heat and no part of the exposed element that can burn fingers, or send unused heat into the air. (more…)

As we all think more “green”, we become more conscious of how our daily habits affect the planet we share with all other living beings. For instance, once you become “conscious” of the life of a spider and learn to appreciate all the good these creatures bring with them to your home’s environment, you become aware that killing it will affect many things. But you don’t want a house full of spiders and their webs. So do you kill the spider or do you capture it and move it outdoors? Life has just become a little more complicated, but you have started to “awaken” to your true impact on this planet. (more…)

Small appliances are mainstays in most homes—toasting bread, brewing coffee, and making any number of personal grooming tasks easier. So what do you when your favourite gadget is damaged or broken? (more…)

The showers that first appeared in North America homes in the 1870s were primly utilitarian devices, consisting basically of an inverted watering can and a hand pump. But it wasn’t long before design flourishes were added to this new-fangled accoutrement to hygiene, according to The Elements of Style, an architectural dictionary edited by Stephen Calloway. (more…)

Have you ever gone to take a shower or decided to hop into the tub for a long, hot soak only to discover that someone has beaten you to it and left you with nothing but ice cold water—and a two–hour wait for hot water? (more…)

Drinking coffee is a relatively harmless habit. But when you get your daily fix at a specialty coffee shop, it can become an expensive one. Make four such trips every working week and you can spend close to $1,000 annually. Is the solution to this pricy problem to give up caffeine? Never! (more…)

Many customers ask me how different manufacturers rate in after-sales service.

It’s a good question, and a tough one to answer. But there are a few ways to find out whether a manufacturer is looking for a long-term relationship or is going to love you and leave you. (more…)

Q: I’ve heard about the new fridges in which the freezer compartment is on the bottom. What are the pros and cons of this design?

A: The first thing you’ll notice about the “bottom mount” model is the price. They are more expensive than the more conventional top mount models. Word on the street is that the only reason for the big price tag is lack of competition. Manufacturers can get away with charging more because product selection and competition is limited. The last time I checked there were only two or three manufacturers providing the basic box and components that make a bottom mount refrigerator. Brand name companies buy the box and then add the shelving and door configurations depending on the model they want to sell. Then they put their name on it and ship it out. (more…)