"Amish" space heaters? Really?

Yesterday's New York Times ran a story about the Heat Surge Roll-n-Glow Fireplaces, the advertising blitz of which is currently clogging the avenues of public discourse. These things are being pretty heavily advertised in Florida from crying out loud, I cannot imagine the onslaught in parts of the country where it actually gets cold.

I'm regularly stunned by the audacity of this particular advertiser's claims. Stunned. But equally if not more stunning is the fact that people fall for this nonsense. This is a space heater that's made in China like just about every other space heater on the market. You plug it into the wall and it warms up a room while using the same amount of juice that every other space heater does. So rather than just letting it be a space heater, this one's disguised as a fake fireplace. Isn't that a bad thing? A fake fireplace? Then the thing's advertised as being sold for free but somehow costs between $350 and $500. Is that not a warning sign for people? I swear, gutting education budgets for 30 years to better churn out unblinking and unthinking consumers seems to have worked.

This same manufacturer of overpriced space heaters then surrounds the whole hot mess with the supposed allure of the Amish. Now, I grew up surrounded by Amish people and Amish farms and they are indeed lovely people. However, they lead an 18th century existence. An existence complete with polio outbreaks, functional illiteracy, child labor, female subservience, poor hygiene and inbreeding. Yeah, that's exactly who I want making my space heater.

Think!

IceStone recycled glass counters... cool!

IceStone is a Brooklyn-based manufacturer of recycled glass and concrete durable surfaces. For most people, a durable surface is another name for a counter. It needn't stop with counters though, IceStone can be used as flooring, shower enclosures, back splash or for any other purpose where there's a need for a durable, water- and stain-resistant surface.

IceStone earned the Cradle to Cradle Gold certification from McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, the organization that grants this certification. To quote from their press release:

New York – IceStone, the NY-based maker of green, durable surfaces used for countertops, bar-tops, bathrooms, flooring and other applications, announced today its achievement as the first and only surface manufacturer to receive the prestigious Gold level, Cradle to Cradle certification. Given by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), this certification shows that IceStone’s company and products have passed stringent manufacturing standards that measure toxic ingredients, emissions levels, water and energy usage, renewable investments, on-going data collection systems and recyclability, as well as a code of corporate ethics and labor standards.

IceStone looks like quartz composite. Actually, quartz composite looks like terrazzo, and terrazzo is exactly what IceStone is. IceStone's use of cement rather than the polymers used in quartz composite is the key to its status as a sustainable product, though their use of 100% recycled glass doesn't hurt either.

IceStone looks pretty cool, I like how it shows and I like the fact that it's a sustainable product. In the market for a durable surface? Take a look at IceStone.

I'm touched and honored

My new pal Scintilla at Bell'Avventura wrote about the strega in her Positano neighborhood today. Her post is a series of stories about a curious old woman who steals vegetables from the neighborhood gardens. Missing melanzane aside, you can add the strega to a very long list of reasons I need to go back to Positano.

Over the course of a thousand words Scintilla evokes a place where myth and memory join hands and work an impossible magic. Her post took me back to a place where eggplant-stealing witches and 10th century icons coexist in relative peace. A place where the town dog takes a nap on the same beach Saracen invaders stormed a thousand years ago. For ten minutes I was standing under the Mediterranean sun and inhaling a rosemary and lemon scented breeze. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I came to her final paragraph and read that she'd dedicated those stories to me. My day is now perfect. Thank you! Read "Stregata" here.

Caveat emptor: Ikea sells appliances

Ikea just released a new line of somewhat retro-looking appliances in a color they call Anthracite. The finish is a matte charcoal gray and admittedly, they look pretty good. Ikea had these appliances made for them by Whirlpool and that's all well and good. However, this is Ikea we're talking about and these things are being sold at a price point that defies belief. Well, it strains credibility at any rate.

Ikea's a perfectly fine store. In fact, they're beyond fine. They've revolutionized furniture retailing in the sense that discount no longer has to mean ugly. My beloved Target owes its success in a lot of ways to the trails blazed by Ikea. With that said, there are certain things I'd never buy at Target, despite my fondness for the place. Just as I'd never buy a pair of shoes at Target, I cannot imagine buying appliances at Ikea.

Maybe I'm wrong. Anybody out there have any of these babies yet? Talk to me about it.

Anyhow, here's a run through of some of their new stuff.

This is the Datid 30" built in oven and it retails for $749.

This is the Datid range hood and it retails for $549.

This is the Datid 36" range and it retails for $1749

This is their Datid 24" wall oven and it retails for $599.

This isn't part of their Anthracite line, but it's still new. This is their $999, 36" wide, counter-depth refrigerator with stainless steel doors. 

I'd love to know who made this for them and what corners were cut to arrive at that price. Be cautious for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that this counter-depth fridge is only 68" tall. That makes this a tiny refrigerator, even if it only costs a thousand dollars. Listen to me, only a thousand dollars... But seriously, any counter-depth refrigerator for under two grand smells fishy.

So there, I did my duty and publicized something for Ikea. Please read up on these things before you buy one. Something you have to buy twice isn't a bargain. Remember that.

All good things must end: my last post on faucets for a while

Fixtures, fixtures everywhere but what does it mean and what should I pick? Well, what it means is that there are a bunch of manufacturers who make a bunch of finishes and the one you should pick is the one you like. I have a strong preference for Kohler fixtures. They make a high quality product at a price point that's a value proposition. A Kohler faucet is not a faucet you'll be replacing any time soon. They are as sound mechanically as they are beautiful too.

So here are a couple of fun facts I got from my pal Sarah the product manager at Kohler. 

Brushed nickel is the number one selling finish for kitchen faucets.

Chrome is number one on baths.

A new finish has a ten year run rate. By that I mean that when Kohler introduces a new finish, they expect it to remain in production for ten years. Though exceptions to that ten year rule abound. Chrome and nickel have been consistent best-sellers since the 1930s and oil rubbed bronze has been in production for the last 15.

As an aside form me, expect oil rubbed bronze and its kin to be the next ones forced into retirement.

What's making a strong come back are warm gold tones. And that's designer speak for brass. You heard it here first kids, inside of five years all the cool kids will be sporting brass faucets and cabinet hardware. Again. Ugh. I never liked it much the last time around, but who am I to buck a trend? So here's a run down of some of Kohler's cool fixtures and finishes.

Never use harsh abrasives or lime-dissolving chemicals to clean a new faucet of any kind. On a faucet with a living finish, the heavy duty cleaning stuff will remove your hard won patina. On consumer-grade faucets, a thorough clean with the big guns will damage the clear top coat and end up reducing the life of the finish. Remember, a soft cloth and a mild detergent are your plumbing fixtures' best friends.

This is the Antique in  faucet in Brushed Nickel

This is the Purist in Polished Chrome

This is the Clairette in Stainless

This is the Devonshire in Brazen Bronze

This is the Devonshire in Oil Rubbed Bronze

This is the Finial in Vibrant French Gold

This is Memoirs in Polished Chrome

This is Pinstripe in Polished Nickel

So your options are seemingly endless, but know that a quality faucet will last forever. So remember that when you're considering your finish options. Forever. Hmm.

So thanks to my pals at Kohler for all the good information. I now know more about faucet manufacturing and finishes than I ever thought existed. If you ever have a question about this stuff, just shoot me an e-mail. I'm sure I'll be able to answer it.