Best Kitchen Sinks

Kitchen sinks are a must in your kitchen. Not only are they used for functionality but a good sink will enhance your kitchen’s design. Never thought that your kitchen sink would be a centerpiece, did you? Well, it is. Kitchens are not just a place to cook or do dishes. They are a place where family and friends gather around and talk.

The open space concept has eliminated the barriers between the kitchen and the living room. The cook is now allowed to be apart of the conversation and not feel so separated. Having a beautiful kitchen displayed to your guests is a great way to impress them. Not to mention, it will make your home feel homier and inviting.

In this blog, we will be sharing the latest kitchen sink trends. Creating and or finding a kitchen sink is not the easiest thing to do. So, we want to help you in your searches with a kitchen sink buyers guide.

Composite Sink

 

Composite sinks are typically made of quartz or granite that are mixed with a durable acrylic or polyester-resin base. These sinks are built to withstand stains and scratches. Composite sinks usually come in the color of speckle.

Pro: Composite sinks can be custom made, as well as being able to be carved and beveled. Another plus is that composite sinks come in a variety of different colors. It is also worthy to note that these sinks do not fade! Composite sinks are very easy to care for and are priced at the lower end. A composite sink is a great choice when wanting that stone look but don’t want to pay the price!

Con: If there is ever any damage to the sink, you must replace the whole countertop. This is because of the composite sink being custom made to the countertop. This is where a composite sink could cost you.

Cast-Iron Sink

 

What is a better way to complete your farmhouse kitchen then a cast-iron sink? Cast-iron is a timeless, sturdy material. It is made by heating up enamel onto an iron bowl.  This process gives the sink that signature smooth glossy finish.

Pro: Cast-iron sinks will not crack or dent. They are extremely durable and can withstand just about anything. Cast-iron can also come in a variety of different colors. Whatever color you choose, it will still have that “sparkly” look about it.

Con: Cast-iron anything, is extremely heavy. Upon installation, you should have an experienced installer. You also want to make sure the sink will have a sturdy base. So, it would not be wise to cheap out on the counter. Like most materials, cast-iron can scratch and the enamel can wear and change color.

Stone Sink

 

A stone sink is probably my favorite. You cannot beat the elegance of it. Stone has been a very popular option in the kitchen for years. It is commonly used for countertops and flooring. But now the use of stone is becoming very popular within sinks.  Stone sinks are extremely durable and usually have an under-mount style. Because every stone is different, no sinks are alike. If you

Pro: Just the way it looks says it all. Stone sinks are elegant and timeless. Besides the beauty, stone sinks are durable and last a long time.

Con: Here comes the blow. Stone sinks are expensive. Not to mention the lighter colors stain fairly easy.

home renovation nyc

Home Decor Trends in 2019

Interior design trends are always changing and it is nice to see what is new in the interior design world. Now that we are over halfway done in the year lets reflect back and see what trends have started to emerge for 2019.

Mushroom Lamps

In 2018 Mushroom or Dome lamps started to gain popularity again. This only escalated in 2019. This trend has only started gaining traction since major retailers have already been jumping on the bandwagon and vintage models like the Oluce Attolo lamp becoming harder to find.

Maximalism

In the past few years, interior design has been dominated by minimalist Scandinavian design. However, recently we have been heading back to the return to more maximalist tendencies. This doesn’t mean everyone will revert to traditional or classic designs but rather they will start acquiring items that are long-lasting and from different time periods and styles.

Mid-Century Italian

Even though the MidCentury style has started to lose popularity, MidCentury Italian has been gaining popularity. Italian designers introduced curved furniture, delicate lines, and bold colors to the American side of the movement.

Primary Hues

In 2018 the colors were deep jewel hues and there has been a full spectrum of different colors in past years. However now, interior designers are loving bold primary colors. These colors include bold rusty reds, deep indigo blues, and bright mustard yellows.

Plinth Tables

In the past few years, Scandinavian furniture with skinny legs and minimalist style has dominated furniture. Now the opposite extreme is happening and weighty low-slung pieces that can balance out more delicate furniture pieces are becoming popular. Plinth tables are a great example of this. These also match with the hype around colored marble and other stone finishes.

Rice Paper Lanterns

Isamu Noguchi has dominated interior design trends in the past with his iconic pieces like his infamous coffee table for Hermann Miller or his series of Akari lanterns and lamps. Now his rice paper lantern designs have been really popular and have trickled down to mass retailers. IKEA has released a few models after making them popular in the ’90s.

Bouclé Accents

The popularity of this fabric has partly come from Goop’s collection for CB2 and higher-end retailers like HomeNature. Bouclé provides texture and high style.

How to Make Your Kitchen Unique

In New York City, the pressure to be different transcends the bounds of one singular category of human life. The core want to be uniquely expressive can be found within the most personal and impersonal of spaces. With New Yorkers, the way one dresses, accessories, decorates, speaks and renovates all have an impact on their perceived personality. What a New Yorker expresses in street style should match what they express in home decor. This being said, New Yorkers are always following similar trends in their search for individuality, leading to large groups of people seeking uniqueness actually ending up being exactly the same.

While it may seem like conformity is inevitable for New Yorkers, it does not have to be. There are many ways in which New Yorkers can find their unique style while still being on trend and one of those ways is through home renovation. By creating a personalized at home space catered to the individuality of the person inhabiting it, New Yorkers can truly find what helps them stand out. 

Take your basic kitchen for example. According to a 2011 study recorded by Forbes, Americans spend an average of 2 hours and 8 minutes a day in the kitchen. That means Americans spend approximately 64 hours in their kitchen per month. By renovating the space and personalizing it to better fit a New Yorkers “personal brand”, the opportunity to find individuality is increased. 

New Yorkers can find their unique sense of kitchen style in many different ways! By adding colorful cabinets or dramatic lighting, a boring kitchen can be transformed into a beautiful and personal piece of individualistic art. Statement chairs, minimalist structures and bold tiling can easily turn a blasé kitchen into a reflection of bold ambition from a New Yorker who knows exactly who they are.

With Golden I Construction, every New Yorker has the opportunity to create the kitchen that says,“this is me!” Offering hundreds of unique appliances to choose from, Golden I Construction will make your boring, old kitchen one you truly deserve. Call us at 212-837-8117 for more information.   

What’s In For Kitchen Renovation 2019

Are you tired of your kitchen and need change? Now and days, its hard to keep up with all of the latest trends. Here are some tips on what’s in for kitchen renovation and remodeling. 

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Whats in:

  1. Industrial countertops
  • Concrete like countertops have a more chic feel to it. Some other countertops to consider are marble, granite, quartz, etc.

2. Organic/ Homemade tiles

  • Terracotta tiles by Clé tile give more definition to your home due to the fact that their tiles are made up of many different colors. Their “Weathered White” for example, has a range of grays, pinks, cream colors, blues, etc. 

3. Tech features

  • Including but not limited to, a refrigerator with a family hub, an double electric oven, GeniCan scanner, etc. 

4. Hidden storage walls

  • Creates a cool way to store things. It helps with seclusion and increases space to put up any art work. 

5. White 

  • White cabinets, decor, etc, give a more sophisticated feeling. It brightens up a room and even makes a small room look bigger than it actually is. 

6. Glossy finish

  • Also know as sheen level, this describes the amount of light that is reflective by stain or paint. This is appealing to the eye as it draws in the attention due to the shine. 

7. Island

  • An island creates more counter space for a kitchen. You can put another sink if you need one, use it for eating purposes and even watch your kids do their homework while you cook.

‘Women Building Futures’ Program Trains Women to Work in Construction

A new program in Tampa, Florida, “Women Building Futures,” aims to train women to work in construction. Women fill every job imaginable capably and confidently, but construction is one job where you still might not expect to see many women. In fact, women make up only 9 percent of the entire construction workforce in America, according to OSHA; that’s less than one in every 10 construction workers.

This program helps women learn the skills and knowledge they need to work in the construction industry. “There’s a big demand for tradesmen and workers in the construction field so this class will give the ladies the opportunity to be able to go out and compete in that arena,” program manager Kimberly Kitchen told Fox 13.

Women Building Futures (WBF) became registered as a non-profit society in 1998 as a small group of women (social workers mostly) who set out to fulfill their shared dream of helping women achieve economic prosperity through trades training and mentorship. Working out of an office space ‘borrowed’ from the City of Edmonton, WBF focused on securing small grants to run a series of three-week classes on carpentry.

As of November 2006, the program is now 17-weeks long and includes introduction to six trades – carpentry, plumbing, electrical, steamfitting/pipefitting, welding and sheet metal. The graduate success rate continued to climb and all staff stayed on board during this period; a true display of the tenacity that makes WBF a success.

To learn more about this program, visit https://womenbuildingfutures.com.

Revamping Your Closet

Spring is approaching quickly, and you may be in the need for a closet revamp.

First, start with what’s hanging. Place clothes on their hangers in two piles—one for short items, like shirts, and the other for long items, like coats and pants hung full length by their cuffs or waistband. Measure the height of each pile to get the desired lengths for short- and long-item rods. Next, arrange your clothes that could be folded in 10-inch-high stack; each stack needs 14 inches of shelf length. The ideal reach-in closet is 6 to 8 feet wide and 24 to 30 inches deep. Standard double doors are best, assuming there’s room to swing them open.

Now, to start planning the interior, beginning with the left wall; measure everything to a T. Sketch a to-scale layout on graph paper, with each wall’s width and height as well as details. Make note of sloped ceilings, knee walls, and other oddities. Start with storage for your shoes; your best bet is open shelves without dividers. To squeeze in an extra pair, alternate toes-facing-out and toes-facing-in. Sketch in rods for shorter items, making them as wide as your wardrobe warrants, and a higher rod for longer items. Draw shelves 4 inches above the rods plus a high shelf for less-used items, and mark their depths.

For walls and plaster that’s in poor shape, line the closet with ¾-inch hardwood plywood and screw it to the studs. Now you are able to attach rods and shelves wherever you want.

No room for swing-open doors? Avoid sliders and invest in sturdy, solid-core or solid-wood bifolds and heavy-duty fittings. Lightweight doors with bad fittings wobble and constantly fall off their tracks. Decide where you want your off-season items, ideally in the attic or a dry corner of the basement. If you have spare room on the same floor, consider a clothes rack that can be wheeled to the closet when it’s time for a swap-out. If this isn’t an option, store your clothing pieces in bins and totes; be sure to label them so that you have easy access to something you need, year-round.

 

Spring Home Renovation Ideas

With spring just around the corner, you’re probably dying to spruce up your home with a little renovating or DIY. Here are a few ideas for some springtime improvement – without breaking the bank!

  1. Landscaping – If you’re imagining a green lawn with some fresh blossoms, the prices for plants could add up quickly. With $5-$15 per plant, plus maybe some bark mulch and shrubs, it could be a pretty penny spent. Alternatively, don’t buy all established plants that will add up in cost. Instead, try planting seeds for a fraction of the price, and soon you will have that dream garden. Just be sure to keep in mind the importance of lawn maintenance, such as mowing, weeding and hedge trimming!
  2. Repaving the Driveway – Between salt and snow in the winter, your driveway must be aching for a refresher. As concrete is very expensive and asphalt is a close second, prepare to pay for this project, because this is not a DIY. Sometimes all a driveway needs is a new sealcoat, which you can do on your own. With a few hundred dollars of sealcoat, a driveway squeegee, and a little prep time, you could have a brand new driveway – estimating $250 to $500 on a typical two-car driveway.

    7 years old girl painting the wall at home, Instagram style toning
  3. Repainting the Walls – Now that winter grays are past us and there is such wonderful color all around, you must be dying to add a pop of color to your rooms. But first, think about if you really need to repaint the walls, and if you’re willing to take the time out for this project. Instead, repaint what you really need to, such as a wall that has damage or a color that really takes away from the room’s potential. Light grays, earth tones, yellows or blues are all safe and appealing colors that won’t scare off a new homeowner, if you are planning to sell in the future. Focus first on areas where you entertain or spend the most time, because little costs can add up, on top of the gallons of paint, primer, rollers, paint brushes, tray liners and caulking to fill cracks and nail holes.

With these tips – and whatever else you can think of – you will soon be on your way to a happier feeling home (while saving some money)! Happy Spring!

How Your Next Home Could be Powered by Batteries

For Homeowners who feel incomplete when they leave their phones at home, or for the storm-haters who cannot stomach another blackout, battery-operated homes may be your solution. Solar panel energy has been brushed under the rug for a while, quietly being installed in American homes while it works toward improvement, as a company and for homeowners.

Beginning in a few U.S homes, and making its way in superstores such as Walmart (in Cali), Tesla’s home batteries may be the green and efficient revolutionary technology America wants (and needs!). If this ideological improvement in saving and storing energy is so efficient, how come it isn’t in every home and store across America? Why is the biggest machine on earth, America’s power grid, still making its energy-stripping use in nearly everyone’s home?

Maybe it’s the ambiguity or uncertainty of Tesla’s home batteries, charged by the sun. The biggest flaw may lies in that it needs sunlight to charge and usually goes off at night. But Tesla’s batteries can store extra, or more than necessary, energy to make it through night. But that’s not all, Tesla’s home batteries can last up to three hours during a black out- including enough energy to run on the treadmill, make lots of coffee, cook dinner, and take showers.

Another reason that people, even the Green-goers, haven’t switched to Tesla’s batteries: the cost. Everyone wants to know what they get out of this 5-figure investment. Well, in the beginning it is a huge investment. Tesla believes that a small downpayment of $1,500 could get you started, with only $15 a month to keep generating (a 20-year lease). One of many reasons to pay the $50,000 outright would be that when you’re home is fully charged, and not expecting bad weather, you can sell back the energy and make some money off of it!

In fact, though the initial cost is not desirable to many, in the end you’ll save a lot more than you do with traditional power grids. Traditional power grid companies, of course, will look to make a comeback. They are certainly reliable- the energy and power works so long as there are no black outs. Some fear power grid companies will charge extra because of the “net metering” and potential money-back system that Tesla’s batteries are promising.

Companies supporting solar-panel look at this as competition, and understand that people have different values on reliable energy and energy in its entirety. Some people find the worthy in the annoying (and frequent) black outs in their homes, like in Maryland or California. Others find it necessary to have for these blackouts, to ensure they have certain needs met for a longer time.

In fact, companies and people recognize that they may never make back the money spent in power grids, but the happiness truly lies in this small step toward going green. Consider remodeling your home or buying a new home with battery-operated energy installed. The investment not only helps the environment, but could potentially save you dollars (and even let you pocket money!). It’s a small but worthy deed, and this country certainly needs it!

For more information, or questions about remodeling your home, click here to visit Golden I Construction. We offer a wide range of construction services. Would you like to speak with someone or ask a question? Call 1.212.837.8117 now!