New Homes and Renovations

Very interesting discovery I made while on vacation at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, recently. We had the good fortune to stay, along with our friends and family, in an almost new home.

We had plenty of room and had ample deck space to really enjoy ourselves. There was a total of 12 of us, plus company here and there, plus a couple of dogs. We stayed in for meals most of the time.

• 

• 

• 

The kitchen was designed and equipped for us to do so, and it was a lot of fun! Here's the thing: the materials and surfaces of the kitchen were Easy To Clean. When choosing materials to update your home, particularly in high-use/high traffic places, make sure your materials are Easy To Clean!

A side issue, for any of us who are trying to maintain a nice, balanced diet, is the Beautiful Kitchen Snacker Syndrome. "I'll just clean up a bit in this beautiful kitchen — wow, it is so nice to wipe this counter!” And so on ... then: "maybe I'll just have a quick snack here, mm this looks good," as you go by the fridge. Don't do it! Enjoy your beautiful kitchen, but don't grab anything to eat while you're in there! Instead, fire up Alexa, Spotify, or other music venues to enjoy while you go about your chores.

More Thoughts on Tile

Hi All, Here is an additional thought about selecting tile: Be aware of what purpose the room will have when tiling the floor. For example, in a high-traffic area such as a powder room or laundry room, consider a smooth, non-skid tile. Skip pitted or grooved styles that are really gorgeous, but will collect dirt and cause you to be scrubbing waaaay too often. Other areas of your home will lend themselves to textured tiles, such as a master or guest bathroom. ~ Have a beautifully decorated day!