Viking Refrigerator Recall

 

This just hit the streets. Please check the model numbers to see if your Refrigerator is affected.

Viking Range Corporation Recalls Built-In Refrigerators Due to Injury Hazard; Doors Can Detach

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Viking Built-In Side-by-Side Refrigerator/Freezers and Refrigerators with Bottom Freezers

Units: About 45,326

Manufacturer: Viking Range Corporation, of Greenwood, Miss.

Hazard: The refrigerator’s doors can detach, posing an injury hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Viking has received about 57 reports of doors detaching, including four reports of injuries involving bruises, broken toes/fingers, and strains. Also, several incidents of minor damage to floors and counters have been reported.

Description: This recall involves Viking built-in 48-inch wide side-by-side refrigerator/freezers and the built-in 36-inch wide refrigerators with bottom freezers with model and serial numbers with date codes listed below. The refrigerators come in stainless steel and various colors and wood finishes and are built into the kitchen cabinetry. “Viking” is written on the front of the refrigerator. The model and serial numbers are located either behind the produce drawer or on the ceiling of the interior of the refrigerators. The 42-inch wide or freestanding refrigerators are not included in this recall.

 

 

Model Numbers Starting With	Date Codes
VCSB481, VCSB482, DDSB482, DFSB482 DTSB482, DDBB362, VCBB360, VCBB362 DFBB362, DTBB362, DTBB363	All units
VCSB483, DDSB483, DFSB483, DTSB483	Date codes before 030104
VCSB483D, DDSB483D, DFSB483D	Date codes before 030105
VCBB363	Date codes before 111605
DDBB363	Date codes before 112305
DFBB363	Date codes before 041006

The first six numbers in the serial number are the manufacture date of the unit in [mm][dd][yy] format, e.g., serial number 051903G0000000375 was manufactured on May 19, 2003 and serial number F01250210170 was manufactured on January 25, 2002.

Sold by: Appliance and specialty retailers nationwide from July 1999 through April 2006 for between $4,725 and $6,400.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers with recalled refrigerators should contact Viking immediately to schedule a free in-home repair. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled refrigerator if the door isn’t sealing properly, is sagging, or fails to open and close properly. If the door is functioning properly, consumers may continue to use the refrigerator until it has been repaired.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Viking toll-free at (888) 345-2650 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit Viking’s Web site atwww.vikingrange.com

 

 

Bathonista Interview

Recently I did an interview on Bathonista website. Check it out and tell me what you think! But please, no brick throwing for my unforgiving diatribe about golden oak. Just say no to Golden Oak!! Keep your friends and family away from it! Don’t walk, run.

IF you must use oak, consider white oak or a rifted white oak as seen below in a pantry we did last year. (yes, it really is just a pantry but as big as my kitchen) Thanks goes to Paul, a fellow designer who made me chuckle tonight over one of his blogs about an oak kitchen. Read it but be warned, it is not for the feint of heart!!

Paul Anater

White rifted oak...about the only oak worth having

We used sliding doors in the pantry as the island made aisles smaller so this helped with passage space

 

ICFF Challenge “Design for one dollar”

Pratt Institute of Design students were given the challenge of designing something worthwhile for one dollar. Some amazing results. Check out link at Fast Company’s site   Design for a Dollar slide show.

Some of these are quite impressive and inspiring! This is so what I love about the business…the constant inspiration and new ideas. It never gets old! Congrats to these students and thank you to Inhabitat for their inspiring website!

 

Let’s talk about kitchen sinks part 1

They are not all created equal! One of my favorites is the Franke Orca stainless sink. This is 18/10 and 18 gauge

stainless steel. It also will fit in a standard 36 inch sink base cabinet. I love the single bowl but have found this is most definitely

one of those “personal preferences”. I will give clients my reasoning for a single bowl and get them to at least think

it through…perhaps challenge the status quo…but ultimately it is what the individual feels most comfortable with having.

HOWEVER, there is so much more to selecting a good kitchen sink.

Remember this: buy the best you can afford if you are going to install as undermount in granite, quartz or solid surface countertops. Once you install it, you are most likely

living with it for a long time as is very difficult to change out since so many have quite unique shapes. Faucets can be

changed easily with same hole configuration but sinks cannot.

Franke Anthracite Prep Sink

 

Art Gallery Walls

 I recently read an article in New York Magazine about a designer/painter, Richard Lee who echos my sentiments on displaying artwork. (yes, I know this is off the beaten path of kitchens and baths but what the heck??) He validates my thoughts also about hanging artwork on dark walls. I have had this discussion several times with other designers as well as friends and of course, my hubby weighed in with his opinion: “Whatttttt do you mean we are painting the walls black???” Actually it is a color called andiron from valspar and it is a dark gray.

AND, I love it!

We painted it in our stairwell coming up from ground level to main floor and then hung much of my quite ecletic art work collection, including some of the girl’s young work, all up and down the walls. The dark walls really do make the artwork pop and is one of the few colors that I think goes well with the goldish travertine on the floor that hubby did prior to making my acquaintance. Also, Richard says  ”I want to be a minimalist and have nothing, and yet I love having all the things.” WOW! This is what I say too! I LOVE a sleek style and the less is more ideology however, I really do love my collections of “stuffs” and such. And, it gives me great joy to see them in my home.

So, I think the answer is when you love the minimalist look but also love “stuffs”  then consider clean and crisp groupings of things you love. I really have gotten a lot of pleasure from my new personal “art gallery” and I think friends have enjoyed seeing it all as well!  Below are a couple of pix from the article about Richard Lee.

 

 

Pix from NKBA Design Competition and Show

1st place, 3rd place and HM (small bath category)

Enjoying Kohler hospitality!

With the guys from Extreme Home Makeover

Elica Hoods

 

Recall of GE Range

GE Recalls Ranges Due to Fire and Burn Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: GE Profile™ Freestanding Dual Fuel Ranges

Units: About 28,000

Manufacturer: GE Consumer & Industrial, of Louisville, Ky.

Hazard: The wiring in the rear of the range can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: GE is aware of 47 reports of overheated wiring, including 33 reports of wiring that caught fire. Of these, one fire caused structural damage to the home and there have been 14 reports of minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves GE Profile 30” Freestanding Duel Fuel ranges. The ranges were sold in white, black, bisque and stainless steel. The following model and serial numbers can be found on the left inside corner of the bottom drawer.

 

 

Brand	Model Number Begins With:	Serial Number Begins With:
GE Profile	J2B900	LD, MD, RD, SD, TD, VD, ZD, AF, DF, FF, GF, HF, LF, MF
GE Profile	J2B915	MF, RF, SF, TF, VF, ZF, AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG

For more info:

GE Recall

 

A Sad Day

Ken Brown, a great builder in our area as well as a good friend passed away last weekend very suddenly…and tragically. This was a great southern man who was well respected in the community and truly and simply will be sorely missed by many. I spoke to him almost every day and cannot quite yet fathom not getting his early morning phone calls asking me “weeeelll,whaddddaaaaa youuuu doinnnnn “…to which I always responded, “Nothing but picking my nose and counting my millions…how about you?” This was our banter into a typical conversation with him working his way into asking me A) where are my cabinet guys today?? B) do you have that bid ready for me yet? or C) heard any dirt on the streets?. Then we might launch into a conversation about crazy clients, crazy cabinetmakers, or the crazy business we both found our way into. Sometimes, he might catch me when I was lamenting the parental nightmares of being mom to teens…and he would always have some good stories from his own teen parenting experiences. Or, we might just shoot the bull for a bit about nothing in particular.

Now mind you, on a work day I typically spend zero time chit chatting about much of anything. But with this special guy, he moved at a pace slower than mine and somehow he made you slow down on the path and walk in step with him…if even for just a few minutes on the phone. I always liked that about him. He could actually slow me down. And he always made me laugh about some silly thing.

The truth be told, this builder extraordinaire, took a chance on me years and years ago. The client wanted me on the job so he welcomed me…..mostly. I had to prove myself to him but once I did, he was one of my biggest supporters and that really meant something to me….especially in the south where the “little women” don’t always garner the same respect in the construction industry. I always maintained that the guy was smart. He recognized that I wanted to please not only my client but also him and earn his respect and I took darn good care of what was important to him on a job. But, really, he was confident in his role and his expertise and never felt threatened by anyone else and this allowed him to utilize the talent around him without worrying someone would upstage him. He always talked about our “team” and how we all worked together for the benefit of the client. If someone asked my opinion on his skills as a seasoned contractor, I would always reply with the same thing. “He is a “can do” guy. He does what it takes to get the job done and make the client happy.” Now, he might have laughed later at some of my crazy ideas but he always said “Let’s do it.

 Last Saturday, we lost one of the best, brightest and finest. He helped shape my business as well as being a friend. My heart hurts for his family and I will miss him.

 

 

NKBA 2009 Design Awards

We just got back from KBIS and what a whirlwind trip! We stayed at a wonderful hotel in Midtown (Atlanta) called The Georgian Terrace…was great and I highly recommend this hotel. Especially if you are game to use MARTA to get around…we did and it was cheap and efficient. It is one stop away from the Americas Mart and only a few stops away from the World Congress Center. Great location to get to restaurants also. So there you have my plug for the hotel! We really enjoyed our stay and had a great time at the Gala dining under the stars with fellow kitchen and bath folks! Laura and I even got to play celebrity stalker with Extreme Home Makeover star Paul Dimeo! He graciously allowed us to annoy him asking for photographs! Later at the show, the entire staff got in on the celebrity stalking game and we took pix with Eddie and one of the cute producers from the show. Definitely a highlight for us girls!!

The awards ceremony was nicely done by the NKBA and we are proud to say we took home a 1st place in Small bath category and a 3rd place and HM in same category! Congrats to my co-designers, Stacy Miller and Laura Lawrence! We will post winning baths in a few days. There also were many other projects that wowed us! I was very impressed by the field of winning designs..and humbled! Congrats to all the winners!

Pinnacle of Design: Jennifer Gilmer,CKD

First Place winners:

Small Kitchens: Jennifer Gilmer, CKD

Medium Kitchens: Jennifer Gilmer,CKD

Large Kitchens: Cameron M Snyder, CKD

Open Plan Kitchens: Siri Evju, CKD, CBD

Powder Room: Lori Carroll

Small Bathroom: Cheryl Kees Clendenon

Large Bathroom: Jan E. Regis, CMKBD

Master Suite/Bathrooms:Scott and Sandra Gjesdahl

Showrooms: Elina Katsioula-Beall, CKD

Other Rooms: Sandra L. Steiner-Houck, CKD

As for the show, it turned out very good..not as many vendors as last year but to be expected I suppose but I really feel a turn around happening and I will bet some of those vendors are now unhappy they did not choose to attend! We found lots of great ideas and new products and I will write a post about all this in next day or two as I gather all my pictues and notes!

 

Design Trends on the way out

Excerpt from Libby Langdon for High Point Industry Updates

About Libby Langdon:
Libby Langdon (www.libbylangdon.com) is an interior designer and expert commentator on HGTV’s hit show “Small Space, Big Style,” where she offers insights, techniques and tips to help viewers make the most of their own small space.

 

Painting Your Trim (baseboard/crown molding) A Color Darker Than Your Walls: This was a trend when people wanted to get creative with color, but were scared of it. They figured a little extra pop on the trim was only a small area to cover so how risky could it be? In actuality, it just grayed-down the room and made the space look a little more tired and older than it really was. Crisp, clean white trim is back (for some, it never left). White freshens up the look of the oldest, beat-up molding. And now, with fewer people buying new homes, more consumers will want to update what they already have. Tell them white trim is a good place to start!

 

Formal Living Rooms: It’s still all about the family room and lots of existing “formal” living rooms are being converted into game rooms, family spaces or home offices. With kids having jam-packed schedules and parents working later and longer than ever, people want to connect with family. They are willing to forgo the formal space for a “hangout” space. And some parents realize if they create an area their kids want to spend time in, their kids will have friends over and they can eek out some more quality time, as well as keep tabs on them.

 

Big Bold Patterned Wallpaper: Wallpaper is still hot; it’s just not big, bold and bright. Opt for more subtle color ways that are softer, or tone on tone. People are also using wallpaper in more controlled ways, such as an accent on just one wall, or inside door panels.

 

 

 

 

Aqua and Chocolate Brown: I’m not sure this combo will ever go away completely, once it started to hit college campuses across the country you knew it had played itself out. Chocolate paired with orange is hot, as is gray mixed with cream.

 

 

 

Collections or Collecting (Anything!): Whether moving to a smaller dwelling or just clearing out old junk, people have discovered that living with less stuff is the ultimate luxury. Unclutter!

 

Recall of Maytag, Jenn-Air, Amana Refrigerators

A recall of various refrigerators was announced recently. If you own one of these models, please check table below to see if your product is affected.

Description: The recall includes certain Maytag®, Jenn-Air®, Amana®, Admiral®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag® and Crosley® brand side by side and top freezer refrigerators. The affected refrigerators were manufactured in black, bisque, white and stainless steel. They have model and serial numbers printed on a label located on the top middle or left upper side of the refrigerator liner and have the following model and serial number combinations:

	Serial Numbers ENDING with	AND Model Numbers BEGINNING with
Side by Side Refrigerators	AA, AC, AE, AG, AJ, AL, AN, AP, AR, AT, AV, AX, CA, CC, CE, CG, CJ, CL, ZB, ZD, ZF, ZH, ZK, ZM, ZQ, ZS, ZU, ZW, ZY, ZZ	ARS, CS, JC, JS, MS, MZ, PS
Top Freezer Refrigerators	AA, AC, AE, AG, AJ, AL, AN, AP, AR, AT, AV, AX, ZK, ZM, ZQ, ZS, ZU, ZW, ZY, ZZ	AT, CT, MT, PT

Refrigerators with freezers on the bottom are not included in this recall.

 

Kitchen Islands: Making the ordinary extraordinary!

Written by Cheryl Kees Clendenon

It seems lately when most people are dreaming of their ideal kitchen, an island is high on the wish list. Islands can be an integral part of the design layout and improve overall functionality or they can be an impediment to the flow of the work space.

Wood "island" within larger island

How can you determine if your space can handle an island and if so, how to take it up a notch in design? Carefully consider your floor plan and the amount of overall space you need for an adequate sized island as well as the space around it to maneuver easily. A good island layout functions as a “traffic cop” directing traffic around the primary cook zones and should be a minimum of 30 inches wide. The length is negotiable but I would recommend at least 36 inches. If you do not have at least this amount of “heft” to the island, you risk making it look crowded and undersized at best, and at worse are creating a hip busting, aggravating obstacle to good movement around the kitchen.

Ok, let’s say an island is going to work well for your design. Now let’s move on to making it the envy of the neighborhood! Here are some suggestions for adding increased utility and original personality.

• Think about the seating. Do you need seating? If so, how many seats. Rule of thumb is 24 inches per diner but if you have smaller bar stools or smaller diners i.e. children…then you can fudge this a little. Don’t crowd it.

High bar seating

• One level or two? One level is best for entertaining and maximizing the work space. The space can double as a serving area when not used as seating. Hint: if one level works for you and you have a sink in the island, install an air switch for the disposal. This is a small flat button that is installed in the countertop and is far better than cutting into your side panels with a switch, or worse, having to open the cabinet door to turn it on.
• Try very had to have one slab of stone, granite or other solid countertop material if one level island. Seams are a no-no. I repeat, no seams
• If you want two levels, then that is fine, if it works. Hint: Don’t buy into the conventional idea that the 6 inches of raised bar “hides” anything. It does not. No one is fooled into thinking the kitchen…is not really a kitchen.
• Make the island different than the rest of the kitchen. Try different cabinetry materials or different countertops, but not both. Or, think about two islands in one with two different, yet complementary materials such as the wood and copper in above picture.

Peninsula "island" that is unusual but works for this young family

• Consider legs or feet on the island but execute it well. Legs should be sturdily connected with an apron much like a typical table. Feet can be individual feet or a furniture style arched cutout. Hint: If budget constraints do not allow for a complete remodel of your existing space, think about simply replacing the island and island tops and paint the perimeter cabinetry. This can get you much further on a smaller budget and you can have a well designed island. Replace the other cabinetry when you have additional funds.
• Don’t be afraid to have just a working island and no seats. If you have ample seating adjacent to the kitchen space, then perhaps a working island with great targeted storage is a better option. Don’t force the seating aspect if you do not have ample room for people to pass by comfortably. Hint: If you can, mock up the island in the proposed space and “live” with it for awhile to see how well it works…or doesn’t. Islands can be a focal point of style in a kitchen as well as a gathering spot for friends and family.

This is my single favorite space to design in a kitchen! There are countless ways to creatively interpret the client’s personality and desires with extraordinary results. For more information on kitchen islands:

kitchens.com

hgtv.com

thisoldhouse.com

 

White Beach Kitchen soft and serene

White kitchens are never going to fade out of view. They are crisp, clean and provide unlimited possibilities. The trick is making them look fresh and not dated. In this kitchen, note the more modern “sticks” for backsplash tile and the modern handles. These design elements add the edge to an all white beach kitchen.

Gray blue stone "sticks" are something different and edgy in this othewise traditional beach kitchen

Soft and Serene

Lots of pantry storage in this kitchen

 

New yet Vintage Bath!

Vintage...circa 2009

Clever storage in a 9ft ceiling...above the tub!

Lights from Gingerco and Toto sink

 

Bosch recalls dishwashers

Bosch and Siemens are recalling about 476,500 dishwashers. An electrical component in certain model dishwashers can overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

There have been 51 reports of incidents, including 30 reports of fires resulting in property damage. No injuries have been reported.

 

 

This recall involves certain Bosch® and Siemens® dishwashers manufactured from May 1999 through July 2005. The brand name is printed on the dishwasher’s front control panel. Model and serials numbers are located inside the dishwasher door panel on the upper right side.

Brand	Model Numbers Must Begin With	Serial Numbers Must Begin With
Bosch	SHE43C, SHE44C SHE46C, SHE56C SHU33 SHU42 SHU432 SHU43C, SHU53A	FD8503 – FD8507 FD8501 – FD8505 FD7905 – FD8505 FD8407 – FD8505 FD8004 – FD8211 FD8205 – FD8507
Siemens	SL34A	FD8308 – FD8505

The appliances, made in the United States, were sold at appliance and specialty retailers nationwide from May 1999 through December 2006 for between $550 and $1,100.

Consumers should immediately stop using the listed model dishwashers and contact the repair hotline for a free repair.

For additional information, contact the BSH Home Appliances at (800) 856-9226 anytime or visit the brand’s Web site atwww.boschappliances.com or www.siemens-home.com.