HOME SWEET HOME MAKING YOUR NEW HOUSE A HOME WINTER 2019
Let there be light Bright ideas create drama and function
Choosing the right paint colors Get it right before you move into your new home
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$250 RD A C T F
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Home Sweet Home | Winter 2019
®
From drab to fab
Five tips to spruce up your home
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U
nder the direction of President and CEO Jake Jabs, American Furniture Warehouse
(AFW) has been actively involved with our community for more than 40 years. We’re proud
BETTER Your Home, BETTER Your School
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to support a variety of causes in Arizona, Colorado and beyond, including education, youth, family, people in need, our environment, veterans, and agriculture. We give to hundreds of different
COMMUNIT Y all together now
ETTER Your Home, BETTER Your
non-profits, service organizations, K-12 schools,
School is an AFW-exclusive initiative
technical schools, and colleges on a regular basis.
that gives money back to schools all year round. When a participating school community shops at AFW, the company donates a percentage of the subtotal back to that school.
E
ducation has always been important to Jake. AFW is committed to education, supporting schools over the years by donating furniture for special areas in schools, donating money for projects, and donating gift cards for use in silent auction fundraisers and special projects.
Student Tours
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FW offers tours of our corporate location to thousands of high school and college students each year to teach them how a business like AFW operates.
Speaking at Schools
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ake gives many talks to students at a number of high schools and colleges. He discusses his journey and how he got to where he is today, his belief in the free enterprise system and entrepreneurship, and his 39 keys to business success.
Project ReCycle
P
roject ReCycle collects used bikes, fixes them, and then distributes them to children in need. AFW has worked to transport bikes during Project ReCycle’s bike drives, hauling hundreds of bikes from donation locations to the Project ReCycle shop.
AFW has worked to transport hundreds of bikes during Project ReCycle’s bike drives
AFW.com 2
Winter 2019 | Home Sweet Home
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Contents
Winning the clutter battle: Storage solutions to keep a home clutter free
10
DECORATING & DESIGN
A division of Republic Media 200 E. Van Buren St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 EDITOR
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COVER
From drab to fab—5 ‘totally cool, and entirely painless’ home decorating tips
FEATURE
16
Let there be light: Interior fixtures available in a multitude of styles
Q&A: Kent Briggs, American Furniture Warehouse
OUTDOOR LIVING
Built to last: How to invest in outdoor furniture that stands the test of time
Choosing the right paint colors before you move into your home
DEPARTMENTS NEWS & TRENDS
6
Planning your space 101
18 20 22 BED & BATH
Springs vs. foam: Will this decision change your life?
KITCHEN BITES
Home is where the soup is
KITCHEN & ENTERTAINING
IDEAS & INSPIRATION
8 4
Growing pains: Designing a kids’ room that will grow with them
The hard truth … about water
Winter 2019 | Home Sweet Home
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News & Trends
Planning your space 101 You’ve read countless home design blogs. You’ve combined all the best looks into a stellar Pinterest board. You’ve made a list of every piece of furniture you want to own. You are totally ready to buy your dream furniture, right? Not so fast. There’s one crucial step you need to take before making your furniture dreams come true: planning your space. While it’s obviously necessary to make sure that any furniture you buy will physically fit in your space, it’s also important to go one step further and make sure that it will also function in your space.
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Even the most perfect sectional that can hold the whole family for movie night will only become a huge nuisance if it makes it impossible to walk around the room. Fortunately, it’s easy to avoid problems like this by planning your room layout and considering the space around the furniture as well as the furniture itself. MEASURE TWICE, BUY ONCE
The first step in planning your space is figuring out how much space you have to work with. Begin by measuring your room, making sure that you also measure any doors and windows as well as the pathway furniture will take to get to the room. Once you have all your measurements, create a floor plan of your room
LIVING ROOMS
DINING ROOMS
Main traffic way: 36’’ Circulation around furniture: 24’’ Conversation area: 10-foot diameter Space between sofa and cocktail table: 12’’ to 18’’
Dining chairs plus walkway behind chairs: 38” Dining chairs plus enough space for serving: 42” Each individual eating space at a dining table: 24” From table to the edge of a sideboard or cabinet: 48”
Winter 2019 | Home Sweet Home
using graph paper or a tool like the AFW Space Planner. This will allow you to easily visualize the layout of the space by drawing or placing to-scale representations of furniture in the floor plan. PLANNING BASICS
After you’ve measured your home and created a floor plan, it’s time to get planning with two important considerations. First, traffic ways should be separated from the center of activities. After all, having someone walk through a conversation because it’s the only way to enter or exit a room is a little disruptive. If it’s not possible to avoid through traffic, try to direct your walkways around conversation areas. Second, moving around the room should be as direct as possible but not interfere with furniture placement. The goal is to make it easy to walk around the room without placing furniture in awkward spots. With these basics in mind, you’re ready to move on to the specifics that make each room enjoyably functional. LIVING ROOM
Your living room functions as everything from a solo movie theater to a gathering space, so consider your potential uses for the room when planning the layout. Be sure to account for the extra space motion furniture needs when it’s reclined as well as any drawers, doors, or lift tops on cocktail and end tables. If your living room has a TV in it, also consider how far your seating should be from the screen to get the best viewing experience. This depends on your TV’s size and resolution—the bigger the TV and the lower the resolution, the further back you should sit.
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BEDROOMS
Major circulation path: 24’’ One side or foot of bed for dressing: 42’’ One side of bed for circulation: 22’’ Least used side of bed: 12’’ In front of dresser, chest, and closet: 36’’ Home Sweet Home | Winter 2019
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Ideas & Inspiration
Growing pains
Designing a kid’s room that will grow with them By Elise Riley
The nursery has pale yellow Crib
Toddler Bed
walls, a white crib and changing table, and a rocking chair. In this moment, it’s perfect. But you know that in the blink of an eye, this space will transform into a mélange of soccer gear and stuffed animals, the site of sleep-overs and nightly homework. That peaceful nursery is going to undergo a change just like its precious inhabitant. But your child’s bedroom doesn’t need to go through a routine metamorphosis. You can, actually, design a space that grows with them.
TINY TO TEEN!
Daybed
Full-size Bed
Consider these three factors when planning your nursery or kid’s room. These techniques can take you from infancy to childhood and even the teen years. Invest in transitional furniture Select a bed that will grow along with your child. Toddler beds can guide you from crib to elementary school. A trundle bed offers storage and space for inevitable giggle-infused sleepover guests. Choose finishes and colors that will remain neutral for 10 or more years.
Get strategic with storage Toy boxes are great for little kids, but your teenager might not that box at the end of their bed. Consider strategic ways to address storage for your kids. Cubby walls that hold baskets of toys today can display books, soccer trophies and picture frames tomorrow. Retain a blank canvas Rather than selecting a color theme during infancy that’s sure to feel out of place in a few years, keep the room neutral and let your child’s personality determine the design over time. Whether it’s a bend toward blue or pink, or something completely different, you can create a color theme through accents such as artwork, window coverings and lampshades. Standard-size frames can house artwork that changes over time—you can affordably replace today’s poster of action figures with a favorite outfielder in a decade. Personalize with textiles It’s easy and affordable to swap out curtains, rugs, bedspreads and pillows with your child as he or she grows. It’s also fun! Plan an afternoon to find a new bedspread, whether the theme is superheroes or ballet. Let those easily changed aspects evolve over time, while furniture such as dressers, chairs and beds can last an entire childhood.
Cubby walls that hold baskets of toys today can display books, soccer trophies and picture frames tomorrow. 8
Winter 2019 | Home Sweet Home
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Winning the clutter battle By Elise Riley
N
o matter the size of your home—whether it’s your first apartment or a five-bedroom dream home— there’s one enemy you’re likely to fight: Clutter.
Storage solutions to keep a home clutter free
You can hire professional organizers to cure your home of its clutter crisis. Netflix has an entire series devoted to the philosophies of an anti-clutter guru. Then there are baskets to hold the bins that contain the trays for hiding your stuff. A side table or ottoman that offers hidden storage can keep a space organized and clean. Clutter is like a virus. It grows and spreads, and usually ends up ruining a perfectly good weekend. Follow these tips to keep your home free from clutter. Assess your environment Look at the places where clutter starts to form to determine the remedy. If your family creates a pile of shoes each day by the door, it’s time to find a basket or cupboard to store them. A decorative box or accordion file can defeat a growing pile of papers on a desk. Give everything a home Chances are, your cluttered space is in such a state because there’s nowhere to put the junk. Make sure everything has a home, whether it’s a cubby, box or shelf. Put things back in their allotted space. Conduct midnight sweeps Each night before heading to bed, address your clutter zones. It takes a mere 30 seconds to put a box of cereal back in the pantry, fold a blanket on the arm of a sofa or put the mail where it belongs. You’ll start the day fresh. Home Sweet Home | Winter 2019
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Decorating & Design
Let there be light
Interior fixtures available in a multitude of styles
Mark Bois Clair Photography
By Debra Gelbart
Lighting your home can be a challenging undertaking, in part because there are so many choices and partly because it’s difficult to know which type of lighting is optimal for each interior space.
But Jenelle Lovings, a senior interior designer with Tempe-based Creative License International, has some advice. BASIC GUIDELINES
“For functional, task-oriented lighting, homeowners should look for fixtures that have an adjustable opaque shade,” Lovings said. “This type of fixture will provide a direct spotlight for any work surface.” Homeowners must also consider the wattage of particular light fixtures, she said, because if the wattage is too low, the fixture may not function as needed.
Q&A: Kent Briggs, American Furniture Warehouse Beautiful new furniture doesn’t have to cost a fortune
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If you’re looking for a general illumination of a space, “choose fixtures that have a more translucent shade and maybe multiple sockets (such as in a chandelier). This will allow the light to disperse throughout a room.” Keep in mind, she said, that the sheerer the shade, the brighter the light. In addition, homeowners should be mindful of the type of bulbs used in their light fixtures. “Bulbs that produce a soft white light are always the most aesthetically pleasing.” LIGHTING WITH PURPOSE
Each room serves a different purpose and lends itself to a different activity, Lovings pointed out, noting that kitchen countertops, for example, require task lighting. “I prefer a layering of light in this area,” she said. “Directional light from recessed cans or track lighting, coupled with under-cabinet lighting, are the most effecYou realize it’s time to think about some new furniture, but your budget is tight. We asked Kent Briggs, a sales representative at American Furniture Warehouse in Glendale, how you can maximize the impact of a less than total furniture makeover. Q: WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK WHEN BUYING NEW FURNITURE?
A: Focus on redoing one room at a time. If the greatest need is the living room, tackle that first. Select your main piece(s) first: sofa, loveseat, chair, ottoman. If you can’t afford an entire room full of furniture and accessories all at once, purchasing a couple of pieces at a time will have a big impact on the look of a room. A visit to our clearance center is a must for those on a budget. We can help design an entire room, all at once, or one piece at a time. Winter 2019 | Home Sweet Home
tive ways to light a work surface. In a bathroom, lighting directly over your sink is standard. If you’re applying makeup, having additional lighting is always helpful. This can be done with sconces or even lighting integrated in mirrors.” Homeowners should shy away from toe-kick lightning in cabinetry, she said. “It always feels forced and uninspiring. If you want to incorporate ambient lighting in a kitchen or bathroom, always go up, not down.” Adding lighting in glass upper cabinets or along the tops of uppers to wash the ceiling results in elegance and sophistication. LAYERED, THOUGHTFUL LIGHTING CAN APPROACH PERFECTION
Ultimately, Lovings emphasized, “there is no one perfect light. The most successful spaces have a layering of light to achieve the needs of that space.” Recessed can lights are great for general illumination of a space, but they can be difficult to maintain based on their location. Pendant lights can be beautiful but shouldn’t be used as a primary light source because they may not provide enough light. Floor and table lamps are great, simple solutions for a space that lacks adequate lighting, but they don’t disperse light evenly. “Chandeliers are a great lighting solution,” Lovings said. “They provide general illumination as well as a focal point for any space. Current chandelier trends are mid-century styles with metallic finishes, particularly copper. Gone are the days of crystal fixtures.” Larger, more permanent fixtures, such as chandeliers and wall sconces, are ideal for classic styles rather than trendy looks, Lovings said. “Trendier pieces (those with geometric lines, for example) should be limited to lamps, as they can be updated easily.” And don’t feel like you might get a better deal by buying a furniture set. Our everyday low pricing allows the customer to purchase only the furniture pieces needed without feeling like they have to purchase the entire collection to get a better deal. Q: HOW IMPORTANT IS PRICE?
A: Price is important, but it’s more important to purchase high-quality furniture that’s going to last. Ask yourself how the furniture will be used in your home, who will be using it, how much it will be used by kids and whether pets will be allowed on it. The furniture has to hold up to the home environment. It’s a mistake to consider only the price of furniture.
Home Sweet Home | Winter 2019
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The excitement of moving into a
new home can sometimes be tempered by the realities of the actual move itself. Painting the home before you move in is one of those realities. Not only is it tiring to do the work but choosing the wrong color and needing to repaint after you move can feel daunting. “Ideally, I think it’s best to wait until you move in, but 99 percent of people don’t. They want it fresh and clean when they bring their stuff in,” said Sherwin-Williams Company Senior Designer Account Executive, Laurie Clark. For many people, it’s hard for them to understand how they chose the wrong color in the first place. Many people think picking a simple gray or beige is a neutral safe choice, only to find when belongings are placed in the home that something is wrong. Here, Clark shares a few insights for how to get the color right before you move in.
THE NEW SPACE … AND A DASH OF YOU
Choosing the right paint colors before you move into your new home
Assessing the color needs while working with an empty space is challenging, Clark says. First, start with the larger elements of a room like the existing carpet, cabinets or flooring. Are any of these things going to change before you move in? Those may need to be addressed before paint.
or at least not clash with it. Then, you’ll need to consider your furniture. If you’re buying new furniture, then you may need to hold off on your paint purchase.
If what’s in place is staying, consider what colors work well with these larger elements. Pay attention to some subtleties. For example, some cabinets with a natural wood finish may have a hint of red or cherry. Wall paint or accents from furniture or wall hangings will need to complement that hint of red
If you’re keeping your current furniture, bring in a piece of it, if possible, along with other personal items.
“I always say buy the furniture first, then match the paint,” Clark added.
“Sometimes it’s just grabbing a pillow from a couch, an afghan, a framed picture … it’s really important to bring it to the space to get a feel for all the different components you’re working with,” Clark said. GO NEUTRAL
Clark also advises against doing much with accent walls at this time. Instead, for now, focus on a neutral color or two that can work well, overall, in the home. Pay attention to the undertone, a secondary color that showcases itself such as a beige that shows a hint of pink. In these situations, some homeowners are stunned by seeing pink when light hits the paint in some rooms. If you view your paint samples, furniture, accessories and lighting altogether in the space, you will clearly see undertones and be able to reselect your color before painting the entire space. Be careful with grays, she added. Too many flash a blue undertone that does not match with all homes. Understanding what’s in the formulation is key, especially with grays.
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Winter 2019 | Home Sweet Home
COLOR ME SHOCKED:
This year’s paint color of the year might surprise you!
Y
ou might not know what a color is called, but you like it when you see it, right?
Well, Sherwin Williams, one of the world’s largest paint companies, surprised some with it’s 2019 Color of the Year. The company’s choice, Cavern Clay, is “A warm terracotta color with ancient, elemental roots…a nod to midcentury modern style, but with soul of the Southwest,” says Sue Wadden, director of Color Marketing at Sherwin Williams. Each year, a creative team at Sherwin Williams makes their selection based on trends and research. Last year’s color was Oceanside, a deep, ocean-inspired blue.
“Grays can look great and they are really popular now, but they can be very difficult to work with,” she said. When you get samples, paint as large of an area as possible. Then, visit the home several times a day to see how light influences the color. You’ll be surprised at how different the paint may look at certain hours of the day. SEEKING HELP
If you feel like you can’t seem to find the right colors, Clark recommends hiring a color consultant. An hour or two may cost a hundred or two hundred dollars, but it could spare you the frustration of needing to paint again. Technology can also help. Apps like Sherwin-Williams’ ColorSnap allow you to visualize the color inside your actual space with the snap of a photo and by inputting information from the color you are considering. You can also seek the help of others. For those buying new furniture, some companies will actually make suggestions for how to pair colors with your new pieces. Furniture retailer Arhaus, for example, offers paint color cards. These cards show furnishings and color representations on them to give customers a general idea of the moods certain colors create. The cards allow people to think of how they want to feel in a certain space and how color and furnishings can influence that feeling. To schedule an estimate or to learn more about the Arizona Painting Company, visit its website at arizonapaintingcompany.com or call 602-648-3071.
Home Sweet Home | Winter 2019
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By Meghann Finn Sepulveda
Spring is just around the corner and now
is the perfect time to freshen up your home with new décor. Not sure where to start? We spoke with Kirsten Holmstedt, owner and principal interior designer of Treasure in the Detail Interiors, who shared five easy DIY ways to adorn your home.
TIP #1: CREATE A FOCAL WALL
Add colorful wallpaper, printed decals, or painted stripes to any wall to create an eye-catching appearance. Wainscoting, shiplap, or board and batten are also great ways to achieve a very classic and timeless design style. TIP #2: INCORPORATE DETAILS
Don’t underestimate the impact of what a few details can do to a home. Integrate contrasting light and dark elements and add pops of pattern in textiles like pillows and rugs to unify the space. TIP #3: ADD WINDOW TREATMENTS
Curtains are a great way to control light, add warmth and bring life to any room in the home. For a tranquil effect, incorporate soft, neutral or sheer fabric. If you want to make a bold statement, find a coordinating pattern that works well with existing rugs and pillows. Don’t forget to hang the panels higher than the top of the window and close to the ceiling to give the illusion that the room is larger.
From drab to fab:
tips to spruce up your home
Simple, creative and affordable decorating tips
TIP #4: CHOOSE GOOD LIGHTING
Lighting is an important element to create a cozy ambiance and highlight key areas of the home. Change out small pendants for larger lighting fixtures above a kitchen island. Don’t be afraid to select a light fixture that has unique texture and layers. Mix up finishes that are cohesive with your design style to get a custom look. TIP #5: SHOP YOUR HOME
While purchasing new décor is fun, it isn’t always realistic when it comes to your budget. Look around your home and see what you already have before you make an investment. Move a rug from the dining room to the master bedroom or bring a chair from the living room to the guest bedroom. Accent décor and pillows can also easily be swapped out and rotated among different spaces in the home for a fresh, new look.
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Winter 2019 | Home Sweet Home
Top 10
must-have accessories for your home
Need more home inspiration? Here are 10 accessories that will make your home more comfortable, stylish and welcoming: 1. Footstool Rest your feet, store books and use as an extra seat. 2. Shelves Display photos, your child’s art work and collectables. 3. Bulletin board Pin up homework, chore reminders and business cards. 4. Hooks Hang backpacks, coffee mugs and coats. 5. Umbrella stand Stash sophistically near the front door for a rainy day. 6. Clock Tell time and add a vintage design. 7. Wall light Create ambiance and charm. 8. Pull-out chopping board Free up space and have an additional surface. 9. Wheels Move furniture easily and introduce an interesting design element.
10. Wicker baskets Organize kitchen, bedroom and bathroom supplies. *Source: Adapted from Houzz.com
Home Sweet Home | Winter 2019
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Outdoor Living
By Leigh Farr
The perfect patio pieces for
your backyard getaway will reflect your taste and style, match your budget and most importantly, will stand up to the elements. So how do you find affordable outdoor furnishings that look fabulous and last through the seasons? Experts say look for materials known for their outdoor resilience, then add your personal touch. “With patio furniture, buy a nice quality set that’s going to last and then accent it with your aesthetic and your style such as lanterns, pillows, rugs or an umbrella. That’s where you can make it look like your place and still have furniture that lasts for years,” says Kim Elonich, senior director for Product Development, Outdoor Furniture, at Crosley Furniture. LASTING BEAUTY
The key to choosing durable outdoor furniture is all in the frame, Elonich says. Much of the metal patio pieces on the market are made of aluminum because it is both lightweight and durable. “If you want your furniture to last for years, cast aluminum is the best frame material to buy,” Elonich says. “It will withstand rain, sun, wind, heat and won’t rust.” If you’re looking for a heavier frame for your patio pieces, consider choosing wrought iron. It withstands sun and wind and is less likely to rust than steel.
To cover your metal frame, look for moisture-proof resin wicker or cushions made with weather-resistant fabric. For a more natural look, a dense, resilient wood such as teak makes a great choice for your backyard oasis. “Teakwood is the highest quality wood you can find,” Elonich says. “It’s going to last longer, but you need to treat it with a sealer or teak oil. If you take care of teak furniture it can last for years.”
Textile talk
Choosing high-performance fabric for your outdoor furniture that can weather sun exposure, heat, wind and rain, is key for seasons of enjoyment. Here’s a breakdown of the most common outdoor fabrics: Solution-dyed acrylic This soft, breathable material resists UV rays, moisture and mildew. Vinyl fabric This durable, flexible material is fade-resistant, but it tends to heat up in the sun. Polyester This fabric is strong and durable, but it is prone to fading. Cotton canvas While this option isn’t as resistant to sun and moisture exposure as its synthetic counterparts, it can be replaced often because it’s less expensive.
Other strong, durable woods that hold up well over time include cedar, shorea and eucalyptus. STURDY, YET STYLISH
For your cushions, the gold standard fabric is solution-dyed acrylic designed to keep sun damage, moisture and mildew at bay. “Not all performance fabrics are the same,” says Allen Gant III, director of Outdoor Market at Sunbrella. “Traditional dyeing processes only leave color on the surface of fabric so they will fade easily. Sunbrella fibers are saturated to the core with highly UV-stable pigments, making them resistant to fading and the degrading effects of sunlight.” To boost your furniture’s longevity, Gant recommends umbrellas, pergolas or awnings for additional protection. Be sure to add furniture covers to your budget plus a deck box for storing your cushions when they’re not in use.
Olefin More affordable than acrylic fabrics, but not as soft, olefin is resistant to both fading and staining.
Built to last How to invest in outdoor furniture that stands the test of time
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Winter 2019 | Home Sweet Home
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Bed & Bath Springs vs. foam:
Will this decision change your life? Picking a mattress is more complicated that you think By Nilay Johnson
When was the last time
a variety of materials like polyurethane, latex, and viscoelastic. When sleeping on these mattresses the foam can have different layers of support and conforms to the body for comfort.
you shopped for a mattress? Two years? Five years? A decade? More? If it’s been a while, you might be shocked at the sheer number of varieties.
Steel coil spring mattresses have literally been around for more than a 100 years. German inventor Heiriich Westphal patented the first innerspring mattress in 1871. Ironically, they’re still the most popular, with nearly 1 in 3 households owning one, according to a 2016 survey by Consumer Reports. However, in that same survey, researchers found that 65 percent of consumers regretted purchasing an innerspring mattress with so many other choices available. LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT VARIETIES, AND LET YOU CHOOSE
Innerspring mattresses can either have individually wrapped springs or connected. The key to comfort though is often regarded as the number of springs in the mattress. That matters because the higher the number of springs the more places your is supported and the mattress contours around you compared to a lower number of springs. Construction of inner18
Lastly there are combinations of these different types. Some of those include added features like the pillow-top. Like the name sounds it is an extra layer of cushioning that is attached to the top of “We are such stuff the mattress. This extra As dreams are made layer of comfort can be on, and our little life made from a variety of spring mattresses materials. Another comIs rounded with can vary greatly from mon addition is a gel a sleep.” the materials used for layer. It adds a cooling the upholstery and comfort. Temperature is —William Shakespeare, gauge of the wire in often a factor in getting from “The Tempest ” the springs. a good night’s sleep and the gel layer helps to keep you cool. Airbeds boast that they are highly customizable with the ability to change firmness nightly even. A pump attached to the mattress adds or allows air to be removed in order to adjust it. Typically there is a top layer of cushioning or foam. Many allow the bed to be adjusted on either half to suit personal preferences. A word of warning, don’t change the firmness in the middle of the night. The pumps can be considered noisy by some, though they are getting better. Foam mattresses are another popular choice. They can be constructed from
There is no one size fits all answer to the perfect mattress puzzle. What’s comfortable to us is subjective as individuals. Well then, where do you start? Sleep experts recommend getting familiar with several types of mattresses by laying on them for at least 15 minutes in your typical sleep position. Then evaluating how your body feels afterwards. You want to be comfortable so go ahead and take your shoes off. Don’t forget your spouse. This is a decision you’ll want to make together. Sweet dreams!
Winter 2019 | Home Sweet Home
0204130316
These days, mattress types include everything from the traditional innerspring to memory foam, gel, latex, air beds and hybrids of combinations of several materials.
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Kitchen Bites
Home is where the soup is CONFETTI SOUP
This delicious recipe mixes together black-eyed peas, savory smoked turkey ham, fresh vegetables and a secret ingredient, kale, to make up this warm, wonder soup! Makes: 6 servings Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Ingredients 1 3/4 teaspoons canola oil 3/4 cup fresh onions, peeled, diced 3/4 cup fresh celery, diced 3/4 cup fresh carrots, peeled, diced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon whole fennel seed 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional) 1 1/2 cups canned low-sodium black-eyed peas, drained, rinsed 3 1/2 cups water 1 cup extra-lean turkey ham, diced 1/4” (6 oz) 1/3 cup fresh kale, coarsely chopped 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped Directions 1. In a large pot, heat oil over mediumhigh heat. Add onions and celery. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add carrots, salt, pepper, fennel seed, and optional crushed red pepper. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Classic Irish Stew
While spring is
coming, there are still plenty of chilly days to content with. And nothing is more comforting on a cool evening than a hearty warm soup. Check these delicious easy-to-make recipes. 2. Add black-eyed peas and water. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes over medium heat. 3. Add turkey ham and kale. Cook covered for an additional 10 minutes over medium heat until kale is tender.
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 sprigs fresh thyme 2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 cup chopped carrots 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed 1 cup sliced savoy cabbage Instructions 1. Brown beef in 2 Tbsp. oil in a pot over medium-high heat, 8 minutes. Transfer beef and its juices to a bowl; reduce heat to medium.
CLASSIC IRISH STEW
2. Sweat onions in remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in same pot, covered, until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste; cook until paste darkens, 2 minutes. Add flour and stir to coat; cook 1 minute.
With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, you’ll not need the luck of the Irish to prepare this classic and hearty stew. It’s packed full of beef onions, and potatoes and has a rich Guinness enhanced broth you won’t soon forget.
3. Deglaze pot with beer, scraping up any brown bits. Add beef and chicken broths, beef and any accumulated juices, and thyme. Bring stew to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 1 hour.
Makes: 8 servings Total time: 90 minutes
4. Stir in potatoes and carrots; cook until potatoes are tender, 12 minutes. Add peas and cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and simmer 5 minutes.
4. Add parsley right before serving. Serve hot.
Ingredients 2 lb. beef meat, cut into 11/2-inch chunks, seasoned with salt and black pepper 4 tbsp. olive oil, divided 2 cups diced onions 2 tbsp. minced fresh garlic 2 tbsp. tomato paste 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
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2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup stout beer (such as Guinness)
5. Stir tomato paste and flour into the sautéed onions. They will help thicken the liquids into a rich sauce. 6. Stir in the cabbage during the last 5 minutes of cooking so it stays slightly crisp and retains some color. Winter 2019 | Home Sweet Home
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Kitchen & Entertaining
By Brian Sodoma
If you’re wondering
why that dishwasher or water heater failed after only a few short years, there may be a simple, albeit frustrating, answer. The desert southwest is blessed by outdoor beauty, but its residents also contend with hard water realities. Here’s a look at some of the “hard” truths about how hard water impacts and Arizonan’s everyday life. PLUMBING PAIN Hard water has higher levels of calcium and magnesium, minerals that build up in plumbing pipes and appliances, shortening lifespan and decreasing efficiency. For a grains-per-gallon (gpg) rating system, a figure above seven is considered hard. Some areas of the valley can see levels in the 20s or higher, says Dave Perry, executive director of the Arizona Water Quality Association. Perry says older homes with galvanized plumbing pipes can see considerable calcium and magnesium buildup to the point where water can’t penetrate the scale formation inside the pipes. Fortunately, most homes today have PEX or copper piping; buildup inside the pipe is not as severe but it can still be hard on faucets or shower and bath fixtures, shortening their life cycle and producing an unsightly film on them, too. A CRY FOR HELP Appliances that use or process water work less efficiently with hard water. Dishwashers, water heaters, even coffee makers, can see significant damage from hard water scale formation on their heating components, Perry also noted. This can cause them to work harder, unnecessarily. “It shortens the life of the appliance and requires more energy to break through that scale formation. It’s really an unseen effect,” Perry said. In a study conducted by the National Water Quality Research Foundation, instantaneous gas and gas storage water heaters using softened and unsoftened water were studied and a total life-cycle cost savings
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was calculated. For instantaneous gas heaters servicing 15 gpg hard water, softened water provided a 31.2 percent life-cycle cost savings for a 15-year service life. Softened water provided a 10.3 percent savings for gas storage water heaters as well. Most tankless water heater manufacturers exclude from their warranties damage caused by adverse conditions including hard water deposits, lime or mineral build-up.
The hard truth
percent, adds Mike Mattox, general manager for Kinetico Arizona, which offers advanced water softening and wholehouse water filtration solutions.
“(Hard water) shortens the life of the appliance and requires more energy to break through that scale formation. It’s really an unseen effect.”
Hard water leaves behind soap scum when cleaning, but it also leaves that soapy residue in clothing, which builds up on the fibers. It does the same to the skin, creating dry, itchy skin, Mattox also noted. “Hard water affects everything it touches. Just know, if you don’t do anything about it, you’ll pay a lot more for it in the future,” he said.
Consumers can be — Dave Perry,Executive confused by hard Director of the Arizona water facts, often W ater Q uality A ssociation asking about calcium and magnesium being good for one’s health. It’s a serious In the same National Water Quality misconception, Perry said. Research Foundation study, soft water Organic versions of calcium and magnesium are indeed healthy, but minerals found in hard water are inorganic - nothing more than scale debris from salt, Perry explains. They offer no nutritional benefit. CLOTHES AND YOUR SKIN Hardness minerals (inorganic calcium and magnesium) interfere with the cleaning action of soaps and detergents. As a result, larger amounts of cleaning agents are needed to counteract the hard water, and even then, laundry results are not as effective as in soft water. Major appliance manufacturers realize this serious problem and recommend a water softener installation as a practical solution. Water softeners work by producing an ion exchange chemical reaction that draws out the calcium and magnesium from the water, Perry noted. Hard water can fade laundry and also shorten the life of fabrics by up to 33
used in a variety of laundry machines allowed for less energy expenditure and better stain-fighting activity. The same, or better, stain fighting actions could be achieved with cold 60-degree Fahrenheit water as hot 100-degrees Fahrenheit water, the study found, and less detergent was needed for stain-fighting, too. “When water of any hardness is softened prior to its use in washing, the detergent use can be reduced by 50 percent,” the study’s authors said. THE SOFT WATER SOLUTION Replacing hard water with soft water not only allows you to enjoy increased appliance life and fewer repair bills, but there are other real cost savings. • Since soft water works harder with less help, soaps and cleaning agents can be reduced up to two-thirds. Winter 2019 | Home Sweet Home
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Not all water softener systems are created equal. Kinetico offers a dual-tank hybrid unit solution called the Premier Quad Series. The unit is powered by the kinetic energy of moving water instead of electricity and provides a reliable stream of treated water. The system works on-demand, requiring no adjustment when company comes. In addition to soft water, the hybrid also provides chlorine-free water. The system also cleans and regenerates itself in only 11 minutes and uses soft water to do so. Many electric machines require considerable downtime at night for cleaning and unfortunately use hard water in the cleaning process, exposing the internal components to damaging hardness minerals, Mattox explained. “Kinetico units are so much more efficient than any other system in the industry,” he added. When looking for a softener, Mattox also says it’s important to seek out a licensed, reputable contractor. Check the Better Business Bureau (BBB) site as well as the state Registrar of Contractors site for complaints. In addition, make sure equipment, in its entirety, is certified by either the state water quality association or National Sanitation Foundation (NSF). “Most will only certify parts. Make sure the certification is for the entire unit, not just the components,” Mattox noted. To learn more about the effects of hard water on your home and daily life, visit Kineticoaz.com or call 602-437-2474. Home Sweet Home | Winter 2019
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Winter 2019 | Home Sweet Home