What’s so good about stainless steel modular kitchens?

Stainless steel modular kitchens are a rage these days. Here is a low down on features that make these a better (though expensive)  choice:

Why is there so much hype around the ‘stainless steel modular kitchens’?
Simple! Because they are really good (read durable). In a wooden kitchen, you might buy a very good quality wood, but there is always a chance of wear and tear, damage due to water, moisture etc. While stainless steel doesn’t rust. It has a long life.

Any other benefit?
Stainless steel finish is a perfect choice for those who are extra conscious about hygiene. Stainless steel modular kitchens have high standard hygiene finish. Plus it doesn't have problems like termites, cockroaches etc., which often arises in kitchens with wooden finish.

What are the design options?
Like any other modular kitchen, stainless steel kitchens too offer an array of great designs, cabinet options, wall units, top racks, wall tiles etc. If you do not want to go for a fully stainless steel option, you can mix and match it with different materials to get an impeccable look. Steel blends well with granite, marble and such stuff. Plus, you can always look for a budget friendly option. This mixes well with lots of finish and materials; like, you can choose designer sheets for walls instead of going for an all out stainless steel kitchen.
And yes, if you think that the natural steel color is the only color option you have, here is a good news: Thanks to color coating, modular steel kitchens have a whole new array of colors and shades. These colors can be changed later too, with the help of color coating.

What about care and cleaning?
Though there are many modular options, cleaning is something that comes really easy with a stainless steel kitchen. Usually wood finish (which is a preferred choice for modular kitchens) involves setting up cabinets right above the floor thus leaving little space for cleaning below the cabinets. There are no such problems with the stainless steel modular kitchens. Usually, this is fixed on a stand at least four inches above the floor.

What about durability?
Durability is great! It is heat resistant. The polish is such that it doesn’t get scratches easily. Even if some damage is done, it doesn’t require you to change the entire unit; it uses portable parts which can be easily dismantled.

FAQ: The basics of wall painting

Painting walls isn’t only about selecting a flashy (or subtle) paint color. It is equally about durability, convenience and flawless walls. Here are answers to a few vital questions related to wall painting, and selection of the right wall paint:

Why is applying primer necessary before painting walls?
If your wall has been painted earlier, primer is not necessary. If you are applying paint for the first time, you just cannot afford to ignore it. Primer fills up little scratches or gaps on the newly constructed wall and functions as a base for paint. By skipping this important step for the sake of time or money you will only increase your inconvenience. Walls without primer absorb more paint, hence increasing your cost; they look a little rough and may how costly the paint be, the finishing would still be rough.

Can walls be saved from stains?
You can use anti-stain spray while the paint is being applied on walls. This helps protect walls against stains to an extent.

Which type of paint is suitable for spaces like bathroom or kitchen?
Walls in both of these spaces are slightly more prone to stains. Oil based paints are stain resistant (to an extent), so you can select these for such areas. Paints with semi-gloss finish are slightly easier to clean, so you can use these as well. For bathrooms, try and look for water resistant paints. This would protect its walls against moisture.

Should the exterior of the house be painted with a special wall paint?
Great if you can do so! Exterior of your house suffers harsh weather, sunlight, dust, rain, hail and what not. So the paint used on these walls tends to fade easily; it can peel off too. Thankfully, you do not need to wander looking for such paints; almost all the renowned brand are having special collection of exterior wall paints. Latex based paints are great for outer walls.

Whatever paint you choose, make sure it is easier to clean and durable. A few extra buck spent here would save you a lot of trouble later.

How good are ceramic floor tiles?

Ceramic floor tiles have been around for years. There durability makes them one of the best choices. If you are planning to install ceramic floor tiles, equip yourself with its pros and cons

Ceramic tiles give slightly porous appearance to the floor. They look great and are easy to clean. An additional advantage is that you cannot have enough of it, they come in many varieties, with interesting colors to size choices suiting different needs.

What is so good about ceramic tiles?



There are lots of pros of installing ceramic tiles:

1. They look good: When it comes to looks, they are just irresistible. These are glazed tiles and look of a blemish less ceramic tile floor is delighting.

2. They are easy to clean: Ceramic tiles do not get stubborn stains or scratches, hence, your floor appears neat and clean. Yes, grouts can be a problem, but then that is the case with many other tiles as well. Just a little grout cleaning makes the floor look new.

3. You don’t have to spend a lot on their maintenance: Ceramic tiles are glazed tiles and do not require waxing etc., thus saving a lot of your time and effort.

4. They are durable: Ceramic tiles are durable unless exposed to a very high footfall zone. If installed properly, it can be years before you see first sign of cracks appearing on it.

5. They can be installed in number of patterns: Their look and size options enables their installing in number of patterns. You can get ceramic tiles in large sizes as well; people who want to avoid the grout problem often prefer larger size. These tiles can be laid down in square or rectangular patterns. You can even choose more than one color for tiles to create a distinct pattern on floor.

What is not so good about ceramic tiles?



Like many other things, there are a few not-so-convenient features of ceramic tiles which must be noted before buying these:

1. Installing these is not the easiest of the tasks: It's not as if their installation requires knowledge of rocket science. Installation process is the same; but you need to use really good quality grout and an experienced labourer to get it done. If ceramic tiles aren’t sealed properly, grout turns black sooner and they are more vulnerable to cracks.

2. They might not be the best choice for bathroom or kitchen: Ceramic tiles maybe a little slippery for places like bathrooms. The best thing is to choose tiles with texture, which are usually not so slippery. Secondly, if you are using these tiles in bathroom, you have to make sure that you wipe off water when you are done.

3. They are not the best choice for high footfall zones: Ceramic tiles are durable, but they are not a right choice for high footfall areas like lobby. Though, this does not mean that they are delicate, but still why take chances.

Cleaning tips

 In case of stain a little detergent and a soft scrub is enough to clean ceramic tiles. You just need to rub the tiles a little and then wash them off with the help of water.

Utilize your bathroom space to the fullest

In space starved urban dwellings, a super-spacious bathroom is often a luxury beyond reach. Still, people want to pep it up to the best of its capacity. This can be done. A bathroom built over a large area may not necessarily be the best. It’s smart planning that makes it so. Find answers to a few most vital questions here:

Usually architects give a broader design of partitions and they do not provide internal detailing, not unless you have asked for it. If you are doing the layout on your own, be very cautious about what you do with the space. Know one simple rule, a bathroom looks best with sufficient open floor area.

The importance of free space


Whatever size your bathroom is, it must have a little free space to make it look good. You may want to include some fancy products in your bathroom, but this isn’t the wisest of ideas if all that it does is to make the bathroom look all crammed up!
Thanks to designers, you have size and design options to almost all sort of tools and equipment. So your goal must be to include items that make the bathroom look good besides being useful.

List down the items you want to install in your bathroom


Making a list would help you understand the real requirements and save you of unnecessary clutter. This would also give you an idea of how large a piece does your bathroom actually require.

How to make the list


Divide this list into three parts: Essentials, Desired and Optional.

List 1: Essentials: This is the most important list. Identify essential items that your bathroom must have.
Wash basin, basin mirror, toilet, toilet paper holder, geyser, laundry rack, toothbrush holder, a small vanity, towel rack, soap dish (in case you need to fix this on the wall) etc. would fall under this category.
This list will not include necessary equipment like faucets etc. which are installed during constructions.
* The size of products should be proportional to your bathroom space. An extra large mirror would not look good in a normal sized bathroom. Similarly do not go for an extra large cabinet.

List 2: Desired: This list should include items that you wish to install in your bathroom. The items included in this category may be the once that have caught your fancy. Since you are done with the first list by now, you would have a fair idea of the space left with you.
a) You can write down details of products like a fancy shower panel, bath tub, jacuzzi etc. in this list (Of course you wouldn’t go for all of it in one bathroom, select the one that may fit well within the bathroom space).
b) If you wanted to include some additional stuff like an extra cabinet for your makeup products, a linen closet, a dresser, steam showers etc., include it in this list.
c) Whatever product you finalize later, try to visualize your bathroom with all of it and see how much free area would be available. If the bathroom appears a little over-crowded, make some vital changes. For example: You can replace an extra large jacuzzi bathtub with a slick shower panel or steam shower to save some space.

List 3: Optional: As the name says, items on this list must come last, that is only after picking items from the first two lists.
If your bathroom space still permits inclusion of some other items, go ahead and include that fancy seating, LED, music system, decoration space, that you have always wanted in your bathroom.
Remember, more items you include in your bathroom, more free space it requires. So, be wary of creating a clutter.

Making the final selection


The final selection will need fair analysis of all the three lists.
1. List the items you have zeroed in on in one list according to the priority.
2. Finalize the item size keeping in view space occupied by each item on the list. You may need to reduce the size of the cabinet to create a little space, or you may need to zero in on a smaller bathtub.
3. DO NOT compromise on the essentials. Selecting a smaller washbasin or toilet to be able to place a vase in not a wise idea. This selection should entirely be based on the functionality of the products.

Note: What is essential for someone may fit in someone else’s ‘desired list’. Not everyone may find a shower panel essential. The list should be totally based on personal needs and priorities (and of course, budget)!

Understanding the Bathtub Material

A bathtub is often selected on the basis of its look and capacity of the buyer’s wallet. Know about best and worst of different bathtub materials here, and bowl over your dealer with the tid-bits of details while he is busy bragging about his stuff...

Porcelain Bathtubs


There is no doubt that porcelain bathtubs are one of the most popular choices. Their being reasonably priced and not-so-fussy to maintain also contributes a lot to their popularity. The bathtubs do not get damaged easily, but they are not totally unforgiving to scratches and all. Once they get scratches or bruises, be ready to live with it because you cannot get rid of them. Usually they are easy to clean.
Porcelain bathtubs are actually made of steel shells, fused with porcelain enamel to form a shiny, glassy coating, which actually looks great!
Now, to talk of the bathtub using experience, this material is cold to touch. Usually porcelain bathtubs aren’t longer than 5 and a half feet. Though there can be some pretty nice exceptions.
Budget factor: Porcelain bathtubs are popular because they are not very expensive.

Fiberglass Bathtubs


Fiberglass bathtubs are made of layers of fiberglass held together with polyester resins. It is also known as FRP and is a molded bathtub. Fiberglass bathtubs are very light-weighted as compared to the usual bathtub options. They are inexpensive and cracks and all can be repaired using an epoxy resin kit.
Now look at some negative features of fiberglass bathtubs. Fiberglass bathtubs are strong, yes, but do remember that a fiberglass bathtub is a molded bathtub, and like many molded equipment, even this bathtub may break under more weight or pressure. Like lots of things that are made of fiber, a fiberglass bathtub too sustains scratches very easily. Bad news is this that you cannot get rid of these scratches.Your dealer may try to convince you with its shiny colorful surface, the fact is, it wears off with time and the fiberglass bathtub will start getting dull over the years.
Budget factor: Fiberglass bathtubs are one of the most decently priced bathtubs available in markets.

Cultured Marble Bathtubs and Marble Bathtubs


Cultured Marble bathtubs do look like made of marble, actually they are made of limestone and polyester resins. A real marble bathtub is made of marble, but you have to be very careful while selecting one out of these two varieties. Cultured Marble bathtubs suffer less scratches, so with real marble bathtubs. One fact is that though marble bathtubs are luxurious and costly, even they can break. Both of these tubs are easy to clean and do not harbor moulds and mildews. (In pic Stone Forest Papillian Bathtub)
Budget factor: Cultured marble bathtubs are costlier than acrylic bathtubs yet a cheaper option than cast iron or marble bathtubs.

Acrylic Bathtubs


Acrylic bathtubs are one of the most popular options available. They are light weighted, shiny, easy to clean and convenient to install. An acrylic bathtub gets scratched easily, the good thing is that it is repairable. You can even get it painted in some other color, if you decide to change its color sometime later. Acrylic bathtubs usually face competition from cast iron bathtubs when it comes to the bathing experience. There are lots of sizes and varieties available.
Acrylic bathtubs lose heat easily, so you can arrange for double insulation. Talk to your dealer regarding this and see if he can help you out. Or may be you can invest in a maintenance water heater.
Budget factor: Acrylic bathtubs are reasonably priced.

Cast Iron Bathtubs


If you are one of those who like to soak for longer duration, cast iron bathtubs are for you. They can hold heat for longer duration thus saving you the expenditure and pain of arranging insulation (Though you would not bother this cost much if you are ready to spend on a cast iron bathtub).  Cast iron bathtubs look very decent; though sometimes they tend to put off buyers due to their heavy weight. They are very heavy, thus not very easy to install. You may need to understand how much weight your floor can bear, before going for a cast iron bathtub or any other option for that matter. (In pic, cast iron bathtub by Devon & Devon)
Budget factor: Usually, these are one of the costliest options among bathtubs.

Whichever bathtub you decide upon, it’s important to give a thought to the installing process. Remember, the problems you face during installation, may get repeated when you are uninstalling or re-installing a bathtub, probability of which can not be negated. See the depth and size of the tub carefully, because at the end, it is the bathing experience that matters.

(Pics for representational purpose only)