Everyone seems to have many questions about what’s important when choosing kitchen appliances. This month, IKEA presents useful tips on how to choose appliances that don’t just work, but work smarter.

Tips for choosing appliances:

OVENS AND RANGES

Gas vs. electric: This is one of the first decisions to make when choosing an oven or range. Gas provides instant response, precise controllability and lower operating costs, while electric provides even heat and a lower appliance cost. Consider the types of food cooked and your budget.

Features: Consider daily use to determine the features needed, from self-cleaning functions, to basting and grilling functions, and automatic timers.

Layout: Double-stacked ovens provide plenty of capacity for baking and cooking while freeing up floor space. A separate range can create an additional cooking area on a central island.

REFRIGERATORS

Efficiency: Refrigerator energy standards have changed drastically since being mandated in 1993 and 1998. Look for a refrigerator that is Energy Star® qualified to save on energy and operating costs.

Capacity: Plan on 12 cubic feet of refrigerator space for two people and add 2 more cubic feet for each additional person. Space-saving features like pull-out and transparent drawers and bins make it easier to find and organize food.

Features: Look for features like built-in water and ice dispensers, adjustable shelves and separate temperature controls to make life easier.

DISHWASHERS

Practicality: Like refrigerators, dishwashers should be Energy Star® qualified. Besides being more hygienic than hand-washing, a dishwasher also saves water and time.

Features: Consider family size when determining necessary dishwasher capacity. Standard models accommodate up to ten place settings, tall tub models up to 14. Other options include energy-saving air-drying, delay timers for “off peak” energy hours and sani-rinse options which kill most germs and bacteria.

Other Featured Appliances

NUTID built-in microwave oven $699

Stainless steel. 10 power levels. Auto cook, reheat and defrost functions. This feature-rich microwave has an auto-cook function with seven preset categories. Installation in a high cabinet provides a comfortable work height and clears countertop work space.

MUMSIG built-in double oven $1499

This convection oven features two ovens for top and bottom heating and includes functions for grilling, pastries and self-cleaning, plus an automatic timer.

Marlene Pratt, a Casa Latina co-founder, believes that designing for a contemporary American lifestyle is much more than changing colors and buying new furniture. It is about integrating the many elements of a person’s life into their home.

When Marlene takes on a project, she does not just redecorate a space; she redesigns a lifestyle. She gets personal in order to understand who you are, where you are in your life, and where you want to go. Marlene works with each person to make their home an expression of who they are, interweaving their passions, beliefs and desires into the home’s fabrics, colors, textures and designs to create an intensely personal, yet functional, space.

Introduction by Nora Maria Diaz Bretherton

In this article Marlene was featured in Woman’s Day magazine:

Harvest gold appliances and above-cabinet soffits were the height of the kitchen style when Richard and Ellyn Wira moved into their new home in 1973. Fast-forward 32 years. Despite the new wallpaper and replacement appliances, “you walked into that kitchen and automatically knew how old it was,” says Marlene Pratt, the Home Depot interior designer who helped the Wiras bring the room into the 21st century.

What was done:

• Home depot’s Marelene Pratt, above left, guided the Wiras toward KraftMaid maple cabinets in a medium stain for the traditional look they desired.  A two-tone glaze that makes them darker around the edges is a contemporary look.
• The old cabinets came together in the corner and created a non-man’s land of dead space that required a flashlight to explore.  A new catty-corner cabinet, with a lazy Susan inside, makes the space user friendly.  A louvered appliance garage keeps countertop clutter under control.
• Silestone natural quartz countertops in Tea leaf won’t readily show dirt, and beacuse it’s nonporous, the surface won’t absorb stains. A cream ceramic tile backsplash adds texture.
• Pratt persuaded the Wiras to replace their relatively new white appliances with stainless steel ones from Maytag. “You can match any color to it,” says Pratt, “and it makes that color more striking.”
• A built-in microwave above the range frees up counter space.  The wood caving above it was unexpected piece Pratt brought in to provide a focal point. The arch over that, an architectual element repeated above the sink and on the workstation, softens the square lines of the kitchen.
• The Kohler chrome faucet has the old-fashioned look Ellyn loves, but with a modern pullout spray nozzle.

• Stained-glass cubbies replace the soffit above the cabinets, showing off Ellyn’s china and collectibles.  “A soffit makes a room seem smaller than it really is,” says Pratt.  “To the ceilling cabinets give the room added height and elegance.”

• A stunning new workstation doubles the storage space of the old hutch, and adds a desk and a filling cabinet in the base.  Pratt chose Behr’s Mountain Haze paint, an airy, light sage hue, as an homage to the Wiras’ North Carolina vacation home.  A round glass-top table lightens things up further.  The dark cream porcelain tile flooring is easy to clean and dries quickly, Ellyn says.  It was laid on an angle , which creates the illusion of a bigger room.

The details at work:

1. A sleek flat-screen television replaces a bulky old set, freeing up counter space.
2. Two roll-out drawers in the pots and pans cabinet organize cookware, eliminating straining and searching.
3. A pullout pantry next to the refrigerator holds canned goods and puts an end to the typical spice jumble in cabinets.  “You can see everything at a glance,” syas Ellyn.
4. Making most of utensil storage is a dual-level flatware drawer: The top section slide across to reveal a divided bottom.
5. Slide-out wire baskets get onions and potatoes out of the bag and into easy-to-access vegetable bins.

Once the makeover was complete, the Wiras found that they were surprisingly enamored of some of the smaller touches: a cabinet unit that houses trash and recycling bin, the freezer on-the-bottom refrigerator (”You can see what needs to be used up,” says Richard).  “We’re overwhelmed,” Ellyn says.  “The only thing is, it looks so good, now we feel like we need to redo the rest of the house.”