There are so many things I love about blogging for C&H, and one of them includes browsing shelter magazines and websites for the latest and greatest products. Some of them are definitely splurge-worthy, but we can dream, can't we?
I've found the newest item to add to my wishlist. Smith & Fong's Plyboo Neopolitan Flooring is, quite simply, amazing. The material is dramatic and eye-catching, and better yet, it's incredibly durable, too.
"With a hardness nearly three times that of red oak, Neopolitan is one of the hardest bamboo floorings on the market, offering superior durability and dent and scratch resistance," according to Smith & Fong.
So you're ready to start that big renovation project -- a new kitchen, an updated bathroom, or maybe even an entire house!
Before you install the new, you've got to take care of the old. In the past, the most common practice was demolition, whether performed by sledgehammer-wielding homeowners or well-equipped professionals.
In this greener day and age, however, another practice is emerging: deconstruction. The idea is still the same in that the existing space is torn down to make way for new construction. Yet with deconstruction, careful attention is paid to the process so that materials like wood, tile, fixtures and flooring can be salvaged and reused.
CES has expanded their Connected Home area and it seems that Kenmore and GE are leading the way with introducing their latest in home technologies.
For a consumer brand as large as GE its surprising that this is their first appearance at CES. They have taken this opportunity to introduce three major advancements in Smart Home technology. The Nucleus energy manager with Brillion technology, the GE WattStation electric vehicle charging station, and an advanced small wind turbine. All of these advancements are keyed on helping consumers reduce health- and energy-related costs and redefine the benchmark for household performance.
"GE's innovative technology addresses the needs of our rapidly changing lives and does so at a lower cost for consumers," said David McCalpin, general manager, Home Energy Management, GE Appliances & Lighting. "Consumers expect near real-time information to inform household decisions. We provide this at GE. From Nucleus™ energy manager with Brillion™ technology, to the WattStation electric vehicle charger, digital-energy technology is enabling an energy transformation that will make peoples' lives easier."
No longer a dream, transparent concrete is for real and is now being used as a building material. The Italian firm, Italcementi Group, unveiled their product which was built into the World Expo building in Shanghai.
There are approximately 50 holes in each 19.7 x 39 x 2 inch panel, resulting in an overall transparency of about 20 percent.
