Ron Mace: architect, is credited with creating the concept on an international level. The formal definition of universal design stated by Mace is “the use of products, spaces and anesthetics to the greatest extent possible, regardless of status, ability or age.

The universal design concept changes the design paradigm of expecting people to adapt and function according to design. The new human-centered design employs products and design to support lifestyle and circumstances as we currently live. Additionally it must adhere to differences in human factors while utilizing appealing aesthetics.

Universal design concept  targets the entire population, considering that changes occur over the life of the home and its occupants. Conversely, aging-in-place refers to environmental modifications that support the aging process as it advances.

The baby boomers finding: aging-in-place more desirable and the drive to reduce environmental impacts have both contributed to the growth of universal design. When a home’s design utilizes Universal design it reduces or eliminates the need of modifications later in life. This makes universal design products not only a smart choice for seniors but for children as well.

Home appliance and plumbing manufacturers continue to produce more products to enhance safer, simpler and more comfort while retaining beauty.

Universal design – Bathroom

One of most critical spaces in the home for safety is the bathroom. There are countless products from shower to lighting to keep the bathroom safer for all occupants.

Zero-threshold shower bases

• European style with a seamless and beautiful shower.
• Flush with the floor and often feature a trench drain to contain water in the shower area.
• Easy access for foot and wheelchair traffic.
• A slip-resistant, textured floor to help prevent shower accidents .

Grab bars

• Tub or shower area
• Next to the toilet provide safety and support for anyone.

Night lighting

• Easier navigation without assistance at night.
• Increased room color contrasts to offset decreased visibility.

Tub

• Ledge or seating on tub edge adds improves ease in maneuvering in and out of the tub.
• Providing an area for caregivers to sit. This feature can enhance the bathing experience for young children who need to be supervised or an older adult who requires a more accessible bathing solution

In keeping the universal design concepts in mind, manufacturers are producing more design options and flexibility to coordinate the aesthetics with faucet and share textures and as decorative or functional components.

Universal design – Kitchen

Kitchen lighting, accessories and appliances have seen incredible design improvements to make them more intuitive, easier and safer to use. Create design also makes the space more accessible and safer for all users.

Dishwashers and refrigerators can now be built into drawer spaces for easier access. In addition, induction countertops are more energy efficient and offers improved safety compared to conventional stoves. Induction stove surface remains neutral during cooking and the cooktop is shallow so it may create space for wheelchair users.

Counters

• Empty space under countertops around sinks or cooking areas is great seated access and flexibility.
• Lower countertops and sinks give easier access to children and wheelchair users.
• Roll-out shelves or drawers make it easier to see and reach items stored in lower cabinets.
• Pull-out counter underneath a built-in single wall oven makes transfer of hot dishes or pans from the oven easier.

Hands-free or touch-activated faucets promotes easier to use for children individuals with arthritis or compromised strength. To conserve water, many have a automatic shut-off.

With universal design; beauty, safety, convenience and independence can all be improved for all household members.

Have you ever replaced your showerhead? If you have, you probably went through weeks if not months of contemplation and procrastination…or just went with whatever and ended up regretting your haste. It’s actually a very simple process, and with a few tips you’ll be able to get the perfect showerhead for you and your household. Here is a simple guide to help you buy the right showerhead.

Hand held vs. fixed

Fixed showerheads are attached to a shower arm and mounted permanently to the wall. Hand held showerheads are attached to the wall with flexible tubing, which makes it easier to maneuver water where you want it. The head can be placed in a cradle to serve as a conventional wall-mounted shower. Hand showers are ideal for washing children, pets and easier shower cleaning.

Height: If there is more than one person using the same shower, the fixed or mounted heads should be high enough for the tallest person. The ideal in this situation is mounting the head to an adjustable arm or a slide bar.

Spray patterns

Emphasis on spray patterns is extremely important as this determines the comfort level of your shower. Spray patterns vary from the most common full-body shower to combo spray patterns such as:

• Full body sprays relieve muscle tension
• Messaging pulse sprays use pulsating jets to relieve stress.
• Power sprays concentrate a stream into a small area for fast rinsing.
• Mist sprays provide a cooling and invigorating effect.
• Drenching rain sprays provide even body coverage for people of all heights.
• Combo spray mix from jets with pulsating streams to soothe and revitalize.

Many showerheads today combine all of these and any combination in between with a twist of a dial.

Water volume 

The volume of water greatly depends on the showerhead.  The average household single-head shower uses at most 2.5 gallons of water per minute. Today there are also several options for showerheads which use less water, are  more eco-friendly, and still provide the same level of luxury.  Just as important as water use is the size of your pipes. Most homes have half-inch pipes, but  three-quarter-inch pipes are also available which afford larger shower systems that require more water to be moved.

Size and comfort

Large showerheads are modern bathrooms fashion.. Showers have become an intricate part of interior architecture in todays bathroom. Large showerheads also gives you more freedom to move and a much more sensual experience, such as the Raindance or Rainfall by Hansgrohe)

Environmentally friendly 

Enjoying water does not necessarily mean increasing your consumption. Trendsetting shower technologies have reduced water consumption by up to 40%. Reducing your hot water consumption also reduces your energy consumption, meaning fewer CO2 emissions and lower costs.

California residents:  make sure you follow the states Eco rules and regulations!

With these simple tips and a little shopping you’ll surely be able to find and buy the right showerhead to complement your decor and bring you years of satisfaction, invigoration and relaxation.

You will need:

• Glass tile of your choice
• Grout
• Thinset
• Tile cutters
• Tape

Step 1:

Turn off the power and gas (if applicable) to the appliances in the area and move the stove to an area that is out of the way.

Step 2:

Use drywall screws to attach a small board across the bottom area that is to be the end of your backspalsh – usually 1/8″ above  the top of your stove. Lay down scrap cardboard on the counters to act as a spacer and prevent them from being damaged during the process.

Step 3:

Use a medium-grain sanding block or sponge to rough up the surface of the pain on your wall. Hold the block or sponge in your hand and work in moderate circles to rough up the entire area where your backsplash will be. Use a large dry paintbrush to brush away some of the dust from the wall if needed.

Step 4:

Now you can mark a line across the top of your placeholder board to mark the bottom of your backsplash and then choose where you would like the focal point to be in your design. An easy and natural choice is in the center. Measure the horizontal center of this area, and mark this centerline on the ledger with painter’s tape so that it’s visible as you install tile on the wall.

Step 5: 

Now, if you are designing your backsplash by hand you will need to use individual tiles to build whatever image you desire. For an easier approach, use sheets of glass tile in the color of your choice. Use thumbtacks to attach the sheets of tile to the DRY wall to be sure they fit. Cut and add wherever necessary to create as clean a fit as possible.

Step 6:

Take the tile sheets down, making sure to lay them face down on a flat surface in the same order as they were on the wall. Apply your thin set to the wall.

Tip: If the area you are working on is large, you may want to do steps 6 and 7 in stages to make it easier!

Step 7:

Begin applying the tile sheets in the same order as before. Apply even pressure over the entire surface of each sheet of tile to ensure it really takes hold in the Thinset. Use a dry grout float or even a board and hammer to very lightly to the tiles into place where necessary.

Step 8:

After you’ve applied the tile to the wall and made sure it is firmly stuck there, use a damp sponge to wipe off any adhesive that may be on the surface of the tiles.

Step 9:

Now apply your grout to the tiled surface using the float, Be sure to really fill in any gaps between tiles for a smooth, clean look.

Step 10:

Using a caulk gun and the right acrylic caulk for your grout, apply a seal all around the edges of the backsplash area, where the tiles meet your walls, cabinets, and counters. Let cure for a couple of hours. Reinstall the electrical receptacles, using longer screws if necessary. Remove the board ledger before replacing the range.

Step 11:

Now use a wet sponge and a bucket to clean the excess grout from the top of the tiles and any that may have gotten onto areas no intended.

Step 12:

Allow the grout to set for about 48 hours and then apply sealant. You are done – congratulations on your gorgeous new backsplash!

Step 13:

Move all appliances back to their proper place.

If you need help finding the perfect tile and size for your backsplash design, give one of our friendly customer service representatives a call.

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Vintage Design

While older bathrooms are sometimes remodeled in order to increase their size or update their functionality, the fixtures and other components of a vintage bathroom are always in style. The tiles, faucets, shower heads, and tubs have manufacturers designing with vintage models in mind. One such manufacturer at the forefront is Lefroy Brooks, who develops product designs by the decade.

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Color Harmony

Rich, vibrant colors look fabulous when paired with muted, neutral tones. The effect supplies color to bring interest to the room, but not so much as to be garish. The muted tones provide much needed release and unity when done correctly. Some ideas are rich mauve, royal blue, canary yellow, cream, taupe, and dust gray.

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Shapely Tubs

Curvaceous tubs such as the boat-shaped bateau and claw-footed classic are revolutionizing bathroom design. Custom designs such as those from MTI tubs, and the unique crafted tubs from Stone Forest. Finishes and materials include natural stone, bronze, and nickel for a rustic feel.

In order to receive your discount and be entered into the drawing, you will need to follow BOTH steps outlined here. Like the Plumbtile page and then enter your name and email address in the fields provided. You will receive details for your 10% discount within a few days, and will be entered into the drawing.

The winner of the $1,000 drawing will be announced on Facebook and notified by email. Get yourself entered before time runs out and good luck!

While you await the results, why not peruse the Plumbtile website for tile, furniture, and accessories that you’d like to spend the money on?

This is an excellent tool at the best price possible: free. The system offers deep customization with color, texture and actual objects. The images are reminiscent of the Sims, with a slightly more realistic edge. Users can view a birds eye perspective for layout purposes or lower themselves closer to the floor for an in-the-room perspective. The available products and decorations are real items that can be purchased. After completion, users can even take a high resolution screenshot of their future project.

This innovative tool is all about visualization. Floor plans include color and texture so the user can get a good perspective on how each combination of items, flooring, walls and more will look. The system is very easy to use, with a drag and drop interface that dramatically decreases the amount of effort it takes to learn how to use it.

You can choose to start from scratch and create your own floor plan to mirror your current one or the one of your dreams or you can choose a floor plan from the extensive design gallery to toy around with. Add, delete and move around flooring, fixtures and even furniture to create your dream room. The Design Gallery allows you to see real life photos of the room plan that you will be looking at and toying with.  You can create, move and design everything from the floor, walls, furniture lay-out and even the landscape outside the room. This application is truly amazing in how in-depth it is.

From Duravit to Kohler, many of your favorite brands and manufacturers are featured in this application. Instead of going to your local hardware store and wonder how that counter top will look in your kitchen, you can use this application to lay out your kitchens current floor plan and add your favorite counter tops. Why stop there, see how that neat looking sink will look with your new counter tops, even decorate the walls. You can totally transform your entire kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom; the options are endless.

Anyone who is going to be doing some home remodeling in the future can really appreciate Autodesk Homestyler. The system is very easy to use so a realistic visualization can be constructed quickly. The user can even view from different perspectives and try adding real life products.

‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’, lead by the ruggedly handsome, Ty Pennington, accomplished something never seen before on TV; helping families in need fulfill their dreams of having a safe, warm and, gorgeous place to live in. The families helped on this show not only were in need but more times then not, were contributors to their community that has fallen on hard times. Families that lost their father or mother, family members that became handicapped and needed a home to accommodate them, a total of over 200 families in all; were helped by various generous volunteers and donations from many local and national businesses.

The final episode of Exterme Makeover: Home Edition feartured the Hall family, of Wichita, Kan.; whose patrich was left paralzed after a near fatal car accident.  Since this accident was so sudden, the Hall’s home was not handicapp accesible, making it hard for Mr. Hall to get around and even harder for the family to cope.

In the 8 years Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was on air, Kohler  partnered with this popular television series which has helped to provide home renovations for deserving families. In total, the company has been involved in 621 bathrooms, 226 kitchens and 113 powder rooms making up 185 homes over eight years on the show. That is just amazing! The final eposide that aired Friday, Thanked Kohler for all of it’s support over the years in making the dreams of so many come true.

In a press statement provided by Kolher Todd Weber, communications director of product public relations for Kohler Co. stated; “Kohler is extremely proud of its longstanding relationship with ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. To be able to play a part in changing a family’s life by helping renovate their home is incredibly rewarding. Seeing our products make everyday life easier and more enjoyable for these families is exactly what Kohler’s mission of gracious living is all about.”

1. Introducing the Newest Stone Forest Designs

The number one most popular post in 2011 (by a landslide) was our feature of new designs by Stone Forest. Being the first to know about industry news and progress is always great, so we will be sure to bring you even more of it in 2012!

2. 5 Tips For Choosing the Best Tile Flooring Option

How to and tip articles were very popular in 2011, and many of our blog posts were no exception. Who doesn’t love learning and improving their home at the same time? We’ll be sure to bring you lots more fresh ideas and tips this year.

3. How-To: Tile Your Bathroom Floor

A simple and very straightforward tutorial on one of the most popular home renovation projects. We will be sure to keep up content just like this for the professionals and weekend warriors alike!

4. Featured Kitchen Remodel Trends of 2011

Looking back at past trends can give you plenty of ideas for future renovations. A throwback in design can be vintage, retro, or simply classic. Each year we’ll bring you the top renovation trends so you stay informed.

5. Bathroom Showcase: Top 5 Bathroom Trends of 2011

With the popularity of trend-type articles and posts, it is no surprise to us that the bathroom trends follow the kitchen trends in reader popularity. Last year it was spa-like tubs, luxury showers, and water conservation. What will the trends be for 2012?

6. The Kitchen Sink and Faucet: Choosing a Killer Combination!

Some tasks seem harder than they really are, and with simple tip posts like this one, you can easily overcome the fear of them. This posts explains how to find the perfect counter and sink combination for any kitchen.

7. 3 Elements You Need to Create a Spectacular Walk-in Shower

Walk-In showers can be just as luxurious as a spa tub. By ranking this in the top 10, you’ve told us just how much you like the idea! Look forward to more tips for easily converting your bathroom into a luxury retreat.

8. How to lay Pebble Tile Like a Pro

Pebble tile has become hugely popular in the past few years, and we anticipate that popularity to continue growing. It brings a bit of the outdoors inside, offers texture and style quickly, and can even be used to add traction to a shower floor. Laying it can be simple, too! We will bring you more ways and tutorials for using this versatile tile option throughout 2012.

9. Preview of Dwell on Design 2011

Dwell on Design is a huge event every year, but the show in 2011 saw some major breathroughs in design, innovation, and conservation. We were there for it all, and it looks like you appreciated the coverage! We can’t wait to bring you news from this year’s show!

10. How to: Replace Broken Tile

Even a brand new, designer-crafted kitchen or bathroom can be ruined by the appearance of just one broken tile. Luckily, replacing broken tile is a very simple job that can be done in just one weekend. We will be bringing you many more simple how-to articles for home improvement this year.

Bob Nielsen is the chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and also a home builder from Reno,NV.  “While builder confidence remains low, the consistent gains registered over the past several months are an indication that pockets of recovery are slowly starting to emerge in scattered housing markets.  However, the difficulties that both builders and buyers continue to experience in accessing credit for new homes are holding back potential sales even in areas where economic conditions are improving,” stated Mr. Nielsen.

Determined from an ongoing monthly survey the NAHB has conducted for over twenty years, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index scales builder perceptions of single-family home sales and expectations for the following six months, with a rating of good, fair or poor.  The survey also calculates prospective buyer traffic with ratings of high to very high, average or low to very low.  The scores from the surveys are used to determine an adjusted index.  Scores with numbers over 50 indicate more builders perceive the conditions as “good.”

All three component indexes of the HMI determined December as the third consecutive month of improvement.  According to the calculations of the surveys, the current sales conditions component rose two points in December, which brought it up to 22.  The sales expectation component for the following six months rose one point, which brings it to 26 on the scale.  Rising three points to 18, the third component of gauging traffic of prospective buyers is currently at the highest point it has been since May 2008.

All of this is a very good way to begin 2012 for our contractor and designer customers! Be sure to get a jump on the new year with this news by taking advantage of great prices on building and interior design supplies.

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10. Dim the lights

Bright or harsh lights affect our brain in ways we may never realize consciously. It causes our brain to be more active and alert , which can be bad news when we are dealing with stress. To combat this, try lower the lights in the room you are in for 15 – 20 minutes. Don’t have a light dimmer installed? Try turning off the overhead lights and switching to elegant candlelight for a while.

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9. Sip a hot drink

Just the act of holding and slowly sipping a hot beverage can melt away the tension in our shoulders  - where most of us store our stress from the day. You can drink coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or even a warm cocktail to soothe your nerves in no time.

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8. Listen to something different

When our minds are traveling at a million miles per hour, the background noise around us can add to the chatter a really crank up the stress levels. Whether you are sitting in a noisy office or listening to another awful Christmas song remake, try putting on some of your own soft music or going to another area to change the noise. Sometimes we don’t even know what is bothering us until it isn’t there anymore!

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7. Buy small gifts to be opened right away

Believe it or not, this is still the season of giving, and doing something nice for yourself or others can really brighten your entire day. Instead of worrying about all the big ticket items you can’t afford, buy a few simple gifts that you can have loved ones open right away, or treat yourself to a small gift. This will re-center you back to the spirit of the holidays and remove you from the stress surrounding them for a while.

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6. Take a power nap

In many countries, businesses close down for an hour or two in the middle of the day for nap time…proving that you can never be too old for it! You may not have that luxury, but you may be able to squeeze in some shut-eye on your lunch break or just after work. Studies show that even 20 minutes of rest (whether you sleep or not) can recharge our batteries and eliminate stress.

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5. Meticulously plan your dream home

Escaping reality in favor of big dreams can be fun. Allow yourself an hour or two to go all out planning your dream home, kitchen, bathroom, den, etc. Lose yourself in the planning, magazines, products, and more. Just be sure not to use the time to compare what you have to what you want – this is meant to be an escape!

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4. Use the massage setting

Taking a shower is something most of us do everyday anyway, so why not allow yourself 5 – 10 minutes to completely relax while you do so? Whether its the end of your day or the beginning, indulging in the massage setting of your shower can do wonders for your mental health. Don’t have a massage setting? Then it might be something to ask Santa for! Consider a budget-friendly shower head with multiple settings.

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3. Organize your desk

Taking even ten minutes to organize your desk, dresser, or counters actually relieves stress in two ways. First, it allows you to forget about your worries and focus on the task at hand for a few moments. Second, seeing less clutter makes you feel instantly better. Taking ten minutes a day can build this stress-free habit up to become your saving grace!

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2. Do nothing

During the constant rush of the holidays, many people forget the kind of power that lies in just doing nothing. Even if you simply stop for five minutes, your mind is allowed to reset. Once you start up again, you will be able to function on brand new batteries. To get the most out of doing nothing, pick a room to retreat to, set a timer and sit or lie comfortably. Think to yourself only “think nothing” and concentrate on breathing in and out deeply.

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1. Take a hot bath

Just the act of running a bath has the ability to alleviate stress, and lying in one for even a few minutes allows us to just let go of the worries of the day. Be sure to step into a clean tub and maximize the effect with dim lighting and comforting smells such as lavender bath salts or holiday candles.