GE-Bringing New Things to Life...Again!

New GE Profile
French Door Refrigerator

Today at the Architect and Designers Building in New York City GE is launching two new French Door Refrigerator, each with innovative and unique properties. The counter depth models, one for the Profile line and one for the Cafe Series are streamlined and displayed today in a brushed stainless finish. These models will make their name based on the water dispenser and filtration system which is touted as the most advanced in the industry. In addition to removing up to 98% of pharmaceutical particulates

in an independent study, the dispenser are the tallest in the industry at 11", accepting tall pitchers and sport bottles etc. without leaving the usual puddle on the floor.

GE Profile Hands Free
Auto Fill Technology

The Profile is available in 27 and 29 cu. ft. models, the Cafe is available in the larger 29 cu. ft. size. Other headline features for the Profile model include the auto-fill technology where the dispenser senses the containers presence and at the touch of a button calibrates the volume and fills the vessel to 90% capacity before shutting off.

Convenient Filter Change

The Cafe model is offering some even flashier technology with a hot water dispenser that offers 4 factory preset temperatures ranging from baby formula temp, to oatmeal to hot chocolate, and then a variable setting programmable by the user. The hot water is directed towards the rear of the dispenser cavity to ensure that the user doesn't get splashed by the hot water requires two step initiation of dispensing to render the unit child safe.

The water filter is concealed, access is conveniently through the left door, very smart looking and no more reaching over the top shelf to change it!


It was a very exciting preview and I hope you check out the features of these new appliances, looking forward to comments and reactions from homeowners and designers!

Avoid The Zero Point Renovation and Get Great Kitchen Results



Beautiful Simple Contemporary Kitchen by MCK+B



Recently I was visited in the showroom by someone interested in renovating their kitchen in a home they wish to sell in 2 years. I spoke to them a bit about the size of the kitchen and the look they wanted to achieve. I  gave them some literature and noticed they also had Home Depot Kitchen Brochures, including what I consider to be the nicest line HD carries which is KraftMaid.We began to discuss the budget for the project and the value of the home, which they revealed to be a $10,000.00 budget  including new appliances, in a home valued at $500,000. Granted the kitchen was tiny, it still wasn't a realistic number. A client this far off the mark, may need to explore the market more and hear similar from a few designers before they reevaluate their budget.

I attempted to explain to them  what they were proposing was a "Zero Point Renovation". This is a remodel that is so far below what the property value demands that when you go to sell your home, you get absolutely zero to negative credit from prospective buyers. In other words, you may actually get less for your home if you rip out older but nonetheless good quality materials, and put in new poor quality in it's place. When people are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for a home they will look closely at the kitchen and bathrooms. And if you are going to live there for 2-3 years before selling it, the poor quality renovation will be truly lackluster by then.

When they asked me what is reasonable to spend on a kitchen remodel, I told them 10-15% of a homes value. Now I know there are many who believe the real number is 15-20% , but I think that a well spent 10% is plenty, and if the kitchen is small as in their case, and the appliances are going to be a nice quality GE, but not SubZero-Wolf or comparable, then realistically they could get the entire project done for 7-8% or $40,000. For that with the right design advice, I would expect them to be able to get:





Stylish Upper East Side kitchen with a view


• semi-custom cabinetry
• basic granite or Caesarstone counter tops
• Ge Profile appliances in black(possibly stainless)
• natural stone or glass tile backsplash(Susan Jablon Mosaics is a great cost effective online resource)
• under cabinet lighting
• recessed lighting in the work area
• under mount sink
• Kohler Pulldown Simplice faucet in Vibrant Stainless at under $300.00 is a bargain  
• Hardware is a great thing to save money by purchasing online (I recommend you order samples in at least the amount of the restocking fee, that way you hold them and know you like them before ordering the whole kitchen worth a risk being disappointed)

There are certain fixed costs in a kitchen remodel, namely the labor, including electrical and plumbing costs. Many times homeowners seek to save money by just cutting everything they can out of their cabinetry expenses. And while I've heard the expression "a box is a box" a few hundred times in past years, and there is  room for an argument here, but you aren't just giving up the box, it's the door, drawers, and more importantly the finish. I gave up being a field representative for a cabinet company, simply because they did business in a lower price point, and it was heartbreaking to meet with consumers disappointed and complaining about the finish of their cabinets after they were installed.  It's better to avoid this disappointment, shop, look closely at what you are buying at set your expectations appropriately.

I recommend a  balanced approached when trying to cut costs. Take advantage of some of the websites and tips I offered above as a way to get a well blended design and the most out of your renovation budget. In the end I believe you'll be more satisfied overall.