Have a viewing of this custom made glass tile mosaic kitchen backsplash. One thing is for sure...it is entirely unique.

It is the centerpiece above the soon-to-be-installed (humongous) gas range cooktop. There are a total of 940 1-inch square glass tile pieces. As you can plainly see, the colors are red, black, white and clear amber. Two of those colors happen to be the school colors of the new homeowner's alma mater, the University of Georgia School of Law. Not sure if that's by design or if it was simply chosen to coordinate with the adjoining grand family room...or both. Either way...it looks great and really injects a nice punch of vibrant color to liven things up.

When I decided to remodel my kitchen, recycled glass tile was one of the materials I considered using. While I ultimately chose another material, recycled glass tile has become popular with architects and homeowners who are drawn to its unique aesthetic.

It's difficult to say exactly how environmentally sensitive recycled glass tile is when you consider that the only environmental benefit is that it uses recycled materials. The glass must be melted to be used, a process that expends tremendous amounts of energy. And while it's good to keep consumer waste out of landfills, glass can be recycled into many different things, not just tiles.

Imagine a wall oven that refrigerates your prepared entree inside of the oven during the day until you begin the cooking process via your internet browser from anywhere in the world (but just close enough to be home for dinner). Now that's cutting edge! It's not just state-of-the-art stuff...it's award-winning state-of-the-art stuff...many times over. Imagine having to login to your oven to prepare the evening feast. Then you get...'Did you forget your password?' 'Please enter your email address to retrieve your new password.' I don't know if that's how it goes with this new oven but I can see that happening.

Imagine no more. It's for real. Refrigerated wall ovens are here and I think they're here to stay in this hectic, convenience-associated society we live in. This certainly won't replace the $40 crock pot but it gives a whole new meaning to ready to eat.

The Connect IO Intelligent Oven, manufacured by TMIO, is not a gadget or a gimmick. (They're not playing around here.) The Connect IO has NASA-based engineering involved that has allowed it to rise above its' competitors.

High Tech = High Price

You'll pay through the nose for all of that engineering, though. Read more to see how much they cost and capabilities.

When planning a kitchen renovation, the first thing that many homeowners want to do is replace the existing countertops. Countertops are the focal point of most kitchens. Dated, worn countertops can really detract from the overall look and feel of a kitchen.

Unfortunately, many of the most popular materials for modern kitchen countertops can be quite costly. If you're renovating on a budget, it's important to seek out affordable kitchen countertop options. Laminate countertops can provide the perfect balance between affordability and style in kitchen design.
 

Sandy and I (the home-stalkers) have visited hundreds of newly constructed homes over the years. To my amazement, I can recall seeing only two pot filler faucets, aka kettle faucets, installed above a cooktop. Why is that? Pot fillers are nothing new...but they are a growing trend in today's gourmet kitchens.

One occasion was fairly recently while checking out a few extraordinary homes in Harbour Point Yacht Club on Lake Lanier, and once while I was checking out some homes on my own about a year ago in Anderson Farm at Keeler Woods.

It's probably one of the more unique features we've noticed in the gourmet kitchens they frequent and one that I would think would be installed more often due to the inherent simplicity and functionality of them.

I subscribe to way too many e-newsletters about homebuilding, home fix-it and organization. You name it, it shows up in my email...or so it seems. It's a love-hate thing. I get tons of great ideas but there are also a lot of 'throw-aways' that I dump in the trash. Who has the time? Well, I make time to read most of them and come away a more informed consumer/homeowner for my benefit and yours. Nah...it's all about me!

One of the newsletters I received recently was about kitchen clutter and ideas to organize your kitchen cabinets. As I'm reading it, I realize..."hey, we're already doing some of these things here in our little abode". You see, my better half has terrific organizational skills...or mad skilz! (Ok...so I'm not exactly 'street' so I'll refrain myself from that flavor of linguistic banter.) We have a small kitchen and lots of stuff. Where to put it all? It was time to de-clutter!

Links to more great organization and storage solutions at the bottom of this post.

Paul Ryan's practical advice on DIY's Kitchen Renovations is great stuff. So when I asked Paul what problems he comes across most often, the advice he gave me about what to expect in regards to kitchen renovation costs during my phone interview was, quite literally, a big surprise.