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.

There are probably a million and one ideas for kitchen lighting techniques and styles. I asked Paul Ryan, host of Kitchen Renovations on the DIY Network what type of innovative kitchen lighting ideas he liked best and he was quick to respond with a definitive favorite. Paul seems to favor multiple track lighting (also known as free form or flexible track lighting) for the ultimate in versatility and style in today's kitchens.

If you're a regular reader then you know that I've been featuring excerpts from my recent interview with Paul Ryan of the DIY Network. Today I'm featuring his practical advice on range vent hoods.

I also asked Paul about recent industry innovations regarding kitchen range vents.

Have you been thinking of diving into a kitchen remodeling or renovation project?

Paul Ryan of DIY's Kitchen Renovations has some sound advice for homeowners to get the "biggest bang for the buck" for a kitchen renovation project.

photo credit:DIY Network

Time for another segment of my recent interview with Paul Ryan of DIY Network's Kitchen Renovations and Weekend Handyman.

Green is the word and Paul has some great ideas about what is available for your kitchen renovation or homebuilding project. He offered up just a few of those ideas when I asked him about it recently.

So what do you think are some of the new kitchen trends in homes these days?

I know that I see some pretty interesting things in some of the higher priced new homes that I tour that are either in the final phases of construction or waiting for a buyer.

Okay...so high priced homes to me may be different from what you have in mind. The homes that I'm gathering new trends and ideas from that are in my local vicinity (suburban Atlanta, GA) range in price from the $400's to $1M. (Homeowners that live in areas where home prices are astronomical will need to use a sliding scale to apply these ideas to your home.) Anyway, that's high-end 'round these parts and it's where builders really start to offer homeowners something custom, somewhat unique or new-on-the-market to get them to sign on the dotted line. That's not to say that you can't borrow what you may find here and apply it to your home if it happens to fall above or below that price range. Create the kitchen that works for you and your family.

For a moment, let's set aside what you and I think about kitchen trends. Let's hear it straight from a nationally recognized home improvement expert that lives and breathes this sort of stuff everyday, DIY Network's Paul Ryan.

I had the privilege of conducting a rare one-on-one phone interview recently with Paul Ryan of DIY Network's Kitchen Renovations; Weekend Handyman; and Home Energy Savings. Paul was also a guest host on DIY's 2007 Blog Cabin series where he installed all of the custom kitchen cabinetry of this blogger-designed log cabin in Kinzel Springs, Tennessee.

Paul is a licensed contractor and expert carpenter with experience in plumbing, fiberglass repair and general construction, but his specialty is kitchen renovations and remodels. I feel fortunate to have been able to speak with Paul to get his expert opinions on some hot topics and kitchen trends.

I'll be shedding some light on the details of my interview with Paul in upcoming posts.

In my first segment, Paul offers his opinion about the #1 thing that homeowners can do to a kitchen to increase the value of their home and some options for refacing kitchen cabinets.