Buying Guides

Pros and cons for these trendy surfaces.

But which is better?

The right appliances have a huge effect on your quality of life. If you’ve ever lived in a home with broken, poorly-designed, or just rundown appliances, and then upgraded, you know what I mean. You go from annoyed every time you grab a beverage from your refrigerator, to really looking forward to opening the door. Since your fridge gets get used many times a day, those interactions really add up.

Rant over.

With some rehabs you want to strip away all the years and start over with clean, modern space. With others, you want stay true to the home’s original design period. For those times, there are stores out there that offer antique and reproduction hardware and lighting. These are a few of our favorites. House of Antique Hardware This Portland, Oregon-based company stocks everything from door and window hardware to lighting and electrical supplies ranging from Colonial to Mid-Century.

Cabinet hardware is a little detail that can have a big impact on the look of your kitchen or bathroom. The good news is that these days there are quite a few retailers offering modern, minimally styled pieces in a variety of budgets. Here are seven of our favorites. Superfront makes a line of pulls and knobs designed for IKEA cabinets, but they would be equally nice on other cabinets as well. (Blogger Maiju Saw used them in her kitchen.

If you love the look of an apron front (or farmhouse) sink, look no further than this handy guide, where we’ve rounded up 22 different sinks, in all kinds of different materials and price points. No matter your budget, you’re sure to find a sink that will be a complete showstopper in your kitchen. Before you shop, here’s something you should know about apron front sinks right off the bat: they’re not cheap.

IKEA kitchens—and bathrooms and wardrobes—are super-popular, but sometimes you want to kick things up a notch and move past the ubiquitous IKEA look. These six companies craft cabinet fronts, panels, and more in a wide variety of materials, colors, and styles. Some of them will even work with you to create fronts in custom colors and styles. Design your basic IKEA kitchen layout, and then head to one of these companies to make it the kitchen of your dreams.

While looking for matte black fixtures for a recent bathroom makeover, I had a hard time finding affordable, in-stock options from the usual places. Lighting with a black finish? No problem. Cabinet pulls? Everywhere. But searching for sink faucets yielded only a few good results. Then I figured out the trick and duh. It’s so easy it’s stupid. Black faucets are such a nice change of pace from ubiquitous chrome, or even the brushed brass we’ve seen so much of lately.

Close your eyes. Now, envision a vinyl floor. Does your mind automatically think checkerboard, faux wood, or something retro? You might not think of modern, bright patterns —like the one above — that look more like popular cement tile of late. But, vinyl flooring options have expanded, and you can now get this budget material in fun colors and designs that go well beyond your great grandmother’s old kitchen.

There are basically three different ways to get cabinets into your kitchen. You can have them custom-built to fit the space. This is very expensive. You can get pre-made cabinets delivered, already assembled, and install them yourself (or have a contractor do it for you). This is less expensive. Or you can order ready-to-assemble (RTA) kitchen cabinets, and assemble them yourself. This is the most budget-friendly option of all.

Much like front- or top-loading washing machines or gas versus electric stoves, kitchen sinks inspire strong opinions and fierce debate — ones that transcend even the trends of the moment. People love or hate their single bowl sinks; others love or hate their double bowl sinks, too. If you’re in the position to choose, and/or you’re open to change, here are the pros and cons of each.

You asked us to test out Joybird's online-only sofas, so we hiked on over to LA and put 17 models through the ringer. Here's what we thought.

How do IKEA refrigerators stack up against the competition? We did a little research to find out.

You may already buy things like bookcases and sheepskin rugs from IKEA, but did you know you can buy kitchen appliances there too? If you’re not sure about making such a big budget purchase at the big blue store, we did a little research to see how IKEA’s line of ranges compares to products from other manufacturers. Here’s what we found out.

While essential oils have been used for aromatherapy for hundreds of years, these all-natural scents are seeing a spike in popularity as more people are learning about their de-stressing and energizing abilities. Derived from plants or flowers, most often through steam distillation, essential oils can be used to make scented candles, oil diffusers, even pest repellants.

Minimalism is officially a thing right now, with people (and especially millennials) cutting back their possessions, moving into tiny homes, and living with a whole lot less. Kitchen appliances have followed suit, and more small stoves and fridges are available than ever before. If you’re living in a wee kitchen — or just want to save space without sacrificing style — then consider one of these compact designs for your space.

Range hoods might seem like a utilitarian, boring way to spend money in a kitchen, but they can be essential for odor removal and ventilation, plus they’re often required by building codes. Upscale designer kitchens with big industrial range hoods or bespoke built-in covers prove that done right, they can be a beautiful focal point. First you need to pick out the hood, though. This guide will take you through some of the many options you may have when buying a range hood.

It seems like just yesterday I was bemoaning the ubiquity of granite, hoping and praying it would go the way of the dodo bird and I’d never have to see its speckled self in a kitchen again. Now, after several years of declining use, the day has come: another surface has officially surpassed granite in terms of popularity. Any guesses as to what the new countertop du jour might be? It’s quartz, otherwise known as engineered stone.

When it comes to kitchen cabinets, hardware is a little thing that can make a big difference. We’ve rounded up ten of the best online sources for knobs, pulls, and everything in between, helpfully sorted into ‘High,’ ‘Mid’ and ‘Low’ categories so you can find the best store for your budget. My Knobs: A huge, almost overwhelming, selection of cabinet hardware at very reasonable prices. Cabinet Parts: Low prices and a large selection.

All this week we’re talking about bathroom renovations, starting with Ashley’s recent remodel, and following up with tons of helpful posts about the process! Changing out the faucet on your bathroom sink can be a pricey project. Fortunately, not every bathroom faucet is created equal. There are so many shapes, sizes, finishes -and price ranges to choose from. So where do you start?