Appliances

We've covered couches decorated with markers, graffiti-inspired wardrobes, chalkboard fabric, and wallpaper you can doodle on, but Amana's new "Jot" refrigerator may be the most sensible use of scribbles we've seen yet. The fridge's entire face is made of Dry-Erase material, so you can write down grocery lists, phone messages, and to-dos, and wipe them off cleanly when you're finished. (No word on whether you have to tie your marker to a string and tape it to the side of the fridge, old-school style.) It's kind of the polar opposite of the gleaming, not-so-friendly-looking stainless steel Sub-Zero, which makes me wonder if fridge makers have found that not all audiences are after that shiny, super-modern (and, let's face it, easily fingerprinted) style. What do you think? Would you bring one of these home? [via Curbly]
Read More »

I'd like to discuss a fundamental food issue for all fridge owners: What to put where.

Are there any philosophical treatises on refrigerator organization? My wife and I are finally ready to remove the shrink wrap, toss the Styrofoam dividers, and add real groceries to our new Whirlpool French-door fridge. But before we begin, I need to know what goes where. Read More »

While, in all practicality, my next home splurge should be a really great, ergonomic desk chair, I just can't seem to get excited about that and will probably end up going for the least expensive (and least ugly) thing that looks like it has any back support at all, and save my rainy day money for something more like a vacation*. The truth is, I am bad at splurging. Like almost physically incapable of it. I envy the people who can buy the high(er)-end but well-constructed sofa they truly love and then fill the rest of the living room with cheapies from discount stores and flea markets. In my home, it's all cheapies. I know, I know, it's a recession now, no one needs to be splurging anyway, blah blah blah, but I'm still curious what other people will willfully ignore (or completely rearrange) their budgets in order to procure for their homes—fancy appliances? artwork? iconic furniture? high-thread-count sheets?

So you tell me: What's your biggest home splurge, and if it's a recurring expense, will that change if the economy stays stalled?
Read More »