When you start with a showerhead that dangles from an extended wand, your reaction to a new showerhead may be a bit exaggerated. I guess I didn't realize how much such a small product would change the look of a bathroom. I like the black and white tiles in the shower stall in my mom's house, but the room needs some serious work — the new Danze 4 ½'' 200E Shower Head in Chrome was a huge improvement, not only aesthetically but in terms of the shower flow quality. ...
gifts for home
Mad Men Inspired Retro Cordless Phone from VTech
As handsome as a rotary phone, but modernly styled and teched-out for today's uses. Do you have a landline phone? My mom and family still do, but their cordless phones are anything but retro chic and stylish. The LS6195 by VTech is energy star certified—it doesn't use a lot of power, neither does it take up a lot of room. ...
Heat Pro Deluxe II Heat Gun Review
One of the things that Tazim and I enjoy as designers is reusing and re-purposing things. Whether it's stripping and repainting kitchen cabinets, or bringing vintage classics back from a state of repair—there's little satisfaction to finding treasure in items you already own, or available at throw-away prices. But, like most satisfying things, refinishing furniture is hard work. Which is why we we're happy to have received this heat gun from HomeRight. The Heat Pro Deluxe II makes the job a ...
Kodak Pulse Wi-Fi Digital Frame 7″ Review
Digital photo frames have been around for a few years, but their capabilities have been limited until now. The Kodak Pulse Digital Frame allows you to connect your digital photo collection socially. Some of my relatives have a digital photo frame, which sits collecting dust because it is such a hassle to turn on and get started with it. The beauty of this Pulse Digital Frame is that it detects motion, and turns on instantly. Energy minded Built-in activity sensor turns the frame on ...
DYSON HOT AM04 Fan Heater Review
Do you like beautiful things that are well-designed, have excellent safety features, and are multi-functional? The DYSON HOT Fan Heater is not only an amazing piece of heating technology, it also cools—so you can use it year-round, and this gorgeous conversation-piece can always bring you comfort. Like the DYSON Air Multiplier Bladeless Fan, which I have previously reviewed, this fan heater has Air Multiplier technology, which means it is safe to run with children and pets nearby. You won't ...
Dremel 4000 High Speed Rotary Tool Kit Review
The Dremel 4000 High Speed Rotary Tool Kit Performs Thousands of Functions on a Small Scale. As an apartment dweller, my tool-shed is both smaller than I'd like it to be, and messier than I'd like to admit. Crammed into a shelving unit in the storage closet is an astonishing array of wrenches, drills, screwdrivers and saws. They seem to proliferate while I'm not looking; but the reality is that I'm the handyman among our circle of friends, and whenever a new project comes up, I find in it ...
Chef’s Choice Diamond Hone 464 Knife Sharpener Review
Over the years we've sneakily given a good chef's knife to our Moms and siblings—now when we're over cooking dinner there's always something sharp to cut with! In fact, it seems like with the recent foodie craziness we find good knives in many kitchen drawers. What's often missing? Something to keep an edge on the knife worthy of the blade. Made by perhaps one of the best kitchenware companies you've never heard of, we're fans of the Chef's Choice series of knife sharpeners. They come in a ...
Bodum Bistro Toaster Review – Red Hot Toast
Since they first made a splash a couple of years ago, we've been intrigued by Bodum's new line of bistro products. Between their clean contemporary design, and their availability in that particular crimson that sparks both our appetite and avarice—the whole range hit us squarely in our sweet-spot. But it also triggered our suspicions and piqued our too-pretty prejudice. Would they actually work? Would that striking rubberized coating gunge up or peel off? And, which of them might we need and ...
One Pot To Rule Them All – Staub Dutch Oven Review
Staub Dutch Oven Review and Gujarati Potato Curry Recipe A few months ago we posted a general overview of Dutch Ovens. Last week, a package came in the mail from CSN stores—and today, we have a review. Cast-iron aficionados, our kitchen has slowly built up a stock of high-quality pieces from woks to crêpe pans, mostly manufactured by Le Creuset. Until recently, in fact, we might have been called partisan, we even have the spatula and salt-pig to match. But—if that's still the case, perhaps ...