Jim and I are still fine-tuning our kitchen and bath choices. And we probably will continue to do so, right up until the day the appliances, countertops, backsplashes, and fixtures are installed.

There is so much variety in the products available to us today, that it is difficult to stay abreast of all the latest changes in bathroom and kitchen design, as well as the trends that are shaping the future of kitchens and baths.

Here, I've summarized a number of kitchen and bath trends that I've noticed while reading through home magazines, newspapers, and online reports in recent months.

The average bathroom remodeling project costs $15,800 and results in an increase in home value of about $12,400
 -- Remodeling Magazine, November 2007

Finalists for the "Green Log Awards" were recently announced.

The GREEN LOG Home & Lifestyle Awards™ were created in response to the growing demand for green building solutions.

The goal of the awards is to locate and shine a spotlight on those companies and individuals who are enabling healthier homes and lifestyles. -- GREEN LOG Home & Lifestyle Awards

What this means for people like you and me is... a great list of environmentally-friendly log home products and suppliers!

So, if you're trying to make your currently log home more "green" or you'll soon be building your very own green log home, here are some companies that will make your life easier!

I've been writing a lot about microwaves, stoves, and other kitchen appliances lately. So I thought I'd give you a heads-up that some of the most popular microwave ovens have been recalled... 92,000 of 'em!

Yesterday's recall involves microwave combo wall ovens sold under the brand names:

• GE


• GE Profile


• Kenmore

The units affected by the recall were sold from January 2000 to December 2003.

The concern is a possible fire hazard. There are reports that about 3 dozen of these microwave ovens have actually caught fire.

Anyone who has one of these microwave ovens should stop using it immediately. GE and Sears are offering either a free repair or a significant rebate on a new microwave oven.

Here's the scoop...

My new favorite magazine is Shop Smart. It's a fairly new publication created by the ad-free, bias-free people at Consumer Reports.

I've seen a few Shop Smart reps on the national morning news shows lately. They're usually running through "the best buys for gadget geeks" or "best green cleaning products" or something like that. I always find myself taking notes. I like that they've done a lot of testing in order to reach their conclusions.

So here's what they said about dishwashers in their most recent issue...

This is tons of fun...

Cross-Vision is an online program (it's FREE) that lets you see what various tile floors would look like -- before you go to pick out your tile in the stores.

Check it out...

Here are some notes from my reviews of kitchen appliances...

Who knew that refrigerators would be such a hot topic on this site?! Not me.

Much like toilets (here, here and here)... you learn as you go. And I'm simply sharing what I've learned here on this site -- so maybe others can benefit from this information.

One thing's for sure (if you haven't already figured this out)... any time I spend a good deal of time researching something that's house-related, I almost always share that info here on this website. I figure, if it took a lot of my time to research & gather the info, then perhaps it will save someone else from having to put forth so much time researching the same thing. That, or maybe there will be one or two nuggets of info that will generally apply to everyone.

Anyhoo... here's what I've learned about side-by-side vs french door refrigerators.

It recently dawned on me: Go freezerless!

And if it weren't for the in-the-door ice & water dispenser (that we use several times a day currently), we'd probably do just that: Go with a freezerless refrigerator in the kitchen of our new log home.

Because... we've been toying with the idea of including a full-size freezer in the nearby pantry anyway. The reason? We buy a lot of bulk meats, vegetables & processed foods (pizzas & tv dinners). And the pantry is just a skip away, with merely a pocket door separating it from the kitchen -- so it will be really convenient to access the freezer in there.

• View freezerless units at Lowe's
• View freezerless refrigerators at Sears

Here are the notes from my reviews of refrigerators...

I went appliance shopping the other day.
...And I took 15 pages of notes!

Yep, I spent close to 3 hours at the local Home Depot and Lowe's stores trying to get some basic ideas for our kitchen and laundry appliances.

I don't know where we'll eventually buy our appliances from, but I simply wanted to get some general information about the products available on the market today.

As I inspected, opened, closed, turned, sized, and photographed practically every appliance that the Home Depot had on display (their selection was about 1/3 that of the Lowe's store), I jotted down notes about each one in my 5x7 notebook. I'll be sharing my notes about the specific appliances in future articles, but I just thought I'd give the general overview at this point.

I was mostly interested in two things:

#1 Overall Dimensions -- I was hoping to get a better idea about how much space to allow for the appliances in our laundry room and kitchen cabinetry design.

#2 Overall Quality -- How flimsy were the drawers? How easy did the doors open & close? How effective was the door seal at keeping out air? How solid does the product seem overall?... which would determine how long the product was likely to last in our home. How do the manufacturers compare?

I learned a lot! ...