Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Back to the Throne


After quite a long break – working on my new improved website and getting ready to launch my online plumbing sales – I have had so little time to write. There are so many topics I would like to address and there are so many cool items that I am starting to pin! I just love Pinterest and I have been having so much fun sharing some pretty and innovative items on the web! I am going to try to keep a schedule of blogging every Monday! I have carved out half a day to work on the website exclusively and answer any questions I have received during the week. In the coming weeks I want to address various subjects related to shopping for appliances, including reading appliance specifications. There are so many considerations – cutout dimensions versus overall dimensions. There is voltage and amperage to consider for electric products. Also, securing PROPER installation of appliances is key. With new floors and countertops you should have a licensed and insured installers with the appropriate tools complete the installation of your new products AFTER your new and/or upgraded kitchen is completed.  Finally, I would like to give an overall picture of what you should expect from an appliance sales person! I look forward to an open dialog and answering any questions you may have! After all – I am the Queen of Appliances!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Made in America


Without getting on a political soap box and touting the virtues of buying American and growing jobs, I thought I’d talk a little about some really cool products that are made in America that will make you WANT to buy American! On the appliance side – GE has just invested over a BILLION dollars to bring production back to the US! Bravo! Their new spring 2012 catalog has a little icon that designates which products GE is currently assembling here in the United States and availability begins this month (May) and gets into full swing by August. The GE Café line has really taken hold. It has a really cool industrial vibe without the traditional really high industrial price tag. On top of the affordable price tag – GE is currently offering a rebate of up to $500 on the purchase of 4 new appliances (GE Café or GE Profile™). It might be time to think about upgrading your kitchen often referred to as “the heart of the home”. It is the most used room in the home and truly the best investment you can make in your home. Kitchen remodels typically provide an 80% to 87% return on your investment! Visit www.geappliances.com . If you are looking for a more robust commercial range or oven – take a look at the American Range line. This one of my new favorite product lines. Their heritage is rich and stems from true commercial kitchen appliances. They have gorgeous single and double French Door wall ovens in both gas and electric configurations. American Range also makes a unique “step-up” range. American Range ovens come with their Innovection™ convection system with two convection motors and louvered side panels to provide for the most thorough flow of air. Their appliances also can be finished in a wide array of colors to match your décor. Visit their website at www.americanrange.com . On the plumbing side or as I like to call them “water appliances”, take a look at Waterstone products! These faucets are as high in quality as they are in style. Waterstone has an astounding number of finishes (31) to coordinate with any existing finish you may have in your home! Another thing that I LOVE about Waterstone is that they have a FULL line-up of kitchen products that include single and dual air-gaps, filtration faucets (hot and cold), air switches, soap/lotion dispensers and some of the most unique faucets you have EVER seen. While not for the faint of heart, the gantry faucet is a piece of art for your kitchen. It comes in either a “traditional” or “contemporary” style. Another innovation from Waterstone is their posi-lock pull-down faucet. They recently added a traditional style pull-down. These faucets are great because they stay put and don’t just hang like other pull-down faucets. Finally – they have recently added cabinet hardware to their repertoire. This takes the kitchen to a level of complete coordination. Take a look at this hidden American gem at www.waterstoneco.com . I hope you love it as much as I do! My final product to blog about today is cabinet hardware. I refer to this as “cabinet jewelry”. Cabinet hardware is functional, but also complements the cabinetry just as one might complete their outfit with jewels! One of the companies I would like to highlight is Top Knobs. They have a superb collection sure to meet any criteria from simple to rustic to over-the-top. They even have a new collection titled the Passport Collection which is inspired by various architectural icons around the world including Italy’s Trevi Fountain and China’s Great Wall. Visit Top Knobs at www.topknobs.com. More to come on my Made in America series.

The Queen has spoken!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

How To Theme With The Queen


One of the most common questions that comes up is can you mix and match appliances and will the stainless steel finishes go together? I generally tell customers that I will very willingly give opinions on functionality and reliability, however, I remind the customer it is their home and they need to look at the appliances and live with them on a daily basis. For the most part, true stainless steel finishes even between manufacturers, will blend nicely. Sometimes within a particular manufacturer’s line-up, the direction of the stainless steel grain on the different appliances (horizontal vs. vertical) can cast different shadows and look dissimilar depending on the lighting, whether it natural or artificial. If you are looking for a whole kitchen, oft-times the manufacturer offers kitchen or laundry “package rebates” which incentivizes or influences the purchase of a suite. If that is not the case, tell your appliance sales person your needs and let them show you the products that most closely suit them. When I am selling kitchens, I try to obtain as much information as I can about the way a customer is going to use the product, and then I try to educate them on the pros and cons of the various brands we discuss. There are so many aspects to consider. When putting a package together, I ensure the products complement one another, but the appliances that fit the customer’s needs best, may not all be from the same manufacturer. It is the same with plumbing fixtures. Most satin nickel or stainless steel finishes will blend with one another even though they are not a perfect match. Other finishes such as oil rubbed bronze are a completely animal and warrant a separate discussion! Also, there are some brands that do not offer an entire line-up of kitchen plumbing fixtures including soap dispensers, air gaps, air switches, hot-cold filtration faucets etc. and one is forced to mix and match. Your sales rep again should point you in the right direction with respect to style and of course budget. With that in mind, you should really try to get appliances and plumbing fixtures that best suit you functionally and aesthetically, regardless of brand. 


Never just settle! You will no doubt be much happier with your choices in the long run.


The Queen has spoken!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Laundry For My Subjects

Well here it is – Blog #2. Today I thought I’d pick a topic that I run across all the time. When I sell laundry, particularly front load, the question about mold and a musty smell inevitably comes up. When customers are researching new washers and dryers they find all kinds of posts on mold and musty odors inherent to front load machines. While it is a legitimate concern – there is an easy fix. I don’t know why, but it still amazes me that when people are NOT happy they LOVE to post it all over the internet, yet when someone is VERY happy with their purchase they simply take it for granted and rarely post their enthusiasm online. I do not know what the exact percentage is, but the negatives are a very small percentage of the total appliances sold. However, once someone has read something online it can be very difficult to dissuade them. So… back to the mold and must! When I am discussing the advantages of the front load washer (there are so many… greater capacity, never out of balance and let’s not forget they use a fraction of the water that traditional agitator models) I always tell the customer that if you just leave the washer door slightly ajar until the rubber bellow/gasket is dry – you can avoid that black mold and musty smell all together! I have personally owned a front load machine for eight years and have followed this simple practice and my unit is still in pristine condition. One more piece of advice regarding front load units is to be a little careful when taking clothes out of the washer. As a servicer, we see torn bellows routinely from catching sharp items such as zippers on the rubber. Sadly, this can be a costly repair as the part alone is generally in excess of $100. Nonetheless, I remain a HUGE fan of front load washers – they clean great and are truly efficient. When you are in the market for a new washer make sure you ask your appliance sales person about water rebates for your area. They can be significant! I would welcome any feedback and can be reached at TheApplianceQueen@gmail.com.

The Queen has spoken!


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Queen's Debut

Since this is my first blog entry, I thought I would introduce myself. I am the owner of a mid-size boutique appliance and plumbing fixture store. My title is “Queen of Appliances” (self-imposed obviously, but I do have a number of loyal subjects). Our store has been family owned and operated (by the same family) since 1955 and we offer service as well as sales. We carry a wide array of products and focus on giving true customer service by listening to the customer’s needs - and trying to balance their wants against their budget. We also endeavor to try and educate customers on product capabilities and/ or deficiencies. It is just a fact of life that we now live in a “throw-away society”. I sometimes draw and analogy to the old telephones that were leased from the telephone company. You could throw them against a wall and the wall would break – but if you picked up the receiver it still had a dial tone! Now – with the new phones you buy – if you drop it you need a new phone! (Boy! That shows my age!) It is, however, paramount that the customer (YOU) walk out of the store happy and satisfied that they got a great deal! There is an astonishing amount of product on the market and during a remodel it can be overwhelming for a consumer to make so many complicated and long-term decisions in a relatively short amount of time. By and large, appliances are still purchased infrequently and if someone hasn’t purchased new appliances in 10 to 15 years, a lot has changed, not only in styling but functionality. Also, customers need to understand lead times and delivery vs. installation charges. Most new appliances are very efficient and some qualify for energy rebates – depending on where one lives. There are always questions and comments on “bells and whistles”. Some customers are quite resistant to change, but when they get them home they are usually pleased with the new technology. I have been in this business for quite some time and I truly have a passion for appliances and plumbing fixtures (aka water appliances). So, one day I thought to myself that with this wonderful world wide web – I could possibly share some of my knowledge about the industry with others. And, while I do not have all of the answers – I will try to find them! I would look forward to hearing from individuals and creating an open dialog on all your appliance issues and can be reached at TheApplianceQueen@gmail.com


The Queen has spoken!