CAESARSTONE US

Finally, it’s time for the unveiling of this year’s Kitchen of the Year! House Beautiful rebuilt famous chef Ina Garten’s kitchen in the middle of Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center. Here are some highlights from the most talked about kitchen in America, with tips from the designer Robert Stilin.

Kitchen Island: “I like an island you can work on but that can also be a gathering place for coffee or a casual dinner,” says Kitchen of the Year designer Robert Stilin. The kitchen features KraftMaid cabinets, Viking range and hood, CaesarStone countertops, Kohler faucet and sink.

Useful Space: “Bar stools at the island are a must,” says Stilin. “I love to have my breakfast and read the paper at the island. And my son, Dylan, and I eat a casual dinner at our island every night. I think this is how most people want to live today.”

Simple Kitchen: “People who really cook, like Ina, prefer their kitchens to be simple and efficient,” says Stilin. “It’s back to basics!” Open shelves keep everything within reach near the stove range and eco-friendly, easy to care for quartz countertops by CaesarStone.

Dishware on Display: “We couldn’t do it at Kitchen of the Year because of space, but nothing beats a walk-in pantry,” says Stilin. Seen on display are simple and elegant white plates and dishes from Crate & Barrel with beautifully shining Hotel Silver bowls, tray, and coffeepots.

Organized Drawers: “Function, function, function,” says Stilin. “Kitchens have to look good, but things have to work.” A two-tiered cutlery drawer in KraftMaid cabinets saves space and keeps flatware organized.

Kitchen Sitting Area: “Kitchens are the new living space,” says Stilin. “They should have room for cooking, dining, and a comfortable seating area.” Seen in the sitting area are a beautiful fireplace and large comfy chairs and ottomans.

Computer Desk: “Don’t forget a spot for the computer,” says Stilin. Here we have a simple desk with Toshiba laptop.

Dine-in Kitchen: “Today, kitchens are the core of the house,” says Stilin. “You have to be able to cook in them, but you also have to be able to live in them.” A bright and cheery dining area features Restoration Hardware trestle table, and slipcovered chairs from Lee Industries.

Spice Drawer: The Kitchen of the Year doesn’t need a lot of gadgets to keep things organized. “Kitchens are about function, not about all the bells and whistles,” says Stilin. Spices are organized and within reach.

Sideboard: Antique console with celadon bowls, platter, and vase from Lucca.

Outdoor Grill: Herbs, vegetables, and flowers on the deck next to the Viking grill.

Rockefeller Center: Overlooking the Rockefeller Center Rink Bar, Sunbrella awnings cover the deck by Trex at the site of the 2009 Kitchen of the Year. Thousands of people are flocking over to see America’s most beautiful kitchen with eco-friendly and elegant yet affordable features such as KraftMaid cabinets, a Viking range and hood, CaesarStone countertops, and a Kohler faucet and sink.

July 14th, 2009, 6:47 am · Nancy Luna, Staff Writer

Baja Fresh Mexican Grill is testing consumer reaction to a more upscale restaurant in Irvine – a prototype eatery that offers bolder food flavors, a more intimate dining experience – featuring quartz countertops - and cocktails.

The restaurant, which underwent a massive remodel last winter, will soon add margaritas and Mexican beer to the menu — a first for corporate restaurants run by the Cypress-based fast-casual chain. (A Baja Fresh franchisee in Huntington Beach recently received a permit to serve margaritas.)

The alcohol is expected to compliment new food additions at the prototype restaurant, which features dishes such as Kogi Korean BBQ tacos, cilantro lime rice and spicier salsa bar offerings.

Also new:

• Wooden chairs and tables with CaesarStone countertops have replaced bar stools and metal tables at the remodeled restaurant, located in the same center as Gelson’s market.

• The Irvine restaurant expects to get its permit to serve margaritas and Mexican-branded beer by next month. The margarita will be served in a 12-oz. tumbler on the rocks. Dine-in only! If the test is successful, “we would consider rolling out margaritas and beer in more locations,” said Baja Fresh President Chuck Rink. In fact, “in preparation for this, we have applied for (permits at) 13 more locations.” Stay tuned.

• Food and drinks are no longer served in paper ‘boats’ and cups for dine-in customers. Instead, the restaurant uses real silverware, plastic cups and melamine plates. Tortilla chips are also brought to your table in a basket.

• The salsa bar features 7 salsas, including two new spicier salsas. It has also added fresh, pickled carrots — a common table offering at many authentic Mexican restaurants. A new fresh tomatillo salsa has been so well received that the chain plans to debut it soon in all Baja locations, Rink said.

• A redesigned menu board promotes customization of Baja Classics such as burritos and salads. It recommends a “step by step” ordering process that is similar to how you order at Chipotle Mexican Grill.

• The Irvine eatery is also testing new meals such as Baja Kogi tacos and burritos. It is also serving cilantro-lime white rice as a side dish. (Later this week, look out for a review of the new Kogi tacos)

The redesign and menu makeover is a test only concept – one that could dictate what the “Baja Fresh of the future” might look like, said Rink.

Irvine Baja address: 5633 Alton Pkwy. (949) 551-2252

For more information about CaesarStone quartz countertops please visit: www.caesarstoneus.com.

Original story: http://fastfood.freedomblogging.com/2009/07/14/baja-fresh-testing-restaurant-of-the-future-in-oc/27993/

Bazzèo, known for manufacturing Eco-Centric & sustainable kitchen products, launched its new kitchen collection at DWELL ON DESIGN (DOD). Dwell on Design is the premiere Modern Design Show on the West Coast and was located at the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 26th through June 28th, 2009.

The main showpiece of Bazzèo’s DOD presentation was the award winning GAIA in “Gunmetal” Grey, Oak Eco-Veneer. Some key eco-sensitive design features highlighted Bazzèo’s partnerships with such companies as FAGOR, energy-efficient appliances manufacturer, and CaesarStone, quartz countertops manufacturer. This partnership also featured the first US showing of CaesarStone’s new countertop material made from 45% post-fabrication, recycled quartz.

“We were very pleased with the response to Bazzèo from both the consumer as well as the residential design professional,” remarked Iko Aviv, founder and chief designer of Bazzèo, “the reception to our earth-friendly cabinetry has far exceeded our expectations”. He went on to say “It was very clear to us that the American home owner is ready for a clean and modern, earth-friendly kitchen.”

The GAIA collection, as well as all Bazzèo products, meet, and in most cases, exceed LEED guidelines without compromising quality, flexibility and finishing options. All Bazzèo products are manufactured in the USA to a strict quality control standard with certified recycled and recovered wood materials. Bazzèo cabinets, countertops, and other kitchen & bath products may contribute towards specific LEED credits under the US Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) criteria. Through their products, designs, and worthwhile partnerships, Bazzèo has continued to show America that green design can be sleek, modern, and sustainable, if it combines all the right features.

For more information regarding Bazzèo Kitchens, other Bazzèo products as well as high resolution photography, please visit www.bazzeo.com. And for more information about CaesarStone quartz countertops visit www.caesarstoneus.com.

CaesarStone, the original quartz surface manufacturer, will once again be a part of House Beautiful’s Kitchen of the Year. This is the second year for the unique installation, which is set in New York City’s Rockefeller Center.

The first year saw CaesarStone’s countertops in Misty Carrera (4141), which were one of the focal points of the room. This year the company is proud to be adding their Raven (4120) countertop surfaces to this exciting dream kitchen.

The Barefoot Contessa is pairing with the project this year. Ina Garten, Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa, best selling cookbook author and House Beautiful Contributing Editor will be adding her unique design and lifestyle. This year’s design will be inspired by Garten and designed by Robert Stilton.

The Kitchen of the Year will be open daily from Monday, July 20, through Friday, July 24 (2PM – 4PM on Monday and 9AM – 5PM the rest of the week. Each day, tours and demonstrations on everything from kitchen design to product sampling will be offered. A complete schedule of events can be found by visiting the Kitchen of the Year at www.housebeautiful.com/KOTY.

About CaesarStone

CaesarStone is the original quartz countertops & surfaces manufacturer. The company is headquartered in Southern California with offices in Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Diego, CA; Seattle, WA; Miami, FL; New York, NY and Atlanta, GA.CaesarStone produces premium quartz surfaces, complementing any design application, from traditional to contemporary, for both home and commercial applications. CaesarStone products are available through kitchen and bath retailers, fabricators, architects, designers, builders and distributors nationwide.

Offering a lifetime warranty, their countertops are nonporous, stain, scratch and heat resistant. CaesarStone has earned the respected Good Housekeeping Seal from Good Housekeeping Research Institute in addition to ISO 14001 (environmental management system), ISO 9002 (quality management standard), GREENGUARD certification, a member of USGBC (The U.S. Green Building Council) and NSF (public health and safety) certification.

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For more information about CaesarStone and its products, please visit the company’s website at www.CaesarStoneUS.com, or call toll-free 877-9QUARTZ (877-978-2789).

CaesarStone, the original quartz surface & countertops manufacturer, is proud to offer six different colors that contain recycled materials. CaesarStone’s Carbone, Marrone, Ruby Reflections, Quartz Reflections, Smoky Ash and Chocolate Truffle colors all have the distinction of being part of this impressive collection.

Ruby and Quartz Reflections have been two of CaesarStone’s colors for the past several years. The colors contain post-consumer recycled glass.

Carbone and Marrone colors both contain recycled CaesarStone material. These wondrous colors are created by taking remnants from fabricators after production and mixing in new CaesarStone material. These two shades are only available in New York, the Northwest or by special order.

The two new additions in 2009 to the Recycled Collection are Chocolate Truffle and Smoky Ash. They are both comprised of post-consumer recycled glass.

CaesarStone takes pride in being the first quartz countertops surfacing company worldwide to carry global standard ISO 14001 certification for environmental protection in its industry. This means that in and outside of their plant, everything done is according to its environmental management policy whereby they maintain safety standards to protect all workers, observe eco-friendly production processes, and do their utmost to work only with eco-friendly suppliers. CaesarStone’s continuous mission is to keep the planet as beautiful as its products.

About CaesarStone

CaesarStone is the original quartz surface & countertops manufacturer. The company is headquartered in Southern California with offices in Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Diego, CA; Seattle, WA; Miami, FL; New York, NY and Atlanta, GA. CaesarStone produces premium quartz surfaces, complementing any design application, from traditional to contemporary, for both home and commercial applications. CaesarStone products are available through kitchen and bath retailers, fabricators, architects, designers, builders and distributors nationwide.

Offering a lifetime warranty as of February 15, 2008; their quartz countertops & surfacing products are nonporous, stain, scratch and heat resistant. CaesarStone has earned the respected Good Housekeeping Seal from Good Housekeeping Research Institute in addition to ISO 14001 (environmental management system), ISO 9002 (quality management standard), GREENGUARD certification, a member of USGBC (The U.S. Green Building Council) and NSF (public health and safety) certification.

For more information about CaesarStone and its products, please visit the company’s website at www.CaesarStoneUS.com, or call toll-free 877-9QUARTZ (877-978-2789).

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee. This blog is mainly used for search engine optimization and other commercial purposes and it is advised that readers seek professional consultation in the field of interest for more information.

CaesarStone, the original quartz countertop & surface manufacturer, has created a contest that caters to the innovative designers that use its product. Cash prizes will be awarded to thirty winners whose beautiful designs are chosen. The projects can be in any room or form as long as CaesarStone is the sole surface used.

The entry period for the competition begins April 1, 2009 and goes through September 30, 2009. Designers are asked to go to CaesarStone’s website and enter any project where they used CaesarStone beginning March 1, 2009 to the final entry date of September 30^th.

Designers need to go to www.CaesarStoneUS.com/dreamdesign to enter their projects. From there they will need to fill out a form, give a brief description of their design and upload at least five photos of the project. The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges by quality and beauty of the design.

The following are the cash prizes:

1^st Place: $5,000

2^nd Place: $4,000

3^rd Place: $3,000

4^th Place: $2,000 (Six Winners)

5^th Place: $1,000 (21 Winners)

All of the winning designs will also be featured on the CaesarStone website. For details, rules and regulations go to www.CaesarStoneUS.com/dreamdesign.

About CaesarStone

CaesarStone is the original quartz surface manufacturer. The company is headquartered in Southern California with offices in Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Diego, CA; Seattle, WA; Miami, FL; New York, NY and Atlanta, GA. CaesarStone produces premium quartz surfaces, complementing any design application, from traditional to contemporary, for both home and commercial applications. CaesarStone products are available through kitchen and bath retailers, fabricators, architects, designers, builders and distributors nationwide.

Offering a lifetime warranty as of February 15, 2008; their products are nonporous, stain, scratch and heat resistant. CaesarStone has earned the respected Good Housekeeping Seal from Good Housekeeping Research Institute in addition to ISO 14001 (environmental management system), ISO 9002 (quality management standard), GREENGUARD certification, a member of USGBC (The U.S. Green Building Council) and NSF (public health and safety) certification.

For more information about CaesarStone and its products, please visit the company’s website at www.CaesarStoneUS.com, or call toll-free 877-9QUARTZ (877-978-2789).

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee. This blog is mainly used for search engine optimization and other commercial purposes and it is advised that readers seek professional consultation in the field of interest for more information.

CaesarStone, the original quartz surface manufacture, was chosen to be part of the much talked about Taliesen Mod Fab™ structure. Blizzard, one of the company’s most popular colors, was installed as the kitchen countertop of the project.

The home, which is engineered to be transportable via roadway, is an example of elegant and sustainable living in the desert. The one-bedroom, 600-square-foot prototype residence can be connected to utilities or rely on things such as rainwater harvesting, natural ventilation or solar orientation to reduce energy and water use.

Taliesen Mod Fab™ was designed and built by graduate and undergraduate students at the school. Michael P. Johnson was one the faculty members guiding the project. The architect began his practice in Arizona in 1977. Johnson was a professor at the school from 1990 – 1997.

“I choose CaesarStone for all of my projects,” said Johnson. I like solid colors without variation as well as the size the slabs of material come in.”

Wright formally initiated the School of Architecture in 1932, when 23 apprentices came to live and learn at Taliesen. He purchased land in Scottsdale and, in 1937 began construction of a new kind of desert architecture at Taliesen West. After Wright’s death an architectural firm was incorporated to continue the practice and to mentor the apprentices.

The structure can be visited on the student-led Taliesin West Desert Shelter Tour, Saturdays at 1:30 until April 25, 2009.

About CaesarStone

CaesarStone is the original quartz surface manufacturer. The company is headquartered in Southern California with offices in Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Diego, CA; Seattle, WA; Miami, FL; New York, NY and Atlanta, GA. CaesarStone produces premium quartz surfaces, complementing any design application, from traditional to contemporary, for both home and commercial applications. CaesarStone products are available through kitchen and bath retailers, fabricators, architects, designers, builders and distributors nationwide.

Offering a lifetime warranty as of February 15, 2008; their products are nonporous, stain, scratch and heat resistant. CaesarStone has earned the respected Good Housekeeping Seal from Good Housekeeping Research Institute in addition to ISO 14001 (environmental management system), ISO 9002 (quality management standard), GREENGUARD certification, a member of USGBC (The U.S. Green Building Council) and NSF (public health and safety) certification.

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee. This blog is mainly used for search engine optimization and other commercial purposes and it is advised that readers seek professional consultation in the field of interest for more information.

I recently read about an interesting article in the NY Times, about the unusually high radiation found in one home. Dr. Lynn Sugarman, a NJ resident bought her summer home in Lake George NY, where a routine inspection revealed a high presence of radon, a radioactive substance that can cause lung cancer.

The high levels traced back to the kitchen countertops. While most observers believe that the rate of emitting radiation of granite countertops to be minuscule, a number of customers may not want to chance even a small probability. The NY Times article goes on to give other examples and said that The E.P.A. recommends taking action if radon gas levels in the home exceeds 4 picocuries per liter of air (a measure of radioactive emission); about the same risk for cancer as smoking a half a pack of cigarettes per day.

This argument of high radiation has often been made by rival quartz countertop manufacturers, but now there is a growing chorus. With increasing regularity in recent months, the Environmental Protection Agency has been receiving calls from radon inspectors as well as from concerned homeowners about granite countertops with radiation measurements several times above background levels.

What are the other countertop materials available?

Quartz Countertops is a viable alternative. For example, CaesarStone (Comprised of 93% natural quartz) Quartz Surfaces and Countertops offer the ultimate combination of form and function, allowing for a more diverse, durable, and practical countertop surfacing material than either granite or marble. It is stain, scratch and heat resistant!

For more information about Caesararstone, please visit www.caesarstoneus.com

Reference: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/garden/24granite.html?ex=1374638400&en=60959de77427e35c&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee. This blog is mainly used for search engine optimization and other commercial purposes and it is advised that readers seek professional consultation in the field of interest for more information.

Are you looking for the perfect countertop material that is elegant and also easy to clean? If so, consider natural quartz countertops. Quartz counter top is one of the hottest trends in home design today because of its timeless and luxurious look and its carefree maintenance. It’s also highly durable, maintenance free, stain, scratch and heat resistant. Composed of 93% natural quartz, 7% pigments and polymer resins this material looks similar to granite or marble but still appeals to people who want a more even, balanced pattern.

Quartz counter top also comes in a variety of colors, making it easier for you to match your countertop color to your home décor. As a man-made material, quartz counters have a uniform color and pattern. If a part of your quartz counter top ever gets damaged, an identical replacement section can be obtained from the manufacturer without having a difficulty in matching.

Quartz countertops have the perfect combination of dazzle as well as carefee maintanece. If you are looking to design your kitchen countertops, make sure and check out Quartz countertops as one of your options.

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee. This blog is mainly used for search engine optimization and other commercial purposes and it is advised that readers seek professional consultation in the field of interest for more information.