Kitchens Design Philadelphia
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Kitchen & Bath Remodeling Philadelphia

June 18, 2010

Soles 4 Souls: Changing the World One Pair at a Time

Filed under: Designer's Thoughts — HomeTech Renovations @ 1:52 pm

HomeTech Renovations recently became a part of an organization known by the name of soles 4 souls. This non-profit organization collects ‘gently worn’ shoes and distributes them to people in need all over the world. Below is a small excerpt from the website telling the story of this organization:

“In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami that hit Southeast Asia, Wayne Elsey, the Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls® Inc., felt compelled to do something. Like many of us, he did not know what to do. He was at home one night, watching TV and he saw a picture of a single shoe washing up on the beach. That triggered a few calls to some other executives in the footwear industry and the subsequent donation of a quarter of a million shoes to victims in the devastated countries.

A year later when Katrina hit, Wayne called the same group of friends, and they sent over a million pairs of shoes down to the gulf coast communities affected by the hurricane. In all honesty, he admits that he did not expect such an immediate and successful turnout. This left him wondering, why not start a non-profit and do this all the time? One year later, Soles4Souls was formally created.

Soles4Souls receives large donations from footwear companies, retailers, churches, nonprofit ministries, civic groups, schools, and individuals and saw that this could become a full time organization. That’s why Soles4Souls was created – to facilitate the donations from these groups to the people who desperately need footwear.”

To learn more about this organization and how to participate visit their website: Soles4Souls

June 15, 2010

Investing in a Remodel …

Any remodel project whether big or small is an investment that should be well planned to meet your expectations when completed. When deciding on a long term investment such as a kitchen or bath renovation; there are generally 2 BIG questions: Will I get pleasure and enjoyment from the investment? Will it increase the value of my home? The answer should be YES!

Homes increase in value when rooms are updated, especially kitchens and baths. The proper improvement will increase the desirability of your home compared to others in your neighborhood. This aspect is very important if and when you go to sell your home in the future.

In the early 1900’s people did not live a fast paced, hectic lifestyle nor did they celebrate holiday’s as we do today. Early kitchens were segregated from entertaining spaces and would never have been thought of as a space in which to welcome guests. Traditionally kitchens were utilitarian; a wall hung sink, a basic free standing range, and an old ice box were the norm. Bathrooms were not much different with hot water being a real luxury. As time passed a shift within the home happened. People were met with stresses and challenges they hadn’t faced before; they needed an escape. Their escape became their home. House’s started to de designed and constructed differently. Interior spaces were enlarged and reconfigured.  As household income increased and life’s pace quickened, interiors including kitchen and bath space further evolved to compliment new lifestyles.

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