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Page 16, Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, October 9, 1996 A HOME DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT FEATURE Whitby Whole Home' conceptspawns More such earouit 'Me Sears Whoie Home Furniture Store has been such a hit with shoppers in WhitbY that similar outiets are sipringing Up acroas the country. Sears ciosed the furni- ture de artment in its Osh- awa Centre store and opened the Whitby store, only the second in Canada, in Fbur. "I think we've been very successfüi -- business has been good and the feedback from customers has been verY Positive,» saes store manager Brian Collins. It's ben a win-win situa- tion for both stores, he notes. The -eXtra naea Ikcào-- Heidi Schempp Auhorized Conracor CONSUM(RS<.A 1LOW Fînancing Available- 325 Hopkins St., Whitby Li N 2C1 668-2252 686-1853 aiiowed the addition of new furniture, lines -- formai, dining and a leather gal9r featuring imported Itahian Natuzzi items, for exampie --- which weren't carried at the Oshawa store. «Virtuaiiy every other line» of merchandse has been expanded, says Col- lins. Manypeople have com- mentedon the store's seiec- tion, iayout, products and the comfortabie aznbience, he notes, adding shoppers are weicome to sit down relax, have a coffee anc1 discuss what they're look- 'We aren't a high press- ure store -- with our return poiicy there's no point because. if we push some- body into something that theYre not happy with, ty cail us the next day and say theYre not inter- ested anymore,» Collins *aŽe tell people te takey their time a.nd theyre free Lo look around before taik- ing to aslsesno ot sirn 1ybrowor t XyOshawa Centre b Sears has undergone a tansformation. el The furniture, depart- li ment move freed up space ul to vastiy exypand the store's fa selection of apparel, home CC rashion and white good yc items, bedding and eiec- be ,ronics and appliances. Twenty-seven national ba rands of eiectronics and w ppliances alone have been wi 9ded, says Sears Canada is ,rsident ad CEO Don Th Eiafer, who notes «we're diE putting our emphasis on what our customers have said ls important to them... «(They've) told us they want greater depth and selection in apparel, furni- ture and appliances." The Oshawa store now has 117,000 square feet of seiin5 spaoe, with 70 per cent dedicated to apparel and home fashions. By Timothy MciKe So you've made the big decisrion, youpre going to renovate. That's great, but riow is the time te, look at a vrxy important reality - you are not goixig te, get any yugrini the near future. trou must keep this in mind if you plan te, stay in your urrent homo for many years Lo come. As time passes we start to, ecome leua flextible, our )yesîght diminishes, and our fting ability is depleted by ip to, 75 per cent. These hctors ail need to, be onsidered when planning ,our new kitchen or xthroom. Let's start with your new athroom. Many people are ~roedththey will end up ;a 'handicap' washroom. hat is why we need to, icusa universel design. Theredesigned store is3 190mehingof-aprototype. Customeir reaction to severai new visual display' presentations is being monitored, he says, and if positive the' dispiays will beuse<â in Sears stores across Canada. "We've redesigned and reorganized the entire store to make shopping an easy and pes le experience The termn 'universel' means itis for everyone. The princdples are simple, easy- turn handies that are large enough for a wet or arthritic hand te. turn. Safety bars (coioured te coorclinate with your other fixtures) offer both young and old a more secure feeling in the shower. Many shower faucets are now pressure balanced so that the water wiil lhot change tomperature when someone uses the water elsewhere in the house. This offers the less mobile the assurance that they will not have te move quickly to avoid being burned. Toilets shouid be taller to prevent; a low sitting position which can be difficuit for those who do not have the upper body strength te lift themselves up off the seat. Under aIl these items shouid be *good quahfty non-slip flooring te prevent; any number of potentially langerous situations. The kitchen also hoids nany interesting challenges when we think about .iniversal design. The height of the wali .Rbinets is the firett insideration. lI most ores, the bottem. of these si Lnits is set ait 57 inches fromn îe floor or 21 inches above P he counter. Today we set a him 18 inches above the a] *Blinds "Shade a* ana more Free shop at Cu 'ro ha yci for of be con te late etIf win, it.]1 putt waix hon repi aroimd doorsTaedTwindows Linastrm inows a yB Wnos or spectrumte suit ndividua -Heat Mirror Glass ATO e Siding, Soffit, Fascia & Trough Homne Show* - C.I.B.C. Financing O.A.C. SPCliais *Written Warranties 5 0Yo OFF 905-430-3192 .= WhtbyM for Our customiers," says Osihawa store manager Annette Procunier. The updated look in- cludes larger fitting rooms with adjacent checkout areas, wider aisies and glenty of open space to encourage shoppers to move around Nand ros uniniterrupted.» ros Shopping convenience has been the chief concern counter te make lifting easier. Counter heights can also help ini planning for the future. By adcling an area with a lowered counter, we creato a surface that may be more comforable for you as standing for long periods becomes less possible., There are many different ways to make your undercounter sterage more accessible. Roll-out shelves and Pot drawers take away a lot 'of bending and reaching whicli tends te b. difficult for most anyone. Applianoes need te, be more practical as woil. Older people often don't understand fancy symbols; look for stoves with front controls that have large, Preparîng fo winte in making the changes, says Procunier. Rather than massive departments, the store has a series of separate, hilghly- focused shopping environ- ments or shops dedicated te a particular collection or lifestyle need. And without Walls, shoppers can easiiy see what's available, she notes. fr-eezers are a great choice because they put the daily use items at oye level and heavier frozen items at an easier te control height. Dxshwashers can be raised to eliminate a lot of bending and lifting. Lighting is the last major consideration with universal design. Bright with littie to no glare is crucial. Weak eyes do flot react weil with glare. The bright light is needed while prepari.ng food, espocially while cutting and chopping. Your kritchen or bath professional wiil be able to help you implement these and many other design aids in your project. Good luck. Timothy McKoe is a cfeflIkichen designer and FROM PAGE 15 or peeling paint needs te Ib scraped or sanded. You ca, Éhon add a coat Of primer ani touch it up te match thý 3urrounding areas. Pressing the point of î lenknife into Wood siding i tesut for decay. 'There ar Iternatives ,te replacing etted wood," says Finney. With the aid 'of home indyman products, such as lood flUer and hardener, you Ln repair decayed wood 'ursef." However, don't erget to elimrnat the source rthe decay, ho adds. Parted seams and splits in Dod siding and trim need te filled with cauiking ,npound. "If you are going cover with paint, use a bx base oeulk," ho advises. the putty around the idow is slightly cracked, it ri b. painted over te reseal Flowever, if it is crumbly, upe it off and appiy fresh Po- keep your house rmer, Finney suggests neowners repair or ïace, weather stripping doors will also keepi coid air out and warm air in. e "Careful falxnaintenance ýn wili actualiy save you time ,d and dollars on overali home le u'pkeep and repair, since winter tends te do the most a damage to homes,," Finney' Bsays. Fail c1olors FR OM PAGE 15 with a slight touch, of red, wili be seen in ciothing as weii as home fashion this fail. Look for it in combination with blues, greens and purples, according te Richardson. A neutral that is often overlooked is black. It defines an area, adding an element Of Sophistication to interiors. .The. provincial xieufrals are sf11 there te add tranquillity. The everpresent off.wis in home fashion bring an illusion of space and -volume to intoxior onvironxents and provide a perfect backdrop t-- ~uVI E3ST= EELT rias