Entertainment center for the outdoors

Entertainment centerfor the outdoors
When you think of an entertainment center, you generally think of something in a den or rec room that houses a TV or stereo system.
But what about an entertainment center for the outdoors that covers grilling, cooking and gardening? That's something else entirely.
And it's one of the newest additions to the Coleman line of outdoor products, available at Lowe's.
The multipurpose Outdoor Entertainment Center, measuring just over 58 inches high, 24 inches deep and 44 inches wide, can serve as a grilling/cooking station, a potting center or a general serving/entertainment place.
The stainless-steel, wheeled unit has a sink with faucet that connects to a water hose, a drop-leaf shelf, drawer, sliding bottom shelves for storage, three removable towel racks, a bottle opener and more.
Other new Coleman outdoor products include a Patio Heater & amp; Light With Table, Grill With Side Appliance, Round Firepit/Grill With Fire-Starter and Outdoor Fireplace Tool Set.
Find the items at Lowe's stores or online at www.lowes.com.
Bose speakers designedto stay in or on ground
They're discreet, small and you barely notice they're even there. No, we're not speaking of some feminine hygiene product. We're talking speakers. A new line of speakers from Bose, to be precise.
The Bose Free Space 51 Environmental Speakers are designed for installation in or on the ground outside.
No more lugging out the portable boombox for outdoor parties.
These speakers, at 14.2 inches high and 12.6 inches in diameter, come with a five-year warranty and are designed to withstand extreme heat and bitter cold, rain and snow.
And green in color, they're meant to blend in with the foliage.
The Bose Free Space 51 Environmental Speakers are available at Bose outlets, at www.bose.com and by calling (800) 444-BOSE.
Book offers tips on personalizing space
We all want our homes to be attractive, comfortable and welcoming. But how to create a living area that reflects our lifestyle?
The book "Simple Solutions: Living Spaces" by Jessica Tolliver (Friedman/Fairfax, 2002, $14.95) offers suggestions and creative solutions for making your living area reflect your lifestyle. Here are a few tips:
UInstall a skylight into a vaulted ceiling if you love the sunshine.
UCreate a dropped-lighting panel for a sense of intimacy in a room.
UPosition a television in a corner to save space and to easily view it from various spots.
UInstall a retractable, ceiling-suspended screen and projector for the movie buff.
UCustom-blend a paint color for your walls to match a favorite piece of artwork.
The book is available at area bookstores and at Amazon.com.
Keep air conditioningworking with maintenance
Operation of an air-conditioning system is a lot like an automobile; efficiency depends largely on the way it's maintained and operated.
Debris-clogged filters make the system work harder. Disposable filters should be checked every two months (once a month during peak use), and replaced when necessary. Permanent filters should be cleaned according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Periodic inspections during the off-season by a qualified heating and air-conditioning contractor can help keep efficiency up, utility bills down and extend the life of the unit.
Insulation, weatherstripping, window coverings and shade trees also can be used to help your home beat the heat.
Elle Decor Porfoliosfocus on single theme
Elle Decor is known for its style. Now readers who can't get enough of the magazine can turn to the new series of Elle Decor Portfolios books.
These neat little books focus on a single theme. The latest ones -- Bedrooms (Filipacchi Publishing, 2003, $14.95) and Decorating Ideas (Filipacchi Publishing, 2003, $14.95) -- offer inspiration as well as practical suggestions for decoration and design.
Bedrooms provides examples of stylish dressing rooms, headboards, alcoves and attic bedrooms. Decorating Ideas offers tips on curtains, blinds, screens, floors and slipcovers, as well as a chapter of do-it-yourself projects.
Both books include an index of reference addresses for many of the manufacturers and stores mentioned.
Find the Elle Decor Portfolios books at bookstores and at Amazon.com.
Michael Graves itemsare offered at Target
If only everyone shared the philosophy of architect and designer Michael Graves: that well-crafted, quality items should be affordable and accessible to all people.
New in Target stores and online at www.target.com for spring are sundry items from the 2003 Michael Graves Design Collection. You'll find everything from salt and pepper shakers ($1.99 each) to a wireless keyboard with mouse ($39.99) to a Graves Monopoly set ($49.99).
And available later this year will be Graves Pavilions, freestanding or attached wooden structures, which can serve as an artist's studio, breakfast room, garden room, office or pool house.
The pavilions, designed and customized by Graves, sell for $10,000 to $26,000
Details available at www.target.com/graves.
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