Mentioned in Utah Style & Design Magazine!

I've been meaning to share this for a while.  And don't think my lack of sharing means I'm any less excited about this.  Enzy design is featured (again - see first feature here and here) in the Spring issue of Utah Style & Design!  Where enzy was the sole designer involved in the first project, this one is something I'm equally proud of because of the collaboration that was involved, and the end results.  Collaborating with other designers can be fun and refreshing, and a welcome change from handling every detail on a project by yourself.

(click on image to enlarge)

Interior Designer Cody Beal brought me in as a Kitchen & Bath Design expert to design & supply the cabinetry (using Hallmark Custom Cabinets).  Cody firmly believes in the importance of a team.  He knows he'll look better if he relies on his team of experts to help pull the project together.  So Cody came to me with his grand scheme plans for the kitchen, bathroom, and master bedroom cabinetry, and once we selected finishes, he gave me free reign to tweak the layout and design the cabinetry details.  This was smart for a few reasons:

1. It freed up his time so he was able to focus on fine-tuning all the other design details throughout the house.
2. Because Cody trusted me, it allowed me to fully use my expertise to provide the most functional, ergonomic, and aesthetically pleasing cabinetry for the clients. 
3. By working directly with the clients, I was better able to understand their needs.  We discussed everything from comfortable reaching heights to how many pairs of shoes they had.  This much information would have been nearly impossible without direct contact with the clients.

Check out the whole issue while you still can!

And see more photos of this project on the enzy design portfolio.

White & Walnut Bathroom Remodel

I had the opportunity to help a client turn a basic hall bathroom into her own personal retreat.  This just shows that you don't need a large space to create something special.   

One key element that brought this design together is the tub.  The Lacey tub from Hydro Systems is now available with integral seamless front & sides, custom made to order.  This allowed us to have a simple clean look without the need for a partition wall at the end of the tub.

My client has wonderful tastes - she just needed someone to pull it all together, and to ensure that she would get the look she wanted with the function she needed.

     

One important part of creating a personal space for a client is leaving room for them to express themselves, through accessories and artwork (in this case, this includes my client's own paintings!)

Photography by Jessi at hiya papaya.

By the way, this client is a realtor.  She obviously has great taste (AND a fun yet professional personality), so if you need a realtor recommendation, I'd be happy to provide anyone with her contact info!

KBIS: 5 Things that Really Stood Out

Last week I went to KBIS in Vegas.  Vegas itself is a city of sensory overload, but add a convention center full of new kitchen and bath products, and you can hardly stand it.

We had less than 2 days to take it all in.  Through the whirlwind tour, there were 5 things that stood out to me:

Contemporary Bling.  Turn on the sparkle - faucets, cabinet & door hardware, glittery tile grout, and glitzy countertops

Rubinet lavatory faucet with Swarovski crystals

LED lighting embedded into the countertop, from Cambria

Cambria's new Galloway collection - the large clear quartz pieces sparkle!

Emtek Modern Crystal door hardware

glitter grout on a Voguebay display

Texture.  In tile and beyond, textured finishes add a special depth and interest.
Ann Sacks textured tile steals the show.

Ann Sacks

Ann Sacks

Voguebay Hexagon Mosaic

Kohler Whitehaven sink with textured front

Brass and Bronze - We've been raving about this comeback for a while, but it was great to see it in full force at KBIS.

Emtek's bronze finish

Amerock's Gilded Bronze finish 

Rohl's new Unlaquered Brass finish

Kohler's Vibrant Moderne Brushed Gold finish

Oak  It's not an outright trend... yet.  But it's been making an appearance here and there, and I expect to see more.  We're not talking about the honey oak of the 80's, but we're also not talking about the quarter-sawn or rift cut that we've gotten used to in more contemporary settings.  This oak is open-grained and dramatic, with finishes of matte, weathered, and gray.  I only got one photo from KBIS, but there was more to be seen.

Functional Sink Accessories  I've got a whole guest post on this topic alone that will soon be featured on the Utah Style & Design blog.  I was thrilled with the new introductions that convert sinks into functional worksurfaces, including racks, cutting boards, and storage for cleaning utensils.

from Kohler

Basement Bathroom After Photos

I finally had the opportunity to take some photos of a basement bathroom project.

We started with a VERY small, cramped bathroom.  Look how little leg room there was between the toilet & tub!

The adjacent space gave us the flexibility to move a wall to add some space to the bathroom.  By moving the wall, we had room for a slightly larger tub, while still leaving adequate leg room in front of the toilet.  By moving the bathroom door, we also now had more space for a larger vanity.

My client moved to Utah from California, and loved the idea of a beach-themed color scheme.  Because we were working with a small space, we muted the colors - a light soft mix of grays, blues, and whites.  We added texture through tile patterns and a custom weathered-look vanity.

Small bathrooms don't have a lot of room for extra design elements, so something both functional and aesthetic is key.  This double recessed niche provides storage for shampoos and soaps, while also adding a dramatic design element to the tile surround.

Details such as a seamless tub, wire-brushed wood, cabinet hardware, edge treatments, and countertop lines really stand out in a small space, so choosing the right materials was important.  

Sources:

Vanity - Hallmark Custom Cabinetry 

Countertop - Caesarstone

Floor & Tub Field Tile - Contempo Tile

Accent Tile - Dal Tile Stone Medley

Faucets & Accessories - Moen 

Tub - Mirabelle

Contractor - Sundberg Building & Design Inc.

Dwell on Design - Best Impressions

Last week I had the chance to visit Los Angeles for the ASID Leadership Conference, in conjunction with Dwell on Design (that's me on the far right).

While the conference was filled with ASID seminars preparing us for our leadership roles within our chapters (I'll be President of the ASID Intermountain Chapter starting in October), we also had some time to wander the show floor for design inspiration.

I had so much to see in a short amount of time, but I thought I would post some of the things that stood out most to me, whether it was for their great design or their colorful imagery.

1.  Miele's limited edition white appliances.  I heard rumors of their new white appliances on twitter, and was thrilled to see them in person.

2.  Miele's flush-mount gas cooktop

3.  Wet Style's tub made of WETMAR BIO - an eco-friendly thermo-insulating material made primarily from a mix of soy and mineral stone. 

4.  Shared booth by WhyrHymer and Semi-Handmade.  WhyrHymer showcased some great custom light fixtures / works of art, and Semi-Handmade showed off their custom door fronts designed to fit on ikea cabinet boxes.  I met John online a few years ago when I came across his product and posted about it here.  It was great to meet him in person and to see how well his business plan is working!

5.  House Fifty Two.  Aside from being an attractive booth full of geometric pattern and pops of color, I met Erin Adams, the designer, and got to see her passion and excitement first hand.  Their products include coordinating wallpaper, tile, and fabrics.  But when I say coordinating, I mean they complemented each other nicely without being identical "matchy-matchy" patterns.

6.  Stikwood.  This product has SO many possibilities!  It's essentially a peel & stick wood.  That's it.  Just peel and stick.  But it's real wood - not a fake wood-look imposter.  The photo below shows part of their newer reclaimed flooring series.  They've converted their own industrial scraps into a really cool geometric pattern suitable for flooring or walls.

7.  Range hoods keep evolving into decorative fixtures, as shown in the Sphera hoods from Best by Broan.

8.  Dacor's new WineStation, designed for residential use.  This unit will keep opened bottles of wine fresh and ready for up to 60 days.

9.  Hansgrohe - I simply just love the modern-yet-classic lines of this Axor faucet.

10.  JC Penney is stepping it up with new lines from Jonathan Adler and Michael Graves! (sorry about the blurry photo)

11.  I lost the contact info for this company, but these mountain hooks are begging to be placed in a Park City home.  And their custom storage units in materials such as chocolate bamboo deserve a good home too!  (I will post their info once I find it.)

12.  If you read my blog, you know that I'm obsessed with outlet and switch cover options . Lutron did not disappoint.

13.  Walker Zanger tile never ceases to amaze me.  They were a sponsor of our ASID Leadership Conference, and I love my new notebook with the tagline "What will you create?"  As noted in the speech given by their rep, they are a company dedicated celebrating and inspiring all designers, which is evident in their social media sites.