New Trend - White Appliances?!?!

By now you may have already seen House Beautiful's 2012 Kitchen of the Year.  And if you haven't seen it, you must go check it out, NOW.  See it here.

Aside from it being yet another amazingly beautiful kitchen by my favorite kitchen designer, Mick DeGiulio (whom I've written about several times before), after I got over the overall fabulousness of it all, my next thought was "Whoa - hold on, I see white appliances!"

Take a look at the collection along the right wall.  It's the new Whirlpool Ice collection, and it's pretty sexy, huh?

Does this mean white is making a comeback?  Does stainless steel finally have some competition?  I've seen other attempts at white appliances, but they haven't been a part of the "Kitchen of the Year".  

If white appliances can look this good, I'm all for it.  What do you think?

Park City Condo Remodel Update

A while ago we finished the construction portion of this condo remodel, and now we're slowly adding the furniture and accessories.  I'm honored that my client is so proud of this condo remodel that it's actually become an art project to him, so rather than rushing to the point of a finished project, we're having fun handling one piece at a time, where each element is a project in itself.

We recently finished the custom guest bedroom furniture.  While this room still needs some art and accessories, the furniture is art in itself.

As with all the cabinetry and millwork in the condo, the headboard, nightstands, and dresser were all built by RiverWoods Mill.

We are also making progress on the Living Room!  We ordered a sample of a custom rug, and it's going to be just perfect.  

Recent Kitchen Remodel - Before & After

I blogged a bit about this project before (here and here and here), but now we're finished (just waiting on some final little details like seat cushions and window treatments).  I'm so thrilled with how great this kitchen looks - I've been so excited to post these photos!

You may recall my previous post about how challenging it can be when you're remodeling only part of a home, and therefore are forced to work with existing items like honey oak that are outdated but due to budget restrictions they have to remain.  In this case we had honey oak everywhere in the home - flooring, doors, trim, cabinets, and even light fixtures.  I had no choice but to work around it, especially since I had convinced my clients that we could remove the wall and open up the kitchen without creating a domino effect that would force them to tear apart the entire house.  We worked with the existing oak by using a coordinating-but-not-matching darker red/brown finish on the cabinets (matching the darker grain in the oak floors) and selecting granite with a slight gold tone (though not the dominant color as we didn't want to emphasize the gold).  I couldn't be happier with the results, and I think my clients feel the same way.

One thing that strikes me the most is how much the original architecture of the home is enhanced by this remodel.   It's an amazing home, and the beautiful new kitchen fits right in.

Let's take a look at some before & after shots to get the full effect:

Before

After

Before

After

After

Before

After

And some details...

  The Lutron designer finish outlet in the island is a much better look than a standard white or black outlet.

 My signature LeMans corner pull-out unit

A specialty crown profile and the Amerock Blackrock hardware add flair to the otherwise simple cabinet style.

The glass backsplash tile added the perfect luxurious touch.

I teamed up with ReVive Remodeling for the construction.  

The custom cabinetry was built by RiverWoods Mill.  

The Red Montana granite countertops are from European Marble and Granite.

And just for fun, this was the proposed model I drew on SketchUp.

A Low-Flow Rainshower That Actually Rinses My Hair?

Doubters.... Believe it or not, this showerhead exists!

Moen Envi showerhead

Last week I attended an event and was the lucky winner of a Moen Envi eco-performance showerhead.  Of course I immediately asked my husband to install it (as independent as I am, I have to accept the fact that he is stronger and will be able tighten things much better than I will).  Our previous showerhead was a basic Hansgrohe model.  I've always loved Hansgrohe, and it's usually my go-to line for shower faucets.  And though that showerhead was a basic model, it was great - their water technology really makes for a great shower.

Envi - Full rainshower spray

So I was skeptical when I was about to replace my Hansgrohe with a Moen, especially a low-flow Moen rainshower.  For one, you always hear people complain about not being able to fully rinse their hair with a rainshower, so when the flow is reduced by 20% you expect even less.  The saving grace was going to be the switch that changes the spray from a full rainshower to a more centered direct flow.  But guess what?  After using the showerhead now, I've never needed to switch to the more concentrated spray!  The rainshower function, at the 2 gpm flow (current industry standard is 2.5gpm), offers a wonderful and relaxing spray that still has enough pressure to rinse my hair.  

Envi - Optional concentrated spray, with the flick of the lever on the right

The secret, as many higher-end faucet manufacturers have discovered, is the technology behind the showerhead, which has 2 elements:

The Flow of the Water

While many lesser quality rainshowers are gravity-fed,  Moen's Immersion™  technology is a self-pressurizing system that increases the force and flow.

The Shape of the Water

This showerhead features Fibonacci-inspired, spiral-shaped nozzle patterns to provide full-body coverage that envelops the user in invigorating body sprays, no matter what the spray setting.

The Fibonacci sequence is fascinating.  It's naturally everywhere, and I'm constantly amazed at how it's used in science and technology to make products better.

A couple fun posts about the Fibonacci Spiral:

Environmental Graffiti 

Kitchen and Residential Design

Disclaimer:  Though I received this showerhead for free as part of a raffle, I was under no obligation to review it or promote.

(images from moen.com)

More Outlet Fun

In a world where everything and everybody needs to be plugged in, welcome U-Socket, "the outlet of the future".  This thing was a hit at KBIS.

It installs like a standard outlet, but includes USB outlets for charging the multiple devices we all depend (too much) on.

The best part:  The built-in smart sensor can detect required wattage and only outputs the power when it's needed.  If your phone isn't plugged in to the cable, or if it's fully charged, no energy will be wasted.  

Available in standard or decor style.  Colors include white, almond, ivory and wood (I imagine this could be painted or stained?).  It's a great solution for home offices, kitchen command centers, and bedrooms charging stations.

And for those who are REALLY connected, they even have a 12-in-1 cable, which sorta makes me chuckle about how ridiculous we are with all our devices.

Another Fantastic Find at NeoCon

It's the little things in life....  Of all the beautiful products and materials at NeoCon, I think I got the most giddy when I came across these beautiful outlet and switch devices and cover plates.

Square openings, creative designs for the rocker switches, and electronic touch switches too.  The devices themselves are super cool.  As a bonus you get an seemingly endless supply of cover plates to choose from.  From glass to metal to wood to stone to high-gloss acrylic... even plates covered in Swarovski crystals!  

In kitchen and bath design, outlets and switches can often ruin a tile backsplash if not done correctly.  While sometimes I can convince a client to use plugmold strips recessed underneath the cabinet to hide the outlets (as we did in this kitchen), that's not always the case.  And though I love all the great colors that Lutron has, it's nice to know there are even more designer options out there.  With these sexy styles, it's almost tempting to make the outlets a focal point in the backsplash (which I've never said before)!

I have to confess, I found these at the end of the day.  Exhausted by this point, I only stopped for a minute, drooled a little bit, took a couple photos, and swiped my id badge so I'd get more information later.  Then we continued on in search of cocktails (because this is NeoCon and that's what you do).

I couldn't find everything shown here online, but I did stumble upon this great pdf that shows all the great ways you can use home automation switches (and remotes and smart phones) to control lighting and window treatments in your home.  It gives examples of how it would make your life easier throughout the day, and also on a room-by-room basis.

I can't wait to get more information about these products, and will share it with all of you when I do.

Materials Pavilion at NeoCon

After a weekend of ASID leadership training, I had the chance to attend NeoCon for a day.  What a incredible and crazy day of sensory (and people) overload!  

Of all the beautiful showrooms and furniture and fabric, one thing that really caught my attention (must be because of the cabinet geek in me), was the Interiors & Sources Materials Pavilion.

Per the NeoCon website:

The materials you choose for furniture and interiors can make or break a project. Durability, sustainability, economy, availability and, of course, design and form compatibility are all factors, but gathering and making sense of the all the information you need is often a daunting task.In the Interiors & Sources Materials Pavilion you’ll find hundreds of material samples displayed side-by-side, with details on their origin, makeup and recommended applications. This experiential, educational exhibit is curated by design historian and materials specialist Grace Jeffers, and populated with the help of Material Intelligence (www.materialintelligence.com.), an information resource on surfacing solutions for designers and fabricators.

 Some of my favorite materials from the exhibit:

Textured Thermofused Melamine panels, from Stevens Melamine

Unfortunately I don't have the source for this material, but this is an example of the great textures and patterns that can be produced with 3-dimensional laminate technologies.

Moz Architectural Metals, hand-etched patterns and brilliant colors on solid-core metals.  Beautiful sheen and intense colors... seen also on the column display below:

PYRLOLAVE Glazed Volvic Lava Stone - this product is a great alternative for countertops.  While expensive, it holds up better than anything else I know of... heat resistant, stain resistant, bleach and acid-resistant... you can pretty much do anything on this surface.  Plus, it's beautiful and artistic and can look good in any setting.

Perennial Wood:  Real wood tweaked so that it behaves like composite decking material yet doesn't look like plastic.

Roseburg Duramine Decorative Melamines - more textured wood-grains (Can you tell this is a big trend?)

Tropical Exotic Hardwoods

Alkemi, an acrylic recycled-content product using aluminum scraps

Alusion architectural foam, from aluminum (looks like it's made from tin foil)

Ambro - exotic wood panels with strips of opaque material that would look incredible with some back-lighting!

TorZo is a sustainable surface material manufactured from agricultural byproducts and recycled wood. 

More TorZo.  Check out their website, as these photos don't do it justice.

Olon panels, called 3-d laminate

Lucem light-transmitting concrete.  Yes, this is a light-transmitting stone with optical fibers inside... see the sparkle on the bottom?  So many possibilities for a material like this!

Advanced Technology features MirrorFlex decorative thermoplastic panels, FusionTech products, and NuMetal high pressure laminates.  A lot of possiblities with these materials for wall coverings, backsplashes, and even just as artwork.  The wood grain geometric pattern on the bottom is amazing in person.

More wood-grain melamines (I didn't catch the brand on this one, but I love the 2 on the bottom right.)

(SSI) Surface Source International had several great 3-dimensional laminate products, though I was especially drawn to these Zenolite high-gloss acrylic panels, which come in great colors and have the appearance of a back-painted glass.

Just a small taste of all the materials out there - isn't fun to let your mind wander with all the possibilities?

6/22/12 UPDATE:  Here is a link to all the materials showcased at the Materials Pavilion.