KITCHEN design
Even if the mid 20th Century furniture design trend is showing fatigue I still still fond of the look. I guess it is an unconditional love. I love that style since I was seven. And my passion is nourished by the fact that the style does not fit my current house. In fact, I never live with the style.
Launched in the 1990's, the world of Orly Kiely is one where color, pattern, graphics, texture and rhythm continually reinvent themselves. London-based Orla Kiely continues to be popular amongst the women blogosphere.
Over the years, she has teamed with many brands to produce products with her unique designs. Orla Kiely for Heal's is an exclusive and distinctive range of furniture. The line reflects both the designer’s work and Heal's core values. The dining room furniture is crafted out of solid American black walnut.
Everything on that picture, including the doormat, are exclusive to the UK retailer Heal’s. Coincidence: This dining room furniture line is a favorite of Living etc, my all-time favorite magazine.
Categories:
HOME + GARDEN
KITCHEN design
posted @ Monday, November 17, 2008 10:58 PM | Feedback (0)
This is one of the most popular home design trend, especially for family with young kids. And it is normal since it allows the cook(s) to be with everyone. I gathered on Living etc. successful open plan living rooms.
Living etc. is a great source of inspirations. And they acknowledged it by providing their online users to browse through their vast photo galleries.
A split level by a few steps adds elegance and interest to the open living design (top picture). This is the best view. And when you sit down in the living room for the digestive, your guests can sit down and not see the kitchen mess. I like it because they would not insist on doing the dishes.
Categories:
HOME + GARDEN
KITCHEN design
posted @ Tuesday, November 04, 2008 11:22 PM | Feedback (2)
Every room needs some type of art pieces. Hanging framed photos of food or kitchen tools is a simple way to decorate your kitchen.
Canadian photographer Jennifer Squires, an Etsy seller, contacted me by email this morning. She introduced me to her beautiful photos of Greece. Maybe it is because it is lunchtime, but her sandwich shot caught my attention. I like the way she captured these close-up views of everyday food. Her photos invite you to cook.
Most of her fine art photographs can be produced as large as 24x30 inches or as small as 4x6 inches.
+ Food photos by Jennifer Squires - $6 to $35 USD on etsy – rights reserved
Categories:
HOME + GARDEN
KITCHEN design
posted @ Thursday, October 30, 2008 1:09 PM | Feedback (2)
Take a few minutes to relax. Have a look at the funny situations depicted in the animated movies done by IKEA.
The video showcased 5 different lifestyles and tastes. You explore ideas from the Greek alfresco family lifestyle to the urban singles, the suburban families, and the gay couples up to green conscious people. Although, I do not know what is eco-friendly about IKEA kitchens, besides the flat pack?
Tableware for Entertaining
Between each kitchen, you discover a few kitchenware and tableware items. If you are looking for Champagne flutes, you can choose between the SKIR mouth-blown flute with engraving or the very affordable SVALKA champagne flutes.
The SYNTES SKISS dinner plates are gorgeous. The series comes in 4 bowl sizes and 3 plate sizes.
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HOME + GARDEN
KITCHEN design
posted @ Friday, September 26, 2008 12:49 PM | Feedback (0)
This is my daily collection of noteworthy stuff that I saw online.
+ As I read the interview with New-Yorker Danielle Bilton on , I was in awe. I am not alone since Danielle won the NYC Cupcake Decorating Championships & Ignite NYC with her Iphone App Cupcakes. Even though she selected a wonderful concept for a geek event, the craftsmanship was apparent. Via Cupcakes Take the Cake
+ The U-shape is the most efficient kitchen floor plan if it does not run too long. I have a G-shape kitchen. It is perfect for me since I like to spread the work areas depending on the task. My tail of the G is in fact a 270 degree counter. This almost circular counter provides me plenty of usable space and acts as breakfast bar. All that talk was to introduce the new Scenery kitchen system in Cream from Scavolini. Via Trendir
Categories:
CAKES
DINING
KITCHEN design
posted @ Tuesday, September 16, 2008 8:47 PM | Feedback (1)
In 2006, Alessi entered the kitchen furniture market by launching its first kitchen system in collaboration with kitchen maker Valcucine.
The Kitchen Line
La Cucina Alessi is split into four lines: Sinuosa, Agreste, Geometrica and Transparente. I am particularly found of the curved kitchen island of Sinuosa. With a curved island, everything is easily at reach.
Designers Alessandro Mendini and Gabriele Centazzo integrate lazy susans to neatly store glassware, spices and utensils.
The bottom images show the Agreste series and the Geometrica kitchen line. Agreste’s main storage units come with sliding doors made of ebonized wood with leaf inlays.
Collaborative Work
Four brands collaborated in making La Cucina Alessi a reality. Alessi trusted Italian companies Foster and Valcucine and the Finnish company Oras for this project. It is common in Europe to sell the entire package with sinks and rangetops.
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HOME + GARDEN
KITCHEN design
posted @ Tuesday, September 02, 2008 6:30 PM | Feedback (1)
This open-plan kitchen and dining room look amazing. It takes guts to design a black kitchen. It takes finesse to make it works.
Fashion designer turned interior designer Charmaine created a space that is airy and sophisticated in a house she shared with her husband and young daughter.
The Key Design Elements
Charmaine played with contrasts to add drama. The black cabinets and worktops act as the little black dress. The kitchen does not seem dark because it sits on a vast, light stone walls space. The high-gloss cabinets reflect the light while the waxed-concrete surfaces add textures.
The breakfast bar feels welcoming; it must be the hub of any dinner party. This kitchen proves that hard surfaces can produce a warm and modern rustic atmosphere, when used cleverly.
Congratulations to Charmaine and Paul on their beautiful renovation. If you wish to know more, Living etc. provides plenty of details on this barn conversion in the South of France. Do not be shy to adapt her great ideas.
Categories:
HOME + GARDEN
KITCHEN design
posted @ Monday, August 18, 2008 9:59 PM | Feedback (1)
A bold red is not the typically color people would choose when they selecting their doors. But look at how great these two kitchen look.
A bold red like that used to be restricted to high-end Italian and German kitchens. Ikea made the high-gloss red kitchen accessible.
People often ignore vibrant colors when it comes to big items because they are afraid to get bored with a few years. In reality, whatever the color, you will get bored at some point. Playing safe has its merits but it can also lacks personality.
My Own Experience Living with Red
We renovated our current home in 1995. Our house was built around 1860.
I believe that there must be a connection between the interior and the exterior of a building. Since I leaned towards a modern look, we opted for shaker-style door in natural maple. But I added a twist. I alternated the color of the inside panels between the natural maple and bright red panel tint. I selected a sort of crimson red almost fire engine red. Some days, I regret not having more red panels.
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TRENDS
HOME + GARDEN
KITCHEN design
posted @ Friday, May 09, 2008 5:20 PM | Feedback (2)
I visited the Poggenpohl showroom in Boston this winter. For a modernist like me, seeing the MODERN PURISM collection was a real treat. I would like someday to own one of those kitchens.
Design for the Way You Live
Poggenpohl makes amazing storage system. Everything has its place with cute containers and spacers. I was going to talk about their cool storage system for the kitchen. As I assembled my montage, a trend emerged. Therefore, I will talk about kitchen layouts.
If you planning a new kitchen, the first thing you should consider is how you like to live and entertain. By answering these questions, you will make the space fits your lifestyle. Then, you can start to look at finishes and nifty storage gadgets.
I must stress out that you must design for the way you live, not the way you dream of living. So be true to who you and your family are.
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HOME + GARDEN
KITCHEN design
posted @ Tuesday, April 29, 2008 5:35 PM | Feedback (0)
The May 2008 of Canadian House & Home is the Green Issue. It is full of eco-friendly advices and products. What caught my eyes are 3 entertaining details.
Trough sink
The first one is an advertising picture by Ciot. The marble slat is gorgeous. It looks so modern.
I wish I have the space to install a through sink. Typically, you integrate the through sink in your preparation area. When you entertain friends, you use this long and narrow sink to chill bottles of wines, champagnes and beers. Check out the model by Kohler. This trough sink exterior dimensions are 60" x 8-1/4" with a basin depth of 5-15/16".
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REVIEWS
HOME + GARDEN
KITCHEN design
posted @ Friday, April 11, 2008 12:41 AM | Feedback (1)
This week is all about the drum shape and fashionable fun patterns.
My 4 picks of the week
Purple Area for Clarissa Hulse
The Urban Jungle range enlivens a classic ivory and black with punches of neon pink, aqua and sweet pea. Clarissa Hulse emulated the urban landscape by the bright lights of city life.
One of the most distinctive textile designers in the UK, Clarissa Hulse is designer of luxury housewares specializing in wallpaper, cushions, throws and lamp shades. Fabrics by the meter are also available.
GlamNest for Getting' Steamy in Here! The Hottest Vent Hoods Ever
Categories:
HOME + GARDEN
KITCHEN design
KIDS products
posted @ Monday, March 24, 2008 10:54 AM | Feedback (0)
How do you do it? Simple, you start with the layout.
Before you think about finishes and esthetic framework, it is best to have a clear answer to How you like to cook and entertain within your kitchen?
Even if the shape of the room is a key factor, the layout of your kitchen must first be tailored to suit your lifestyle. After a few months, the love affair with your kitchen will flourish only if you enjoy cooking meals in it.
Meeting with your kitchen designer
By far, casual entertaining is the most popular form of dining party. But easy entertaining means different things to people. So make sure you portray well the way you like to entertain when you meet your kitchen designer.
When you are renovating or designing a house, you need to be prepared to be flexible. Your space may be able to accommodate only your second best kitchen layout. If you express well your priorities, an excellent kitchen designer will be able to create a kitchen that meets your wish list.
Categories:
HOME + GARDEN
KITCHEN design
posted @ Friday, September 21, 2007 12:17 PM | Feedback (1)
This week's spotlight is about modernized versions of rustic country charms. Fall is the best time of the year to visit antique shops. My mood board mixed antiques, modern style and a Scandinavian connection.
1 | Purple Area for Oväntade kombinationer
With Oväntade kombinationer, the Swedish blog Purple Area shows us a perfect example of the coexistence of old and new.
The rustic island table steals the stage of this modern kitchen. The white washed old wood floor adds characters. Finally, remark what look like a reclaimed wood butcher block on the left side of the picture. Mix it together with an all stainless steel kitchen and you got the recipe for an impressive kitchen decor.
Categories:
HOME + GARDEN
KITCHEN design
posted @ Saturday, September 15, 2007 7:15 PM | Feedback (4)
The German Schulte Design Grace Kitchen pushed the envelope of the traditional kitchen islands. The custom made productions in North America look pale compared to this ingenious creation.
The island apron boasts innovative retracting electrical receptacles and five invisible drawers one of which is to house cooking knifes.
The hidden cable management system, the flat cooking surface and a cantilever surface are my favorite features of Grace Kitchen. Schulte Design offers it in five Tutti Frutti woods: olive, apple, plum, walnut and wild cherry.
One way to live large in a small space
Grace Kitchen fits well into the smaller condo units surfacing all over Metropolitan cities. The eating space does more than acting as a breakfast bar. Bring a couple of benches or day beds to get additional seated plates at a dinner party. If you live in a small space, a design like that enables you to set up a dining room without trimming down the living room.
Categories:
HOME + GARDEN
KITCHEN design
posted @ Sunday, September 09, 2007 10:44 PM | Feedback (2)