Introducing Tear Sheet Tuesday

Real paper newspapers and magazines are ALMOST a thing of the past. Obviously digital formats have their advantages but Pinterest, indispensable as it is, is just not the same as a good old fashioned tear sheet. I’m dating myself here, no?

According to our friends at Google the definition of a tear sheet is:

"a page that can be or has been removed from a newspaper, magazine, or book for use separately"

In my life as a designer I am always looking for inspiration. When catalogs, magazines and interesting stuff on paper comes my way I want to make a note of it and perhaps share it. 

Welcome to Tear Sheet Tuesday, An Occasional Series. Tear Sheet Tuesday blends two mediums, print with digital, best of both worlds. I also want to encourage you to share your paper tears with me. They can be recipes, art, design, food for thought or any inspiration. If you have one to share, scan it or take a photo and email to Gloria@ArtfulKitchens.net to be featured in the series.

Today’s eye candy comes to you from our friends at Metropolis who gift me monthly with an unsolicited subscription. I’m glad they do.  These two tubs, from the April issue, caught my eye. I love the entire balanced composition of the LaCava Ad, a nice mix of white and wood, something we all strive for, no?

Speaking of bathtubs, there was another in the same issue.  This one, by Victoria+Albert, simply oozes sublime.  Organically inspired, this volcanic limestone tub is the epitome of artfulness for the bath.

Last but not least from Metropolis this week is this article about DuPont Corian.  I remember Corian as that new alternative to Formica back in the 90s (?) With the subsequent popularity and availability of granite and now quartz, Corian, in recent years has become somewhat of a relic in kitchen and bath design.  Not so fast.  I actually had a client REQUEST Corian the other day so I was interested to see that DuPont has launched some new and innovative finishes including Onyx and concrete colors that couldn't be more on point.  Worth checking out perhaps. 

PS If you don’t want to defile, you don’t have to tear, just take a photo. Your local library has plenty material but we wouldn’t want to vandalize the goods. ;)

Tear Sheet Tuesday content is curated for your enjoyment I am not paid or compensated by any of the brands in this series.  I'll let you know if that changes!

Honor Mother Nature with Style at TOTO

"People First Innovation" is the guiding principle behind Toto, the world’s largest manufacturer of bathroom fixtures and fittings. TOTO is an un paralleled luxury brand creating beautiful and functional fixtures for the bath.  What really impresses me is that at the same time the are heavily focused on water conservation, a leading global concern that needs more attention here in the US. In 1989, in response to the state’s dramatic drought conditions and the growing need for water conservation, TOTO USA was established in California.  Today they operate three manufacturing facilities in the US. I was amazed to know that 80% of all toilets on the Las Vegas strip are, you guessed it, TOTO! The brand first started nearly one hundred years ago in Japan.  Today there is still a zen aesthetic to both the design and experience of the product. The Washlet is a must have in my opinion.  There are lots of choices to make when creating a new bathroom.  A few judiciously selected "special items" can make your bathroom awesome and this is one I'd pick.  TOTO reinvented the toilet seat by creating the Washlet, which gives people a new way to be cleaner and more comfortable every day. Washlet seats can be installed on virtually any toilet and use pure, clean water –along with several TOTO technologies – to make their users cleaner and more refreshed. Ok we're taking personalization to a new level here but you must admit... In case you're wondering, there are many public restrooms you can visit and see for yourself.  Here's where they are.  If you do, get back to me.  It would make a great blogpost ;) Speaking of blog posts,  I also found this great post by engadget.com A Westerner's Guide to Japanese Toilets .In addition to this, TOTO uses a lot of technology designed to preserve both the environment as well as your water and energy bill.  This even includes something called SanaGloss. TOTO’s patented, super smooth glaze that repels visible and invisible waste, making it difficult to adhere to porcelain.  I'm all for less toilet cleaning!Accessible design and real showers were a part of TOTO's interactive booth at KBIS2015!   Up next:  The other item not to be missed for your bath, Mr. Steam!  You can easily plan it into your bathroom renovation.

Big Trends from KBIS Part II

The Modenus Blog Tour recaps continue! Last post I shared some of my kitchen trend discoveries from KBIS2015, the 51st Kitchen & Bath Industry Show held last month in LasVegas.  Today I've got the scoop on what's trending in the bath. I have to say it, personalization is also at the top of the list for bathroom style and function.  I saw lots of new options for faucet finishes.  Were you getting tired of brushed nickel? Nice to see something new in that arena. I saw a lot of contemporary design for the bath, minimal clean lines, simplicity but with quality materials.Affordability is definitely achievable.  For example you can have the quality of Kohler with their basic Sterling line or luxury of their exclusive Kallista line.Brizo introduced its new Rook collection for the bath, with a subtle reference to chess.  Its their latest suite of luxury faucets, fittings and accessories for the bath. This collection combines a low spout architecture and crisp octagonal details for a stately yet modern design.Brizo also has something for you if you're a little "twisted" and I love it.  It's the Virage Collection Free standing tubs and tub fillers-  The popularity of free-standing tubs created a whole new plumbing fixture, the tub filler.  They were everywhere!Creativity with tile- It's not just subway tile anymore although there are even a lot of interesting variations on this popular style. I can't leave you today without a nod to the number one booth in my opinion.  I wasn't alone as it was also voted most innovative booth of the show.  The award went to AquaBrass for their Buckminster Fuller inspired geodesic dome.  This innovative concept wowed me but they went all the way with my favorite combination art + design.  With and artist on site creating beautiful artful bathtubs!  This was to introduce their new Kanvas collection.  It brings art to the bathroom in a limited series of hand-painted freestanding bathtubs, each one signed by the artist. The tubs are stone resin and offer a choice of three hand-painted exteriors: bright and bold Graffiti has a youthful, urban edge; nature-inspired Pax invites bathers to a soothing Zen-like experience; and architectural Mosaik brings timeless elegance with its classic yet modern look.Aquabrass also introduced something that's going right on my dream list. The Aquazone,  a revolutionary shower and bath concept that provides the best of both worlds. Molded into a single, space-saving wet zone unit requiring only 60"X60" of space. North American-built, its strong, one-piece construction is solid Lucite acrylic with a reinforced base. And with two integrated wheels and six adjustable levelers, it rolls into place easily, saving time, materials and labor costs.Not only was the  booth full of great new products and finishes with the occasional thoughtfully placed message, they thought outside of the box and into the dome!! Kudos to the creators and congrats.Up next: We're not done in the bathroom yet! Here's the Jeopardy question: "The number one plumbing fixture supplier in the world" Who is ??????

Last but not Least, il Bagno

We're finally coming to the end of my coverage of Design Week Milan as a part of the Blanco Design Council.  I still have a couple other experiences to relate and will surprise you when you least expect it.  For now let me tell you about the Salone Internazionale del Bagno, also known as the International Bath Show, a part of the bigger show held in Milan last month.  I can't believe it's actually been nearly a month! For the most part, I noticed lots of bathroom drama.  Luxury was the order of the day and although much of it probably won't end up in your bathroom, it was fun to consider. Bathroom vanities were few and far between.  The ones I did see were of the floating variety with vessel sinks.  There were a lot of pedestal sinks too.  The overall trend in the bath continues to be the creation of a spa-like atmosphere.  This is done by constructing a totally sensory experience including lighting, sound and creative, invigorating options for the shower and tub.  It's all about relaxation and having a place to escape the stress of our increasingly crazy lives.  Conscious water use and conservation also continue to be at the forefront and I think it's always destined to remain so.  Here are just a few sights that piqued my interest.  If you'd like to view all the loveliness I captured in Milan you can find all the pics here.   Click here for a peek at all my Milan photos!

Hot Trends Make a Big Splash at KBIS 2014

As many of you know, the Kitchen and Bath masses gathered in Las Vegas February 4-6 for their annual pilgrimage to KBIS, the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show. This year the event was part of Design & Construction Week, a new concept, merging KBIS with IBS, the International Builder’s Show. As a result, it was bigger and better than ever. Let’s hope that what happened there does NOT stay there !Maybe I should limit that to kitchen and bath industry products and trends ;)   Uber interior design resource Modenus hosted their latest Blogtour group who covered the event in a big way! You can get the entire scoop here.So what is trending, you may ask? Here’s the latest scoop from Kitchen & Bath Design News and KBIS co-sponsors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association:Let there be light.  Yes we’re used to lights in the refrigerator but now we’re adding LED lighting to cabinetry as well.

Make that matte.  Last year I noticed a growing interest in matte finishes and it’s even more so this year.  One such surface is the new Dekton by Cosentino.  It's an ultra compact surface including quartz, porcelain and glass.  This makes it perfect for both indoor and outdoor use, even better than quartz as it's UV resistant and can withstand extreme heat.

Keep it simple.   NKBA President John Petrie, CMKBDT tells us, "while transitional styles are still number one, we see kitchen design trending more contemporary this year, with clean , simple lines: less clutter and little ornamentation".Quartz rocks, especially if it’s patterned!  Homeowners have discovered quartz but they're not willing to give up the pattern and movement found in natural stone products like granite and marble.  New finishes by Cambria let you have the best of both worlds.Cambria's  Waterstone Collection captures the depth and beauty of marble and granite while offering the superior strength and performance of quartz. (Here's something for you "traditionalists", they clearly didn't get the message about contemporary in this kitchen!)Gadgets, gadgets, gadgets, We may like our cabinetry look pared down but gimme the gadgets!  Technology reigns, ie anything  touch operated or digital.The new Temp20 Technology by Delta Faucets boasts a digital temperature display that saves you the shock or injury from water that's not the temperature you were expecting.   When the temperature is less than 80 degrees the LED display will glow blue.  It's magenta from 80-110 and red when it's above that.  You can get this feature on your Delta faucet  this spring.A bath to come home to, trends in the bathroom focus on customization and spa ambiance.  In  the high end markets, free standing tubs are all the rage.  They are functional and sculptural at the same time. We are also understanding the benefits of hydrotherapy as in soaking tubs and steam baths.Additional features you may want to include in your new kitchens and baths include the following:-Induction cooktops (and now ranges too!)-Steam ovens-French-door refrigerators (duh, I think we all know that already!)-Bottom freezer drawers (ditto of above)-Touch activated faucets-Electronic (no touch) faucets-LED lighting-Charging stations-Pet stationsI believe all of the above are here to stay, at least in the foreseeable future, and the technology will only get better.

NATURE OF BATHROOM LUXURY

Today "call of nature" takes on an entirely new meaning when it comes to bathroom design.    As the Green Movement gains momentum, we turn our attention towards nature and the beauty of organic elements.  Nowhere is that more appropriate than in the bath, today's sanctuary, a place to get away from it all.  Two products that stand out to me in this regard is the Vesi Channel Faucet by Brizo and the beautiful vanities at Stone Forest.The Vesi Channel Faucet by Brizo, inspired by a real life experience of nature takes it to the next level.  Check out this brief video featuring Judd Lord (badass name and creative hot guy all in one), Director of Industrial Design for Brizo.Stone Forest, based in New Mexico, has been crafting design elements for kitchens, baths and landscaping since 1989.   For the most part, the lines are straight and simple allowing the natural beauty of  the material to take center stage.                                          Check out their website as well for a whole lot more natural goodness!