Sex Up your Kitchen with Matte Black

In the fashion world, black always has an air of hipness and sophistication, as in the ubiquitous "little black dress".  Now, in kitchens and home decor, matte black is all the rage, it's neutral but also works as a stunning accent when used sparingly.   

Appliance manufacturers have been turning to black matte or something called black stainless as an alternative to the stainless steel finishes that have been a standard for so long. You can also opt to use matte black for your cabinet hardware and mix it in with stainless or chrome.  That's exactly what I did in my new sexy kitchen which will be revealed soon in Episode VIII of The Big Move.  This is a little preview

Check out my faucet, courtesy of Blanco, and I love it.  I cheated though, that is not my kitchen as the backsplash isn't in yet.  It will, however,  be very similar to the one you see above. Below IS a sneak peek.  Those are my luscious bamboo cabinets with quartz countertop featuring real shells! For more, you'll just have to wait for VIII.

(By the way, I have curated many of the items shown in this post on my new Amazon page. There is even a surprise "look for less" item included. In each future post, I will add more items to it.  Yes, I could possibly get coffee money from these links but I only post the products I either have or really love. I'm just curating them there for you.)

The more I thought about it, the more I saw black matte in art and nature too.  I encourage my clients to include images like these as they begin to consider options for a new kitchen or bath.  I'm fun like that ;) These are the things that make your space personal and reflect your style.  I will help you edit and translate the essence so that it works seamlessly in your new space.

I love this look as an alternative to stainless steel.  If you decide to be bold with black appliances, it's a good idea to buy the whole package so everything matches.  The black appliance finishes from different manufacturers are not all the same.  If you want to get a different brand dishwasher or refrigerator you can always put cabinet panels on them as another solution.

Many quartz countertop manufacturers are offering matte finishes. Above is Cambria's black matte as a backdrop to their mega-popular Brittanicca, also in matte finish. If you are thinking of doing a full height backsplash, as shown here, make sure to plan on using 2cm material which is 3/4" thick.  The other option of 3cm would be too thick.

Don't you love this pendant light fixture? I am enthralled with the streamlined cylindrical shape.  It's a series of nested and tiered cones that allow light to seep down in a cool way.  The outside is textured black and the inner surfaces are finished with hand-applied gold leaf. 

The clean contemporary lines of this black matte kitchen faucet by Moen caught my attention. Note the matte finish on the countertop and how nicely the black matte works with the stainless sink.  You can definitely mix metals!

Last but definitely not least, think how stylish you'll feel throughout the holidays cooking with this sleek chic mixer by KitchenAid. What do you think about the look and versatility of matte black? Let's start a conversation! Oh and in case I distracted you, don't forget to vote for Artful Kitchens right here. Thanks! :)

The Big Move Part VII: An Unwelcome Visitor

The Big Move is a video series documenting the experience of downsizing from our family home in the suburbs to a condo by the Intracoastal. If you'd like to binge watch episodes I-VI you can start here.

Since I've been deluged (only slightly) with inquiries from my adoring fans who are wondering if The Big Move is adrift and floundering in limbo, I present Part VII.  Yes, the saga continues and it's not done yet. As we speak, upper cabinets are being installed in the kitchen.  

It's been a long hard few weeks but there have also been silver linings to be sure.  Sadly, Joe lost his sweet mother while I was away in St. Pete for the funeral of my dear sister-in-law, Helen.  Then we had a happy occasion, a trip to South Carolina to celebrate my stepson Jake's graduation from US Marine Corp boot camp, no small thing! That was quickly followed by IRMA. You'll hear more about her in the video.

In this episode, we install the new quartz kitchen countertops. I will share with you our varied choices for window treatments and one room that is very nearly finished!! Woohoo!  I think in the next episode we will unveil the kitchen and master bath with a peek at how the living area is shaping up.  I'm most excited about the final episode, once the artwork is hung I will take you on tour so you can see what we chose, where we put it along with the hows and whys. We may even have a wrap party on site :)

Remember to subscribe to receive new episodes and blog posts via email.  I would love to answer your questions, just comment below.  GO!! 

The Best of Jenn-Air: My Top 3 Picks

It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks in my little “kitchen designer world”.  Earlier this month I made a quick trip to the World of Whirlpool in Chicago to learn, in depth,  about  their premium Jenn-Air line of appliances.  Jenn-Air has been around a long time but has recently been reinvented to compete with the luxury brands.  Overall the line is very impressive and I could go on and on but today I thought I'd share with you my top 3 favorites. Jenn-Air appliances are all made in the USA, other than that I was interested to learn what sets them apart from the competition.  What I found out is, for cooking, many of their appliances lead the pack when it comes to power and variety of power.  For example, a high BTU like 20,000 will give you hot quick high heat and a low one like 650 gives you excellent simmering capability.  The Jenn-Air cooktops whether gas, electric or induction have you covered.Jenn-Air is also a pioneer in downdraft technology (since the 1960s).  It used to be that you couldn't use down draft ventilation unless your house was built with ductwork in the slab under the floor.  No more!  The JX3 downdraft cooktops can be purchased with a duct-free accessory kit.  When you consider that the average family expels 1 gallon of cooking grease into the home every year, ventilation becomes an important consideration.The buzz around induction and steam cooking continues and these appliances impressed me enough to make the top 3. If you know me you know I predict induction cooking will rule the world (almost) in the next decade or so.  Induction means cooking with electro  magnetic energy so the pot, not the cooking surface, is your heat source.  It is 90% efficient and you won't get burned!   Surprisingly electric cooking is only about 65% and gas is last with 45% efficiency.  Your pots are probably not going to be a problem.  If a magnet sticks to the bottom you're good to go.  This cooktop is also modestly priced compared to the competition and retails for $2,199.ooThe Jenn-Air appliance I would want the most for my kitchen would be the steam and convection oven.  It's a lot of cooking capability packed into a 24" oven! Steam cooking is not just for veggies but also great for cooking eggs, bread, meat, desserts and heating leftovers.  The best thing is that you can combine steam and convection cooking so that things like meat and bread brown on the outside.  If you just want to bake you can use convection bake mode without the steam.  Convection gives you uniform cooking, a must for baking.No plumbing hook up is needed.  The reservoir on the right holds the tap water you'll need to get steamy.  You also won't need a 220 outlet, 120 is all it takes. Another impressive  fact is you can cook several different foods together such as salmon, green beans and creme brulee' with no flavor transference! See more photos and commentary from my trip at Kitchens for Living On the Road and thank you Jenn-Air for the royal designer treatment :)

KIDS COUNT

The needs of children can be easy to overlook when designing a new kitchen. If you are contemplating a remodel and you have small children or grandchildren you should think about ease of maintenance, user friendliness and above all safety.

Beware of sharp points. Soften sharp corners on countertops with angles or curves. Remember, if it’s at your hip level, it’s at a child’s head level.

Don’t place glass doors below the counter, where small ones can break the glass. Even if you use glass door inserts for upper cabinets be sure to use tempered glass which will cost a little more but won’t shatter in the event of breakage.

Also avoid open display shelves below the counter. It’s an invitation to curious toddlers,making them more trouble than they’re worth (the shelves, that is).

Vinyl or wood flooring are kinder on the chef’s legs and feet—and on falling children.
Select finishes that are easy to clean. Stainless steel is not kid-friendly, as it easily shows the little ones’ fingerprints and smudges. However if this is the look you want consider using a model such as the GE CleanSteel which has a stainless-steel look that, unlike true stainless, resists fingerprints and accepts magnets. Kenmore, Whirlpool and LG also make similar models.

A lower cabinet devoted to storing plastic cups, bowls, lunch boxes, snacks or other items that your children need to get to on their own is a great kid-user idea. A lightweight stool that is easily accessible can make all the difference when it’s time to reach the counter. You can even install a step stool in the toekick space under a cabinet. However, if bending to access your stool doesn’t appeal to you check out the Ultraslim Aluminum Step Stool from Williams-Sonoma. It is lightweight, has plastic feet to protect floors and opens with a fingertip push. Best of all it folds to a mere 1 ¾” deep for easy storage.

Last but not least don’t forget you can install locks on cabinets that are off limits as well as safety covers on electrical outlets. Next post: English charm in Palm Beach

Photo from PLUS IT! Family Activities for Kids: Promote Learning, Family Literacy