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.   

 

carbonized bamboo cabinetry, black matte cabinet pulls by Top Knobs, Sunny Pearl Quartz

 

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

CulinaMiniFaucet,chrome,glassbacksplash

 

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.

matte black, beads, eyeliner, Louise Bougeous

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.

Artful Kitchens,KitchenAid 30- Slide-In 5-Burner Convection Range quartz countertop brittani

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.

Farenheit Troy Lighting black pendant light fixture

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. 

Moen kitchen faucet matte black stainless single undermount sink matte finishes contemporary

 

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!

kitchenaid-artisan-matte-black-stand-mixer

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 V Progress Not Perfection

It's time for Part FIVE!!! I know how patiently you've all been waiting for this new installment of The Big Move.  It's been a challenging week including a meltdown that turned a Phase two project into a Phase NOW situation.

The Big Move Artful Kitchens

 

It's July in FLA and we just had to address the AC situation so as not to lose our dearly beloved labor force (Bob).  The result of the first service call yielded a $99 bill and no relief from the heat.  Granted the AC unit, we've discovered, looks like THIS!  

We need a new 2 1/2 ton unit and were quoted $6,500.  Next up, the second service call.  For this one, we called a smaller company who we have worked with in the past and guess what?  He's actually got the current unit working for the time being.  In fact, it's been cooling for about 5 days and counting so Bob is cool for now and we'll see what number two's estimate is.   I have high hopes since this AC guy is apparently a miracle worker.  I digress.  This week I promised a peek into what exactly is going on in the bedroom and master bathroom, which, to be sure, is a mini master.  Check out the tricks, tips and snarky commentary by editor Joe and see what we are doing to make small work in a big way.

 

 

As promised, here are the products we're using as mentioned in The Big Move Part V:

 

Brizo Euro Square Hydrati 2 in 1 showerhead Artful Kitchens

 

In the spirit of full disclosure, this showerhead was gifted to me by the lovely peeps at Brizo faucet a few years back.  It's our style, works great and we love it so it's moving with us.  The center portion pops out for hand held function.   It comes in chrome (above) and polished nickel.  Brizo is a part of Delta Faucets offering some really cutting edge design options but I actually love what Delta offers in their main line and it's what we chose for the shower and sink faucets.

 

 

 

Vero faucet Delta single hole Artful Kitchens The Big Move

We went with a single hole/handle model as it is what will work with our furniture vanity which is pre drilled and looks like this.

Alexa 30" vanity by Adornus The Big Move Artful Kitchens

 

It comes with matching mirror and is a high gloss white finish which will look great with the shiny shower tiles.  Furniture vanities can be a great solution if they work with your space as you have the counter top and sink already done and included in the total price of your vanity.  The shower also will have the matching Vero design. I love the Vero styling because it incorporates square clean lines as well as the softness of the circle. I want it all!

Delta's Vero shower valve in chrome The Big Move Artful Kitchens

 

We didn't want to sacrifice any precious space for a shower bench but a girl's gotta shave her legs, right?  I plan to get this cute shower stool. I love the fact that you can move it.

Dahlia Gloss Resin Bath Stool

 

So now for the toilet.  As Joe so accurately pointed out, we did not, in fact, end up with a skirted toilet.  I thought that's what we ordered but it wasn't.  I'm okay with this and truthfully just thrilled to have a Toto toilet.  It is, however, a compact model just perfect for small spaces with a tank that measures just 14 1/2".  Incidentally, we also had an outlet put in right next to the bowl for a future Washlet and if you don't know what that is you should and you can read all about it here.

Since storage is at a premium we're going to include this mirrored medicine cabinet over the toilet. 

 

15" by 26" Aluminum Single door mirrored medicine cabinet The Big Move Artful Kitchens

Last but certainly not least is the light.  I thought this lovely fixture was just the right style and size to illuminate this artful mini master bath. 

 

 

Solbi 3-Light Chrome Finish Bath Vanity Wall Fixture White Alabaster Glass 24"
 
 
 

 

The barn door was an excellent solution for two doors that didn't get along very well!  So there you have it!  Please feel free to comment.  I'd love to hear your thoughts and don't forget to subscribe to the blog for more tips tricks and some upcoming behind the scenes revelations of this Artful Kitchen designer. xoxo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jet Set for the Bath

In my world of kitchen and bath design, just when I think I’ve seen it all, I realize that’s very far from the truth.  Luckily, I see all the drool worthy newness hot off the press via the myriad news releases I receive every day.  Here is one new product I recently learned about.  I think you'll agree it's not to be missed!Sotria,BrizoFaucets Not only do I love the dependable functionality of the Delta/Brizo brand, but I’m always intrigued in the creative process they use in coming up with new design.  Brizo Faucets has outdone themselves again with their new Sotria Collection.  Think mid-century-jet-set-streamlined-fins-you get the picture.  The sleek angular lines call to mind the days when the iconic Pan American World Airlines ruled the sky.  At the risk of dating myself bigtime, I'll admit my dad actually worked for Pan Am so I was a lucky enough to be a jet-setting tot! Sotria inspirations courtesy of Brizo Playing off the Sotria collection’s mid-century inspiration, Adele Young, of VDL Interiors, infused colors and shapes popular in the 60’s throughout this space. The result? A beautiful room brimming with modernity while hinting at the retro age of “Pan Am” airlines. Sotria,Brizo,AdeleYoung,VDL InteriorsPanAm Boeing 737 courtesy of planespotters.net Sotriafaucet, chrome   

My New Treasure: In2ition Dual Shower Head

Hold on a minute! I was going to show you an amazing kitchen transformation today and I promise it’s still coming BUT I’m just bursting to tell you about my shower.  We have been doing some renovations around the old homestead.  Life seems to fall into a desperate fight for survival mode when you’re removing popcorn, installing flooring, molding, painting yadda yadda.  SO this special little box sat in my garage for way longer than it should have.  When the hubs finally got to it, we unveiled our beautiful new  In2ition Shower Dual Showerhead by Delta Faucet Company.  It was a generous gift and memento of a beautiful experience with my fellow Brizo Blogger 19 alumni in Memphis back in July.  The folks at Delta /Brizo graciously offered us the In2ition shower head in the style and finish of our choice.2013-09-18 21.32.23Why go for round when you can be square and hip all at the same time? Needless to say I went contemporary and I went chrome.  I learned all about the H20 technology having seen it in action in Memphis.  Click here in case you missed it.2013-07-18 17.05.27The hubs was the first to test it out and he was blown away, by the water pressure (just kidding).   Seriously, he loved it, but I really had no idea until I experienced it myself.  A handy little lever on the side controls the jets and water flow.  You can set your In2ition shower to one of three options: shower head and hand shower combined, shower head only, and hand shower only. The center section pops right out for handheld convenience.  The point of the H20Kinetic Technology is to make less water feel like more and it certainly does. 

Delta Faucet

 

 When I tell you it’s worth its weight in gold I’m not kidding but I don’t want you breaking and entering to get mine when you can find out where to get your very own right here.  Shop around because prices vary a lot.  This shower head comes with a lifetime faucet and finish warranty.  Lucky me ;).   Now I just have to remodel the rest of the bathroom...