Street Art=Urban Edge for Your Kitchen

According to our friends at Wikipedia, "Street art is visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues. The term gained popularity during the graffiti art boom of the early 1980s." I have always been intrigued by the visual language of Basquiat and the mystery of Banksy.Taking it to the street and making  public art has a wild appeal and now you can have a little taste of that in your home. Wouldn't it be fun? Check out this brand new product with info hot off the press release!"Troy Lighting is proud to introduce a new statement collection perfect for a cool loft environment, "Street Art" is a new series incorporating vibrant colors, artistic creations and unusual materials. Suspended from aircraft cable, the round, galvanized and corrugated pendant in hand-worked wrought iron features faded out sign references on its fence-like exterior. Inside, you can find colorful graffiti-inspired spray paint designs – applied by hand – and light bulbs protected by vintage wire guards.Street Art is offered in various pendant sizes, a semi-flush mount and a curved, rectangular wall sconce, which beautifully lights up the artwork. Hip and edgy, Street Art is a fun statement piece." How could you add a touch of "street art" to your kitchen? Let's continue the conversation on FaceBook or email me at ArtfulKitchensbyGlo@gmail.com 

A New Way to Organize Your Kitchen

Technology is a great thing but what about the inevitable "cord spaghetti"?  There is a very cool solution for that. Check out this little video by Adorne.  They've got you covered for all types of under cabinet magic including lights, outlets, music and more.  High function with a lovely aesthetic. 

Hip To Be Square, Or Not

I've heard the saying " it's hip to be square" but that’s not always true, sometimes curvaceous qualifies.  Here are three of my fave new products that sport some cool contours and are far from square.                 Sometimes just the slightest suggestion of a curve is enough  to soften a silhouette.  This beautiful faucet by THG Paris is available in, get this, 35 finishes! The French excel when it comes to subtly, oui?This is what you would call a "statement refrigerator"!  Smeg is an Italian company largely known for these cool retro-style fridges.  The other new colors just introduced are white and a highly anticipated Union Jack pattern (who knew?).  The soft rounded corners are all about the 1950s.  The 9.22 cubic foot capacity is a little more Euro than American but who can resist those sinuous lines and vibrant colors combined with cutting-edge technology?I even found you a  sofa to partner with your new yellow Smeg :) Not bad, I must say.   Last but in no way least is Infiore by Estiluz.  It's a beautiful stylized flower sculpture masquerading as a lamp.  This one is a pendant but it also comes as a floor or table lamp.  The petals are available in different colors and sport a collection of bi-injected polycarbonate petals.  I have no idea what that means but I do know it means the lamps feature an interesting two-color lighting effect.  These are available at LightingbyGregory.comThe organic curves of Infiore add a whimsical softness to this very linear contemporary kitchen (which I love)  The larger-than-life scale also makes these flowers fun! I rest my case, curves are a beautiful thing ;) 

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.

My Favorite Under Cabinet Lighting

It's been whirlwind of activity since my great NOLA adventure!  Installations are underway, new designs are being created and the busy summer season is ramping up!  I'm meeting so many new prospective kitchen clients and although they are all unique, many of them have the same questions.  Based on the very real inquiries of my clientele, I will be dishing out my answers and perspectives on five biggies that will give you a head start if you're beginning to plan your own dream kitchen. 

Traditional Kitchen Lighting And Cabinet Lighting by San Diego Lighting EnvironmentalLights.com

1) What kind of lights should I use for under cabinet lighting? I love to use strip, or rope, lighting to illuminate the area between upper cabinets and counter tops. This type of LED lighting casts an even glow without the need to worry about placement of individual lights. Because they are LED, you do have to locate a transformer inside or above the cabinets. They are energy efficient and long lasting allowing you to see what you're doing on the counter or simply providing ambient, or mood, lighting. I like to place them under the front of the upper cabinet either tucked behind the face frame or perhaps concealed with molding.  This position will cast light on the center of your counter top. As you can see in the photo above, they are also a perfect option for illuminating the toekick area between cabinet and floor. Not only does this look very stylish but doing this is also a great option for safety and aging in place design. There are many brands on the market with some easier to install than others.  I like the Loox line by Hafele.  In addition to the rope lights they offer all kinds of stylish, functional and efficient options for lighting the inner recesses of your kitchen. 

Contemporary Kitchen by Birmingham General Contractor Structures, Inc.

Some of the newest ways to use rope lighting is to illuminate the interiors of cabinets.  Seems so logical!Up next:2) Some of my cabinets are still really good, can I save money and just get more to match?