If you have a twenty year old TV wall unit, chances are it’s a “beast”! It wasn’t that long ago that TVs were nearly as deep as refrigerators and you needed three burly guys to carry one upstairs. In other words, it may be time for a new entertainment center to go with your new streamlined TV. Check out the following tips for sourcing a wall unit that is perfect for you.
SizeThe depth of your entertainment center used to be dictated by your TV. The good news is you can reduce what was probably 24” deep down to a skinny 12” and and find youself with a whole extra foot of space in the room! Cool, yeah? If you prefer the base to be a bit deeper than the upper section, 15” on bottom and 12” on top works well. You may want to do this especially if you are going to leave your TV on a stand. Just check you TV specs to make sure the stand fits.To wall or not to wall If your room is not very big you may want to go wall to wall with your entertainment center. Just make sure you have enough space on the side walls to accommodate the depth. It’s also okay not to go all the way up the the ceiling. The benefits of this option are price, more of a “furniture” look and not having to interrupt your room crown.Remember the wiresA back panel behind your TV can lend a cohesive look as well as being a great way to hide unsightly wires.
The perfect finishLast but not least consider that a painted finish, with no glaze in a standard satin sheen will be the most cost effective way to go and it will allow your unit to blend right into the surrounding woodwork, just like you added water and it grew there!
If you’re after a true furniture look you can invest in a stain finish on Maple, Cherry or any number of woods. This will be more expensive but you can still save a bit by leaving off the glaze. Remember the the trend is towards simplification and clean lines. Plus when you have a wood grain that should be the decorative element allowing you to use a very simple door style. If you are looking to design your own entertainment center, send me your ideas and I can help you make them happen!
5 Things To Do Before Remodeling Your Kitchen
A new kitchen can be life changing. The process of obtaining one definitely is! Make no mistake, it's stressful and expensive but it can also be fun and adventurous, with a little preparation. Here are five steps, culled from my 20 plus years in the biz, that can help make the process less about stress and more about adventure!
Collect Your Thoughts & ImagesI have always been a big proponent of what I call "kitchen scrapbooking". It's the best way to begin. Collecting your ideas is now easier than ever with resources like Houzz.com, Pinterest and Modenus. Just grab what appeals to you for whatever reason. This is the way to identify your style. Sometimes a picture is what it takes. You may choose 12 pics and 10 of them feature black counter tops! Maybe you hadn't even consciously thought of that preference. Get the picture?
Consult a proOnce you have some good ideas about what type of appliances, cabinets etc. you'd like to see in your kitchen run it by a pro. I have always felt that the best projects are the result of great collaborations. The more you bring to the table, the more your kitchen will be a unique reflection of your own personality and lifestyle. My job is to make sure you know all your options and to translate them into a functional and beautiful plan. A large (and fun) part of my job is staying educated on the latest products and technologies and I am excited to share that info with my clients. Most kitchen designers will work with you at whatever level you require from simple consultations to full blown project management including design, supply and installation. When you're making an investment in a new kitchen consulting with a trusted and knowledgeable professional is a small price to pay!
Create a temporary kitchenOnce the madness begins you can realistically expect your kitchen to be down at least ten days or so, maybe longer depending on various factors. Having a functioning temporary kitchen will be your saving grace. If you have a laundry room with a sink that is a good start. Locate your refrigerator close by. If you have a microwave hood you can set it on a table or other surface. Just plug it in and you're good to go. Slow cookers are a good idea too. If you are a domestic diva, start freezing meals! Pack a box with your everyday necessities such as glasses, plates, cutlery, cups etc. and don't forget the coffee pot. The more time you take to think this part through and set it up, the happier you'll be during the process. Trust me.
Be prepared to go over budgetBudgeting for your new kitchen can seem daunting. It is. You think you've thought of everything but then something else is bound to appear. There are some tools that can help. Check out the free downloadable Kitchen & Bath Planner available here from the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA)
Pick your battlesYou will be faced with an overwhelming amount of choices as you work through the process and you're going to have to decide what your priorities are. Unfortunately, usually, we can't have it all. Pick three. Think of the things that will add the most value for YOU! Those should be your splurges. You can save money elsewhere. It's just like clothes. Investing in that one great handbag or pair of shoes or scarf can elevate the style factor of a whole outfit. In the kitchen it could be a counter top, a particular tile or cabinet finish that you fall in love with but it can also be something like investing in a counter depth refrigerator that doesn't stick out a foot if your tight on space. There you have it, if you've been looking for a place to begin, this is a great start. Don't hesitate to email me for help at kitchensforliving@gmail.com. If you've experienced a kitchen renovation, what would you add to this list?
The New English Kitchen
A bazillion years ago (circa 1994) when I first began my adventure in this business, the “English Kitchen” was all the rage in the high end market. I learned to design, by hand, in metric and things like astragal mouldings (yes moUldings with a “u”) were all the rage. Distressed, fly specked finishes were hot and no one wanted a white kitchen unless it was encrusted with glazing. I learned the English style by apprenticing with a true Englishman and gentleman who I shall be forever grateful to.
Those kitchens looked something like these photos from Houzz.com. Back in those days I did not work for a top notch custom shop like Brendan Donovan's. I worked for a top notch cabinet dealer so we actually imported this type of cabinetry from the UK. This came with its own set of challenges, to say the least. Just think of how long it would take to get a parts order and how expensive it was to transport! Charming and beautiful in their own way, these kitchens are full of detail and working on something like this was good training ground for a budding kitchen designer such as myself. That was then. 
This is now. 
Today ground zero for the latest in high end kitchen design in London is located in the West End, in and around Wigmore Street. It's home to exclusive brands such as Bulthaup, Poggenpohl and the Nicholas Anthony showroom featuring the latest by SieMatic. 
The new English style is exactly that, new! Cleaner more modern design utilizing the latest technologies are now the order of the day. With the advent of the internet I believe it really is a small world. Ideas and trends fly over the web at the speed of light. We all influence each other cross pollinating our designs but there is still an appeal in wanting what the other peeps have. Many of us here want the new, slick, Euro styled kitchen and, dare I say, many Euros and Brits are amazed at our American sized appliances, namely the quintessential 36” refrigerator! 
I feel the advances in technology when it comes to laminates and counter top material lend themselves to these new clean- lined looks. Decorative detail is found in interesting wood grains and the random markings of stone rather than from moldings and corbels. So what do you think? Are you yearning for the "olde world" look again? Do you think it's coming back or are we here to stay for the time being?
An Off-The-Cuff Art Table
I think all of you know I'm a nut about art. Some of you may know that my particular passion of late is encaustic art. This particular type of painting is hot, literally. It's painting with beeswax, resin and pigments and you can get the full scoop here. Last year I had the pleasure of attending the 7th International Encaustic Conference in Provincetown Mass. You will find pics from that trip here scroll down to "Encaustic Boy".
Anyway, I digress. What I really wanted to show you is this cool table that Pat in the shop at Brendan Donovan Furniture & Cabinet Co. made for me. I gave him the exact height I needed to work standing up. It has a shelf below for storage and casters so I can move it where I want it. He made it out of leftover bamboo and I didn't even finish it as I figured it would just end up covered in paint anyway. I realize not every one has "a Pat" so let me tell you about a website I just discovered through the tech whiz Eric Schimelpfenig of SketchThis.net . It's called Open Desk and it allows you to create your own furniture or have someone make it for you. Apparently there are lots of Pats all over the world who can make you your own art table, or whatever. You could even take a stab at it yourself! 
Pretty cool, huh? 
Oh and this is what the encaustic set up looks like. Soon it will get too hot to work in my garage. 
Can't leave without a "shout out" to Baby Girl who has successfully concluded her high school career. Onward and upward. I'm so proud. Next post we will get back to business, after my long weekend birthday celebration in the Keys where I will be doing this. 
Cabinet Doors + Art=Maple Craft Doors
One of the benefits of working for a custom cabinet shop like Brendan Donovan Furniture & Cabinet Co. is OPTIONS! Many of the projects I work on are combinations of both manufactured and custom cabinets. We can order it. We can make it all (including doors) or we can make the cabinet boxes and order the doors. Speaking of doors, how about these doors?!
If you know me you know I’m drawn to anything different, quirky, off the beaten path. I think these cabinet fronts by Maple Craft Doors fit the bill. They’re definitely at the higher end of the price spectrum but consider this: you don’t have to use them for the whole kitchen. In fact because they’re so striking less is actually more.Frank Dyck, Administrator/Sales at Maple Craft had this to say about these uber cool doors (MY COMMENTS INSERTED IN CAPS):
"We have the ability of creating a custom wood pattern that runs from door to door through the entire kitchen. (OK SO I LIED, IT CAN ALSO BE COOL TO GO ALL THE WAY) There are some limitations to how detailed we can go as far as sharp corners and such but the possibilities are endless.
All the customer has to do is send a front view of the cabinet with door/drawer sizes and a rough sketch of their artwork. (JUST THINK, YOUR ART ON YOUR CABINETS!!)
We do the final drawing, send back for confirmation and as soon as we have confirmation, production is about 14 working days.
This is also something that the general public has for the most part not seen." (YOU'VE GOT THAT RIGHT. I WAS HARD PRESSED TO FIND OTHER EXAMPLES)
I did find this leaf-pattern rosewood inlay side board from One King's Lane. I love it and it's perfect if you're going for a Mid-Century vibe. (In fact, I also discovered this treasure trove of cabinet curiosity on Pinterest.)
Another original fun door I spied at Maple Craft Door is the Hilton. Each door and drawer panel is custom programmed. By doing this, they create a random pattern over the whole kitchen.
So what do you think? How crazy are you willing to go in the kitchen? It's beautiful and unique but will you love it in 20 years? I believe this creativity could be timeless.
Royalty, New Beginnings and What's Going on in the Kitchen?
It’s Monday and a little diversion is in order. How about a bit of fun with the Royal Family? Little Prince Georgie isn’t the only new thing in the lives of Kate and Will. They've just moved into new digs as well, Apartment 1A Kensington Palace to be exact.
According to our friends at US Weekly, Kate’s been working on a massive renovation for the last 18 months or so, to the tune of one million pounds paid by taxpayers with another 500K, or so, paid for by Will and Kate. The update is said to include his and her baths as well as three state of the art kitchens! 
Kate gets to peruse the antiques in the Royal Collection for her new home. According to British news source The Daily Mail, Kate’s design selections are quintessentially English in sophisticated neutral shades but with a modern twist. Interesting to note that Kate has not availed herself of the services of a design professional and is overseeing the entire project (with the aid of her “small” staff) herself.
Kitchens for Living wonders what exactly you might find The Royals doing in the kitchen. Well I don’t know what "the palace" will be like but whilst in their last cozy house in Anglesey, Wales they were known to make lots of tea and toast. Apparently Kate does know her way around the heart of the home and prepares an awesome roast chicken as well. She’s also fond of preparing her own jams. 
If you’re English and nothing but the best will do for your new kitchen head over to the area in and around Wigmore St. located in the exclusive West End London area. It is here that you will find the finest of British bespoke (custom) cabinetry including Roundhouse, Neville Johnson, Boffi Bulthaup and more. If you're in sunny South Florida like me you can still get your English on at Brendan Donovan Furniture & Cabinet Co. (Ok I know he's Irish but he does English really well!)
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