5 Elements of an Artful Kitchen

Summer projects are underway in South Florida!  In fact, it's the height of the busy season for most design professionals here.

I don't have to tell you that a new kitchen is a big investment, in fact the kitchen is the most expensive renovation you're ever likely to undertake. It stands to reason that you'd want a kitchen that is tailor-made for you whether you can afford custom or not. This is what we're all about at Artful Kitchens.

The concept of an "artful kitchen" has many different facets.  It is not just about budget or the amount of space you have but the skill you employ using what is available to you. Here are five tips to consider along with some visual inspiration featuring products I saw this year at the Kitchen & Bath Industry (KBIS) trade show in Las Vegas. Implement these with style and confidence and you will be the proud owner of an artful kitchen!

1. Flawless Function

I'm all about artistic expression but a major part of creativity in the kitchen comes from devising flawless function. This quality is not something you see but something you can experience if artfully accomplished.  When I say function, I mean work centers comprised of cooking, clean up and food prep areas.

Those are the basics but you could have more such as a beverage center (think coffee, tea, wine), a computer station or a baking center.  If you have a two-cook kitchen, your layout should be designed so that any one of the major functions can be performed without anyone getting underfoot.

Following the guidelines set by the NKBA is a must to make sure all clearances are adequate. Sometimes we don't have a lot of choice about where to locate our sink or appliances but we can organize our utensils, dishes, pots and food items in a more efficient way.  Don't forget the more flawlessly your kitchen functions the safer it is. You don't have to be an expert at this, just think about how you use your kitchen so that you will be a good collaborator when it comes time to work with a professional.

2. Personalization

This is, without a doubt, the biggest movement in the design world.  An artful kitchen is your own personal statement customized to the way you live.  It could be a steam oven because healthy eating is your passion or it could be a lovely furniture piece with glass doors to display your grandmother's china. Include the colors you love.  Even though you must be mindful of your budget (everyone has one), strive to retain the essence of what you see as your dream kitchen.

3. Harmony

Harmony is one of the principles of design and a must for your kitchen.  Whenever I design a two-toned kitchen I like to ensure that different finishes and details are carried through the space to create a cohesive whole.  It's about how the floor relates to the cabinets and  how the cabinet hardware relates to the faucet. You get the picture!  It does not mean that everything has to match perfectly, it means elements should relate to and complement each other. It also does not mean that every element has to be perfectly symmetrical.  In fact, consider this permission NOT to be! I find that the best rule of thumb is to follow the architecture and style of the home you're in.  If, for example, the kitchen window is way off center you should work with that not against it.  Never force solutions by sacrificing function.

4. Focal Point

Every piece of great artwork has a focal point.  It is the "star of the show", so to speak.  In a kitchen it can be a sculptural range hood, a granite counter with big bold movement or actually a piece of art! It is the item that makes you say WOW when you enter the kitchen.  Just remember less is more here.  One great focal point is probably enough.  Too much and the statement gets lost. Less is definitely more.

5. Texture

The element of texture involves at least two of our senses, touch and sight.  The textures you are likely to come across include the glossy finishes popular in contemporary design, prominent wood grains which can be traditional or modern and smooth honed surfaces that are more matte.  A flat slab cabinet door is a great choice if you plan to use a wood with a lot of pattern and graining.  In this case the material is the decorative element of the cabinet.  On the other hand, if you are traditional and you are using white cabinets you can select a door with some molding or detail.  Also let the wild patterns either be on your cabinets or on your counter, both would be busy and distracting.

This is only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.  There are many more tricks and methods to create an artful kitchen. What are yours?  Please keep in touch and contact me. Whether you need a quick consult or a full design layout I can help in person or virtually.

I'm located in the West Palm Beach area, so if you're local I can also help you shop for your kitchen products.

Wood-Mode and Top Knobs, Makings of a Dream Kitchen

If you've spent any time researching cabinets for your new kitchen or bath you've probably come across then name Wood-Mode. It's the nation’s largest manufacturer of custom cabinetry for kitchens, baths and other rooms throughout the home and they've been around for 42 years.  I learned that Wood-Mode has great name recognition in the industry for good reason.  Their booth at KBIS was impressive and fun!  Four yellow Lab pups were on hand to demonstrate  one of their  lifestyle concepts, The Pet Parlor.There's a place for everything from food storage, food bowls, bathing and more.  Great idea, yes? To highlight it Wood-Mode had the most interesting gig going at the show.  For all selfies posted with the dogs they donated $5 to the Susquehanna Service Dogs.  This will be an ongoing partnership.  They call it a PAWSitive partnership. You can read more about it here. Wood-Mode's newest lifestyle concept, Oceanside,  is right after my own heart.  This coastal style is a modern fresh mix of contemporary and transitional.  The subtle aqua and sandy shades of beige are on point. The Oceanside approach includes a very open plan with efficient hidden storage.  I see this as a reflection of the trends I saw in Italy last year, fewer or no upper cabinets but high function tall cabinets instead.  The combination of materials and finishes add lots of visual interest.With over 200 doors to choose from as well as furniture finishing techniques and options for built-in storage, Wood-Mode can create the perfect solution for your lifestyle, whether is be Coastal, pet-perfect or both! If you're going to be needing cabinets, you're also going to need to get into them.  That's where Top Knobs comes in.  Another brand with great name recognition, TopKnobs specializes in fine decorative hardware for the kitchen and bath.  You can tell the quality of a cabinet knob or handle by the weighty feel of it and I have always noticed that about TopKnobs products. The other important thing the finish which they guarantee for life!They introduced the Transcend Collection at KBIS.  This includes the Podium, Ascendra and Contour Series which come in Brushed Satin Nickel, Polished Chrome, Polished Nickel, Sable and Umbrio.Also new at the show was Aspen II in three finishes, Polished Chrome, Polished Nickel and Brushed Satin Nickel.  “The Aspen II collection combines old-world shape and style with contemporary finishes,” states Christine Zimmer, product manager for Top Knobs. “They bring to the market a unique look that designers can use in transitional spaces. Made with solid castings of artisan grade bronze, you can feel the quality of Aspen II in the palm of your hand.”With Wood-Mode and Top Knobs your dream kitchen can come to life!  

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.

Traditional Kitchen by Los Angeles Interior Designers & Decorators David Phoenix Interior Design

  

Traditional Kitchen by New York Appliances GE Monogram

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?

Kitchen Love, Italian Style at Acheo and Poggenpohl

Ok so you got me, Poggenpohl is not Italian.  They are German, except when they're in Milan, then they're Italian.  Good enough? I can hardly believe I’ve been home for over a week!  Images and impressions are still swirling around in my head from the wonderful time I spent with Blanco and some fellow members of the Blanco Design Council in Milan.  Design Week was not limited to the extensive exhibition at the Rho Fairgrounds but also included events all over town.  We visited two memorable and cutting edge showrooms on our visit.   The first was Acheo (pronounced AH-kee-oh), located in the Brera district.  Brera is also known today as the design district.  It is also one of the few really old areas of Milan which saw 80% destruction during WWII.  Acheo opened it’s showroom there in 2010.  Today they are a showcase of quintessential contemporary Italian design for the kitchen.They put on an impressive pre-dinner spread for us and the peeps from Modenus Blogtour Milan.All through our trip we saw many products not available here in the US.  Some will become available, perhaps in other versions.  One such item is this Durinox work top and sink (below) which is a part of the Blanco Steel Art collection.  Think stainless steel on steroids!!  Seriously, it is made with a finishing process used in the auto and aerospace industries so it is super scratch resistant and more than twice as hard as stainless steel.  It is available, as shown, in Europe from Blanco in Germany.  The sinks only will be available for undermount installation here in the US.We found that in Milan you could miss half the experience if you failed to look up!  Look at these cool light fixtures at Acheo!The other showroom we had the pleasure of visiting during our visit was Poggenpohl.  I think you could argue that they set the bar when it comes to innovation in contemporary cabinet design.  As I mentioned, Poggenpohl is a German company and they claim to be the oldest kitchen brand in the world!  Some years ago Poggenpohl  teamed up with the Porsche Design Studio to develop the P'7340 line of cabinets. Both companies focus their concentration on the overall line as well as  providing unsurpassed quality of product. Above is a Porsche Design Kitchen P'7340 by Poggenpohl.  It's hallmark is the aluminum frame which surrounds each box. Originally designed with men in mind, it has evolved into a brand appealing to discerning contemporary design devotees of either sex.  Chief Poggenpohl designer Manfred Junker was on hand to explain the intricacies of design detail that go into the product including their trademark, no handle, fronts.  In fact, he claims, they are the first to offer touch control on the refrigerator and dishwasher.  Here's what they have to say about that on their website: "Handleless fronts emphasize the clean, uncompromised lines of the kitchen furniture."Poggenpohl took care of our tummies too.   After all, design spotting can work up one hell of an appetite!     This newest version of P'7340 (see below) features a contrasting counter top inset made of solid New Zealand pine with a wire brushed finish.Next up:  FTK (Technology for the Kitchen)  This was the section of iSaloni featuring the latest trends and products in kitchen appliances.Click here for a peek at all my Milan photos!own and automatically completes the closing cycle

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.