Brizo Does Memphis!

Odin faucet with Smart Touch technology is from Jason Wu's collection for Brizo Faucets.  I haven’t even finished telling you about all the great products I learned about in New Orleans and it’s time to announce the next great event!  If you’ve been a follower of Kitchens for Living for a while, you’ll remember my visit to fashion week in September of 2010 courtesy of Brizo Faucets.  They continue to host a select group of design bloggers  (known collectively as The Blogger 19) each season, on a trip to the Big Apple. They get to preview what’s in the pipeline for Brizo products AND to attend fashion designer Jason Wu’s runway show.  I love fashion, in fact my first career was in fashion merchandising.   I find a strong  connection between fashion and design and  Jason Wu really gets that.  He has collaborated with Brizo for many years in a very mutually beneficial relationship.  The next great event will be a reunion of Blogger 19 alumni  July 16-18 in Memphis.  We’ll be taking and exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of both the Brizo factory and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.   I'm really looking forward to both.  If you’re bored at work and you want to get your inspiration vibe on, check out this video featuring Jason’s latest collection as well as his take on his relationship with Brizo Faucets.

Trend Spotting at KBIS 2013

Show stopping booth by Brizo who introduced their new line of floor mounted tub faucets.The last two days of my exciting visit to New Orleans with the Modenus Blog Tour centered around the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS).  This annual trade show is produced by the National Kitchen & Bath Association which is celebrating 50 years as the industry leader (more on that later).  I love to attend the show as it allows me to see the trends emerging in the American market and keeps me up to date with products and technology.  This year I had an additional behind-the-scenes perspective as a member of the Tour.  We were there for opening day, Friday April 19th and enjoyed a whirlwind tour of products followed by time for solo exploration and networking on Saturday.  Every year has a theme and this year I thought it was particularly appropriate. The show as all about the concept of "evolution".  This is really a common theme across the board as it applies to everything from design and products and how we are evolving the way we do business in 2013.  Here are some of my discoveries:Let there be lightLighting always plays a crucial role in kitchen and bath design but this year it was all about the light within.  Why didn't we think of this before?   LED lights inside cabinetry, particularly closets is a great idea!  My shoes are dying for a home like this. In fact they won't shut up! The interior of this cabinet features LED lighting. No more confusion with navy and black. The look of leatherLeathery textures made a big appearance.  Silestone by Cosentino debuted  their new Suede line of quartz counter tops.  Gator Mills ( a very local Louisiana company)  showed leather (and leather look ) vanities and Richelieu is offering recycled, reconstituted leather veneer.  Silestone's Suede finish blends a honed look with the durability of quartz. Photo by Cosentino. Yes that's REAL alligator in the center. It's by Gator Mills. (This must be their mascot cabinet). Oh and you can get the center door in a variety of leathers. This one retails for about $8,000Reconstituted leather from RichelieuSliding doorsCabinet doors no longer have to swing out due to new hinging technologies that allow doors to slide.  Hafele calls theirs Frontino2013-04-20 12.58.56Frontino sliding doors by Hafele.Glaminates take the stageIt's not your grandma's laminate anymore!  Taking a cue from our friends across the pond, American laminate manufacturer Wilsonart has upped their game introducing two new seamless edge details and increased durability and sustainability. A new no-line edge profile from Wilsonart. Can you tell this is laminate?Wilsonart's high definition laminates are layered for added durability, hard to penetrate wear and scratch scuff resistance. You can also get an integrated sink with your laminate top.Blingy to sculptural When it comes to handles you can go for the bling or the sculptural.  Cabinet hardware manufacturer  Duverre  is all about very artful sculptural shapes and while I saw a lot of matte finishes, very shiny made an appearance too. This faucet by Rohl sports Swarovski crystal handles.    Off Set by Erin Adams for Duverre, The Hardware Co.2013-04-20 13.49.36Look, no hands!Hands free faucet technology has quickly become the norm across the industry and was shown by not only the original, Brizo but also  Rohl, Kohler and Moen and Delta Faucets.2013-04-20 10.41.16This year's best in show award went to Toto for their awesome Neorest 550H toilet.  Believe me when I tell you it can just about do anything but drive you to work!  Stay tuned for an entire post about Toto and the Neorest 550The Best in Show, Toto's Neorest 550HIn a nutshell KBIS2013 was largely about technology and texture.  Cabinet manufacturers are touting what's inside more than ever as they maximize the ease of living in the kitchen.  White cabinets, cleaner lines and pops of natural and engineered wood veneers are strong trends.Next up:  Poggenpohl, the cutting edge in kitchen cabinet design, inside and out  

Snapshots of New Orleans

Glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly (as seen in Day 1 post but cropped artistically here ;)Ok,  I know I'm supposed to be telling you about all the great kitchen and bath trends I saw at KBIS2013 but since it's Sunday,  I thought I'd show you my favorite shots as captured over the five fantastic, delicious and enlightening days spent on the Modenus Blog Tour.  Tomorrow it's back to business, deal?I shot this the first day as we were wondering around. Love the contrast, the urban vibe and the clouds reflected on the building. I love it!This one went black and white by accident but I sort of like it. From left to right, Cynthia Bogart from The Daily Basics, Decorating Diva Carmen Natschke, The Antiques Diva Toma Clark Haines and Kelly Morisseau from Kelly's Kitchen Sync. They are all amazing bloggers!(front left)Bears repeating! Caught this hallway shot when we were at Luke's, very ethereal... Trolley to the Garden District The Martians have landed? No, it's just an interesting finial on a gate in the Garden District. Looks like that legendary garden keeper "The Green Man"2013-04-17 11.33.31Wall of the cemetery is rich and texturalAnother cool fence post. NOLA must be the place for fence detail!A house I would live infrom Malachite, a great shop!  Shaun Smith Home, this pic is going on my "White Walls" Pinterest Board Spotted outside the Ogden Southern Art Museum. Sometimes you just have to look down! This was taken at the Miles Redd book signing. I like the effect and the composition Up in the rafters at Ogden. Sometimes you just have to look up.Some of my Brizo Blogger 19 buddies. Left to right, Eric Shimelpfenig, yours truly, Corey Claussen of Design Kula and Linda Merrill of The Skirted Round Table The charging station. Need I say more?Another interesting composition caught at KBIS20132013-04-20 15.10.24Back  to business tomorrow!

Cosentino helps "Make It Right"

The pink house, designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry now resides in the Lower Ninth Ward through the efforts of Make It Right Can you even believe we're still on day three of the NOLA blog tour adventure?  There's just so much to write about!  After our visit to Gentilly we enjoyed yummy lunch at Mondo with the folks from Cosentino followed by an excursion  to the Lower Ninth Ward.Mondoj's was yet another amazing culinary treat! Following this salad, I enjoyed swordfish tacos which were the BEST fish tacos ever! This salad was more picturesque and my phone was charging so no pic of the tacos (sorry Linda)I remember hearing a lot about the area during and after Hurricane Katrina.  It's where the levees over flowed and wreaked the most havoc.  It's also a community already struggling to make ends meet before the devastation.Some parts of the Lower Ninth still look like this. Today the Lower Ninth Ward is one of the areas being assisted by Make It Right, a non-profit organization founded by Brad Pitt.  This foundation builds healthy, green homes for communities in need and is aiming to bring 150 families back into affordable, green and storm-resistant houses.  So far 90 homes are complete with work continuing.2013-04-18 15.04.56 Homes are designed by high profile local and international architects including world famous Frank Gehry!  What I like is that they really do collaborate with the home owners who have a voice in the final designs and all the color selections.2013-04-18 14.59.25Countertop maker Cosentino, famous for their amazing Silestone quartz tops, supplies their ECO line of counter tops to the project.  Not only is it beautiful and durable but it's composed of 75% recycled raw material, including glass and mirror.  You can find out more about it here.  More about Cosentino to come.  They introduced all kinds of new products, colors and textures at KBIS. This is one of the kitchens in a Make It Right home. Those counter tops are ECO by Cosentino, the maker of Silestone.Someone erected a "take it, leave it" book stop!Ann is the owner of a Make It Right home. She explained to us how the organization worked with her to locate windows and was very accommodating. She has lived in this neighborhood since 1966 and was displaced for four years. She says her new house is the same size as her old one but with a new and improved layout. She hosted 50 people on her first Christmas in the new home!I have heard it said, no good deed goes unpunished and I'm afraid this project is no exception.  Many feel slighted by the ultra contemporary designs that do not reflect the typical New Orleans style and architecture.  Architects were simply instructed to "use the city’s existing narrow lots...elevate houses out of the way of future flooding and include rooftop access to simplify rescue; feature prominent porches or front stoops for socializing; and use materials that are tough enough to survive hurricanes but that also approach “cradle to cradle” re-usability "  The foundation states that homes  being replaced were substandard post war tract homes. There's some interesting commentary over at  Curbed that addresses the controversy here.  I'd love to hear your thoughts. Next up:  KBIS2013 new products and trends for your kitchen and bath 

World Vision Teams with KBIS and St. Paul's in Continuing Katrina Recovery Efforts

The Bono home will be completed through the efforts of World Vision, St. Paul's Homecoming Center and KBIS2013I always like to discover the "backstory", what lies beneath the surface.  When I discovered that a visit to neighborhoods ravaged by Hurricane Katrina was on the Modenus Blog Tour agenda,  I was curious to see what it's like now and to meet a few of those who have survived both the tragedy of loss and it's aftermath.  For many residents the loss has not ended.  There were stories of theft and fraudulent contractors that just add insult to injury.A new kitchen is coming! It's shaping up with volunteers from Home Depot Our first stop was to the Bono Family Residence on Pasteur Blvd in the neighborhood of Gentilly,  a tree lined working class neighborhood where once there were no empty lots. The Bono home was victim to 13 feet of water.  They are receiving a new kitchen and bath courtesy of a collaboration between World Vision Storehouse, KBIS2013 and St. Paul's Homecoming Center.  It's nice to see the kitchen and bath industry I belong to being a part of this project.  The Gentilly neighborhood is working class with lots of charm, trees and I promise you the birds were singing the day I was there. I hope that's a good omen!Generous World Vision DonorsIt was here that we learned about a wonderful organization by the name of World Vision.  It's a Christian humanitarian organization working with communities to fight poverty.  The Storehouse of World Vision is a network of six warehouses that supply donated goods including building materials, personal care items, clothes and even school supplies.  They partner with local organizations, in this case St. Paul's Homecoming Center, to distribute the goods and get the work done with the help of volunteers.  Connie Uddo (an ex-tennis pro!) is the director and she is passionate about what she does.  She cuts to the chase and at the same time cuts through the red tape to get the job done.  "Tell us your story and we will help", she says.This is Joe Roberts, his home backs onto the London Ave. Canal where one of the major levee breaches occurred during Hurricane Katrina 2013-04-18 11.44.20 This is the other side of the wall.This is Jill. Her home was lost to 13 feet of water. She exemplifies the spirit which has allowed these people to band together and support each other.30,000 homes were destroyed in Gentilly, a one hundred year old neighborhood of middle class and elderly residents.  To date they are about 62% recovered with the help of 60,000 volunteers.  FEMA has done much and continues to work in the area but more is needed.  If you'd like to make a donation, click here for more info.As we were leaving the first house, one of the residents brought and released these white homing pigeons as a sign of hope against the gray sky.Next up:  What's going on at Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation and how Cosentino is helping.

Day 2 Blog Tour NOLA

Anne Rice HouseYesterday we really began to experience what New Orleans is all about.  It's below the surface, you know.  The one thing I learned is that to know the Crescent City is to leave the cliche of Bourbon Street.  Locals pretty much disdain it, so you probably won't find them there.Yes they are as good as they look, even better. A delicious, five star breakfast was hosted by KBIS at Luke's. This is where I devoured, with relish, my first beignet.  Afterwards we  took a quick ride on the trolley then embarked on a walking tour of the beautiful Garden District.One of my favorite homes in The Garden DistrictThis tree lined collection of streets was a feast of New Orleans architecture at its best.  The style is a hybrid of Southern plantation, Caribbean and French.  At times Key West and even Lake Worth comes to mind.  I was excited to see the home of "Gothic" author Anne Rice but the real treat was running into Mr. Okra larger than life, after having seen him on this beautiful short film!  Check it out here if you missed it.  It is so worth it, trust me. We have green beans, we have bananas! Yes, that's Mrs. Okra.The Big Easy is also known for its antiques galore and so that was next on the agenda.  We met up with Shaun Smith of Shaun Smith Home for a tour of some of the best antique shops. Yours truly with Shaun Smith of Shaun Smith HomeShaun Smith, a New Orleans sweetheart.  Both his smile and his jacket were a refreshing white. His style retains a New Orleans flavor but with a little New York chic which makes it something uniquely his own.Here's what I mean, a little traditional mixed with a dose of abstract expressionismWe  also explored Petricia Thompson Antiques, Empire Antiques and an interesting eclectic store called Malachite.  Last but certainly not least we met Gerrie Bremermann  in her shop.                                        Let me tell you about Gerrie.  Remember those amazing homes I just mentioned in the Garden District?  Well she's had a hand in making most of them fabulous.  She is a much sought after designer in these parts but also, on a larger scale, she's sought out by national publications as a barometer of southern design.  Currently in her mid eighties she continues to immerse herself in her trade.  She loves it and she is a true inspiration.Gerrie BremermannWhen it comes to my own personal taste I loved Shaun Smith Home the best.  In fact I believe antiques are at their best when they are a part of a more modern decor where there is enough space for them to be a focal point.  Think about it, in a room crammed with antiquity no one gets to be the star!Shaun also carries a couple abstract impressionist artists' work which I admired.  He was a gracious host who showed us what southern hospitality is all about.Next up was a visit to the Ogden Southern Art Museum for a book signing by the dynamic designer/author Miles Redd.  You can listen to a fabulous interview of him over at The Skirted Roundtable.  Mile's book "The Big Book of Chic" is BIG and the many takers are evidence that the world of paper books is still very much alive.The Big Book of Chic by Miles Redd (not kidding about "big" despite the weightiness they all went)I loved how Miles is not afraid to work out of the box, in fact he works entirely out of the box taking much of his inspriation from great works of art.  I am a maximalist, he claims!Bayona is owned by super star chef Susan Spicer. The food did not disappoint and we all enjoyed our four course mealsThe day was made complete by a breathtakingly delicous dinner at Bayona hosted by our sponsor Mr. Steam.  I am really enjoying getting to know all the others on the tour.  It's amazing how each has such a unique story with creativity and innovative thinking being the common thread.  Three more days to go. Wow.  Stay tuned, more to come.