KBIS2017 Part II- Color Splash!

This is Part II of my KBIS2017 recap.  You can find Part I  here.

If you've read part one you know that I was off meeting old and new friends earlier this month at our big annual trade show known as KBIS2017.  One of the best perks of being on Modenus Blog Tour is always the people.  What a huge source of friends this whole blog adventure has been for me!  Now back to the trends you need to know. 

One of the huge trends at the recent Kitchen & Bath Show (KBIS2017)  in Orlando was bold brilliant color. I saw bright color across all product lines including cabinets, appliances and even faucets.  Cabinet Manufacturer Wellborn was no exception.  This vibrant  green was a big hit and showcases their custom color options.   The Color Inspire program offers a broad selection of hues from Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, and Valspar. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. 

Color was also the star of the show for me at Metrie, North America's largest solid wood and MDF moulding company.  These stunning pink doors are a part of their Then & Now Finishing Collections.  This is actually a great concept that allows you to take a boring space and make it sing with character.  They have curated perfectly coordinated mouldings and interior doors to create "the look".  The styles range from the cutting edge "Fashion Forward", to girly "French Curves", to Minimalism with "Pretty Simple".  There are even a few more.  It's an awesome option for designers as it saves time spent hunting for the right crown to go with the perfect base board etc.  It's a one stop shop for  beautiful millwork and moulding details.

Just think of the chic "chick pad" you could create with Metrie...and then there were shoes.  I'm sorry my attention wanders sometimes.  Who can blame me for loving these shoes worn by Christine DaCosta aka Glamamama.

I've got more color!  Check out these faucets by Grohe.  This is the Essence Semi Pro Faucet, available April 2017.  Notice the extended spout for added convenience in the kitchen.  The display is showing limited edition brightly colored silicon hoses. Change your mind, change your faucet, just like a chameleon!

American Standard exhibited this smart faucet that actually measures water for you. Just think, it’s easy, accurate and environmentally friendly.  Turn the dial and you get the perfect amount every time.  So simple. Kudos to the team at American Standard for thinking of it.  Speaking of good ideas, what could be better than a self cleaning toilet? The ActiClean toilet features a turbo type flush system that they call VorMax, with a fully integrated self-cleaning system. The CleanCurveRim omits that rim cavity and holes inside the bowl where dirt gets trapped and EverClean antimicrobial surface helps everything stay clean longer.  Egaads!! I'm just the messenger but it's a good thing.  I'm all for minimal toilet cleaning time.

Another American Standard company, the luxury line DXV showed their Modulus line for the bath.  I loved the sensuous sculptural line of these vanity tops BUT how cool is this tray? it fits perfectly on the top and then tucks away in it’s own spot underneath when you’re done. Voilá!

   Guess what folks? I've got more. Stay tuned for KBIS III -Just a hint, it has to do with rhino poop and a surprise in the shower (but not together)

L                   

Reinventing White Shaker Cabinets

There's a reason why white Shaker  cabinets are so hot; it's because they are so versatile, just like pasta, the final result depends on what you put with it.  Not only can you get this style in any price point but you can make it work with your own unique design style. Today I thought we'd take a look at some very different successful results all using garden- variety white Shaker cabinets.

First of all, in case you've been off somewhere living in a cave, Shaker cabinets feature what we call flat panel doors. There's a flat panel in the center surrounded by a frame.  That frame is typically 2 1/4" wide which will give you a traditional look or 3" wide which is a bit more contemporary.  A word of caution, if your kitchen will have small doors (less than 15" wide) and you're going to be using glass in the center, go with the 2 1/4" or the glass section will be too small.

The modern Shaker style gets its name from the original Shaker furniture.  "Shaker furniture is a distinctive style of furniture developed by the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, commonly known as Shakers, a religious sect that had guiding principles of simplicity, utility and honesty. Their beliefs were reflected in the well-made furniture of minimalist designs.- Wikipedia  American Shaker furniture originated in the 1700s and has changed little since then. Original Shaker doors typically had natural wood finishes but today white is all the rage.  Fast forward to the twenty-first century where all that white simplicity can get a bit  boring and generic.  With the big movement towards personalization and custom design you can rock that Shaker look and make it your own.  Here are just a few examples:

                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                  Photo by Margot Hartford Photography - Discover kitchen design ideas -Houzz

 

                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                    Photo by Margot Hartford Photography - Browse kitchen ideas - Houzz

21st Century Victorian

The kitchen above is situated in an 1892 Queen Anne Victorian home in California and features a totally different take on white Shaker.  Accents include a luscious blue color for the peninsula and gorgeous Mamounia tile from  the Martyn Lawrence Bullard Collection for Ann Sacks. I love the mixture of natural wood, white, the pattern of the tile and that perfect shade of blue.

                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                        Photo by Margot Hartford Photography - More kitchen ideas - Houzz

Since white Shaker cabinets are pretty much a blank canvas, they offer a great opportunity to showcase bold colorful art!  This painting installed in the kitchen/dining area is by Gordon Hopkins.

Mad for Mid-Century Mod

This new white Shaker kitchen is in a 1950's Mid-Century home in South Florida.  The homeowners wanted to retain certain elements such as this original planter and room divider to retain the fifties feel.  I always love to honor that concept when choosing finishing touches for the kitchen.  These handles complement the room divider perfectly and the Cambria quartz top emulates the original refurbished terrazzo floor in the main part of the home.   You don't have to retain all the original details but it can be very striking to tie a few elements together like we did here.

   

Cool Contemporary

If you have embraced the clean crisp appeal of contemporary design,  you can also have that with white Shaker cabinets.  The example below from Houzz shows achieves a chic contemporary effect through long sleek bar pulls on the cabinets, the clean look of no upper cabinets and stainless steel accents.  The rich wood floor lends warmth to the space.  

                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                              Photo by Rockwood Cabinetry - Browse transitional kitchen ideas- Houzz

There you have it! I would love to help you "shake things up" with your own white Shaker cabinets. Email me at artfulkitchensbyglo@gmail.com  If you would like to have Artful Kitchen blog posts conveniently delivered to your inbox, please subscribe by entering your email in the sidebar.

                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                          

Be Cool with Big Chill Appliances

There is a fresh new concept on the scene when it comes to kitchen appliances. For years the challenge has been to make them go away, visually, that is.  Integrating your refrigerator and dishwasher using matching cabinet panels can be the perfect solution in some situations but let's take another look, shall we?What if you crave something different, you have yen for retro design and you LOVE color?  If this is you, Big Chill has you covered.  This Colorado based appliance maker was founded in 2001 by  Orion Creamer and Thom Vernon, two guys looking for vintage style with modern functionality.In the early days of the company Thom and Orion studied vintage styling from the 50s, particularly  automotive detailing as well as the materials that were used. Their wish was to replicate the quality of products from this bygone era and blend it  with the latest technology.  I am impressed with the wide variety of appliances offered by Big Chill!  Think the 48" pro range, induction cooking, large capacities as well as compact counter top microwaves. Also, if you're not a fifties fan they have two other lines, Classic with 1920s detailing and Pro offering the same bold color selection in twenty first century design.  Speaking of color, if none of their many options is just right for you, custom colors are available too.  You can find dealers throughout the US but if they're not in your neck of the woods you can purchase on line with free shipping in the month of August. For much more info check out their website and blog.PS. I have no affiliation with Big Chill.  This just came across my radar and I had to share!

The New Look of Luxury at DCOTA

Every now and then I like to get out and about and mingle with the peeps in my industry.  Last week I ventured a little outside of the bounds of strictly kitchen and bath design to experience The New Look of Luxury event held at the Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA).Suffice to say I was not disappointed.  DCOTA is also home to luxury cabinet superstars SieMatic and Poggenphol.  They were not open for this cocktail hour event but it was fun just to peek in the windows!Refreshments were served to compliment the visual yumminess! High design even in this Elit vodka bottle by sponsor Stolichnaya.First stop, Inside The Art of Craftsmanship.  THESE DOORS! OMG, stunning in both scale and creativity.  You would have to have just the right space for one of these, preferably BIG.  Surprisingly there is not much info out there on this Florida based company.  Suffice to say it’s very exclusive… I started snapping pics with wild abandon before I noticed the “no photography” signs. Sorry.The DCOTA is located on the outskirts of Miami and you don’t go to Miami without paying respects to Versace.  Their designs can be over-the-top but the Versace Home showroom was very tasteful, even including coordinated sales associates and the requisite champs.My absolute favorite item at Versace was this super cool leather cushion which sells for $4,000, worth every penny (maybe)  Luxury has a sleek masculine look as well at Lamborghini Tonino Casa at FORMITALIAd.  If you’re not partial to the Lamborghini look they offer Aston Martin and Mercedes Benz inspired furniture too. Next on the tour was Casa Collezioni/Roberto Cavalli Home Interiors.  I was looking forward to this as I loved their showings at last year’s Maison et Objet Americas. It’s elegant and edgy at the same time.  Dedon, known as the premiere luxury furniture brand is innovative, colorful and comfy.  All you need is the beach!   Last but certainly not least we got lost in the world of E.M. Soberon.  They focus on high end architectural furniture.  They also happen to be known for harvesting wood from fallen trees, mostly in Mexico.  This is a unique approach that also yields one of a kind results.  Mr. Soberon designs most of the products but they will also work with clients and designers visions to create the perfect piece. I’m so glad I went to this event.  A big thank you to Casa Collezioni for the invite.  The big takeaway from this evening is that I need to continue to get out there and see what is possible. Who knows, perhaps it can inspire me to create the formerly impossible... DCOTA http://dcota.com/dcota-information/  is open to- the-trade Monday –Friday 9-5.  If you are not “trade” you can still check it out if you are accompanied by a design professional.

The Many Facets of Custom Cupboards

Who says the art of printing is dead? You may be devouring novels on your Kindle but printing is very much alive at Custom Cupboards.  Their Facets program allows you to bring a new level of personalization to your kitchen, bath or anywhere you have cabinets through digital printing. With Facets you can  have a truly artful kitchen enhanced with your own original artwork or photography.  If you can dream it they can do it.  Just remember you can't reproduce work that is copyrighted.  That is a no no, but you knew that, yes?Mael Hernandez, President of this Wichita Kansas based company, was quoted in the Wichita Business Journal as saying,“It’s all about the trend in personalization. We think this is going to change the cabinet industry. It’s very exciting for us.”Custom Cupboards uses patent pending digital printing technology to stylize cabinet fronts with textures, patterns, art, photography and even typography.What do you think? Remember it's just an accent, doesn't have to be on every cabinet. In fact, less is definitely more in this case.  You're creating a focal point which gets diluted when over done.  In case you're wondering, Facets would add about 15% to the cost of an average 13 cabinet, L-shaped kitchen if you did it on say three doors.  If you'd like to explore adding a new "facet" to your kitchen, I'd love to help you do it!