BALANCE,HGTV BUDGETS AND WHERE TO PUT THE DISHWASHER

There are certain misconceptions in our industry that I see over and over again.  Today I thought I'd take the opportunity to educate and illuminate.  Sometimes you can come up with a much more interesting design if you are not limited by these "urban legends of kitchen design".  As they say "free your mind"!  Think again, leave the box, so to speak.  Here are three big ones to start the ball rolling.
SYMMETRY, WHAT GOES RIGHT MUST GO LEFT? NO!
Not true.  Giving up symmetry doesn’t mean you have to give up balance.  In fact sometimes a balanced asymmetrical wall is  more visually interesting.  It’s okay not to have a mirror image. Sometimes you have to get creative with balance due to the constraints of the architecture your working with.  Check out the following samples from my inspiration stash.
WHY ISN'T IT THE SAME PRICE AS HGTV? Some of my peers have already addressed this but it bears repeating.  Any kitchen budget that I have ever seen on HGTV is completely unrealistic.  Where they obtain these figures is a mystery to me.  Think about it.  They can pretty much say what they want  and they don't even have to be held accountable!  The end result is you, the viewer, are left with a false impression and a budget that lies woefully short.  Please understand that a kitchen remodel is all about details and every kitchen is different.  It also takes a lot longer than half an hour in real life! I must confess that I do love how Candice Olsen seems to pull her design choices  out of her a_ _ , all beautifully coordinated!  Not to mention what she can do with a Sharpie!
THE DISHWASHER ALWAYS GOES ON THE LEFT, OR RIGHT?
This is one issue for which there is no hard fast rule.  Some people think it's a certain way because that's what they've always had or that it's based on your dominant hand.  None of this is true.  Dishwasher location depends on two things which are the space you have and what's comfortable for  the way you work.  The dishwasher is the second most important component of the clean up zone in your kitchen, the main player being your sink.  Except  in rare space challenged cases, these should always be next door to each other.  The third component of the clean-up triad is your garbage receptacle.  If space allows you to include a cabinet with pull out trash/recycle bins it should ideally be located on the other side of the sink, the sink always  in between the dishwasher and the trash.  Think about it, you stand at the sink, scrape your plates, rinse if necessary (but not too much) and load the dishwasher.  It can be right to left or left to right, whatever feels right for you.

 

Dishwasher on the right in this case with sink in the middle and pull out trash on
the left.
If you have your own questions about what is correct, or not, shoot me an email and I will give you my take.

IT'S ALL CREATIVE

One thing I discovered during my Bosch Blanco Bloggers' Retreat is that creativity cannot be contained.  It spills out of the box in all sorts of interesting ways.  It was a great experience.  It's exciting and inspiring to learn about all the products, both the history and origins, as well as the very latest technologies.  Most of all, I loved hearing about  the design process and how these products come into being.  I enjoyed interacting, not only with the creatives at Bosch and Blanco, but also with my peers.  Whenever I could, I asked them about their typical days, how they work and what they do in their off time.  What I found is that there is no off time for a creative.  I should know that, right?  I discovered an editor who loves to knit, a kitchen designer who's passion is ballroom dancing and a much admired kitchen blogger who loves to photograph roses.  She confesses to having literally thousands of rose photos lurking in her hard drive!  The creative process is also a big part of what I learned about during our two days at the BSH Design Center in Irvine, California.The process of developing new products begins with colored pencils and adventurous minds.  The team at Bosch endeavors to achieve just the right combination of precision German engineering and the latest technology to address the needs of the consumer.Sometimes these needs are apparent but often they can be situations (observed and researched) that we may not even be aware of!  This is what makes the folks at Blanco and Bosch such a great team. They have a similar approach which understands that everything's connected in our world and it all informs what we need to function comfortably and efficiently in our homes.  Kudos to them and thanks for the memories! 

DAY 2 BOSCH BLANCO BLOGGER RETREAT

So where were we?  Ah yes, day 2 of my latest great adventure.  Friday, after an impressive little breakfast spread, we settled in for a guided tour of the new BSH Experience and Design Center and yes it WAS quite an experience.  We were outfitted in our very own custom and official looking lab coats (my first).  A camera crew toured with our group so someday I expect a film or two to make its appearance.Our first stop was THE WALLS (excellent use of hallway space, I might add).  These walls illustrate through shadow boxes, the details of materials, engineering and quality control that go into a Bosch appliance.  Each appliance undergoes not 25, not 250 but 2500 checks before being sent out into the world.  Yes, your new dishwasher may have a couple water spots and that's why.  The Bosch design philosophy is inspired by German industrial designer Dieter Ram's 10 principles of design .  They are in good company.    Apple Inc. is also one of the few companies designing products according to his principles.DESIGNED FOR LIFENext on the hit parade was Designed for Life-an Interactive Design Workshop.  My group worked with a member of the industrial design team to design a range.  We looked at things like how it could work for people that have limited mobility, are visually impaired (just had to remove my spectacles) or victims of advanced pregnancy.It was a real eye opener and I actually did come up with some ideas.  Here are my notes.  From sketches and notes the design team takes it to 3D imaging on the computer where they will tweak until its ready for the prototype stage.

 LISTEN TO THE SILENCEFrom vision to hearing, the next experience was all about my favorite Bosch product, the quintessential dishwasher.  Bosch makes the quietest dishwasher in the industry rated at 39 decibels.  I know this to be a fact from personal experience.  I've been squirted a time or two from opening the door when I wasn't aware that it was running (probably didn't have my glasses on).  They have solved that problem.  In new models a red laser dot shines on the floor when the dishwasher is running.  You can't miss it, even sans glasses.  In addition to the silence these dishwashers are rated the most water and energy efficient.  They are quite proud to have placed in Consumer Reports latest top ten in five categories including number one in value.  Speaking of value, you will spend anywhere from $549-$1,999 for a Bosch dishwasher.  The nice thing is that whether you opt for high end or entry level you don't have to sacrifice efficiency or silence.  The differences are in the interior bells and whistles. FIX AND FEAST!Time for lunch and a great opportunity to test drive all the Bosch appliances and Blanco plumbing fixtures .  Under the guidance of company chef, Kyle Jacobi, we collectively prepared a feast including fish tacos, stuffe chili rellenos, bacon wrapped shrimp, Spanish rice and more!WHAT'S COOKING?After lunch it was time to learn about induction cooking and convection ovens.  If you're not cooking on induction now, you will be in about ten years.  I'm not kidding.  Even the glass top electric range will go the way of those coil burner types we used to use.  Remember those?  The cool thing is you cannot burn yourself.  The heat only happens when the burner comes in contract with the bottom of the pan.  It uses a lot less power too!Convection ovens have been around a long time but I learned a couple of things about them too.  True convection, as featured in Bosch ovens, has its own separate heating element.  Then there is something called "Speed Convect".  What that means is no preheating.  Zero to 350 in no time at all!  We finished the BSH Experience in some really comfy chairs learning about the Forces that Drive Innovation presented by Tim Maicher, Director of Marketing at Blanco America.  I loved that he expressed that there is an emotional as well as technical component to kitchen design.  I have always held that belief.THE LAST HURRAH!The final event of this two day adventure was dinner at The Cannery in Newport Beach.  Here I got another glimpse of the water but for the first time the sky turned gray. (Guess it was sad we were leaving).That's it!  I have a lot more to share about new products at Blanco along with my random musings on stuff.  I hope you enjoyed your personal virtual tour.  I'll be loading lots more photos to the On the Road with Kitchens for Living Flickr album.  I'll let you know when they're up.  Ciao for now!  

ONE SEXY FAUCET

I know my last post was all about the plumbing but I'm not done yet.  As I peruse my ever growing roster of press releases this little tidbit caught my eye.  It's a sleek beautiful sexy faucet with one hell of a marketing strategy.The new Salome faucet by Riobel is going to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting public on June 7th at Koko Bar and Restaurant in Montreal, should you be in the area.  What makes it so special you ask?  Check it out.  Need I say more? I just love it when art history intersects with design.  I think it just adds a whole other layer. Yes it's all about the looks, you know a faucet can never be too thin or rich expensive, which I'm sure it is.  The marketing brilliance is in the name and inspiration for this design.  She's (yes this faucet is a girl) called Salome' after the work of Aubrey Beardsley, the 19th century bad boy famous for his erotic Art Noveau illustrations.  Here's what Riobel has to say in their press release:

"In Harmony with this (Art Noveau) artistic concept, the faucets of Riobel’s SALOMÉ Collection are based on the aesthetics of curved lines. Due to their round profile and arched shape, Salomé products exude finesse, refinement and elegance.Turning on a SALOMÉ faucet is reminiscent of an exotic cascading waterfall, deep in the forest where all is pure, a significant aspect of these wall-mounted fixtures."  So I lied when I said it's all about the looks.  This water-as-in-nature concept seems like a great way to tame the stress and put a little Zen in your life.

                                                                        

IKEA'S LIVING STAGE

So it's January again and everybody's writing great posts about new trends (open shelves, fewer upper cabinets, the color orange, horizontal wood grains), and resolutions (already lost 4lbs YAY).  Not moi.  I'm in the mood for scanning the globe for home/kitchen related tidbits and what locale could be better than my new favorite, PARIS! That famous cheap yet hip ready-to-assemble furniture company, yes, IKEA stays edgy and current by coming up with new innovative marketing schemes.  The latest took place in the Paris commuter train station Auber R.E.R.  A 581 square foot apartment was erected,and five young stylish occupants were recruited to live in it for 6 days (January 9-14).  Oh, and commuters could peak in the windows to witness "hip" living in all its glory!The purpose of the marketing campaign was to demonstrate how IKEA products work for small spaces in real life. Each of the  days is documented via video on the IKEA France Facebook page.  Here are the highlights:1) Day 2-Take out sushi delivery (FOUL! I wanted them to cook in that kitchen! Okay it sort of looked like they cooked on Day 1.)2) Day 3- Twister (A good game choice for small spaces.)3) Day 3-Some guy really into his pink ukulele (This is actually pretty hip as ukueles are making a big comeback. Click here.)4) Day 1 -Sewing clothes with sewing machine and everything (Really?)5) Day 4, below, features a bang up birthday bash! (This must be the coolest cake ever.) This was creative, attention grabbing marketing, a statement about the relationship between form and function.  Did they succeed?  Has social media made marketing more important than product? 

NAUTICAL ZEN KITCHEN

Ta daaaaa!  Another beautiful kitchen is complete, and yes it’s white with Shaker doors.  Surprise!  Not.  There were two main challenges about working in this home.  First of all the architecture is very unique and is an integral part of the space.  It’s comprised of posts and beams, angles and open lofts which remind me of a ship.  The second challenge was a lack of unity with way too much going on visually.  The existing kitchen had three different types of counter tops, two different types of cabinets and more stuff than space.  In addition, hinges and drawer slides were failing and paint was chipping.The homeowners came equipped with the most valuable of traits, an open mind.  They were willing to see their kitchen and laundry area in a new way.  Every step of the design process we would ask ourselves “does this unify and simplify”?  Think “nautical zen”!First off I decided to make peace with the posts and beams.  The layout remained the same and we didn’t even change the door style or color!  What we did was improve the fit and function.  Using all white counters unified the space and allowed the blue granite back splash to be the star of the show.  Here are some “before” pix and “after” solutions which will pave the way for smooth sailing in this new kitchen.