This just in!!! Pinterest Style Search results are in! Good news and bad news. I tied for first place with KandracKole, We had 56 interactions each BUT KandracKole won the grand prize (iPad Mini) in a random drawing/tie-breaker. 
So close! I came in second place which means I do win a Nesspresso coffee maker (which I don't have). My heartfelt appreciation to all of you who shared the love. I wish I could've won that iPad for you but alas. In fact I feel so bad I will be randomly selecting three of you to receive a sweet surprise, Italian style.
Euro Cucina 2014
I'm home and just about recovered from my jet lag. All pics are up for your perusal. It was a fabulous trip and my heartfelt gratitude goes out to the golden peeps at Blanco, including travel mate Christy Emens as well as Lori Dolnick of Frank Advertising. I was honored to be included with fellow bloggers Marilyn Russell (DesignMagnifique), Kelly Morisseau (KellyMorisseau.com) and Grace & Ken Kelly of (kitchendesigns.com). Having been to many trade shows in the US over the years, I've always wanted to experience the bigger, global picture. Now I have and it was amazing.
I arrived on Monday morning ready to explore. Lori and I took a stroll and stumbled upon a delicious lunch and a very cool design museum but first things first. I'm dying to tell you about all the products and trends I saw at the big show. Euro Cucina only comes along every two years as a part of the Salone del Mobile. Milano. There is also a whole section devoted to the bath called Salone Internazionale del Bagno. Kitchen gadgets and appliances are shown in the FTK section. I did a pretty good job of covering those but I estimate that was only about 20% of the entire show, the rest being furniture and other aspects of design. Here's what caught my eye.
Counter tops were either very thin or chunky, like 1/2" for the thin and 3" for the chunky. I saw a lot of mixing of materials, in fact, that was probably the one biggest trend I saw for both counter tops and cabinets. It is also one that can easily be adapted to our US market. Counter top materials are much more adventurous than the usual granite or quartz that we are used to here. I saw wood, Corian, recycled composite material and more. The overlapping installation here was also quite common.
The kitchen sink saw some new innovations including lots of accessories and different methods of installation. The inset style above, by Blanco, is factory installed by Leicht for a perfect fit. This particular one is not available to us in the US but we can get the Precision model with the distinctive square corner interior for undermount applications. 
Cabinets featured lots of defined graining in woods such as white oak, rosewood and walnut in both horizontal and vertical directions, sometimes on the same door. I also saw some interesting variations on the popular slab and Shaker silhouettes.
LED lights illuminated the interior of all cabinets including drawers. Just open the drawer and contents are illuminated. Cabinetry, for the most part was sleek on the outside, party on the inside! By that I mean that interiors were tricked out to the max to ensure convenient and efficient storage. Oh and yes, that 's a truck load of chocolate on the top, almost as intriguing as the drawer. If you think that's eye candy, just wait till you get to the end of the post!
This is just the first in a series of posts about Milan and Salone Internazionale del Mobile. Upcoming posts will include our visits to Acheo and Poggenpohl showrooms and much more. So what do you think of these kitchen trends so far? I think some will make it over the pond but you can always know that whatever we do, we'll do it with an Americano twist. More later :)Click here for a peek at all my Milan photos!
CleverStorageUS by Kessebohmer showed this blind corner pull out (below) which I specify all the time. I think it's really the best way to take advantage of an awkward space.
Traditional styling was represented but examples were relatively few. Some very opulent looks, traditional with high tech functionality
Visual Texture was abundant on cabinet fronts with laminates that look like the real deal. But don't let looks deceive, these laminate fronts behind us (below) are by Leicht and are smooth as the proverbial baby's bottom!
Italian men were also on display and I would be remiss if I didn't cover that aspect of the show. So there I was minding my own business, when a fashion show erupted (it was actually in the Bath section of the show).
This is just the first in a series of posts about Milan and Salone Internazionale del Mobile. Upcoming posts will include our visits to Acheo and Poggenpohl showrooms and much more. So what do you think of these kitchen trends so far? I think some will make it over the pond but you can always know that whatever we do, we'll do it with an Americano twist. More later :)Click here for a peek at all my Milan photos!On My Way to Milano
Sunday morning I will begin the long journey to Design Week in Milan. I'm really looking forward to seeing my Blanco Design Council peeps, the Modenus gang and all the events that are in store for us. We will hit the show beginning Tuesday morning. I will be snapping photos right and left so you can see all the awesomeness yourself. But wait, it gets better. Our sponsors have organized a Pinterest contest. 
The big prize will be an iPad Mini, and since I'm lucky enough to already own one, if I win, it goes to one of my lucky pinners. Are you game? All you have to do is re-pin me, easy and fun! Here's a link to the soon-to-be-filled page. If you follow me on FaceBook or Twitter you'll see a reminder on Tuesday morning which means GO! In the event of a win, the iPad winner will be chosen at random. If we don't win the iPad at least you'll be acquainted with the newest products and styles. It's so nice to be "in the know".
In addition to that, I will be looking for examples of how art influences design and how we can use these ideas in our own spaces. For example, I ran across this art installation the other day in the New York Times and it made me think of this modern kitchen with its bright bold blocks of color.
You get the picture. Signing off for now and I'll see you in Milano!
A New View into Kitchen Design
This year marks my twentieth anniversary in this industry. I was originally a fashion major but when I fled the retail life for this industry I came to it totally green. I still clearly remember my first day looking at a floor plan. I couldn't tell a door apart from a bathtub. My, have we come along way! Around 5 years ago I converted from hand drafting to computer, yes I was a hold out. I taught myself Chief Architect and never looked back (although I still look forward to learning it much more in depth). Today there is a wealth of real photos at your disposal on websites like houzz.com or modenus.com available to help with design ideas and options. We live the adage that "a picture is worth a thousand words"! One company is taking it a step further, meet VDS (Virtual Design Studio) This tool was developed for Austrian Laminate Maker EGGER. Choosing an exact finish for your new cabinetry can be daunting. This tool allows you through HD video projectors, to see wooden textures on real objects. This touch screen interface allows you to choose out of Egger's 700 options. For the first time the viewer has the option of making a choice in full scale mode and with a truly realistic impression.The days of color sample chips are quickly coming to a close.What could be next? Follow me April 6-11 as I cover iSalone, a part of Design Week in Milan. As a member of BLANCO’s Design Council, I’ll be traveling with a small group of my fellow members Marilyn Russell of Design Magnifique, Kelly Morriseau , and Ken and Grace Kelly of Kitchen Designs, I'm thrilled to be included with with such talent and will be Instagram-ing, FaceBooking, blogging and Tweeting up a storm! I hope you join me.
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.
Getting Ready to Meet Milan
Where can you go to see the genius of Leonardo da Vinci as well as the brilliance of contemporary couture and cutting edge design? MILAN!!! This year I will be one of the more than two million annual visitors to Milan. I'm excited to be a part of the Blanco team covering the Milan Furniture Fair or more properly referred to as, Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano.
Originally an Italian furniture show, the event has grown, since 1961 into a major international happening for the design world. Always held in April, this year Milan Design Week runs from April 8-13th. Besides being a major world fashion and design capital, Milan is home to the 5th largest cathedral in the world, Santa Maria delle Grazie.
- Santa Maria delle Grazie
Santa Maria is home to many da Vinci paintings, including The Last Supper, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Naturally I will be very interested in the EuroCucina/International Kitchen Furniture Exhibition segment of the show. This, along with the International Bathroom Exhibition are a part of the big event every two years. A little (Italian) bird tells me that this year we will continue to see an abundance of natural finishes.
Technology designed to improve the kitchen experience will be its own category and for the first time, American manufacturer SubZero Wolf will be joining the mix.
The Bathroom Exhibition's theme is all about creating a "temple for the mind and body" with the latest products and accessories you need to create the "spa experience".
SOOOO if you haven't put Kitchens for Living into your regular-blog-reading-rotation, now might be a great time. It's so good to know what's going on in the rest of the world and I'm so excited to share iSaloni and all my impressions of beautiful Milano. You can also follow me on FaceBook, Twitter and Instagram for updates.