Let’s face it, things change. As we navigate those twists and turns of fate we can only hope to move forward, seeing new things with a fresh eye. Like it or not, change is a constant. You can dread it (understandable) or you can choose to embrace it. That said, it has been more than five years since I began my adventure as Kitchens for Living.
I believe I have been true to my promise to share the latest design trends and product info for the heart of your home. We have frequently ventured out of the kitchen and even around the globe! I am so grateful for all the wonderful and talented kindred souls I have met along the way, fellow bloggers, designers and great organizations such as Modenus, Blanco, Brizo, Tile of Spain and many more. This blog has afforded me the opportunity to travel and bear witness to marvelous destinations and inspiring trade shows. Before this starts sounding too sad, let me tell you I have never felt so excited about the future and eager to explore new opportunities. 
This will be the last post for Kitchens for Living. From now on I will be able to merge two of the things I love, kitchen design and art with my new site, Artful Kitchens. A big THANK YOU to Leslie Carothers of The Kaleidoscope Partnership for her guidance and insight which lead me to discover a new path full of promise and possibilities. 
Artful Kitchens will focus on all the ways you can use creativity to personalize your kitchen. Artful spaces reflect who you are and the way you live.
The stunning tile above, by Walker Zanger, was featured at KBIS 2015 which I had the pleasure of attending with The Modenus Blog Tour Vegas. 
New products like this perfectly white quartz by Wilsonart enhance the kitchen with a feeling of crisp clean freshness!
Color is a primary element of the Artful Kitchen. We'll be talking a lot about that in an upcoming interview with Amy Wax of Color 911
We will continue to incorporate new products and technologies as they emerge and we will explore all the artful ways of creating a kitchen that reflects who you really are. I’m so excited, I hope you’ll join me and spread the word. Last but certainly not least, whether you are a brand or a consumer, I want to collaborate with you! 
Continue the conversation on Face Book or email me at ArtfulKitchensbyGlo@gmail.com
Tile Tuesday: In Valencia Art is a Way of Life
Welcome to today's installment of Tile Tuesday! The second half of my adventure with Tile of Spain took us to Valencia, location of Cevisama the annual trade show held to showcase the latest innovations introduced by the Spanish tile industry.
We traveled by train east from Sevilla to Valencia, which is situated on the coast about 300 miles south of Barcelona. At first glance Valencia appears to be very modern with a predominance of what I call “the new Spanish architecture” featuring waves, curves and a visually interesting asymmetry.
But there is an older Valencia to explore as well. The heart of the city features structures such as The “Iglesia de San Juan del Hospital” which dates back to the 1200s! The current city grew from this center. What a crazy combination of styles! You can see Roman, Gothic, Renaissance and more because different sections were constantly added to the original structure.
Again we had a passionate knowledgeable tour guide who did not allow us to leave one inch of Valencia uncovered! 
One of my favorite spots was the Mercado de Colón, a beautiful example of the Art Nouveau style. Glass and tile adorn this early twentieth century marketplace, now a gathering place full of interesting bars and restaurants.
Hallmarks of the Art Nouveau style include free flowing organic shapes, rich earth tones and lots of tile! At the turn of the nineteenth century there was no aspect of living that was not touched by the movement. It was a global trend as well. In Germany it was known as Jugendstil, in Spain Arté Joven and Secession in Austria. The American version evolved into the what we know as the Arts and Crafts Movement, a simplified, more linear version. According to Art Nouveau philosophy, art should be a way of life. No wonder I'm always intrigued by it!
If you're looking to "Nouveau" your kitchen here are somethings you can include:-Rich brown wood stains-Green, green and green
-Some curvy shapes (more affordable to do this with your counter top than with cabinets)-Oak wood floors or cabinets
-Certain flora and fauna like the dragonfly, the ginko leaf and the thistle are all images often seen in Art Nouveau styling-Ceramic tile backsplashes (preferably with the above motifs)Next Tile Tuesday: More Cevisama and the future of tile.
Interpreting Houzz and Pinterest Inspiration for Your Kitchen
Ever go shopping and find that PERFECT pair of shoes, you try them on and arghhh your feet look like animals trying to escape the confines of a cage too small? :( Really, even though you LOVE lime green, the look does not even remotely go with the rest of your wardrobe. I know it's happened to me. Guess what? Apparently it also happens to the poor unsuspecting homeowner looking for a new kitchen.
Today Kitchens for Living is going spill the beans on the correct way to use Houzz and Pinterest as inspiration for your own heart of the home.
Pinterest and Houzz are excellent places to go for ideas. I even peruse my idea books there when I'm feeling stuck. However the best way to use them is not to copy verbatim but for inspiration. 
If you have a fourteen foot, uninterrupted span of wild wall wilderness perhaps four floating shelves are not the best choice. This is your opportunity to stack cabinets.The space you have to work with and how it is configured are the starting points for your design. Once you've got that down and it's functional then you can start inserting those design details that inspire you such as glass doors, textured finishes etc. Use the colors, finishes, door and molding styles that you loved in the pics to create your own interpretation that will be unique and right for your home.
Hopefully from these examples you can see the things that work and don't work in certain situations, and more importantly why. If you're not sure, a quick consult might be all you need. You know where to find me :)
Tile Tuesday: Beauty & Knowledge
Welcome the the third installment of Tile Tuesday. If you missed the last two you can catch them here and here.The second half of my adventure with Tile of Spain took us to Valencia, the location of Cevisama, annual trade show held to showcase the latest innovations introduced by the Spanish tile industry.
Attending Cevisama was an introduction to a whole world of possibilities! If you’ve been following Tile Tuesday, you already know that ceramic tile is a part of the Spanish culture dating back to Roman and Moorish times. Tile is nothing new but the uses and innovations in the ceramic industry certainly are! In the coming weeks we’ll talk about some of the big trends I saw that you can incorporate into your own kitchen.
Before we do that let’s cover some good to know, sometimes misunderstood, facts about tile. For your viewing pleasure I have inserted a little eye candy to keep you on your toes!WHAT IS IT?Ceramic tile is a perfect balance of the classical elements of earth (clay), air, water and fire. All are involved in its creation. All tile is made of either red or white clay.
CERAMIC, PORCELAIN OR BOTH?One big question I get regards porcelain vs. ceramic. Guess what? Porcelain tiles ARE ceramic tiles. There is only one technical difference. A tile must have a water absorbtion rate of .05 to be classified as porcelain. 
Typically porcelain tiles are denser, less porous and as a result more durable than other ceramics. You can also get them “rectified” which means crisp sharp perfectly squared edges that mean a tight fit with minimal grout lines.IS PORCELAIN THE SAME COLOR ALL THE WAY THROUGH?In the past I believed that a porcelain tile was the same color all the way through so that a small chip would be no big deal but I learned that is not always true. You CAN get something called “through-body porcelain” which means that if the tile is not glazed, the color and texture are consistent all the way through the tile. However porcelain tiles can also have surface glazes and textures that are not “through-body”.
WHERE DOES IT GO?Tiles used for exterior applications are porcelain but not all porcelain tiles are recommended to be used outside. Generally you can put just about any type of tile on the wall but you’re much better off with porcelain on the floor for durability. Remember, although beautiful, glossy finishes are always more slippery than honed, or matte finishes. Got it? Good. Since you made it all the way to the end, I have a special treat for you.
Next Tile Tuesday: Uncovering Valencia with Tile of Spain, perhaps another video slideshow??
Frida, Diego and Their Kitchen
There’s new exhibit in town and I’m excited! Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection & 20th Century Mexican Art from The Stanley and Pearl Goodman Collection opened Wednesday at the NSU Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale.
Frida Kahlo and husband Diego Rivera are arguably the most well known twentieth century Latin American artists. This exhibit draws on their popularity to introduce us to some other names in Mexican art we should know. These include Lenora Carrington (1917-2011), Gerhard Gerzso (1915-2000), José Clemente Orozco (1883-1949) and many more. Works on show consist of paintings, sculptures, photographs and works on paper. The exhibit runs through May 31st. I am planning on going on March 27th when Kahlo scholar Dr. Salomon Grimberg will be speaking on Frida Kahlo: The Still Lifes-But let's talk about the kitchen! 
There are many published photos of Frida's kitchen which got me to wondering what it would look like today. Wouldn't it be great to have her essence around when you're making enchiladas? What are the elements you could include to give you that vibe?
Frida learned to cook for Diego, oddly enough, from Diego's previous wife! She became an accomplished cook but also spent leisurely mornings in the kitchen reading the newspaper with Diego.
This kitchen is located in La Casa Azul, a home Frida was born in and continued to return to throughout her turbulent life. You can tour it if you find yourself in Coyoacán, Mexico City. Check out this article if you'd like to know more. 
The rustic simplicity, white walls, high ceilings, windows and use of rustic materials make me think of Kahlo.
In this fantasy kitchen I used bright colors with a few contemporary twists in homage to the Mexican diva. Design elements of a "Frida kitchen" include the following:-Liberal use of tile-Open shelf storage-Bright colors-White walls-Rustic wood-Lots of light!If you've never seen the movie Frida, don't stop, click here immediately and get it!! Today I leave you with my favorite scene from the movie. I must warn you it's hot, steamy and not for the feint of heart. Consider yourself warned and enjoy ;) Happy Friday and have a fantastic weekend.
Tile Tuesday: Parente to Parasol, Old Tradition-New Expression
Welcome to the second installment of the Tile Tuesday series! If you missed part one you can find it right here. If there is one big takeaway from last week's post it is that there are two sides to Sevilla, the constant play between old and new.We were able to really dig in to both aspects on our Tile of Spain tour of Sevilla led by architect Gonzalo Cantos.
As we explored not only tile but the culture from which it originates, we were constantly presented with old and new, separate but not entirely mutually exclusive. What came before certainly influences the contemporary production.
Later in the series we will take a look at modern state-of-the- art tile production in Spain but today I want to introduce you to a true old world style artisan, living and working in Sevilla. Meet Isabel Parente. We visited the studio where she creates her handmade tile and custom glazes. By the way, did you know that most ceramic glazes used today come from Spain?
Isabel is mostly self-taught but briefly attended art school in Sevilla, followed by an internship in Perugia, Italy. She demonstrated a few different traditional methods including hand painting. Her practice includes the creation of new commissions as well as restoration.
It is interesting to note that with old world techniques (she doesn't even utilize a computer), Isabel is addressing the very current trend towards personalization. You can't get much more custom than what she does!
Just about a five minute walk from Isabel's studio you will find Encarnacion Square, the oldest part of Seville and home to one of its most controversial residents, Metropol Parasol. I posted our visit to Parasol in real-time. If you were one of those who wondered exactly what this was, today's your lucky day. 
Encarnacion Square was home to a neighborhood market starting in the 19th century up until the 1970s when the area began to languish. Excavation to create a parking lot in the 1990s uncovered ancient Roman ruins below! 
It wasn't until 2004 that the city decided to develop the property. Architect Jurgen Mayer-Hermann was selected and his Metropol Parasol was completed in 2011 at approximately double the 50 million Euro budgeted for the project. Part of the expense was due to technical flaws in his design that had to be overcome. This paired with the fact that its unexpected dramatic presence rubs "traditionalists" the wrong way, is what makes the Parasol a continuing subject of controversy. 
Here's my another perspective. Mayer-Hermann's inspiration came from the cathedral vaults of nearby Seville cathedral as well as from the large shade producing ficus trees of a neighboring park. In fact shade from the sweltering summer sun was one of his major objectives. In this way it does reference its location quite well. The project is an excellent example of the modern Spanish architecture of undulating curves and waves. Sevillanos refer to it as "Las Setas"(The Mushrooms). Giant "waffles" are made of birch hardwood with a polyurethane finish. 
The excavation and restoration of the ruins below continue. On level zero you will find an Antiquarium where you can walk among old Roman buildings. The Parasol above is wholly supported on 8 points so as not to disturb the ruins below. On level one there is, once again, a market. The upper levels house restaurants and a meandering walkway offering various views of the city below.I will say that because of the design of the structure, I felt safely embraced on these walkways, sort of nice if you have a fear of heights!
So what's your take? Ugly intrusion or a dramatic blending of old and new concepts exemplifying the new Spanish architecture?Before we leave Seville I want to share my pics with you. In addition to what I have written about here, and in part one, photos include: Plaza de España, Alfonso XIII Hotel, Royal Alcazar of Seville and Seville Cathedral. Now go grab some sangria, kick back and enjoy the sights.Next Tile Tuesday: On to Valencia and what I learned about tile and trends I saw at Cevisama 2015