Open shelves, especially floating shelves happen to be all the rage at the moment, should you or shouldn’t you? I often hear concerns about neatness. Do we really want to see it all? Maybe we do. Open shelves can greatly increase efficiency in the kitchen. Having our most used dishes, utensils and ingredients displayed and at our finger tips is very tempting! This is how the chefs do it and there is even a term for it in French.
Mise en place is a French culinary phrase which means "putting in place", as in set up. It is used in professional kitchens to refer to organizing and arranging the ingredients and items that a cook will require for preparing the menu items of the day. We can also apply this concept in our own kitchens. Here's an interesting story I came across on NPR about Mise en place. Listen and you will discover the perfect French pronunciation!
Usually storage space in the kitchen is too dear to squander on an area strictly for show so I urge you to incorporate an open shelf or open cabinet only if it will be useful as well as visually interesting. When you get right down to it, kitchens are comprised of boxes and row after row of doors can get pretty boring. I like to add some variety with open shelves and glass doors.
That said, if you do have a collection that you love to gaze upon and showcase , open shelves are perfect is hard to reach areas such as high up or on the far side of a peninsula
This client is a talented potter. What better way to show off her work? Easy to get to for dusting when you’re on the other side of the peninsula but this area is not really accessible when you’re on the working side of the kitchen.
http://www.shelterness.com/pictures/open-shelves-on-a-kitchen-30.jpeg
Eva Hesse: The Artist and The Kitchen
THE ARTISTThe biggest trend in design today is "personalization", the late painter and sculptor Eva Hesse spoke of personalization before many of us were even born! She was speaking in terms of her art when she said,"It just seems to me that "personal" in art, if really pushed, is the most valued quality & what I want so much to find in & for myself."
Eva Hesse, succumbed to a brain tumor in 1970 at the age of 34. Although she only produced art for 10 years, from 1960 to 1970, she is known for her pioneering work in latex, fiberglass and plastic. She was part of an art movement in the 1960s known as postminimalism. Hesse was among the first artists of the 1960s to experiment with the fluidity of the organic shapes of nature. She used modern materials to portray organic forms including grid patterns and repetition. These themes were often found in minimalism, but Hesse typically made her works by hand while her contemporaries were using machines. This practice introduced a human element into her art.
A new documentary about her life was released earlier this year and premiered at The Whitney Museum in New York City back in May. I can't wait to see it! Below is a clip."Eva Hesse" feature doc Intro from Tracing the Rope on Vimeo.THE KITCHENI wonder what Eva's kitchen would look like. I could find no photo to give me clues but when I think of Eva I think of organic elements, natural finishes, bold shapes and even a touch of the absurd, which she loved! Here are some kitchens evocative of Eva.
Asian Kitchen- This style frequently features natural elements. Kitchen by Seattle General Contractors Gaspar's Construction
On my morning walks, whenever I pass this spot I always look up and think of Eva.
Blog Tour NOLA Redux
This month is the ten year anniversary of hurricane Katrina. All my memories of New Orleans come to the forefront and today I pay homage to the grand adventure that was Blog Tour NOLA.I still think about this visit to New Orleans and what a full rich experience it was, encompassing so much more than design.
In 2013 I had the exciting opportunity to meet this special city in a most comprehensive and in depth way thanks to the innovative design resource Modenus. I also had the pleasure of meeting and touring with some super talented design pros who remain my friends.
KBIS was held in NOLA that year and was a key part of the agenda however, thanks to our sponsors, we also saw, tasted (culinary heaven), touched and felt the culture of New Orleans. As I read and hear about the Katrina aftermath today, I am reminded of our visit to the Lower Ninth Ward and the realization that in the bleakest of times there is hope.
Art documents culture and artists have found beauty and expression in the midst of destruction. This morning I was touched by this story of creativity that has blossomed in the Crescent City. You can listen to it on NPR. It mentions the Ogden Museum of Southern Art which we also visited!
One of my favorite NOLA moments was on Frenchmen Street where we popped into The Spotted Cat and roamed neighboring Frenchmen Street Art Market.
The day we visited the Lower Ninth, St. Paul's Homecoming Center, World Vision and KBIS united to tell the world through this press event that recovery was still in process and despite the fact that so much more needed to be done there was hope and progress. 
Today I proudly display the photo (below) by New Orleans photographer Andy Levine in my home. It was taken by him in the aftermath of Katrina. Thank you Modenus for the lasting gift of this special blog tour I was honored to be a part of. If you'd like to go back and see what I wrote of my experiences, including the culinary treats, in 2013 it starts here. 
Also, I must say , if you like Houzz you will love the new Modenus. It's a straight up honest design resource that facilitates connections between designers and homeowners as well as being a beautiful source of inspiration. Check it out! PS I got through this whole post without mentioning BEIGNETS once! Oooops.
The Perfectly Practical Microwave Drawer
Every designer has a trademark. One of mine definitely is the microwave drawer. Why? It's safe, easy to use and very unobtrusive. Yes, a microwave drawer will cost you a bit more than the over-the-range type but it's oh so worth it!
A little known fact is that all microwave drawers happen to be made by Sharp. Don't tell anyone I told you but whether you're springing for Wolf or Dacor they all come from the same place. The only difference is the exteriors which are made to match the collections by various brands.
Microwave drawers come in 24" or 30" wide and are built into a base or tall cabinet. An island can also be the perfect location. Typically you end up with a nice big drawer below which is perfect for storing microwavable cookware.
The ergonomics of lifting on to the counter top, out of a drawer, as opposed to reaching 4 1/2 feet up over a hot burner to access the contents is so much more safe and efficient.
I would rather look at this instead of a microwave any day.
There are so many details involved in designing a new kitchen and bringing it to reality, so when it comes to budget you have to pick your battles. If space allows, the microwave drawer is a great investment and the safest option for any age.
Put Some Style on Your Counter with Muji
You know how much I love my white walls and the uber sleekness of contemporary design. Today I came across a post at deZeen.com and discovered the world of Japanese product designer Naoto Fukasawa. He makes accessible, functional and simply gorgeous small appliances for your kitchen under the brand name Muji.
There are no sharp corners here, it's all minimal, voluptuously curvy and white. The series includes toasters, electric kettles (I want one!) rice cookers and more. Muji is crazy popular in Japan not just for the innovative styling of its products but also for their affordability. This line retails from $95-$195 and will be available in the UK and select USA (whatever that means) stores at the end of the year.
Fukasawa is a creative thinker who also designs furniture and intuitive interfaces for cell phones . The comment element is it's minimal, highly functional and always artful!
Sisterhood of the World Blogger's Award
Recently I had the honor of being nominated by the dynamic and incredible visionary of Boomersmarts, Mitzi Beach. We finally met earlier this year as members of the Modenus Blog Tour Vegas. I greatly admire her sense of style and design not to mention how lovely she is as a person.
Now on to my answers to the ten challenge questions she submitted to her nominees. At the end I will post a list of my own questions and nominees. Here goes!1). How long have you been blogging and why did you start?I started blogging in 2009. I was seeing a lot of exciting activity in my business on line and had this idea that I would create my own brand, which was Kitchens for Living, at the time. I built myself a home on Blogger and just kept going. Now I am Artful Kitchens with my own website. Through my blog, I have not only met many inspiring bloggers, designers and media professionals, but also have grown immensely as a result of all the destinations and trade shows it has allowed me to visit over the years. I'm so grateful for this and the opportunity to interact with both peers and potential clients through my blog and social media. It's a type of legacy, I suppose.2). What is the perfect paint color?Lately I have been dreaming of white. This comes from the visual artist part of me. I'm thinking art gallery walls which are a blank canvas. I'm planning my next home to be a melange of various whites. After all, there are so many! One that I especially love lately is Down White (not to be confused with the popular Dove White) by Benjamin Moore. I even have a White Walls pinterest board here.
3). If you could pick any designer, living or dead, to decorate your house, who would it be?Wow, it is hard to pick just one! Let me pay homage to one of the first woman interior designers of the modern era, Elsie de Wolfe. I think her quote says it all, "The cardinal virtue of all beauty is restraint." - (Editing is the most important step in the creative process.) I'm a big fan of the clean lines and letting the beauty of the material shine through.
Also, to continue with my current love of white decor, I will tell you I have always been in love with the forward thinking work of Charles Rennie MacIntosh and his cohorts, the "fabulous four". He was a product of the Victorian era but he took the Art Nouveau movement to new heights in terms of architecture and interior design. He was an architect, artist, furniture designer and interior designer. What more can I say? I also love anything having to do with the Bauhaus Movement. They were so innovative. Today I would want to work with Kathryn Ireland because I think she'd be a helluva lot of fun!
4). What location is on your travel bucket list?Visiting Bali would be a dream come true for me. It's the quintessential destination for a FLA salt girl like me.
5). What is your favorite restaurant?Funny you should ask, I recently had the best dish ever at Seven Fish in Key West, FLA. The trick is to A) have reservations because there are only like 4 tables (I exaggerate), B) order one of their creative specials, C) forgo the appetizer and salad because you're going to want to eat every bite of the generous main course.
6). Which wallpaper is your favorite? I confess I'm not a huge wall paper lover but I do love Rollout. I discovered them at IDS2011 trade show in Toronto. You can design your own too! I wrote a blog post about them here.7). When starting a design project, your first step is… (lighting, colors, furniture, etc.)My first step is to find a connection with my client. Once that is established and I can share her/his vision, everything else pretty much flows after that. I specialize in kitchens so typically a client will have at least one thing that they know they love such as a particular appliance, color, door style or stone. I take that and build on it.8). What is your favorite holiday and why?Ok, I'm cheating here but my favorite holiday is VACATION time!!!! I also like holidays such as Christmas (although I loathe the season leading up to it) that allow me to spend time with friends and family I love.
9). What is your favorite type of lighting source to use?As a kitchen designer I'm a fan of the Loox collection by Häfele. We now nearly always use their LED ribbon fixtures for under cabinet lighting. I like it because it spreads a nice even glow and it's easy to install.
10). What is your favorite design project you’ve ever done?All projects that result in happy clients are my favorites! One project I've done that I would love to own myself is this bamboo kitchen on the beach. The client is a pottery artist so we designed a spot for her work. I also loved the daring red dressing area connecting the bedroom to the bathroom and closets.
Now here are my ten questions:1) What is the most inspiring book you've ever read and why?2) If you could bring just one make up item with you on a trip what would it be?3) What dish are you known for?4) What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you and have you paid it forward yet?5) What is your trade mark design feature?6) What is the biggest misconception about you?7) What is one food that you detest and would not eat for love or money?8) What celebrity living or dead in the last hundred years would you like to chat with? Why?9) Do you believe in ghosts?10) What aspect of the design process is your favorite?Here are my nominees. You can answer the questions but if not, I totally understand and just want you to know that I am a fan and consider you a sister in the World of Bloggers:Linda Merrill: Linda Merrill Decorative SurroundingsRose Dostal: RMD DesignsBarbara Hirsch: Elza B DesignPatricia Brown Davis: Patricia Brown Davis DesignSarah Greenman: La Maison BohemeAnn Porter: Kitchen Studio of NaplesRaina Cox: If the Lampshade FitsJamie Gold: Gold NotesJenny Andrews: MFAMB Kelly Morrisseau: Kitchen Sync BlogThanks again Mitzi. It was fun and nice to share about who we are "behind the scenes".