A French Kitchen Renovation

Some time ago I corresponded with an American living in France who was about to undergo a kitchen renovation in their 200 year old home in a small French village. We talked about working together and for various logistical reasons in connection to the renovation work, it didn't work out (trust me, my bags could have easily been packed in short order!) 

I was so pleased to receive an email yesterday (months after our conversations) with images of the home with its bones exposed...and intact! The home is small. The first floor is 220 square feet and will serve as the kitchen which also features a wood burning fireplace. I am told that the front interior wall will be exposed stone. The homeowner says, "The floor under linoleum is original terracotta tile." Original.Terracotta.Wow!

They will be installing traditional French kitchen cabinetry, made by a local shop called Muebles Baluteau - just look at the beautiful cabinetry in the website. I feel like I've stepped into a French fantasy when I look at some of these pieces.

The whole point is, I wanted to share these cool images with you. Normally, when a house is gutted in the states, we see wood studs, pieces of sheetrock and a plywood subfloor. This gutted space is a beautiful sight to behold!

Below, pretty crazy construction with hand hewn timbers:

Below, a lovely combination of original materials - stone, terracotta, hand hewn beams, a simple and elegant fireplace, and beautiful, narrow brick. 

Below, another view of stone, a staircase and large, hand hewn beams:

Below, more beautiful, original and authentic surfaces

Below, once again - fantastic, preserved, materials

What a privilege to take a look at the exposed interior of this home. I hope to share more images with you as the renovation progresses! 

Kohler Colors by Jonathan Adler

As color, wonderful, bright, bold, free-spirited, color, has moved into the center of our lives, seen in our clothing, in our interiors in so many forms, in our outdoor living areas - and in all sorts of graphic design online and in print (and that is just for starters-as we know, color has upped its presence everywhere) it makes me think that such a significant part of Kohler's culture has been color-focused.

Kohler has had a love affair with color, and few would disagree. Kohler has quietly kept an exceptionally wide range of colors in its collection of products year after year. Although white is king in the kitchen and bath and always a classic, nevertheless, Kohler's commitment to color has been enduring - and passionate! Even if you really dislike a color, I KNOW, as a designer that any one of Kohler's colors is able to play the perfect role, whether bold or understated, a focal point or a quiet design element, in every kitchen and bath - yes, even those peachy, fleshy tones (pair them with white or charcoal for a sophisticated look!)

Take a look at this very interesting, brief, history of Kohler's colors. I loved looking at Kohler's color timeline.

Jonathan Adler Colors

It is with real interest that I observe Kohler's special edition colors by Jonathan Adler. I view these four colors as decidedly non-trendy colors, which is to say, they are colors that you can use to clearly personalize your kitchen or bath that will stand the test of time, and I do not say that lightly.

The colors, Piccadilly Yello, Greenwich Green, Palermo Blue and Annapolis Navy, are not neon - the color darling of the moment. THESE colors can be translated into a kitchen design that can be centered around elegance, country comfort, modern design, or one with a playful theme. These colors are versatile....thus, personal!

Quite honestly, I purposely did not read the press release about these colors because I wanted to go by my instincts as a designer when I went to see the collection in person. It's often a practice I employ for many new product introductions. I knew as soon as I saw this collection first hand, taking my time to work through the colors and sink configurations, that design flexibility is built in, in a very, very smart and aesthetically pleasing way. Surely, that was Kohler's intent-intelligent design flexibility.

I have to say that Kohler is providing the tools for pretty much wherever your design inspiration will take you...so many tools!! The Jonathan Adler collection is available for a limited time but the colors will prove to be enduring - sweet!

Modern-Aire Ventilating

I know of Modern-Aire Ventilating for many, many years. I know it as a bit of an under-the-radar resource for ventilation products, usually specified by professional kitchen designers. I know Modern-Aire to be highly reliable, super flexible as to what they are willing to do for their design professional clients in terms of customizations and they are also a manufacturer of high quality products. It pretty much says it all.

Modern-Aire has their own collection of, let's say, standard hood sizes and designs as well as a broad/standard palette of colors. That is only the beginning, however. Take one of their standard hoods and design it any which way, and/or make it Sky Blue Pink and the folks at Modern-Aire are all zen-like about it - it's your world. 

Don't care for the standard hoods? Design your own. Reinvent the wheel. It's all good.

I always firmly believe that the culture of a company, good, bad, or indifferent, is reflected by philosophies and attitudes of those at the top. I have had the pleasure of getting to know a few of the people who run Modern-Aire and they're all zen-like too - in the best of ways....pleasant, happy, enthusiastic people, passionate about their products. Can you be zen and passionate simultaneously? Yes!

But, wait, that's not all!! Designers like flexibility. I had a plan for the Bornholm Kitchen display at the Sag Harbor showroom of Kitchen Designs by Ken Kelly to design an interior ventilating system that would be a) short in height b) powerful and c) able to have its duct directed straight back rather than vertical in order to allow for a completely open space above the short, horizontal, hood. 

I brought my problem to Trevor Lawson at Eurostoves and he came back to me with the solution - problem solved. Sometimes a design will call for an understated, yet powerful, ventilation solution. There are precious few companies who will reinvent the wheel 7 days a week, but Modern-Aire does that. 

Trevor has special programs and benefits for designers and other trade professionals who specify Modern-Aire. Service is one of those benefits. You can't rattle Trevor, he is a sea of calm, and he is a wealth of information. As a designer, I know Modern-Aire will do what they can to figure out how to give me what I'm looking for. So many companies default to "no.....because...." and that's why this is all so glowing - Modern-Aire does not do that unless physics tell them otherwise. So, then, what we have is design flexibility, high end quality and superb function. Simple.

Kitchen Design Chat

Although I'm already working on negative time during every 24 period (I'd clone myself but the clone would prove to be too annoying) it occurred to me many months back that I'd really love to talk (live) about kitchens on a regular basis. 

After a long career thinking/dreaming/plotting/planning about every single, little, aspect of kitchens, and coupled with real world hands on experience starting from producing my own drawings (always), to order writing to project supervision to 2 hernia operations from hauling cabinet parts off of trucks at the jobsite and everything in between, I know that there is so much to talk about! 

The chat is:

•  #KDChat - This is the Twitter hashtag for the chat
• The chat takes place every 1st and 3rd Mondays
• It begins at 5pm ET

Here are some initial ideas on topics that we will discuss and these will be specifically noted on the official Kitchen Design Chat site. The social kitchen, the healthy kitchen, the technological kitchen, the aesthetic kitchen, the functional kitchen, the sustainable kitchen, the accessible kitchen are but a precious few topics, each of which has many pieces to it to focus on.  Some topics will be practical, some-deeply thought provoking, but the spirit of the conversation is best, to me, to be casual, honest, free spirited, filled with friendly debate and lots of interesting conversation. We will also talk brands, products, materials and overall design.

FOLLOW #KDCHAT HERE:

@KDChat_ on Twitter (embrace the underscore!)

#KDChat when we chat

Kitchen Design Chat Website

Kitchen Design Chat Facebook Page

Please join me. The kitchen is the only room of the home that touches all five senses - there is much to talk about and share!

THIS kitchen is all potential!