Hot Countertops!

No, I don't mean stylish, I don't mean beautiful, I mean hot as in radon hot!

At this moment, The New York Times' article "What's Lurking In Your Countertop" is the Number One most popular article that is being emailed!

I'm no scientist or geologist, but, I'm paying attention and passing it along for you too. Oh, if you have to register for The Times, it's worth it. They do not do anything with your email address, so I'm told. Definitely register.

What you may want to do is contact a certified technician who will test your countertop here, or for $20-$30 you can pick up a radon testing kit at hardware stores.

What's Lurking In Your Countertop? 

When the French Country Kitchens Go Marching In...

I'm sitting here listening to WWOZ radio on the net as I often do, listening to a very modern version of "When the Saints Go Marching In" part rap, part gospel, part jazz, and of course, with that New Orleans influence everywhere. I know, you're saying "whaaaa?" but trust me, it's a good thing. Now, here comes another rendition after that one? Ok, I'll take it!

Oy vey, so how do I weave this into kitchens? There must be a way. Hmmmm....now I'm hearing "When the Saints win the Superbowl...." Ya gotta love NOLA!

NOLA! Yes, there is a huge, historical, French influence in NOLA, plus, I watched le Tour again this morning, from somewhere in France, so how about a few more Frenchy kitchens? I found them here, and many of them seem to be the Americanized version of French Country, but some are so good that I can't tell where they're from, so THAT'S interesting.

What a difference between kitchens from France and French "inspired" American kitchens. And, that's ok, say la vee, we're a melting pot after all over here, oui? Have fun!

Kitchen Open Shelves and More

Wow, you'd think I was on vacation or something! No, just occupied with a wide variety of things. Potential posts go in and out of my head, topics, images, and then time goes by. But, before any MORE time goes by, I want to do some show and tell. I hope you're all enjoying the summer. Please say hi! And, yes, I'm still watching le Tour every day! Everyone is skinny over there, they all need to eat a little something.

 THIS image propelled me into action right now. Come on, how absolutely "feel good" is this image? I found it at the kitchn, always good for wonderfully random good stuff. Really, the kitchn is so much more than recipes, it's very well rounded. Come to think of it, I've been meaning to add some food related info to the blog, after all, without food, what's a kitchen??

And, THESE IMAGES by Habitually Chic, are really fantastic. Showing open shelving in a kitchen, I love how it has caused such a great discussion. It seems one either loves them or could NEVER live with them. I've done posts on open shelves and have lived with open shelves. I love them, they work for me!

French Country Kitchens - Tour de France Inspiration!

As you may remember if you've been a reader for some time, I LOVE the Tour de France!

I never paid much attention to the Tour until our son took up cycling in a very serious way, with dreams of riding in le Tour himself one day. That particular dream has been replaced now, but it was very much alive for a few years. And so it goes.

But, watching the Tour is now a fixture in our home. It's a beautiful sport, one of the most beautiful, I think. Combined with the incredible scenery, the colorful jerseys, the huge pieces of artwork in the farm fields as tributes to the tour, and the magnificent look of the peloton, not to mention the aerial views, I recommend it highly. it's on the channel Versus for the next 3 weeks until the triumphant entrance into Paris.

SO, in the spirit of the Tour and the beautiful tour of the French countryside, let's look at some kitchens. I think we can learn many things from looking at authentic French kitchens.

We get out of our comfort zone

We see new ways of looking at color and texture

We see new ways at looking at form and function

At other times during the Tour, I'll add more images of French kitchens, both modern, farm country kitchens, and formal, elegant kitchens as well.

And, tell me what your likes, dislikes, opinions on these kitchens. Have fun!! Want to rent a French chateau? Images are from Just France.

Kitchen Design - Less Is More

I came across this picture of a kitchen, again, in Veranda magazine, designed by Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz. I immediately liked it.

This kitchen goes more under the heading of "highly stylized" rather than "highly personal". More "showcase", less "high end catalog". And, that said, it's a viable look. Glam meets function meets texture. There was no other image of the working part of the kitchen.

I like the variety of elements, but what I like more is the strength, yet, restraint. I need to continue to explain to my clients that less is more. Fewer, larger, shapes and forms will enlarge a space as opposed to many, smaller, pieces, door sizes, accessories, etc. This is not a good vs. bad evaluation, simply an observation and another way to design a kitchen. The look is simple and elegant, so that the individual pieces say something meaningful yet are linked together in other ways, perhaps in color or tone, if not style. 

Here, my eye sees a variety of styles:

utility (stainless refrigerator)

rustic (dark wood island)

glamour (beaded hood)

something hip/fun (plexiglass chairs)

elegance/sophistication yet modern (prints on wall)

modern/sleek yet textural (floor)

contrast (floor and walls)

There are common threads among these elements which tie one disparate piece to another and it's fun looking for them.  I'm actually pretty crazy about this kitchen, although I'd probably want to change the prints to something A BIT more personal...give me that. But those chairs...what a WOW!

One question that comes to mind is, what came first, or simultaneously? Was the flooring color picked first, knowing that those chairs would be used, which relate to the walls in terms of tone? Was the big picture seen from the start, or were pieces brought in, to build on the previous concept. How were the layers developed? It appears to me that there was a desire to have a strong foundation first and foremost, as seen in the flooring and the island being similar tones. Other than that, it's hard to guess.

What do you think??