Pottery Barn Lighting

I just saw this new fixture from Pottery Barn. It is showcased in their newsletter that I received. At first glance I really didn't care for it. Too...something. Contrived? Uninspired? Too much like other lighting fixtures that incorporate common objects like silverware or glasses, etc. etc?

Twenty seconds later, I think I like it. While I don't think I'd buy it, it's the sculptural quality of it that's speaking to me now. I think I'm over my initial cynical thoughts. I do like the use of two fixtures over a table, although these should be set further apart. Could be great for a kitchen dining area/breakfast room too.

What do you think? 1) Like it or 2) hate it or 3) a New Yorker's "eh" (with a smirk and a right tilt of the head-stop, let's not forget the half closed eyes)?

HGTV Design Star Kitchen Episode 2009

Please see my post on HGTV's Design Star dreaded kitchen episode. Take a look at these kitchen designs by HGTV's aspiring design stars (not necessarily kitchen design stars, cough.) I'd love your opinions on these kitchens and the episode!

HGTV Design Star Kitchen Episode

I will admit to only having seen HGTV's Design Star maybe once or twice before, a year or two ago. Somehow, my consciousness was raised about it this past week (good work HGTV) and I thought it would be interesting to view the kitchen episode, which aired last night. 

Of course, I'm going to look at this with a critical eye, how could I not?

Because I have not seen this season before last night, I do not know everyone's names, all their dynamics, abilities, and so on. In any case, it's the end result that matters. So, here are my impressions. Whether or not you watch the show, you can learn from this episode, so keep reading. 

When people go on game shows, I've heard that they brush up on facts, details, and so on. Is designing a kitchen something that these designers could have predicted they might have to tackle during the course of this season? If so, I'd assume that the designers would have spent an hour or two studying kitchen images to pick up creative ideas, tips, etc. Sit down, focus, observe, an hour or two, done. 

This episode goes to the crux of two important concepts:

• What are the clients' expectations for creative solutions?
• What is the designer's care/commitment/interest in providing creative solutions?

Did these designers fall into the trap of focusing solely on finishes? IT SURE SEEMS SO. The design of the cabinetry in both of these finished kitchens is kitchen design 101.

The cabinetry, being the largest element in the space (by far), has the fundamental opportunity (key word) to contribute to the design statement for the entire kitchen...in a significant way.

Who came up with the design for the cabinets? Was it the cabinet supplier? I don't remember seeing any plans or planning sessions on how to design the cabinetry into the space. I saw a lifestyle discussion with the clients, but not an overall kitchen design planning session. Did I miss it? 

Yes, I know they had 26 hours to get this done. BUT, taking an additional 20 minutes, at the barest minimum, after, say, the cabinet supplier presented the cabinet design (if that's what occurred) could have brought forth some creative ideas, even just one or two, from the design team(s). 

This is a competition on design ability, isn't it? Or is it just about speed, and how to throw in a BASIC kitchen with new finishes, in which case, nearly anything new will look decent, so what's the point in using designers, who may get their own show on HGTV no less? I expected more. And, not a whole lot more, given the time constraints, but more. Did you?

Here are some VERY simple ideas, one or two which would have sufficed to make it a more creative design. Again, we're talking simple ideas, given the time crunch.

MOROCCAN/ITALIAN KITCHEN 

1. remove the two round cabinets on each side of the window
2. remove the diagonal wall cabinet to the left of the window
3. in their places, just run the wall cabinets straight to the wall and put something decorative on the wall to the left of the window to partially fill that volume of space if it needs it
4. the island is unattractive. Push the cabinet to one side and add a stool under the countertop overhang at one end
5. OR push the cabinet to one side of the available countertop and add an open shelf cabinet which one will see upon entering the kitchen
6. consider having a cohesive section of the wall cabinets "floating" on the wall/unconnected to the refrigerator end panel and right wall and, likewise, the wall on the other side of the window for a less utilitarian look.

WARM MODERN KITCHEN

1. Same recommendation, just run the wall cabinet on the microwave wall straight to the end of the wall and remove the one that is to the right of the window
2. I think the cabinets should have touched the soffit or be 1/3 less the height. This height, to my eye, makes the ceiling look lower
3. I would have considered a light cream/white color for the upper cabinets
4. The island looks too large and with everything very simple, there was an opportunity to do SOMETHING to the island, even something little to keep the simple concept. What? How about using 2 refrigerator wall cabinets (24 deep typically) that are about 24" tall and put them on legs (straight, simple, pieces of lumber painted white, so easy) to make a more open feeling.
5. Use a microwave drawer on the island and create a combination open shelves (seeing wall behind) and closed door wall cabinets on the refrigerator wall

 

Call me crazy, but a kitchen design is not all about the finishes. Again, the cabinets contribute to the largest volume in the room. A little thought goes a very long way. 

Also, I believe in both cases, the teams talked about entertaining. A few of these ideas above would make the kitchen feel, again, less utilitarian, and more like a "living" environment. If they entertain many people, and as we know, people like to hang out in the kitchen, is an island the best choice in THESE spaces? Could the peninsula end have been angled for more counter space, allowing more area to walk around in the kitchen? How many people can you really accommodate in these kitchens? I can't say, I can't see the dimensions. 

The point is, there was obviously zero time spent in the cabinet design process, except to go the easy way out...what their clients would most likely consider a "wow": either doing a simple, uninspired kitchen design billed as "modern" or embellishing the accessories/finishes as was done in the Moroccan/Italian kitchen. It sells the clients short. 

Twenty extra minutes to come up with something interesting in the cabinet plan by one of these designers OR a request to the cabinet supplier to "add a twist or two to this plan NOW!" is what a designer should have done to exhibit real creativity. 

And, please do not try to move a refrigerator yourself. Only the pros should move refrigerators into a house. 

I only made one comment on a specific finish recommendation. That's a whole other topic on these kitchens! And, rather than answer the top two conceptual questions myself, I'll leave that to others and would like your input. So, what did you think of this episode?

House Beautiful Kitchen Of The Year 2009

Now I know why someone associated with House Beautiful yesterday said to me "We love bloggers!" This post will have taken me about 6 hours to produce by the time I'm finished. Why? It's the images! I'm not even going to tell you how how many I took...but maybe I'm the worst editor, or maybe there are just WAY too many inspiring vignettes in this beauitful kitchen/living space. In either case, maybe I was a little obsessive. That's ok, I surrender to it and you benefit.

Ok, let's talk about the kitchen. There's A LOT going on in this kitchen, a lot to talk about. I think I'll be organized about it. Yes, Susan, that's a good concept.

OVERALL DESIGN

The kitchen design, by Robert Stilin in close collaboration with Ina Garten, was meant to replicate Ina's East Hampton kitchen for House Beautiful's Kitchen Of The Year 2009. The kitchen of the year can be viewed at Rockefeller Center (you can't miss it) until July 24.

You're hearing it more and more...the kitchen is the new living room. The drum beat is getting louder. I think we were shocked by the financial crisis into rediscovering the pleasures of our homes, adding a renewed desire to be cozy, and of course, to save some money and get back into cooking for family and friends to nourish our souls as well as our bodies. Simple pleasures came back into the forefront. Sharing tasks, communicating easily, using the cookware, servingware and other precious pieces that we love and using them more frequently.

Ina's kitchen seems to embody these philosophies and more. Along with wanting things more simple in and around the kitchen, many of us want to cook up a storm too! Just like Ina. The "chef's kitchen" philosophy is one that promises everything right where you need it, with the eye toward common things being seen as sculptural and beautiful in their own right.

The overall design is one, then, of easy transitions from one place to the next in this space. A flow that can be manipulated as desired, depending on the type of entertaining or cooking activities taking place. Cooking. Eating. Very simple. Lounge and rest areas, abundant seating for guests, an efficient galley design helps the flow.

CONVERSATION WITH INA

Ina told me (we chatted about her kitchen) that she prefers to assign tasks, accept help when offered, and later, to use the rear of the island as a buffet. Ina uses her dining room maybe twice a year and otherwise serves her wonderful meals in the kitchen dining area. Ina also has on hand her favorite things (dressy serving ware, etc.) as seen in the open shelving, and she uses them frequently. Organization is important...note the utensils in the pottery near the sink, utensils arranged in the same material in each container for quick tool identification. Small appliances require immediate access and somehow look perfect in their various homes along the backsplash.

COLORS AND FINISHES

I just love the Caesarstone countertops. It's a warm gray. It's understated. An understated material such as this supports the kitchen design. It doesn't draw attention to itself except to enhance the feeling of the space. To me, that's what a countertop is supposed to do, play a supporting role. It's lovely and super functional at the same time. With so much going on on top of countertops, take it down a few notches in terms of pattern and I promise you your experience in the kitchen will be more peaceful and serene. Doesn't that make sense?

DETAILS

In random order off the top of my head:

The lamp is SO cozy and useful and, did I say cozy(?) at the end of the countertop.

Items we do not normally think to put into drawers are stored to Ina's preferences. Glasses are in a drawer, favorite bowls, jars laying down in a shallow drawer. A very efficient double silverware drawer insert (I was always against them but I changed my mind now).

Cabinet access at the rear of the island (why not, for rarely used items?)

CABINETRY

The cabinetry is by Kraftmaid. I spoke with an old colleague of mind, Sarah Reep, Director of Design from Kraftmaid. Sarah said that she sees cleaner, brighter whites emerging. I agreed with her and said I see more white walls as an anectodal point. Sarah sees super functional chef-type kitchens being even more important than ever, connected to the current movement toward staying at home more and the process of cooking healthy foods a result of the trend toward healthier living. Take a look at some of the cabinet details and woodworking details, especially above the refrigerators. Simple, clean lines. Easy to be timeless.

FINISHES

So, we have neutrals, it seems in this kitchen. We have whites, creams, grays, wood tones, a mix of metals and bursts of color to lift our spirits. It sounds good to me! I think neutrals play a big role these days, again, as we are looking for value and performance over the long term in our more expensive components of a kitchen which are flooring, countertops and cabinetry. How can you go wrong with that thinking? Again, the countertop selection is a perfect example of keeping it simple.

APPLIANCES

Appliances are by Viking. The range and hood are a warm shade. Warm is nice. Warm feels good. Warm is what many of us want. I'm not sure it's the exact shade, but one of my clients wanted a Viking range about 4-5 years ago, maybe less, and I encouraged her to use Viking's khaki color. She did. It's easy to be around, so much less "cold" than lots swaths of stainless, don't you think? Two dishwashers are a must for a chef's kitchen, which we see here and plenty of cold storage too. Love the sink, love that Kohler sink. Ina told me it's extra deep so that dishes can disappear if they don't get into the dishwasher while guests are here. An induction cooktop toward the end of the cooktop handles another working chef, another way to cook, or just another place to work as a preference. 

THE FEELING

It's about comfort, easy and casual living however YOU define it. 

That's it for the moment. I have GOT to get back to work! I just may add on to this as I think of other details, but take a look at this slide show...enjoy it!

OH, before I forget....on the way back from the kitchen tour, I was lucky enough to get a parking space on the upper west side. I thought I'd give my daughter a call to see if I could literally swing by, pull the car over, and give her and her 4 week old baby (my first grandchild!) a kiss, just a quickie. She said sure! So, the last picture is of my two girls. The best reason of all to have a live-in, play-in, entertain-in, anything goes kitchen. Can't wait till they (and my SIL) visit me this weekend...we'll be hanging out in the kitchen a lot!

It's what it's all about.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitchendesigner/sets/72157621636705273/show/

The Skirted Roundtable Podcast With Me!

It was my pleasure the other day to chat with Linda from Surroundings and Joni from Cote de Texas on all things kitchen design related. I think we delved into some interesting territory. 

Joni and Linda do love kitchens, that is apparent, and they have a genuine interest in hearing new points of view and I'm interested in their points of view, as interior designers. We can each teach one another if we are open to it. 

I listen to their podcasts. I'll put it on, go about my work and always learn something. 

In this podcast, I talk about trends, countertops, blogging, more. I was SO taken with this podcast experience that I'm going to do some podcasts here. If you can get past my Long Island accent and singsong voice pattern, you're prepared!

Thank you ladies, what a pleasure! I've been a fan of both of you!

House Beautiful Kitchen - Smaller Focus

I follow so many great people on Twitter, but cannot stay on Twitter constantly, so I'm sure I miss many great tweets. Oftentimes, I'll catch tweets that really relate to something I'm thinking about or bring me great new information, as I'm quickly scanning, and I'm delighted. This morning is one such occasion. I happened to catch House Beautiful's tweet, in part, on a case made for refrigerator drawers in a small kitchen.

This REALLY spoke to me because I have thought about this issue a LOT. The issue is if one should substitute refrigerator drawers in place of a traditional tall refrigerator in a small kitchen.

This is a personal issue for me as well as being a basic kitchen design issue that I am interested in.

We own our own little piece of New York City. At the moment, our apartment is used full time, as our son, attending college, is living here for perhaps one more year. He and his girlfriend cook up a storm most nights a week. The tall, old, 33" refrigerator is packed.

As my husband and I talk about the future, we'd love to be in this apartment on a part time basis for the foreseeable future.

Last year we removed the wall that separated the kitchen from the main living area in the apartment, exposing the kitchen. It was the very best thing we could have done. It opens up and combines the living area and the kitchen but makes the aesthetics of the kitchen more important than ever.

So, in thinking about renovating our kitchen down the road, I consider three issues, as I think everyone must when designing a small kitchen space: resale, fumction, and aesthetics.

RESALE

I think the default position on resale considerations is that a tall refrigerator is better than refrigerator drawers for the vast majority of potential buyers. I think that is safe to say. In our case, we think we will hold on to this apartment down the road, but we do not feel 100% sure which makes resale an issue.

FUNCTION

Bending, bending, fruit near the floor, sift through food (while bending.) Limited storage...and where does the freezer go? Platters, larger quantities of refrigerated food storage? Better think about that.

AESTHETICS

Aesthetics IS an issue in kitchen planning and should be examined carefully, the plan with and without a tall refrigerator. My heart wants to forget about the two issues above and build in refrigerator drawers solely for aesthetic reasons! In a small space, yes, I agree with the designer of this featured kitchen by House Beautiful...refrigerator drawers can be an enormous plus aesthetically as opposed to a tall refrigerator - even a fabulously built in slim refrigerator.

That's the thing...aesthetics, at least in my world, are as important, and sometimes more important, (gasp) than function, to which I, personally, am (sometimes) willing to adapt to. That's the other thing...if you go with your heart, make sure your head is very well aware of potential consequences (oh, how responsible, sigh)

I don't know what I'll end up doing when we eventually renovate this kitchen, but I know I will consider ALL issues very carefully and I'll beware of my emotions taking control of the decision. Then, I just may say, ok, whatever, I really want to open the kitchen up to the max, come what may. I can see that. :)

KITCHEN OF THE YEAR

Do you know about the kitchen of the year? It's being built as we speak in the middle of Rockefeller Center in New York. Designed in collaboration with Ina Garten, one of my favorite cookbook authors of all time. I think I have every cookbook she's authored! The KOTY will be on display from July 20-24.  I'll certainly be attending the event!

Tour de Kitchens and Tour de France Together Again

Welcome to my third annual series of posts on French kitchens inspired by the Tour de France! This 3 week event is an excellent opportunity to celebrate authentic French kitchens and to study their many wonderful design details.

In the coming weeks, I'd love to look at all sorts of French kitchens, from modern to (really) rustic to those French country kitchens rich with charm and texture. Let's take these kitchens apart, look at the details, compare and contrast, and just admire what makes these French kitchens uniquely....French!

This year of the Tour is particularly exciting for me. After all, it's the Tour de Lance! Lance Armstrong has returned to the Tour to raise funds and awareness and to bring people together toward a common enemy...cancer. I think what he is doing is amazing. Check out Lance's videos and explore the site of Lance's foundation, Livestrong.  Follow Lance on Twitter, I love his tweets.

SO...onward! The prologue of the Tour began today in fabulous Monaco. What kind of kitchens do they have in Monaco? If you rented an apartment in one of the many apartment buildings surrounding the harbor to see the start of the Tour, most likely the style of the interiors would be largely simple, elegant, modern. I would call the kitchens an international style. They are nearly all very similar! Some sort of combination of stainless, black or rich browns and/or white, and you're done. Minimalist. Simplicity and elegance.

Images from

http://www.royal-immobilier.com/uk/monaco.php

http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/monaco/s/1186/fa/find.squery

Take a look!