Poggenpohl Kitchen Showroom

During a recent trip to London, I had the opportunity to spend some quality time at Poggenpohl’s Waterloo kitchen showroom. This London trip was arranged courtesy of Blog Tour 2011, an idea conceived by Veronika Miller, founder of Modenus, to bring design bloggers to the London Design Festival. Luckily for me, a visit to a Poggenpohl kitchen showroom was on our agenda!

Following are interesting design ideas that I spotted at the showroom – and check out the Blanco sinks!

Below, highly textured wood cabinetry paired with sleek white and stainless steel-take a look at the lucite dining chairs and glass table-cool!

Below, I'm thinking that, after removing the third bottle of wine during dinner, this higher position of the wine refrigerator should prove to be useful!

Below, a crisp/tailored undermount sink and separate drainboard by Blanco. I love the look of the separate pieces and the recycling bins below are perfectly situated.

Below, another Blanco sink and interesting countertop shapes and forms.

Below, note the difference in countertop thicknesses - the island is thick, the opposite countertop is thin - quite interesting to change it up.

Below, exploiting horizontal lines...

Below, sleek white cabinetry, playing with volume...

Below, on trend neutral, flesh tone shades in textured wood juxtaposed with sleek, glossy, cabinetry.

I have more images of this beautiful showroom I will share, but in the meantime, thank you to those at the Poggenpohl Waterloo showroom for giving us such a warm welcome!

Tent London–London Design Festival

I’m here in London, fully immersed in Design Heaven! Part of the Blog Tour 2011 group care of Modenus.com and other sponsors, we are moving about London from one design exhibition to another, spending quality time at each inspiring venue.

Here’s a glimpse of some cool, kitcheny, products I’ve seen so far…

Below: Hanging light fixtures that leaves me warm and fuzzy by Kenichiro Oomori Moving Design

Below, beautifully made wooden kitchen utensils by Stovell Design

Below, awesome kitchen shelving by Studio Johnmale

Below, textured concrete tiles by Ivanka Workshop

More design inspiration coming your way soon from Merry Olde England! Today, I’ll be “working” my way through 100% Design!

London Design Festival, Blog Tour 2011 and Modenus.com

The 9-day London Design Festival and all its 300 events throughout the city commences today! In a few days, I will be on a plane to London with 18 other U.S. design bloggers to do nothing but observe, learn, interact with, breathe, and talk design. I am honored to be a part of this impressive initiative to bring US design bloggers to London. The concept to sort of comingle bloggers from the US and from the UK was that of Veronika Miller, founder of the design-rich website, Modenus. In a moment, we will hear Veronika's own words, as she describes the creative thinking behind BlogTour2011.

As a kitchen design professional, I am especially grateful to be included in this group. I have paid increased attention to the world of interior design, apart from kitchen design, in recent years having taken the time (and money) to travel to many design shows and events. As the kitchen is ever more connected to surrounding rooms and products and materials from surrounding rooms are finding their way into the kitchen, it is very important to be an astute observer of what's happening in interior design today. I will look for products, materials and design concepts which can be brought into the kitchen in a seamless way to create the "flow" that connected well designed spaces have. I just cannot WAIT to take it all in!

Here is some great information about Blog Tour 2011 and its fearless leader, Veronika Miller. Oh, and Veronika? She goes to an ENORMOUS number of design shows throughout the year. She may be one of the most knowledgeable people on interior design products and materials there is and that is no exaggeration.

Events in London just on one day!1. Veronika, how and why was this idea born, to bring US design bloggers to the UK to find design inspiration? 

Blog Tour was born, as are many good ideas, over a drink and some scribbles on a paper napkin. We had just created a very successful gathering for bloggers at Arch Digest Show in NYC in March at which bloggers kept telling me that Modenus should host blogger events more often. People see us as a hub for interior design resources so it was a natural next step to create something that would boost design bloggers' visibility whilst helping Modenus report from trade shows and design exhibits with content from select groups of bloggers. 

 It was a spontaneous moment between Troy Hanson at MMPI and Modenus which resulted in such a fun and inspired concept, something with a distinctly international tinge reflecting Modenus as a platform that is based in the US and the UK. So, over a few dirty Martinis in Hell's Kitchen NYC, BlogTour was born.

2. What are your professional goals for this trip; what does success look like?

Bloggers have an opportunity to immerse themselves in design inspiration, meet international designers, journalists and peers and flex their social media muscle to show just how much buzz they can create for an event or a brand. I think it's important to show that design bloggers can be very influential and professional contributors to digital media. Many of them should absolutely be considered as media partners for larger brands or design related initiatives.

Sponsors benefit from the immense buzz created through each BlogTour group prior to every event and by actually meeting bloggers in real life at their showrooms or at one of the exciting venues we've chosen to include in our itinerary. Making a brand visible through digital and social media is, of course,  very important but making it tangible through real life relationships is vital

Modenus was launched, and has grown, exclusively through social and digital media. BlogTour is a natural extension of Modenus and, as well as everything else, has further increased the visibility and reputation of Modenus in the US, UK and around the globe.

3. The agenda is so well rounded outside of the Decorex event. How do you hope these other opportunities for design exploration will inspire design bloggers?

London Design Festival is unique in that it offers 9 days of design events which are anchored by big trade shows like 100% Design, Tent London and just after LDF, Decorex. We've covered London Design Festival for several years now and know how inspiring British design can be and how important it is to focus not only on the larger brands but on the hundreds of creative artisans and artists who exhibit independently or at smaller venues or even through pop-up shops.

Designs can be over the top and  provocative and other times just beautiful and inspired but the point is that that, in my eyes, it is in those smaller shops and venues that great design trends are born. I think bloggers will take away a lot of inspiration for future blog posts or design work and hopefully benefit from the great personal relationships they'll be able to forge while in London.   

4. I know that I, as a design blogger, welcome opportunities to get up close and personal with manufacturers' products any way that I can. It's always a learning experience. I'm curious - what are the BlogTour sponsors' expectations and plans to interact with the design bloggers in an effort to showcase new design or technology in their products? 

We are thrilled and honoured every time a sponsor steps up to join BlogTour in London or any of the tours scheduled for 2012 because it is such a new concept but we realize they are seeing the same potential we're seeing.

Some of the sponsors will indeed be meeting us at  their showrooms or at a dinner venue in order to spend some time up close and personal with our American bloggers as well as some of the UK bloggers, while others appear to be quite happy to allow BlogTour to promote their brands through Twitter and other social media outlets to help them grow their own social media following. 

 Modenus has always worked with every vendor on a customized basis to meet their marketing and budget needs and BlogTour is no different...we listen and come up with a solution that will give them the type of exposure they seek. 

 Thank you to all of our BlogTour sponsors: 

BLANCO America
Samuel Heath
Victoria & Albert Baths
Poggenpohl
Wallunica
Achica Living 
DuVerre Hardware
Spirit of Sports 

Decorate - A Book by Holly Becker of Decor8 Blog

BUY THE BOOKBUY THE BOOK!Decorate, a new book by Holly Becker of the iconic blog, Decor8, is an ambitious book (that's the word that comes to mind). There is an enormous number of images for maximum visual delight, clearly and well written text as well as the ability to quickly drill down to the essence of each chapter and core message via quotes, lists, tips, shaded content boxes and other visual aids.

I love this kind of reference material. Give me the option to read or to look quickly for information. To me, this is a useful format, or mix of formats.

I am privileged to have been quoted in the kitchen section of this book in numerous places. It is an honor to me that Holly Becker sought out my insight on the topic of kitchen design. That said, while Holly Becker is a respected and treasured blogging buddy/colleague/friend since early 2007, I have declined to review books by other design industry peers, some of whom had been colleagues of mine (past tense-unfortunately, declining to review a book costs relationships) for many years. It's lovely that I am quoted in this book, but if I did not find the book to have real value in terms of solid and quality design information, I would pass it by and not review it.

In the kitchens section, on page 148, the introductory paragraph is such an inspiring yet succinct, description of what the role of the kitchen can be in our lives. To get this philosophy right, puts anyone on the right track who is planning a kitchen renovation. 

There are countless references to personalizing the kitchen in Decorate that are truly creative. It takes some thought to be creative, which means it takes quality time. More often than not, the content that I see around the web or elsewhere which focuses on creative solutions for kitchen storage, design, whatever it is, is sorely lacking in creative thinking.

The suggestions, tips, ideas on personalizing the kitchen in Decorate, are both enlightening and fresh and are accessible to nearly everyone (perhaps with the exception of the Michael S. Smith sink for Kallista) ;) 

The sections of the kitchen chapter are sort of divided into how we live - Casual Eating, Cook's Kitchen, Built-in Storage, Urban Kitchen and others. I find that the text teaches by describing various lifestyle scenarios which helps the reader to visualize a look more completely. But, it goes even further, describing the feelings that certain creative ideas may elicit, such as mismatching china, how to design in comfort and other creative ideas. At the end of the day, when you stand at the doorway to your kitchen, it's lovely to feel the way you had hoped you would feel at the start of the process, when finally surveying the result of all that work. 

Most of the kitchens in the book are white and modern, but with personal touches, which is the point of the book. You will not find cookie cutter kitchens from manufacturers' brochures here. These are each a personal expression and illustrations of that classic design conflict of function vs. aesthetics that each of us has to reconcile for ourselves - hopefully under the guidance of a kitchen design professional who is understanding of the client's needs and desires.

I'm also thrilled that the social kitchen, a concept that I've talked about for some years, has a special section as well. The advice is there for the taking, without scolding or demanding or even nudging. It's positive and enthusiastic voice is the voice of the Holly I know and many of us are familiar with. The rest of the book? It's awesome. Decorate.

Copenhagen Design Week

A fantastic collection of talks, exhibitions, showrooms, design tours and more, Copenhagen Design Week covered every area of both beautiful and socially responsible design. I've gone to design shows in quite a few countries including many shows in the US on a regular basis.

Honestly, I've never been so inspired, never have been so touched both personally and professionally, as I have been by attending this series of exhibitions. It was more than a design exhibition, it culminated with a reawakened design philosophy within my brain and my soul. The Index Awards, at which I was present at the Opera House, was a centerpiece of the week. Please read more about the Index Awards.

This is a very long post, but these words by the Acting CEO of the Danish Design Center touched me in a significant way, and I hope you can take 10 minutes or less to read through this piece to capture its beautiful and important meaning. In its entirety:

Thank you so much Aura/Ida Corr for the lovely song and for creating the right atmosphere.

Your Royal Highness, ladies and gentlemen,

I offer you all a warm welcome to the Copenhagen Design Week.

For the second time, Copenhagen Design Week welcomes international designers, architects, CEOs, design managers, researchers and students to six days devoted to design.

As we kick off this week of great design events – I think three questions needs to addressed:

1. Why design?
2. What is design?
3. How can design help?

Why design?

What is the importance of design? Why should we bother? What is it that design can do for you? For me? For all of us?

Society is changing and the world as we know it is slowly turning upside down. We face new challenges and opportunities. Our life expectancy is growing and so is the world population. The Western welfare systems are under pressure while the middle classes are booming in Brazil, Russia, India and China. Resources are dwindling while demand is growing and the whole economy is under reconstruction.

In short, we need to think…

The facts of the modern, global society call for action. We cannot address new challenges with traditional solutions. And we cannot wait for someone else to take action.

All of us – nations, global communities, companies and individuals – need to think – and to design new solutions for our longer and safer and cleaner lives.

It is time to design the world we want to live in, and anyone interested in form, function, shape and seduction should pay attention.

But what is design?

Magazines – and the popular belief – will tell you, that design is all about beautiful things. And this is absolutely right. Beauty lies in form and function, and beauty lies in great design…. In Jaguars and Egg Chairs, in Yves Saint Laurent dresses and Erik Magnussen’s jug. Beauty lies in intelligent solutions. Beauty lies in Novo Nordisk’s insulin pen that empowers people with diabetes. Beauty lies in the fact that they are no longer patients. But people.

Beauty lies in products and solutions that help us become better people. And design can really do that. Design can really change who we are, what we do and how we behave.

Smart phones are not making us smarter, but they are changing the ways in which we navigate and interact in our daily lives. They are changing our physical and social behaviour.

We are a designing species, and the designs we make design us in return. This basic understanding is, I believe, the central element in the Danish design DNA.

The first golden age of Danish design coincided with the building of the welfare state in the 50s and 60s. The chairs, the lamps, the cutlery, the buildings were all part of an effort to create new ways of human interaction. Danish design has always been intimately linked to our humanistic and democratic traditions: The traditions of Folk High Schools and Co-ops; the tradition of sustainable solutions and pragmatic products; the tradition of designing for the community and of social inclusion.

We are at the beginning of a second golden age of Danish Design. And this time we are not alone, because the whole world is at the beginning of a golden age of design.

Today, design is much more than styling; much more than form and function. Today design is an instrument for developing innovative, competitive and sustainable products and solutions in order to meet the complex challenges of today’s society.

A holistic grasp of the big picture is a key condition for creating meaningful design solutions.  The humanistic tradition has for decades been the basis of Danish product design, and it is now a driving force in the role of the designer in a complex world.

So, design has come to mean more than giving form; it is increasingly becoming a strategic element in innovation processes in the private as well as in the public sector. To help this process along, the Danish Government last year established the Design 2020 Committee with the vision of making Denmark a society where the use of design is integrated at all levels to improve the quality of peoples’ lives, creating economic value for businesses and improving efficiency and quality in the public sector.

How can design help?

It is very simple, really. The essence of design is thinking human. The essence of design is making products and solutions for human beings with minds and bodies and desires and aspirations and social needs and wishes.

Design is not the answer to every question we can ask. But it is my experience that if you involve designers in your search for answers, the answers will involve thinking human. Beauty lies in this.

Talk in an antique boat given by IKEA - participants on each side of center tableI am proud and happy to welcome you all to Copenhagen Design Week. The programme is full of beautiful solutions to complex challenges, and they will show us ways to a more sustainable future based on the ability and the willingness to Think Human.

Copenhagen Design Week explores and raises awareness of the impact of design, architecture and the environment on human life. In a world of constant change, design has the potential to transform ideas and social values, meet desires and needs – and, not least, create good business outcomes.

We firmly believe that Copenhagen Design Week will show us the way to a more sustainable future based on the ability and the willingness to Think Human. There is plenty of work to do – but the future starts now.

Dance with the Egg Chair at Official Opening of Copenhagen Design WeekLet me conclude by pointing out three things you cannot miss during the Design Week.

First of all - go to Kvæsthusmolen by The Royal Danish Playhouse on the Copenhagen harbor front. Here you will find the Design Zone, which is the venue for the main exhibitions during the Copenhagen Design Week.

Here you will see how design and architecture meet local and global challenges.

Secondly – Kvæsthusmolen is also the venue for the INDEX: exhibition, and you will be able to study the winning projects. The INDEX: exhibition illustrates that design has the environmental, social, and economically sustainable tools to make the world a safer and better environment for people.

And naturally, I recommend a visit to our exhibition right here, in the Danish Design Centre. The exhibition, Challenge Society, pinpoints the role of designers in solving the grand challenges of our society.

HRH Prince Frederik applauding enthusiastically after a performance at the official opening of Copenhagen Design Week (yes, he was one row in front of me!)But please be aware – that this is only a fraction of all the exciting experiences that lie ahead during the Copenhagen Design Week.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Danish Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs and the Danish Enterprise and Construction Agency for supporting the Copenhagen Design Week.

An essential aspect of creating and carrying out an event such as the Copenhagen Design Week is to establish strong partnerships. Therefore, I would also like to give a warm thanks to our main partners: IKEA and Nokia. We deeply appreciate your financial support and your expertise on design and your contributions during the Copenhagen Design Week.

Finally, please let me offer my sincere thanks to the Copenhagen Design Week team. You make me proud.

Danish Design Center immediately following the opening of Copenhagen Design WeekI bid you all a warm welcome and encourage you to seek out some of the many exciting design experiences that Copenhagen is brimming with this week.

Now it is my huge pleasure to give the floor to Mr. Frank Jensen, the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen.

After that, Tina Højlund of the Royal Ballet will perform the Egg Chair Ballet, followed by Aura, who will take us back to where we started with one of her songs.