Granite Countertops & Samples

In my neck of the woods, my whole region it seems, it's like the granite yards all got together and said "No more samples!" Previously, they'd have a system where we'd tell the guy with the hammer which slabs we'd like samples of, and with the knock of the hammer, we get a few samples. We would bring our cabinet samples to the granite yard, get the granite samples, and be easily able to select other materials for the renovation.

When my client recently told me that she selected her granite one day, when she had gone without me (gasp!) she said that she loved it, she wanted it, and she wanted me involved in the purchase, templating, details, and logistics. Today, I went to the granite yard to give the fabricator a deposit and to see the granite my client chose.

Having forgotten my camera at the office, I decided to take a bunch of pictures with my cell phone for her (she wasn't with me.) I came back to the office, uploaded the photos to her nearest CVS to make prints from, and left her a message that she should go pick them up and "waa laa" she now has a reminder of her granite. I was happy to have thought of that solution!

Lesson: Take your camera everywhere!!!

Kitchen Design and Style

I received my copy of Better Homes & Gardens, which is sent to me automatically since I'm subscribed to Decorating Inspiration, a good resource by the way, and I saw a major featured kitchen in this issue that was also on display at KBIS. I had taken photos of this kitchen, which are the top three, below. This issue is out now with lots of other images and information on this kitchen. It is the August issue.

The real point I want to make about this kitchen is to encourage my readers to consider its style. My sense, which I hope I can communite effectively, is that this is one of a "type" of kitchen style, that, is just that, about (kitchen) style alone. It's not about history, architecture, or about one's unique personality being reflected in the kitchen design.

It's simply all about how to style a kitchen, end of story.  It's the kind of look that I know it when I see it! I've seen it many times before, and to me, it is a distinctive look, this all encompassing theme of "kitchen style," for style's sake. It's a really beautiful kitchen in many ways. It's not for me, personally, but then, I have the luxury to sit here and go into the nuances of all things kitchens and dissect it all! There are a good number of clever and interesting elements in this kitchen. It's beautiful in many ways, and certainly highly functional, but I cannot find the soul. It is subjective, don't forget that. AND, after all, it's a "set" kitchen, made to showcase products' versatilities, which it does quite well.

       

What are your thoughts?

Modern Kitchens - Metropolitan Home

Here are some modern kitchens from Metropolitan Home, which came in the mail yesterday. It's a great issue...go out and pick up your copy. Meanwhile, I would love to know your thoughts on these kitchens.

Decorative Kitchen Pot Racks & Lighting

A large catalog came in the mail yesterday and when I opened it I knew it was something special. It's a company called 2nd Ave. Design.  They have some really interesting products. They seem to move from Mediterranean rustic to Soho funk. Let me show you some of the things I thought you'd like to see. It's a cinch to coordinate various types of lighting, sconces, chandeliers, pendants, with the pot racks. I actually like to mix finishes, I think it's more interesting, and their finishes are beautiful.

 

And take a look at these finishes, great selection:

Kitchen Design - The Work Triangle (then and now)

You've all heard of the work triange in regard to kitchen design. There is so much to discuss regarding kitchen design, and I've already discussed many topics on this blog, but have not yet touched on this most well known of topics, the work triangle.

I've recently been asked some questions by an editor about the work triangle for future publication in a shelter magazine, so it got me thinking. I'll tell you my thoughts on this topic. And, I'll try very, very hard to keep it interesting!

That Was Then

In the old days, oh, up to as recently as 5 years back, kitchen design was straight forward. The work triangle served the vast majority of America very well for decades! Why? Because our choices were limited. The key ingredient in keeping kitchen design on the straight and narrow, in my mind, was standard(ized) appliances. A societal component contributed to kitchen design maintaining the status quo as well...that is, the singular definition of "what is a family?" There was really only ONE definition, as we know.

This Is Now

All of a sudden (past five years) we have so many different appliances which have come on the scene, to serve an increasingly higher level of detailed purposes and lifestyles. Thus, we have many more choices to create the optimum lifestyle scenario within the kitchen environment.

We have also evolved into acknowledging, seeking to fine tune, and to celebrate our cultural needs and differences in regard to HOW one wants and needs to work in the kitchen. This includes considering who else is working in the kitchen, what their choice activities are, and what else goes on in the kitchen besides cooking, which is becoming a big issue. What's happening NOW is that more non-kitchen activities are taking place in the kitchen, such as computer work, big screen tv watching, lounging, and more space needed for congregating in the kitchen in general, which is actively competing with cooking space! The challenge is to look at what will make YOUR kitchen work best, discarding any sort of standard design or recipe for "perceived" efficiency. It's all good, and it's about time!

Um, OK, Great, And The Kitchen Triangle Today? 

Is there still a kitchen triangle in kitchen design today? Mostly, YES! When we consider the three elements which still remain important for most of us to access quickly and easily...the refrigerator, the sink area and the cooking area, yes, sure, those "stations" remain critical to preparing a meal and are often seen in uninterrupted paths, as I have observed in recent years. That said, we are also now increasingly seeing the triangle expanded, broken, shifted, moved, and otherwise changed, to accommodate new, specific, lifestyle needs, based on the evolution noted above in regard to appliances and societal shifts.

For example, if the husband cooks and the wife preps, the cooktop may be far removed from the sink area, which is now designated more of a clean up area than a main prep area. Perhaps, then, the wife preps on the island, removed from the clean up area. Or, as is the case in a current kitchen design I am involved in, we need a separate "breakfast" prep station, where the husband mixes up smoothies, makes coffee, and other foods with the help of small appliances, thus, creating a "small appliance" work station, separate from both the cooking and sink/clean up section. An area where he can spread out and do whatever he's got to do in ample space.

Another client needs a separate "coffee station" where he can do his one special task away from the traffic flow. Still another client will need a special prep area for use of prepping foods for the steam or small high speed oven for their healthy eating lifestyle. A Kosher kitchen design I am currently involved in has so many specialty work areas included, I can't count them all! Highly specific, highly functional, highly efficient.

The bottom line in today's new kitchen seems to be it's all about US (one's family), not "me," with multiple stations designed for specific needs and/or desires. Again, it's all good.

I'll talk much more about kitchen design in general and today's new kitchen in future blog posts. This was an overview to get you thinking and planning! 

Scandinavian Kitchen Design ROCKS!

I'm not kidding about this. It really rocks, trust me. Take a look, and turn up your speakers. A LOT. It doesn't always work for some reason. Refresh your browser if you don't see the video right away. It's short but unlike anything else I've seen!

Scandinavian Kitchens That Rock The House

Or try this link, but try it! (And then report back!)

My cousin, Lis, sent me some links for Scandinavian kitchen websites, many of which I already had, but some were new. I had asked her to send me some magazines, and she said links are easier. Nice! I'll be loading up on magazines when I go to Denmark in August. I usually spend at least $100 on magazines, and they add so much weight, but it's worth it (to me!)

Here are some thoroughly modern kitchens from the company, Trend. The wood really looks fantastic here, doesn't it?

 
And, as always, try out a few blogs. The first, Modern Country, has text in brown in English. Also check out hvitstil, and last but DEFINITELY not least, Karna.