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Iconic Inspirations: Kitchens.com
Jul 7th
Recently I had the honor of working with some of my design colleagues on a really cool design project from the gurus at Kitchens.com. They paired 4 designers ( of which, I am one!) with 4 iconic personalities in order to design their dream kitchen. My icon, Miriam Kamin has the distinction of being one of Babble‘s inaugural top 50 mommy bloggers holding down a sweet number 6 place! She has a great blog called Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda that is now one of my “go to” blog reads.
It was great fun and I really liked my final design. Not all of it was able to be shown on the kitchens.com site because well, gee, I could not apparently hog the entire project. Sniff Sniff.
I am just kidding of course. Kim, Kevin and Mark did a fabulous job and I know it could not have been easy rounding us stray designers up and making sure they were interpreting our ideas correctly and adding the final details. I was honored to included in this project and am happy to show you some additional details of the “dream kitchen design” for Miriam and for Kitchens.com!
my full floorplan showing the symmetry of design. One side is exterior garden courtyard for use as a retreat and garden and other side mirrors it with a combined pantry walk in and laundry space. At the top is a small but private office for Miriam and command central for the family.
This shows the sconces on the wall with loads of windows. Love windows in a kitchen! And illustrates the island seating as a family.
I love the shot of retro orange in the seating area by the garden windows. Relaxing! I was surprised too at how many people really liked the driftwood flooring selection!
This shot shows the doors that mimic on both sides but these are leading to the courtyard garden.
Kitchens.com's Kevin rendered my sketches into this! Pretty cool!
This view of Kevin's is showing the walk in pantry, housing a second Jenn Air oven also and the laundry area. A mom of small kids needs everything close by!
My choice for backsplash. Soothing colorway yet fun design. Mosaic glass tiles called "Fiona" from New Ravenna
The countertop selection :Silestone Grey Expo
Ben Moore Sea Star paint color for cabinetry where noted
Ben Moore's Snowfall white for the tall cabinetry and trim. Note the mirror inserts on the tall cabinets!
One of my fave lights from Sonneman for over the island
Good neutral wall color. Northern Cliffs from Ben Moore
Softer version for the ceiling. Rodeo from Ben Moore
Please check out my colleague’s designs as well on the Kitchens.com site! Here is a sneak preview!
Paul Anater of Kitchen and Residential Design
Ann Porter: Kitchen Ann
Kelly Morriseau of Kitchen Sync
Follow Up: Consumers: Know what you are getting into!
Mar 9th
Today’s post illicited some strong opinions and also “been there done that” stories. I commented as well, but then thought, hey why not do a follow up post with some of the things I tell my clients every day. Since I am gearing many of my blog posts to really broadcast ” a day in the life” of a working mom, designer and small business owner, it makes sense to follow up with some of the thoughts I had when reading comments. I think consumers can be more “mindful” and make good decisions but this can also be helpful “ammo”, er, I meant “info” for any of you business owners or managers out there who run any type of business.Please join in the discussion and comment!
Consider this:
**News flash: we are still in a tight economic market.
Think carefully Mr or Mrs Consumer about buying items with pieces or parts that require specifications or large ticket items on the internet. Are you aware that 97% of online businesses fail? Where are they going to be when you need service, help finding a replacement part or just an answer to a question about your purchase? I have been in business in my community for 11 years and am busier than ever. What does that say? And, my business is well capitalized. No joke, I tell my clients this. I work this into conversations with potential leads also. They NEED to know I am in this business for the long haul and will be there for them if something goes awry. Now, more than ever, if you are a consumer, you should ask these questions. And, if you are a vendor/designer and have longevity, make this a key selling point. Because it is.
**Whether you like it or not, there is no free ride.
If you purchase online, you are required by law in most states to pay sales tax. It is grossly unfair that many retail online giants are CHEATING your state and county of taxes owed. Sorry but this is the truth. If you are a vendor or designer, you should point this out, Gently. Look here for some info and here. Many states are trying to rectify this immense problem with varying results.
**Along these same lines for bigger ticket items:
When purchasing a new kitchen design/cabinetry/appliances etc or same for bath or rest of your home, KNOW WHO YOU ARE GETTING INTO BED WITH FOLKS! This is so important and it simply flabbergasts me to see how little consumers know about the people they engage to remodel or build their home or supply items for it. Make sure they are going to be in business after they take your money. Even good and decent business owners are facing inordinately tough times and their business can fail. You may feel bad for them but if you have given them money and you do not have the product, you are going to feel bad for YOU. Research the people you are working with…it is EASY to do. And Vendors/Designers; does not hurt to do a bit of research on your customers either.
**If you have or need a builder, make sure he or she is licensed
What you say? Surely if he says he is a contractor ( or sub contractor who is required to be licensed) he is as he says? Nope. Around these parts, you can advertise yourself as a “contractor” or “builder” and have someone not even in our area carry the actual license. I will guess it is same in some other areas as well. To me, this is just plain wrong. And, I know people in our community who have no idea that their builder did not carry his/her own license or even more scary, did not check to make sure the contractor had workers comp insurance and liability insurance. Living in hurricane hell, I witnessed first hand how many people got screwed by dishonest people taking advantage of a nightmare. Especially hard hit were the elderly. That is bad jou jou in my book.
**Know the contractor lien laws in your county.
For consumers and for vendors. If you are a consumer and you are working with a contractor, ask him to get lien releases from the subs doing work. We rarely get asked this of our builders. The only reason I have ever heard given is ” well, we just trust folks around here”. Bah. I am trusting too but I am a two income family and my livelihood is predicated on solid business sense. If you are a vendor or designer, know the lien requirements. Know if you are “in privity” with a client. And, do not HESITATE to file a lien if you are owed money legitimately.
I have done it 3 times in 11 years. One client sarcastically said to me, “Well, I guess we will know not to mess with Cheryl” Yes that’s right and good. Point made. Losing 25k could wipe out a small business like mine. I have not worked this hard to lose. Your dang tootin I will file a lien if I am not paid.
**Remember when remodeling a home, building new, doing interior design work,purchasing items for the home that require installation or a professional, you are entering into a relationship.
How can you have a relationship with an internet seller that will stand the test of time? You are generally talking about a nominal price difference to get a real, live. local person with expertise to help you. And, consider it a benefit that probably she or he may know your neighbor, kids go to same school, your mom sits on the same board, and so on. Same with Interior work. Let your designer purchase. Do not beat them about the head and shoulders over an item you “think” you can get less on “F bay”, “Over it.com”, or “Weselleveryitemintheworld-zon.com”.
**TALK to your friends, neighbors, coworkers. Ask them for referrals of good businesses.
And, if you are a vendor or designer, make SURE you are working this angle also. YOUR BEST CLIENTS COME FROM YOUR REFERRALS. This can be client or from subs. I am sure I do not have to tell anyone that..but be honest, when is the last time you sent a note to a former client? For a birthday, a special occasion, a news worth clipping from the paper, a blog post via email??? We routinely send out thank yous each Friday to anyone I have not met personally that comes into our shop and buys anything. Even simply one knob. I enclose my business card, a 3/50 flyer and write a note on memorable note cards. I THANK THESE PEOPLE FOR COMING IN AND BUYING LOCALLY. So, it is not enough as a vendor or designer to yak about buying local, you need to do your part to encourage the behavior by rewarding those who do, even with a simple “thank you”. It is the cheapest but best advertisting of your business you will ever do. And, pay it forward please. If you get a good referral, go out of your way to follow suit. It is the karma of construction.
Weigh in. What is your opinion? Do you have other helpful information along these lines?
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
~~~Henry Ford
Finding the Perfect tub…and other fun ways I spend my time
Mar 4th
Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath, and a glass of wine. ~~St. Thomas Aquinas
I have been on the hunt for a great tub for a client. The “perfect” tub. The one that will define a master bath as a sanctuary from all the world’s pain or, at least, as a great place for a good soak.
I want to be this woman! Castello Baths
I want to be this woman! Castello Baths
It seems lately, I am constantly on the search for tubs. Small baths, large baths, luxury baths, budget baths….does not seem to matter, always searching. I think this probably is because I know the importance of choosing the proper tub for the space we are designing.
Often, it seems people choose tubs as an afterthought. Not me. I think the tub, if we are having a tub at all, is a critical design element and the layout and space planning must be coordinated with the tub selection.
For one of my current projects, I am looking for an affordable free standing tub for a remodel where the builder or designer did not think it was important to center the tub on the window.
In this bath, I want to fix the visual problem with the window being off center. Don’t you love the 2×2 sickly looking pink tile? Just imagine, it is in the shower all over the walls also! This bath is a tough one. Probably one of the best “worst” bathroom I have seen in a while.
I am searching for “the” tub to actually put in front of the shower longways and thus will be centered perpendicular to the window. I think will work but the search for the right “affordable” options has been tough. I have enlisted the aid of some of my design buddies and this is what I got.
My buddy Paul. You are a barrel of laughs Paul! Kitchen and Residential Design
My buddy Paul. You are a barrel of laughs Paul! Kitchen and Residential Design
The tub I am currently thinking will work best is the “Essential” from Oceania. But, the price may blow the deal. I hope not. Do you have a favorite freestanding tub? Give me some info in the comments! I would love to hear about your favorite tub of any sort!
The "Essential" from Oceania Baths
In other cost savings measures, this little bath for a teenager had a darling little tub measuring 36×36. Only bad thing is the color: avocado green.
Avocado green petite tub
I advised against getting rid of it because the teen sometimes likes to sit and does not want to get her hair wet. And besides, it is just kinda cute! But lot’s cuter in white! So remember with a cast iron tub, reglazing can be a viable option.
The avocado ripens into bright white!
The avocado ripens into bright white!
Another current project for a master bath is going to be home to this fabulous bath from Victoria and Albert and is named the “Ravello.”. It is made from English cast: a one piece casting of volcanic limestone and resin. It is harder and more durable than acrylic so say the manufacturers. All I know is that it is a stunning bath tub
The Ravello bath from Victoria and Albert. I would consider bulldozing my beach house for this bathtub!
and is going to be a show stopper in this modern classic bath. For those of you who stop by regularly, this is the project that I was on the fence about a few weeks ago. Now that we are rearranging the master layout ( thank you awesome gem of a contractor who bought into the re-design ) I am very excited about the direction of this bath!
And to wrap up tubs for the evening , I leave you with one of my favorite tubs: The Wind tub from Neptune . I have used this tub several times and in each project, it reads differently in the design. What do you think? We LOVE comments!~~~Cheryl
Designed by In Detail for a modern bath.
The Wind tub in a more traditional setting. Designed by In Detail
A condo bath with 7ft ceilings! Designed by In Detail
Powder Bath Wow
Feb 9th
- 2010 NKBA Design Competition Honorable Mention in Powder Bath category Designed by In Detail
Ok, let’s face it. Every single person who visits your home, except maybe those guys who pedal “The Watchtower” religious thingies, will visit your powder bathroom. Let’s not get personal here, but it is a true statement. So, why does the powder bath so often get neglected? It perplexes me . I feel the powder bath rates right up there with the kitchen and the master in terms of importance. I think sometimes clients simply think because it is usually small in size that a white pedestal sink and a mirror from Kirklands, ( this is store that is home to all things tacky) will be just fine.
Nope.
Not in my book. I want a powder bath we design to be an experience. Can be wow, can be subtle, can be monochromatic, can be tastefully simple. But, needs to be treated with care and given proper design attention!
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Stone Forest Sink with Sigma Nuance Faucet
Stone Forest Sink with Sigma Nuance Faucet
This powder bath was executed by myself and my assistant at In Detail. We left it to the end, after designing all the other baths in the house because we knew it needed to be perfect…and needed to evolve. This homeowner is a fantastic woman who loves serious design detail as well as has a penchant for gorgeous artwork and a flair for the dramatic. This bath has very high celings, 12 1/2 feet tall! Yet is only 6ft in width and not much longer. So, it was a challenge. We wanted to clad the back wall in something textural but not tile. We chose mirrors and a dark walnut custom cut in our prescribed sizes.We accented with mirrored strip “tile”.
In fact, my assistant, Stacy Snowden and I spent a day taping out all sorts of combinations on the wall to get just the exact right proportions of mirrors and wood panels. It was painstaking and tight quarters too but worth it. Once we had it the way we liked, we measured our rough outline and drew it out for client approval. Voila! The budget came back a bit on high side so we did end up using less of the Mixed up Mosaics mirror strips and more of the cut mirror.
- Soaring ceilings are gorgeous but tough sometimes to work with!! The panels of wood and mirror are varying sizes and placement
The pictures really do not do this bath justice
Small baths are tough to photograph and one of the reasons you do not see as many in magazines as you might think. The wood panels and mirror had a small 1/4 inch shadow line built in to give us some slack room. The stunning black granite sink is from Stone Forest and the faucet is the “Nuance” in Orb from Sigma Faucets. I like this faucet because it had the traditional finish but yet very sleek modern design. The sconces are from Stonegate Designs and is one of my favorites. The wall paint is a Valspar metallics color that is quite subtle. Gray tones with just a hint of shimmer. The red color was a key factor in adding more warmth to the overall look.
The oversized and bold details were chosen for this small bath to give the visitor a dramatic sensory experience that we hope will long be remembered.
- We were hoping for more than the HM award but the powder bath category was tight this year! So pleased to be included. Most of the other baths this year were really not up to par with year’s past.
Truth or Dare
Now, I don’t think this is horrid, and for pete’s sake it probably was not submitted to a design competition, but it could have been done better. So easily.
The wall color is the best aspect and even at that it is bit “plumish”. The fake travertine tile is ok I suppose but there just is not a whisper of wow in this room. And why?? Why the Home Depot light that is really not scaled right for the mirror anyway?? With even a modest budget, you can add some personality plus in your powder room. I promise it can be done! Don’t be a victim of design negligence!!
The Bright…of White
Feb 3rd
It is no secret around our shop that I have a “thing” for white lately. (and grays too but that is for another day and post) I want to do my own bathroom redo in white on white. Now, I know about little dark things showing up on a white floor. Like hairs. And dirt.
But when you consider this sort of impact, who cares?
Of course, it is not for everyone nor every place but I think that white can be an incredibly bright and rich look. Think white with layers of texture. That is what most of these rooms have in common. I favor modern design but in these photos it is the textural layering of whites that makes the rooms work. White on white in a modern setting sometimes gets to be “too” sleek.
Admittedly, there is one area I don’t favor white. Ceilings. I prefer a painted ceiling….but not white…a strking color on the ceiling could set some serious drama into action! ( I am just woozy with the thought of a BM Branchport Brown ceiling and all white walls, floors and furnishings)
If you get cold feet at the thought of all that drama then use a white that is not “deocrator white” or worse, “ceiling white” but a white tinged with a hue that gives a nod to the contrast of the white room. Subtle, but definitive.
Coco Cozy
I want to jump right in!
Not all white but affect is awesome!
Love the texture
Thanks to Design Manifest for above photo
Truth or Dare:
Makes me sad to see poorly executed design
To me, this is white not done right. Busy Busy Busy. Apparently they did not read post from a few weeks ago about just saying no to 4×4 tumbled marble either.
A round island could be an interesting element but I have only seen Johnny Grey do round islands and make them work. This one does not work.
And the little cubby hole created by the appliance garage sitting on the counter and the “too too” skinny columns on range hood is at BEST wasted counter space, at WORST, really unattractive. This is about execution. Poorly done.
Note the crown and how the ins and outs are visually tough to watch…at least for me. I want to just shake some sense into someone. Heavy sigh.
