design

HOW TO BUILD A BEAUTIFUL CHARCUTERIE BOARD

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I found this article on food.com and really enjoyed it, as I love a great Charcuterie Board and this article gave something to think about.  Although my boards usually look pretty good, they are not as beautiful as the one shown below.

Entertaining 101

 

Do you ever scroll through picture-perfect cheese boards and think, “I could never do that”? The good news is, it’s a lot easier than it looks! Just follow this easy, step-by-step tutorial to build an epic charcuterie board for any occasion.

FIRST THINGS FIRST: CHEESE!

FIRST THINGS FIRST: CHEESE!

Choose 3-4 types and a mix of soft and hard cheeses, all served at room temperature: Goat, Gruyere, Gorgonzola, Manchego, Burrata, Brie, Sharp Cheddar, White Cheddar, Havarti, Boursin

Think of  creative ways to display your cheese:
* Cubed and piled up to add height and dimension
* Cut into thin, square slices and fanned out along the edge of the board
* Cut into thin, triangular slices and placed in a circle, with points facing in
* Served in large wedges for guests to cut themselves

 

MEET ME AT THE MEAT AISLE

MEET ME AT THE MEAT AISLE

Choose 2-3 types, preferably pre-sliced: Salami, Prosciutto, Sopressata, Pepperoni, Bresaola, Pâté, Smoked Salmon

Think of creative ways to display your meats:
* Fold round, thin slices of meat in half, then fold again.
* Arrange to form a salami rose bouquet!
* Roll up slices of prosciutto and stack them on top of each other.
* Sopressata is usually cut into thick rounds, so fan these across the board.

 

ADD CONDIMENTS + SIDEKICKS

ADD CONDIMENTS + SIDEKICKS

You can’t have condiments without bowls! Invest in a few ramekins for displaying sauces, dips and salty, briny snacks that complement your meats and cheeses. Think about which of these options you might add:   Honey, Whole Grain Mustard, Jam/Preserves, Infused Oil, Pickled Vegetables, Olives, Artichoke Hearts, Roasted Peppers, Cornichons and I personally like the idea of Sweet Chili Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, and Spicy Jams or Jellies

 

BRING THE COLOR WITH FRESH FRUIT

BRING THE COLOR WITH FRESH FRUIT

Try a mix of fresh fruits that are flavorful and abundant all year long (like Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Cantaloupe, Grapes) and dried fruit for options that are only available seasonally (like Mango, Apricots, Figs, Cranberries).

Creative ways to display fruit:
* Cut long, thin wedges of cantaloupe and fan them out or wrap thin slices of prosciutto around the middle.
* Choose whole dried figs and halve them to display their pretty seeds and centers.  If fresh figs are in season, that is even better.

LET’S. GET. CRUNCHY.

LET’S GET CRUNCHY.

Nuts and crackers or crisps are easy additions that require no extra prep work! Choose a few to round out your board: Pistachios, Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, Cashews, Mini Toasts, Seeded Crackers, Cheese Twists, Water Crackers, Crispy Breadsticks, Pita Chips

* Use nuts to fill in any gaps in your board by stacking them in piles around other ingredients.
* Add extra height and interest by placing breadsticks or cheese twists upright and fanning crackers across the board in swirls.

FINISH WITH A LITTLE RAZZLE DAZZLE

FINISH WITH A LITTLE RAZZLE DAZZLE

When it comes to finishing touches, garnishes go a long way to add a hint of color and freshness. Try: Rosemary Sprigs, Basil Leaves, Mint Sprigs, Fresh or Dried Lavender

 

NO BOARD, NO PROBLEM

NO BOARD, NOT A PROBLEM

Don’t have a wooden board handy and prefer not to buy one? Feel free to use everyday kitchen tools like a pizza paddle, cast iron skillet or a sheet pan of any size to display the fruits of your labor (pun intended)!

 

 

HOW TO BUILD A BEAUTIFUL CHARCUTERIE BOARD

The Quiet Teacher

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David Marty is a local to our area artist that teaches two-day classes in Edmonds at The Cole Gallery and sometimes once a week for six weeks on Bainbridge Island at The Winslow Art Center.  I have taken four classes from his so far with two in Edmonds and two on Bainbridge.  It is always interesting to see the level of the painters at the two different environments.  In Edmonds, there are usually a couple artists that are quite accomplished blended with more with little or no experience. I always learn at least one tidbit that helps to improve my own paintings.  Bainbridge classes are often comprised of many of the same artists that I have taken other classes with, and most all have been painting for several years.

Dave’s work is not quite as loose as some other Plein Artists, but it is always beautifully done. Coming from an illustrators background, his drawing is always “right-on'”. I have improved my drawing skills taking his classes and doing Urban Sketching with a group on Bainbridge Island.

David.jpeg

In David’s classes the entire class paints from the same photograph.  It is so interesting to watch throughout as the artists turn the photographs into beautiful paintings.  If you were to look at the finished pieces you realize just how differently people see. I love watching the artistic process as many of the pieces transform as they are painted.

In the classes on Bainbridge, we were always given a homework assignment to work on at home and bring for critique the following week. Painting Class 1.jpg

This was the first piece we worked on in class.  David would do a demo in the morning, then we all painted the rest of the afternoon and put up our work for a critique at the end of the session.  This class was to work on water receding in the distance.  I walked away content with this piece.

Painting Class 2.jpg

The second was a scene of a lake and the challenge was to show the lilies on the surface without making it look speckled.  The one above is mine.

Painting Class 3.jpg

We next worked on the reflections and lighting in this lake scene.

Painting Class 4.jpg

This was painted from a photo with a row of flowers.  I did not love the photo, so I reversed it in Photoshop and added a little girl picking the flowers in the front.  Once finished I thought and think it looks a bit trite.

Then we started painting a couple of roads, which I thought was great fun. Painting Class 5.jpg

I can always tell when I enjoy the topic we are painting, as I most likely will be happy with the result.

 

Painting Class 6.jpg

How to make a wall of trees look interesting was a challenge and it was a homework assignment.  I did feel this was successful as it has variety and keeps your interest.   David never says anything negative about your work, but makes quiet thoughtful suggestions on what might improve it.

Painting Class 7.jpg

Making rocks look like rocks is always a challenge and how to get the right color, so they look real but beautiful at the same time.  This was hard to capture, but I think it reads as rocks.

Painting Class 8.jpg

Another road with the task of making the road appear beautiful and interesting while receding believably into the background.

Painting Class 9.jpg

Painting the Night Scene of a city was fairly new to me.  I went with a little whimsy and fun and more abstract than real.  David liked how I did the lights in the background and thought he might change his to a little more like mine.  Boy, did that make me smile.

 

Painting Class 10.jpg

We all painted “The Red Barn”.  Growing up on a farm, I have always been attracted to barns and have painted several over my life as an artist.  This is a small 8 x 10 inch with a bad glare in the photo, but it was fun doing.

Painting Class 11.jpg

Homework assignment to paint clouds.  The tidbit I learned from this exercise is that clouds are always parallel to the earth at the bottom, so they are flat at the bottom.  Not my favorite painting, but it was a very simplistic photo.

 

Painting Class 12.jpg

The homework assignment was to capture the clouds in a painting from a photo of the clouds.  Mine was a good as anyone else in the class, but nothing I would try to sell.

Painting Class 13.jpg

Everyone in the class liked this, but I sanded it down and repainted the canvas.  The wave looked more like a ledge than waves to me.

Painting Class 14.jpg

Beach walkers One.

Painting Class 15.jpg

Beach walkers Two.  I did not like the first rendition, so I painted it a second time.  Not sure that I like either of them.

Painting Class 16.jpg .                      Painting Class 17.jpg

From the sea, we moved to snow scenes.  I painted the one on the left in class, but it left me feeling unsuccessful, so I painted the one on the right.  It is a fun exercise to paint the same photo more than once and in slightly different styles.

Painting Class 18.jpg .                          Painting Class 19.jpg

With the next homework assignment of snow, I painted the first horizontally and the same scene vertically.  Working on composition helps you see the same thing in a different manner.

Port Gamble Diana.jpg

I brought in a photo I found online of Port Gamble, so we all had a take on this.  Port Gamble.jpg

In this case, I have the photo and thought it might be fun for you to see my translation of the photo.  I left out the tree in the foreground.  I do love the mist of the photo and feel at least I captured the essence of the mist.

 

Stream_0179.jpg

We were to paint this stream for homework.  Often when I look at a photo, I wonder what would be the best way to try to make this come to life.  When David showed his homework, it was mostly in browns, and I must admit that his rendition was more appealing than my greener version.

Stream.jpg

One of the students brought in a photo of Madronas on her property, and while they are lovely, it was a test of sorts to make an interesting painting.

 

1.jpg

Here is the photo. 2.jpg

First version

3.jpg

Finished version adding more darks.  I often do not go dark enough, so this was a great lesson in contrast.

The next class I took from David was at Cole Gallery and the class was about learning to paint moving water and how to draw your eye to the water.

 

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I w2.jpg

I was pleased with the first painting but got my reflections off on the second.

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This was the final painting in that particular class.  I do see water and color in a different way than before, and everyone in the class liked this painting.  I am not so sure that painting just water is my favorite.

Every time I do take a class with Dave, I learn at least one thing.  I enjoy watching how he holds his paintbrush to achieve the look he desires.  Every stroke is thought out and it important.  There is not scrubbing!

The Quiet Teacher

Bring Life to Outdoor Walls With Nature’s Green

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Some great ideas from Houzz using vines, vertical gardens, trellises, screens, espaliers and more to transform your exterior walls

Whether you live in an apartment building or a single-family home, chances are there’s a blank wall or vertical surface on your home’s exterior that could benefit from added interest. Filling or covering a blank wall with plants is one of the easiest ways to add appeal, and plants bring a touch of nature to a man-made space. For inspiration, take a look at these 13 planting designs that rely on flowering vines, espaliers, hanging gardens and more to help transform blank walls into garden focal points.
Traditional Exterior by Brians Welding
1. Add attractive trellising. Investing in trellising that enhances your home’s exterior — whether you choose to grow a climbing plant on it or not can help add year-round appeal.  Choose a trellis that matches your home and paint it to coordinate with your trim. Plant evergreen or flowering vines, such as the pink bougainvillea vine here (if you live in a warm climate) to cover the trellis.

Modern Landscape by Living Gardens Landscape Design
2. Pair a vine with potted plants. This is a great combination for entryways, garden sheds or along the side of a garage because it adds interest to multiple viewpoints. Climbing fig, planted here with potted foxtail agave thrives in partial shade and fills in rapidly to cover vertical surfaces with tendrils that feature dime-sized leaves.

Contemporary Landscape by Lila B. Design
3. Hang a miniature vertical garden. Framed vertical gardens can be tucked into small nooks, helping to break up a blank wall the same way wall art does inside. Mount one next to the back door, or hang a trio of them across the exterior wall of a garden shed.
Modern Patio by Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture
4. Pair decorative metal panels with leafy greens. Metal screens featuring geometric patterns mixed with foliage plants create a bold garden statement. In this garden, vines grow up the sides to frame the panels.
Contemporary Patio by MR.MITCHELL
Here’s another example of a metal screen mixed with planting. This time the plants emerge from a built-in planter at the base of the screen, helping to anchor it more in the overall design.
Mediterranean Landscape by Margie Grace - Grace Design Associates
5. Display air plants on a trellis. Add air plants to a wall-mounted metal trellis for a clever, quick way to spruce up a blank wall. Air plants need no soil to grow (keeping walls clean) and thrive in areas with bright, indirect light. Every week or so, depending on your climate and air moisture, remove the plants from the trellis and soak them in a bucket of water.

Transitional Patio by Sally Wheat Interiors
6. Create a planted wall pattern. Geometric patterns made from trained evergreen vines look fancy and aren’t too difficult to achieve if you don’t mind frequent clipping.

Start by establishing your desired pattern with wires fastened with nails or eye hooks to the desired wall or fence. Then, plant a vine-like trailing ivy or confederate jasmine to grow along the lines of the trellising, cutting or rewrapping any shoots that stick out from the structure.

Traditional Shed by Connelly Construction, LLC
Here, Asian jasmine was trained in a diamond pattern to cover the wall of a guesthouse.
Contemporary Patio by Marylou Sobel Interior Design
7. Install a living wall. Custom living wall systems can be expensive to have installed, but the popularity of vertical gardening has resulted in more consumer-friendly (and budget-friendly) planting options. Wall-mounted planting pockets or vertical planters, for example, can cost significantly less and can be installed without extensive structural or watering systems.

Tip: Including some trailing plants — like ivy, pothos, philodendron or grass-like carex can help conceal the vertical growing structure.

Modern by Sculpt Gardens Inc.
8. Mount a staghorn fern. Staghorn ferns are air plants, called epiphytes, and have evolved to grow without soil on tree trunks and branches in mild, tropical and semitropical climates. They can thrive in home gardens in similar conditions, mounted to a board with a few handfuls of damped sphagnum moss. Hang one inside or out to liven up a blank wall in a spot with bright, indirect light.

Traditional Landscape by Nilsen Landscape Design, LLC
9. Add an elegant espalier. Training a tree into an espalier against a wall adds a formal touch to a garden or courtyard and saves valuable planting space. You can purchase a tree already staked as an espalier or train one yourself if the tree is between three and five years old and still has finger-width-sized lateral branches.

If you’re planning to train the espalier yourself, plant the tree against a wall and add trellising to support the espalier structure. Then, choose the primary lateral branches (often in matched pairs for a symmetrical form) and gently pull them down into straight, horizontal lines, fastening them to the trellising. Remove other lateral branches and cut the top part of the trunk where it meets the top of the trellis to encourage lateral growth.

Contemporary Shed by Garden & Landscape Design 風姿花伝
10. Allow trailing plants to cascade off the roof. Place potted plants on flat-roofed sheds and outbuildings, allowing vines to trail down the sides of the building for a creative, unexpected look. Place roof pots on saucers to catch excess water or make sure the roof is sloped enough for quick drainage.
Contemporary Patio by Coffman Studio
11. Frame wall art with plants. Wall art doesn’t need to be reserved for rooms inside the house. Outdoor seating areas backed by a blank wall are great spots for hanging a wall sculpture designed for outdoor use, an interesting piece of driftwood or a decorative wrought iron panel. Plants growing on either side of the art piece can soften the design and grow up to frame the art.
Industrial Landscape by Bestique
12. Mount pots filled with herbs and succulents. Turn a blank wall into a garden by mounting planters, terra-cotta pots or other grouped containers of your choice.

Keep in mind that smaller pots placed in full sun against a heat-reflecting wall will dry out quickly. To counteract these effects, set up a drip irrigation system, be diligent about hand watering or choose heat-loving, drought-tolerant succulents or cactuses.

Contemporary Landscape by ecocentrix landscape architecture
13. Showcase architectural plants. Take advantage of a blank wall to show off structural plant forms. Look for plants like large-scale cactuses or multi-trunk trees that naturally have an interesting shape. The landscape designer for this Los Angeles garden used a curved entry wall to show off the form of spiked MacDougall’s century plants.
Contemporary Deck by Randle Siddeley
Bring Life to Outdoor Walls With Nature’s Green

102 Eye-Popping Powder Rooms

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Flip through our collection of beautiful powder rooms on Houzz and fill your eyes with color and style

Powder rooms are often the jewel box of a home. Usually the smallest room, they lend themselves to doses of color and pattern that might be over the top in a larger space. Today we celebrate them in a new photo series highlighting areas of the house particularly rich in personal expression and beautiful design.

Which would you choose?

Mediterranean Bathroom by Hann Builders
1. Featuring oxidized fixtures, this Mediterranean-inspired Houston powder room creates a pop with its blue tile.

Victorian Powder Room by Harte Brownlee & Associates Interior Design
2. This Victorian-inspired powder room was designed for a female executive and includes a custom-built walnut chest.
Transitional Powder Room by Chango & Co.
3. A bold mirror and graphic wallpaper create immediate interest in this powder room.

Rustic Powder Room by Suman Architects
4. The rustic features of this powder room, such as the cement sink and wood mirror, are balanced by the contemporary pendant lights.

Traditional Powder Room by Isler Homes
5. This formal powder room has a 19th-century French marquetry commode with gilt bronze mounts. The carved and gilded Italian mirror is also from the 19th century.

Contemporary Powder Room by Jeff King & Company
6. With its graphic blue wallpaper, the counter made from recycled Douglas fir and single pendant light, this room makes a bold statement.

Transitional Powder Room by Buckingham Interiors + Design LTD
7. This sophisticated powder room in Chicago includes gold fixtures and a gilded picture frame but forgoes a mirror over the sink.
Contemporary Powder Room by TATUM BROWN CUSTOM HOMES
8. The pebbled wall tile and chunky black vanity are the featured players in this powder room.

Contemporary Powder Room by Alchemy Design Studio
9. The violet paint and orange pendant light blend harmoniously in this contemporary powder room.

Transitional Powder Room by Studio William Hefner
10. This luxurious powder room includes an antiqued wall mirror and gold fluted sconces that add a dose of glam.
Transitional Bathroom by Clean Design
11. This sleek powder room includes wallpaper with a metallic weave, chevron-patterned floor tiles and a vintage-style sink with a marble top.

Traditional Bathroom by Prestige Custom Homes
12. This formal powder room includes shaded sconces, custom cabinetry and an elegant trellis-patterned wallpaper.

Rustic Powder Room by By Design Interiors, Inc
13. This rustic powder room features a custom sink with a dual-level live-edge-wood vanity and copper sink.

Contemporary Powder Room by Blender Architecture LLC
14. This powder room was made from salvaged wood taken from the demolition of a coach house onsite.
Midcentury Powder Room by Shelby Wood Design
15. This glamorous midcentury bath features a chandelier-like drooping pendant light that produces a definite wow effect.

Traditional Powder Room Traditional Powder Room
16. This powder room features hand-painted wallpaper and an antique copper fountain that was converted into a sink.

Contemporary Powder Room by 186 Lighting Design Group - Gregg Mackell
17. This contemporary-meets-rustic powder room includes two frosted glass doors and a vanity and backsplash made from sorghum wood.
Transitional Powder Room by Holly Hickey Moore
18. A dark blue painted ceiling and bright orange mirror add color to this white powder room.

Contemporary Powder Room by Farrow Arcaro Design
19. With a live-edge vanity and birch tree wallpaper, walking into this powder room feels like stepping into a forest.

Contemporary Bathroom by Lucid Architecture
20. This modern powder room includes a bold red vanity that pops against the black tile backsplash.

Contemporary Powder Room by 2id Interiors
21. This sleek powder room features a limestone mosaic wall, a faucet coming out from the mirror and a glamorous ceiling fixture.

Transitional Bathroom by Kathleen DiPaolo Designs
22. This powder room includes a tongue and groove wall painted white, a leather-strapped mirror and a custom vanity sourced from a salvaged barn.

Traditional Powder Room by Leslie Hayes Interiors
23. This traditional powder room has a subtle nautical theme with its fish-patterned wallpaper and seashell soap dish.

Contemporary Powder Room by RKI Interior Design
24. This powder room includes a custom sink, vanity, and wall all made from honey onyx.

Contemporary Bathroom by Jordan Iverson Signature Homes
25. This rustic powder room includes a stained cabinet made from alder and a naturally weathered wood wall.

Tropical Powder Room by Michele Lee Willson Photography
26. This elegant powder room includes a translucent vessel sink, pinstriped walls, and shaded sconces.

Contemporary Powder Room by Lake Flato Architects
27. With its suspended mirror and pendant lights, this powder room provides plenty of dramatic tension.

Shabby-chic Style Powder Room by www.ShannonGgem.com
28. This traditional powder room elegantly blends scenic wallpaper with an antiqued vanity topped with an Athens Gray stone countertop.

Traditional Powder Room by Karen Aston Design
29. The black wainscoting adds a dramatic base for the silver-toned wallpaper and gold bamboo mirror in this powder room.

Rustic Powder Room by Snake River Interiors
30. This rustic bathroom includes a custom-designed faucet, a concrete sink, and an antique mirror to complete the look.
Contemporary Bathroom by Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs
31. This nautical-themed bathroom includes a naval-blueprint-inspired wallpaper and nautical-style wall sconces.

Modern Bathroom by Studio 360 Solutions Inc
32. This exciting powder room features neon green walls and a mirror hung from a timber beam.

Scandinavian Powder Room by Elms Interior Design
33. This powder room was inspired by the ocean, seen in the blue vanity and Seascape wallpaper.

Transitional Powder Room by BFDO Architects pllc
34. This eclectic New York City powder room has gone to the birds, and it definitely has our attention.

Traditional Bathroom by SPACE Architects + Planners
35. This vacation home powder room includes a round metal mirror and an unstained wood vanity with open storage on the bottom shelf.
Eclectic Bathroom Eclectic Bathroom
36. This eclectic powder room has LED lighting underneath its translucent white quartz sink. It also features Chinese hand-embroidered silk on the walls.

Rustic Powder Room by High Camp Home
37. This woodsy  powder room features custom bark siding, a slate countertop, and a woven copper pendant light.
Transitional Powder Room by Lindsay Chambers Design
38. This powder room is soothing in various shades of gray. It includes a black-rope-framed oval mirror, graphic wallpaper, and a Caesarstone countertop.
Eclectic Bathroom by Lucy Interior Design
39. This white and blue powder room was inspired by a trip to Morocco. The lanterns are made from fire-glazed clay.

Rustic Bathroom by Witt Construction
40. This rustic powder room features plaster walls, granite floors, and a wood pedestal vanity.

Modern Bathroom Modern Bathroom
41. This bathroom includes a custom-designed vanity with gold hardware from Bauerware.

Mediterranean Powder Room by Studio 7 Architecture & Allied Arts
42. This Mediterranean-inspired powder room includes a repurposed antique bowl for a sink and a vanity with black iron legs.
Contemporary Bathroom by Candent Design
43. This bold black and white powder room include an impressive wall of Montauk black slate and a smooth round white vessel sink.
Transitional Bathroom by Jute Interior Design
44. This pretty powder room includes a vanity painted light blue, shaded sconce lights and a gold mirror.

Modern Powder Room by NIMMO American Studio For Progressive Architecture
45. This contemporary and chic powder room features a stained wood wall and a large slab of marble for the sink.

Modern Bathroom by James Dawson Interior Design
46. This elegant powder room includes a black vanity and a bold striped black and white painted ceiling.
Rustic Powder Room by AXIS Productions
47. This modern-meets-rustic powder room features a wallpaper that gives the illusion of brass nailheads.

Rustic Powder Room by Ward-Young Architecture & Planning - Truckee, CA
48. This Native American–inspired powder room includes natural wood paneling and shaded dog-head sconces to create a whimsical scene.
Traditional Powder Room by Thomas Rex Hardy, AIA
49. This simple yet elegant powder room pops, thanks to the wood siding painted robin’s egg blue.

Traditional Bathroom by JD Smith Custom Homes
50. This traditional powder room features a detailed vanity in gray and mirror-backed sconces that cast a warm glow throughout the space.
Contemporary Powder Room Modern Powder Room
51. This modern powder room uses black and white to make a bold statement, from the speckled wallpaper to the elegant pendant light.
Contemporary Bathroom by Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs
52. The gold spiked mirror, sconces and vanity fixtures in this powder room fit well with the purple and white stenciled wall.
Beach Style Powder Room by Kerry Sharkey-Miller
53. This beach-style powder room has white as the main star, while the dashes of color from the art and flowers round out the scene.
Southwestern Powder Room by Chandler Prewitt Interior Design
54. This powder room includes a custom pedestal sink inspired by an 18th-century birdbath, turquoise walls, and chevron-patterned wall tile.

Mediterranean Powder Room by w.b. builders
55. This lovely Moroccan-inspired powder room uses cream tones that contrast well with the black and white tiles.

Traditional by Decorating Den Interiors- Corporate Headquarters
56. This powder room makes an elegant statement in black and gold. From its golden lanterns to its leopard-print floor mat, this space doesn’t hold back.
Midcentury Powder Room Midcentury Powder Room
57. This refined powder room includes a vanity with open shelving used to display decorative objects. The metal and tweed wallpaper gives the space a luxurious feel.
Contemporary Powder Room by Laura U, Inc.
58. This powder room with its dark purple wallpaper and industrial sink are ready for blast-off!

Contemporary Powder Room by Beckwith Interiors
59. This stunning powder room includes a glass mosaic tile wall in quartz, aquamarine, tanzanite and turquoise colors, creating an ikat-patterned effect.

Transitional Powder Room by Greenauer Design Group
60. The designer of this masculine bathroom took advantage of its vintage dark wood-paneled walls by adding a custom antique sink and a pharmacy-style mirror.
Contemporary Powder Room by Emily Henry Interiors
61. This powder room features a dark green custom vanity created by Millicent Furniture that pairs well with the scenic wallpaper.

Southwestern Powder Room by Bess Jones Interiors
62. This powder room embraces life on the ranch. The walls are made from plaster, and the mirror was custom made.

Mediterranean Powder Room by Chandos Interiors
63. The designer of this Mediterranean-inspired powder room used mosaic wall tiles, an antique-style vanity, and an elaborate mirror to create a timeless space.
Tropical Powder Room by WhiteSpace Architects
64. In this powder room, natural grasscloth wallpaper and tropical wood cabinetry create a relaxing mood, while the oversize pendants tie everything together.
Mediterranean Powder Room by Ryan Street & Associates
65. The black plaster walls, gilded mirror, and cement sink create a moody and glamorous effect in this powder room.
Transitional Closet by WUNDERGROUND architecture + design
66. The faux-leather stool, sleek shaded sconces, and polished silver fixtures create a super glam look in this powder room.
Traditional Bathroom by beTM interior design & project management
67. The playful interaction between the gold and silver hardware in this powder room creates a subtle contrast. Light lavender painted walls complete the scene.

Traditional Bathroom by Gridley + Graves Photographers
68. This elegant powder room includes a custom shade that complements the wallpaper and black shaded sconces. The open shelving allows for easy-access storage.
Beach Style Powder Room by ZeroEnergy Design
69. This understated powder room features barnyard pendant lights, a round vessel sink from Waterworks and a Rohl wall-mounted faucet.
Farmhouse Bathroom by Crisp Architects
70. This farmhouse-inspired powder room includes an antique cabinet repurposed as a vanity and painted Navajo White and a faucet from Waterworks.

Industrial Bathroom by Frederic Grasset Design Build
71. This steampunk-inspired powder room features elaborate copper piping for the light fixtures and copper plating for the faucet.
Rustic Powder Room by Janet Gust Design Group
72. With its pink flower wall sculpture and monogrammed stool, this powder room blends rustic and feminine quite well.
Transitional Powder Room by Michele Lee Willson Photography
73. This stunning powder room includes mirror-backed sconces with silver-tipped lightbulbs that provide a warm glow in the wallpapered space.
Farmhouse Powder Room by Nar Design Group
74. This farmhouse-inspired powder room includes a reclaimed-wood countertop with custom metal strapping. The cabinetry underneath is made from stained alder wood.

Eclectic Powder Room by Amaron Folkestad GC Steamboats Builder
75. In this bold and eclectic powder room, the walls were hand troweled in colored Venetian plaster to create the vibrant effect.
Eclectic Powder Room by Joanna Thornhill Interiors
76. A small WC makes use of every inch of wall space with bookshelves and bright artwork. Recycled greywater from the sink is used to flush the toilet.
Mediterranean Powder Room by Nance Construction
77. Mirrors are used to their fullest effect in this powder room. The back wall includes a large wall-mounted mirror topped with a pivot mirror. A round mirror on an extension arm is also attached to the side wall.
Contemporary Powder Room by Halo Interior Design
78. This vibrant powder room includes a custom-designed black and white cabinet, a single pendant light in burnt orange and a tropical wallpaper available through Pal+Smith.
Farmhouse Powder Room by Jute Interior Design
79. This powder room includes a custom vanity with leather pulls from Holland & Sherry and a concrete top.

Transitional Powder Room by Rudloff Custom Builders
80. The designers of this traditional  powder room took their client’s antique cabinet and refurbished it as a vanity.

Eclectic Bathroom by Ryland Peters & Small | CICO Books
81. This eclectic bathroom features a custom wallpaper made from printed book images. A long shelf dissects the mirror and the sink, providing a great space to store books or a plant.
Transitional Powder Room Transitional Powder Room
82. A large stone wall makes a huge impact in this powder room on a private estate. Bronze fixtures and a leather-strapped mirror complete the scene.
Farmhouse Bathroom by FOUR POINT DESIGN BUILD INC
83. This farmhouse-inspired powder room includes industrial sconces sourced from a Swap Meet and a custom cabinet vanity made from reclaimed wood.

Farmhouse Bathroom by Historical Concepts
84. This farmhouse-inspired powder room includes traditional wainscoting, an antique stool, and a pedestal sink. The glass jar of marbles adds a subtle splash of color.

Traditional Powder Room by Murphy & Co. Design
85. Start your engines! This car-inspired powder room includes a repurposed fuel tank for a vanity and side-view mirrors from an automobile attached to the wood-paneled wall.
Tropical Powder Room Tropical Powder Room
86. This lovely traditional powder room has a nautical-inspired mirror and wallpaper. The vanity has a faux bamboo design that complements the mirror hanging above it.
Traditional Powder Room Traditional Powder Room
87. This traditional powder room has wainscoting and an inset mirror painted gray. The sconces and wallpaper complete a silvery scene.

Contemporary Powder Room Contemporary Powder Room
88. Vibrant red walls frame a black tiled wall in this bold contemporary powder room. The elegant modern white pendant light adds warmth to the modern space.
Contemporary Powder Room by Eighty-Eight Inc
89. The designer of this awkwardly angled powder room in Chicago made the most of its layout by including a double-shelf vanity topped with marble. The walls are lined with a beige subway tile.
Rustic Powder Room by Tanamera Construction / TC Homes
90. This rustic powder room features hammered-bronze pendant lights, a round mirror with a rope strap and a lime-green wall with a graphic square relief pattern.
Beach Style Powder Room by Casey St. John Interiors
91. This beach-style powder room is a vision in white with a bold splash of green thrown in with the art and the unique mirror.
Victorian Bathroom by Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist
92. This Victorian-inspired powder room has an antique sink and blue and white wallpaper that’s reminiscent of delftware.
Farmhouse Bathroom by Bevan Associates
93. The style of this transitional powder room is an interesting mix of farmhouse and modern. The rustic vanity has contemporary acrylic sink fixtures. Note the living wall of plants reflected in the oval mirror.
Scandinavian Powder Room by Jillian Aimis Architect
94. This sophisticated powder room includes a large marble pedestal sink and a chocolate-brown natural-grass wallpaper.
Modern Bathroom by Maydan Architects, Inc.
95. This modern powder room features a floating sink and a dark tiled backsplash. The integrated countertop is made of white Corian.
Farmhouse Bathroom by Julie Ranee Photography
96. This simple but sweet powder room has a ladder to hold towels, a wire basket for extra toilet paper and a chalkboard panel on the medicine cabinet that reminds one to smile.
Rustic Bathroom by Peace Design
97. This eclectic powder room is lined with more 160 license plates from all over the U.S. A hammered-copper sink and wood mirror complete this rustic scene.
Contemporary Powder Room by Veronica Martin Design Studio
98. This all-white powder room in has many subtle details. The molding on the walls adds depth. The vanity’s original hardware was silver, but it was spray-painted it a matte black.

Rustic Bathroom by Laura U, Inc.
99. This farmhouse-inspired powder room features a custom vanity that was made on site. The room includes pendant lights that hang from ropes.

Traditional Powder Room by Andrea Schumacher Interiors
100. This stylish powder room plays with colors and patterns, from the red vanity to the intricately patterned wallpaper.

Now you pick, which is your favorite?  Pick one and post it on Facebook! 

102 Eye-Popping Powder Rooms

Why You Might Want to Work With an Interior Design Pro

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11 ways a pro can help you get the most joy from your remodel while minimizing headaches along the way

This a wonderful and easy to read article from Houzz on why you would want to hire our team:

 

When people consider hiring an interior design professional for the first time, they often don’t know what to expect. Television can make it seem as though designers are magicians. This can create the illusion that designing, purchasing for and executing a vision can happen in a day; that concepts cost next to nothing to achieve; or that these professionals do nothing but shop, cause drama and have the time of their lives spending clients’ money. That’s good entertainment, but it’s not reality.

In the established design industry, the career is serious business. It takes years to master the art of interior design. It is complex, calculated and practical. A design professional is often part creator, part project manager and sometimes even part therapist, helping homeowners to determine their dream design and bring it to life while helping them to breathe through the complexities from start to finish. Design professionals have learned over the years to wear many hats to benefit their clients.

Here are some of the top reasons for entrusting your project, whether it’s big or small, to a design professional.

Contemporary Kitchen by Kaminski + Pew
1. Designers keep it real. It’s important to have big design dreams, but it’s also important to have a good idea of your design limitations. Television shows can make it seem as though anything is possible, no matter your space or your budget. In reality, every project has limitations, whether from the physical structure (like immovable walls and support columns) or other factors.

Design professionals can help you determine which of your goals are realistic for your project and warn you of potential issues before any work or buying begins. This ensures that your plans are achievable within the budget you’ve set.

Eclectic Living Room by Toronto Interior Design Group | Yanic Simard
2. Designers see potential. When it comes to your space, design professionals see not only the limits but the potential. It’s easy to get used to a furniture plan or functional layout in your space or to think that there are no other options. Trained eyes can help you see possibilities you might not have considered. Whether you’re planning a major renovation or just refreshing your style, a design professional can help you get the best from your home.
Eclectic Home Office by Toronto Interior Design Group | Yanic Simard
3. Designers use a time-tested process. Knowing your project’s limits and potential is just the beginning of a process that design professionals use to make sure a project stays on track from start to finish.

Each designer may have a unique way of doing things, but ultimately an experienced professional will have a tried-and-true method that will help guide the project and make sure nothing gets missed.

Scandinavian Kitchen by Emilie Melin architecte DPLG
4. Designers can save you money. Yes, bringing in a pro to help manage your project can even save you money. There are financial considerations that you might not see upfront, including the considerable potential cost of mistakes.

That said, while professional design can prevent expensive errors, it is still a luxury. But it’s one that can be considered an investment in the enjoyment of your home.

Transitional Kitchen by Karen Berkemeyer Home
5. Designers speak many languages. Some design professionals may actually speak many foreign languages, but all speak languages you might not be aware of, such as “contractor,” “architect” and “permit approval officer.” Communication is key in any design project, and mistakes and hiccups usually occur when a seemingly simple conversation or request is misinterpreted by one or both sides.

An experienced professional will know how to properly communicate your design vision to the relevant tradespeople and suppliers, with detailed drawings, documentation, and follow-ups to make sure your design dreams don’t get lost in translation.

Scandinavian Living Room by Francos Corner AB
6. Designers bring the best tools. Design professionals use a range of software programs that produce accurate drawings and 3D visualizations of a space.

Whether you’re moving walls or ordering furniture, you might find it tough to picture in your mind exactly how things will fit and look.

Proper drawings will ensure that the pieces come together in the right way, and in good proportions, so you don’t have to return items and start again.

Transitional Bedroom by Toronto Interior Design Group | Yanic Simard
Professionals can give you access to a wide range of samples and materials that have been preselected from their favorite providers. A trusted designer with knowledge and taste will greatly simplify the process of browsing materials and finishes by showing you the best of the best, rather than an overwhelming array of options.

Designers may look at hundreds of stone samples, fabrics or plumbing fixtures before showing the best three or four choices to their clients.

Scandinavian Entry by Bjurfors Göteborg
Most designers have access to exclusive products, paint colors, hardware or other go-tos that they have used before and know work well. These recommendations from an experienced pro are invaluable.

by Gonyea Homes & Remodeling
7. Designers save you time. Designing, building and furnishing a home is a bit like planning a wedding: You don’t realize the incredible number of decisions that need to be made until the process is already underway and the to-do lists start to pile up.
Contemporary Kitchen by SVK Interior Design
Designers are trained to anticipate obstacles, which happen in virtually every project. A professional with years of practice overseeing complex projects will be able to spot the ways things could go off course and then plan ahead to avoid issues. Coordinating the ordering and delivery of materials, the different tradespeople, and installers, and your personal schedule can be hectic, but it’s important to make sure these moving parts coordinate smoothly, or the project can see serious delays.

With every project, not everything goes according to plan. Things come up that require quick reactions. Designers are there on hand to make the crucial decisions on the spot so you can focus on life’s more important things.

Contemporary Living Room by LM architecture
8. Designers think creatively. It’s easy to go into a store, buy a furniture set from a display, have it delivered to your home, set it up and call it a day. But will that set from a showroom floor suit your unique space? A design professional can think creatively about your goals for your space and come up with solutions and ideas that you would never have thought of.

Clients often tell me, “I never would have pictured that piece or color in my home, but now that I see it, it’s perfect.”

Transitional Bedroom by Christina Byers Design
9. Designers know how to edit. While it’s important to be able to think of creative features to add to the space, it’s equally important to know what to leave out. An interior design professional can guide you through the intricate process of knowing when to stop adding new elements and how to get rid of old clutter. Ultimately, it is good editing that gives a home a collected sensibility while remaining personal, unique and true to the people who live there.
Contemporary Bedroom by MAJ Interiors
10. Designers offer a range of services. Hiring a designer isn’t just like handing over the keys to your home and letting someone take over.

While some designers specialize in full-service offerings, others will tackle smaller one-off jobs like helping you pick paint colors, find the right furniture, select materials or simply plan a space.

Of course, with different offerings comes different fee structures, which is something you’ll have to discuss with your design professional.

Transitional Dining Room by Craig Sharp Homes, Inc.
11. Designers find the wow factor. Finally, this brings us to the reason people often begin a design project in the first place: the wow factor.

Clients may find it hard to take risks, and that makes sense. Nobody wants to gamble with hard-earned money and lose. However, it’s important to take at least some design risks to find the dazzling, show-stopping moment that makes a project feel as though it was worth undertaking in the first place.

Beach Style Bedroom by SPM Photography
A design professional can help you figure out where to add elements of drama, whether that be in the scale of a light fixture, the mix of different metals, the tone and finish of a beautiful hardwood floor, a darker shade of a wall paint, a generously sized area rug, the right appliances, the perfect pieces of art or another area where it could be too easy to take the safe route.

With all this in mind, results will be more spectacular than you ever could have imagined.

Beach Style Kitchen by Glynis Wood Interiors
Hopefully, by enjoying reading this article you will have a better reason to hire
T + D D~zine
Why You Might Want to Work With an Interior Design Pro

Top 25 Renovating Mistakes

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  1. Buying Cheap Materials

    “One of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to home renovation (is that) they try to be cheap when they buy materials. The bottom line is, you’re going to get what you pay for.” “If you’re going to do it, do it. If you can’t afford to do it, wait.”

    2. Inaccurate Measurements

    An inch or even sometimes a half an inch can make a difference. And if your dimensions are off and it’s not equal and symmetrical, you’re not going to get the full impact and effect that you want. If you’re not sure about how to measure or you can’t follow the directions, don’t hesitate at all to call somebody. Ask them to come over and take the measurement for you.

    3. Skipping the Prep Work

    Do it the right way, right away. You shouldn’t avoid your prep work. You want to take the time to do it right and right from the beginning.

    It’s a horrible, tedious process, and nobody likes it, but it saves so much time later on down the way. And that’s what you’re trying to do: save yourself money and time.

 

Top 25 Renovating Mistakes

How High Should You Hang Your Upper Kitchen Cabinets?

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 Here is a relevant article from Houzz.  Don’t let industry norms box you in. Here are some reasons why you might want more space above your countertops
A client of mine recently raised a good question: “Do upper cabinets have to be installed the standard 18 inches off the countertop?” It got me thinking outside of the usual cabinetry box. Of course, there are lots of ways to install your upper cabinets, and if you’re willing to have an open mind, you might find that elevating them comes with unexpected benefits. Here are situations where you might want to hang your cabinets a little higher.
Transitional Kitchen by Rycon Building Group

What Is the Standard Height?

The standard height for upper cabinets has changed somewhat over the years. At one point the most common height was 18 inches above the countertop, but this number has started to creep up to 20 inches to give people a little extra breathing room. Go lower than 18 inches and you may find that certain small appliances don’t fit below the cabinets, or that the upper cabinets start to block your view of the countertop.

Contemporary Kitchen by The Furniture Union

Although 18 inches is a typical minimum height, kitchen cabinets can start much higher than this. The trade-off is that for every inch you raise the cabinets you will have more open space to work in but less storage space at an easily reachable height.

Finding the right balance will come down to a lot of personal preferences and situational factors, but here are some cases where raising the upper cabinets might be a good move.

Contemporary Kitchen by Croma Design Inc
When You Should Raise the Upper Cabinets

When the home chefs are tall – standard heights are just that: a standard height that works for a lot of people but isn’t necessarily best for everyone.If the people using the kitchen are on the taller side (say 5’10” and above), they’ll see the cabinets from a different angle than the “average” eye line.
Raising the upper cabinets a few more inches will ensure an unobstructed view of the counter and give a bit more elbow room for working.
Contemporary Kitchen by Turn-Key Projects

When you have a tall faucet or a big sink. Restaurant kitchen-inspired faucets, with their tall, arching necks and industrial flair, are popular because they’re not only stylish, they’re also highly functional. Paired with deep sinks, they can make hand-washing an oversized pot or small appliance a snap.

But these conveniences are somewhat reduced if you have to struggle to get the pot into the sink. Having higher cabinets above the sink (installed at, say, 24 to 30 inches off the countertop) will ensure you have lots of room to work, no matter what new kitchen contraption you need to wash.

Contemporary by Schmidt Küchen GmbH & Co. KG
When you have a pantry nearby. While it can sometimes feel like no amount of kitchen storage is enough, if you have more than you need you might feel compelled to fill it, creating clutter in your home that can quickly get away from you.
Contemporary Kitchen by Schmidt Küchen GmbH & Co. KG

When you have a good, functional pantry wall in your kitchen already, it can be a smart choice to balance it out by reducing the size of your wall cabinets for a more open look.That way you have a place for everything you need without feeling like you’re working in a pantry closet.

Contemporary Kitchen by Fivedot

When you want your backsplash to make a statement. Form and function are both important to a kitchen. After all, if you spend a lot of time in the space, it’ll be more enjoyable if the space is beautiful. A beautiful backsplash makes a strong statement in a kitchen, and raising the upper cabinets gives you a little more square footage to feature a stunning material.

Contemporary Kitchen by Lisa Breeze Architect
Whether this material is a cool tile, a slab of stone or an exposed brick wall, raising the cabinets will let the backsplash become a point of focus, so much so that it might even catch your eye before the cabinets.
Contemporary Kitchen by Domus Nova

When you have dark cabinets. Sometimes the backsplash isn’t so much a statement of its own as it is a visual break between other dramatic elements. These rich charcoal-toned cabinets give this kitchen a mature air, but visually they could read as a bit heavy.

The wide stretch of crisp white-based marble slab (between the lowers and the very high uppers) balances out the dark cabinet finish to achieve a look that is rich but airy, and not overwhelming.

Contemporary Kitchen by Elizabeth Matthews Interiors
When you have a mirrored backsplash. A mirrored backsplash makes an attractive style statement, but it can also make your kitchen feel significantly bigger. The effect is even stronger when you have higher upper cabinets, allowing for a taller stretch of mirror that reaches up higher into your eye line.
Contemporary Kitchen by antonio perrone architetto
When your cabinet finish is a bold accent. Two-tone cabinets are a popular trend, and a fun way to add some personality to your kitchen without investing heavily in a look you might grow tired of. When choosing an especially bold finish like this cheerful yellow or an exotic wood grain, using slimmer upper cabinets will balance the look so you get a controlled dose of color.
Modern Kitchen by Paula G. Furió

When you have a closed-in kitchen. Not every kitchen can be an open concept with a vast island in the middle to gather around. If you have an L-shaped or U-shaped kitchen that forms a tight room, the area can start to feel a bit closed off, and even cramped.

Lifting your cabinets 6 inches won’t magically knock down a wall, but it can make the entire kitchen feel a bit roomier and more open, without any serious reconstruction.

Modern Kitchen by Cuisines Raison Nouren Agencement

When you want to hide a hood fan. As the saying goes, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Hood fans are often designed to sit a certain height above the counter, which can ruin the clean lines of modern cabinetry — if you let it. Rather than using cabinets at two different heights, this designer chose to keep the look elegantly simple by installing all the upper cabinets at the same height to create one single line straight across.

It helps that the backsplash here is a simple panel of crisp stainless steel.

Scandinavian Kitchen by Maurizio Giovannoni Architetto

 Having higher upper cabinets doesn’t necessarily mean having less storage. A hanging bar running across the backsplash provides a great place to hang tools like spatulas, oven mitts and other essentials within easy reach. Higher upper cabinets will give you a little extra room for longer tools like ladles, so measure the longest tool you’d like to have at the ready, add 3 to 4 inches for the hang bar itself, and then use that measurement as the height for the bottom of the uppers.

Scandinavian Kitchen Scandinave Cuisine

When you have cabinets over an island. Upper cabinets aren’t only found along a wall. Sometimes it helps to add a bit of storage above your island or peninsula, especially in a more open-concept space with few walls to put cabinets on.

Hanging cabinets just 18 inches off the island counter can block your views to a neighboring space, ruining the “open” part of an “open concept.” However, cabinets starting above the eye line won’t shrink your perception of the space nearly as much. Using cabinets 48 to 54 inches above the counter instead will give you a good balance of extra storage and a sense of visual connection between the spaces.

How High Should You Hang Your Upper Kitchen Cabinets?

CONQUER KITCHEN CLUTTER

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Here is another interesting article from Kohler, on how to declutter your kitchen.  I love a simple and clean countertop, so hide a lot in the pantry and in an appliance garage.  Here are a few more ideas.

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Looking for the secret to easier cleanup, clearing away clutter and getting your kitchen organized once and for all? Zero in on hard-working products that speed up your workflow and keep everything in its place to make kitchen time more enjoyable.

Cut Down On Counter Clutter

46227265d340f38ce89ecf2c401c4352cb0560f5.jpg

Shown: The Riverby under-mount kitchen sink with utility rack, soaking cup, colander and cutting board.

Adding simple storage to your space is a great way to keep your cleaning tools organized and within reach. Pare down the number of sponges, scrubbers, and brushes crowding your countertops and drawers by swapping them for tools with multiple uses. Our kitchen accessories feature a variety of simple, purposefully designed products, from dishwasher-safe caddies to a one-of-a-kind squeegee/brush combination. You could be enjoying a clutter-free kitchen in no time.

Accessorize your Kitchen Sink

e5f214306a8430dcd25aad98e306ca3e75a5c0d6.jpgThe Prolific under-mount kitchen sink with bamboo cutting board, colander and washbin.

Many of our kitchen sinks have added accessories like prep bowls, utensil trays, colanders and cutting boards to make cooking and cleaning faster and easier. Using integrated tools within your sink space transforms your standard sink into a fully usable workstation. So you’re not only containing your messes to one easy-to-clean area, but you’re also keeping bulky accessories from cluttering your countertops.

Go Hands-Free with Your Faucet

ded822c54100055a3d8df054d10384719b56c1b4.jpgShown: The Beckon Touchless kitchen faucet.

Upgrading to a faucet that accommodates the way you work around the kitchen can save time and effort. And when it comes to function and cleanliness, motion activated faucets just make sense. Touchless technology turns on with the wave of a hand, making messy tasks easier and keeping the kitchen more sanitary — especially during cold and flu season.

The Final Ingredient
Achieving a cleaner, more organized kitchen that you love is doable without a remodel. You just need the right recipe and the active ingredients to make it work.

CONQUER KITCHEN CLUTTER

7 Design Tips For a Chef-Worthy Kitchen

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This a great article from Dwell Magazine.

If you have serious culinary chops and take pride in preparing meals that wow your family and friends, keep these tips in mind when designing or renovating your kitchen.

If boiling eggs is not your forte, and you’d much rather eat out than experiment with new recipes, then a basic kitchen may be all you need. But if you’re serious about cooking and love nothing more than spending hours trying out new dishes that’ll impress guests at your next dinner party, then here are some elements to incorporate for a professional-grade kitchen.

1. The Magic Triangle

When planning the layout for your kitchen, refer to the “kitchen work triangle” with the cooking area, sink, and refrigerator at its three points. Though modern kitchens have evolved, and it is sometimes geometrically impossible to abide by this configuration (for example, in a single wall kitchen), the triangle is a good concept to keep in mind when designing to maximize functionality and ease of movement.

What they did not talk about is the new triangle, where the refrigerator is off to the side and a little out of the way.  There needs to be space across from it or beside it to put food when cooking, but it does not absolutely need to be part of the triangle anymore.  I love the cooktop part of my triangle, as I am working there, more than in the refrigerator. (unless I am really hungry)

7 Design Tips For a Chef-Worthy Kitchen - Photo 1 of 7 -

 

2. Two Sinks

Install two sinks so that you can clean fruits and vegetables in one while washing or stacking used pots and pans in the other. Ensure that the sink is deep and the faucets are high, so you don’t have to worry about water splashing onto the countertop as you strain your pasta or wash your dishes.

I have a little different take on this.  My utility room is adjacent to my kitchen, so I added a large stainless sink in there if I need a place for pots and pans.  If I am entertaining, I do not want my guests to see dirty pans in my kitchen, so this works great! 

7 Design Tips For a Chef-Worthy Kitchen - Photo 2 of 7 -

IMG_6990

3. Plenty of Durable Work Counters

As a home chef, you’ll be engaged in many food preparation tasks, so think about how to maximize counter space. Surface counters made of quartz, laminates, and solid surfaces are good choices for their durability, and antibacterial and anti-staining properties. Such surfaces are ideal for areas where you’ll do the most peeling, chopping, and blending.

Quartz is the new popular countertop and it is great, but if you select a plain one, be prepared to constantly be cleaning it, as it shows every spot.  I love a good granite that hides a little.  

7 Design Tips For a Chef-Worthy Kitchen - Photo 3 of 7 -

4. Built-In Appliances

Integrated appliances are your best bet for freeing up space, hiding unsightly electrical cords, and getting a clean, streamlined look. Wherever possible, choose built-in ovens, dishwashers, coffee machines, microwaves, and pullout fridges. This will help free up more counter space and make your kitchen look much more inviting.

I love making my dishwasher and refrigerator look like cabinets.  Now there are drawer refrigerators and freezers.  I hide my microwave and toaster oven in my pantry.  Clean is the new look!  

5. Good Lighting

A bright kitchen is not only healthier for your eyes, it makes preparing food safer and will probably put you in a cheerier mood. Locate your kitchen close to windows or incorporate skylights to increase the amount of natural light it receives. When choosing light fixtures, consider ambient lights, task lights, and accent lights. Use down lights to prevent glare and shadows, strip lighting under cabinets, and wide-rimmed pendant lights above the bar or island counter.

In my last home I had windows under the cabinets that looked out to the garden.  It had a wonderful effect.  We added another window when we remodeled last summer to take full advantage of our water view. 

7 Design Tips For a Chef-Worthy Kitchen - Photo 5 of 7 -

6. Ample and Intelligent Storage

Easy and intuitive access to a large pantry, spice racks, pots and pans, utensils, dinnerware, and cutlery can make all the difference when you’re preparing a feast for a large group. Consider storage systems which hold all your kitchen basics neatly and beautifully like a secret armoire.

I personally think that although this is “cool”, there are a lot better use of space, than hanging your utensils and knives.  One knife block on the counter is quite practical. 

7 Design Tips For a Chef-Worthy Kitchen - Photo 6 of 7 - On/Off Monoblock by Boffi

7. Wine Storage Facilities

Good food isn’t complete without great wine, so consider including wine storage facilities.  We love ours and use it every day.  

7 Design Tips For a Chef-Worthy Kitchen - Photo 7 of 7 - Perlick wine cooler

 

7 Design Tips For a Chef-Worthy Kitchen

Luxury Kitchens Sell the Home: Design Trends

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 January 21, 2018 by 

Recently some 60,000+ people gathered in Orlando, FL at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) hosted by the National Kitchen and Bath Association. It’s where companies that supply the kitchen and bath trade showcase their wares to interior designers, retailers and dealers, architects, builders, and remodelers. KBIS is part of Design and Construction Week with the NAHB International Builders’ Show.

Kitchens take center stage at KBIS and have been a focus of my research over the past year as well. I participated in a series of AuthLux day-long workshops on luxury kitchen and bath design sponsored by ROHL, the kitchen and bath luxury fixtures company, and part of the Fortune Brands family of companies.

An excerpted hour-long version of that full-day event was presented at this year’s KBIS, but I thought to share more insights from an AuthLux Summit panel discussion about designing the luxury kitchen of tomorrow today, hosted by Dallas-based interior designer Denise MaGaha.

The kitchen unlocks the value of a home

The kitchen is now the showpiece of the modern home. “The ultimate design statement of the home starts in the kitchen,” said MaGaha as she introduced the discussion focused on the three essential design elements for the modern kitchen – Cabinetry, Appliances and Water Appliances. “With the trend toward open-floor plans, the kitchen sets the stage for all the other design decisions in the home.”

The kitchen’s importance to the home owner is second to none. In today’s open-floor home designs, the kitchen takes center stage as the place where the family’s lifestyle starts. Kitchens are the most important selling point in home buyers’ decision, according to Realtor.com, and homes listed with “luxury kitchens” sell faster and command a higher selling price than similar-sized homes in the same ZIP code.

It’s no wonder then that interior designers find the greatest demand for their services in remodeling kitchens. Some 80% of home remodeling projects take place in the kitchen, according to the National Association of Home Builder’s Remodeling Market Index survey.

Here are some highlights from the panel discussion:

Upscale cabinets must be as beautiful on the inside as on the outside

Cabinets are the grounding element in the luxury kitchen, as all the other elements are mounted on them or placed within them. What’s more, they set the design style for the kitchen. “Today we see transitional and modern style with strong architectural references increasingly popular,” explained Jason Artus of Rutt HandCrafted Cabinetry, based in Lancaster County, PA.

“That’s also why we find European style frameless-constructed cabinets growing in demand,” Artus said. Frameless cabinets allow for additional storage with wider drawers and pullouts because they do not have a face frame attached to the front of the cabinet box and no center stile coming down in the middle of two cabinet doors. Frameless cabinets give a sleek, simple aesthetic that provide easier access to the items inside.

Another trend Artus sees in luxury cabinet choices is more drawers, instead of hinged door cabinets. “Additional drawers in the kitchen results in more accessible storage and organization, which is a top priority for clients to be sure that each and every kitchen item has its place.” And once those drawers or cabinets are opened, lights need to turn on automatically to guide the way.

And for the luxury home owner, the outside is just as important as the inside when it comes to cabinets. “It is expected that today’s upscale cabinetry look as beautiful on the interior as it does on the exterior,” Artus said, as he points to growing interest within the design community in white oak on cabinet interiors for “those looking for a lighter option to pair with darker exterior finishes.”

Luxury kitchens mean chef-quality appliances

While cabinetry provides the modern kitchen’s form, the appliances provide its function. And today that function is going more high-tech as smart technology is added into the mix. Selecting appliance brands that serve their function in style and are ahead of the curve in innovation is key.

Juanita Galliford, of Thermador, part of BSH Home Appliances Corporation, shared that her company has been at the forefront of kitchen innovation since its founding in 1916. It invented the wall oven and cooktop combination and was the first to introduce stainless steel. And in 1948 it brought the first professional-quality and performance ranges to the home owner, followed by the first self-cleaning oven in the 60s. When it comes to kitchen appliance innovation, she said, “Thermador has led while other brands have followed.”

On the cutting edge of cooking technology today is the steam/convection oven, Galliford explained. “The steam oven is one of the healthiest ways to cook a meal. Traditional ovens pull moisture out of the food as it cooks, while in a steam oven food is cooked in its own juices, enhancing flavor and retaining nutrients,” she said and told how it is also super-fast, allowing a 14 lb. turkey to cook in only 90 minutes.

And in the modern luxury kitchen, the refrigerator has taken on a new role as the “culinary preservation center,” noted Galliford. “Refrigerators are no longer just about preservation. Today’s homeowner wants personalization allowing them to customize the line up of cold storage combinations that give them exactly the cold storage solutions they desire.” So a modular concept in cold storage is required allowing the homeowner to pick fresh food store, freezer and wine storage combinations right for their needs.

From sink and faucet to water appliance

And perhaps the most overlooked, yet most critical function in the kitchen is the faucet and sink, which ROHL has redefined as the water appliance. “The most used appliance in the kitchen is actually the faucet/sink combination,” said Greg Rohl. “A family of four uses their water appliance 20-30 times a day. We encourage designers to think about reallocating budgets towards this most heavily used ‘appliance’ allowing clients to spend more for better quality and more attractive solutions.”

To discover the water appliance faucets, fixtures and fittings that meet 21st century needs in quality, style and function, ROHL canvases the world to find products that meet the luxury homeowners’ needs, like the innovative Pull-Out Kitchen Faucet, which founder Ken Rohl discovered in Europe in 1983 and which became the flagship product for the ROHL brand.

Through close collaborations with its worldwide partners, ROHL finds it critical to maintain authenticity in time-honored material and craft while adapting to modern needs. “We work closely with on-staff engineers and industrial designers to incorporate low-lead material requirements, meet California water-use and flow restrictions and IAPMO and EPA WaterSense criteria without compromise,” Rohl noted.

Designing the luxury kitchen of tomorrow today

Designing the kitchen of tomorrow today requires bringing many separate components provided by a variety of suppliers with unique expertise together into a cohesive kitchen package that combines beauty and function, efficiency and style. “Traditional kitchen configurations with upper and lower cabinets are being replaced by full-on kitchen islands – grounded by larger sinks, faucets and accompanying accessories,” Rohl explained. “Today, and in the future, the multi-function sink/faucet combination will continue to be the mainstay of the kitchen, flanked by the cooking and cold storage appliances, and installed with beautiful, architectural cabinetry that defines the kitchen’s style.”

The kitchen’s place of presence in the home is without doubt. Yet its form and function continues to evolve with technology, product and design innovations. Perhaps Christopher Peacock, a high-end cabinetry designer in Norwalk, CT expressed the evolution of the modern kitchen best: “It’s almost not worth calling it a kitchen anymore—it’s a living room that you can cook in.”

Luxury Kitchens Sell the Home: Design Trends