NYC Kitchen of the Year by "House Beautiful"

As a kitchen designer, and a general home enthusiast, I am always sooo curious as to how do people live? One of my favorite places to visit is NYC and I often find myself trying to sneak a peek into the lovely brownstones to see what kind of kitchen they have? In the latest issue of "House Beautiful" we have a photographic tour inside the replicated kitchen/home of foodie TV chef, Ina Garten of "Barefoot Contessa."

I thought I would post this to see if this inspired any of you. Her kitchen (the one below is on shown in NYC, but her actual kitchen is in the Hamptons) is simple, timeless, organized and extremely functional.

Ina and her husband, Jeffrey arrive in NYC

Ina's kitchen, beautiful white painted beadboard cabinetry that fades back and allows her food to take center stage.

However, behind closed doors...er drawers, are function and organization. The cabinetry door detail doesn't have to speak volumes but the inside should.

Keeping items on open shelves allows for an easy everyday use and what better way for heirloom pieces to close at hand to use for dinner, or to just admire daily and remember fond memories.

Like many homes are remodeling towards, the trend of having the kitchen open and connecting into dining rooms, family/living rooms is shown beautifully here. How great to be able to sit and nibble on breakfast just steps away from your kitchen and your fireplace?

To see a video on Ina's thoughts of color in the kitchen, click here

Today's look of Quarter Sawn Oak

This dream kitchen was done for my family first, client second, designed in Evanston, IL.

These wonderful home owners decided to remodel their beautiful Evanston home. True admirers of Frank Llyod Wright, Mission Style and fine culinary creations, this kitchen encompasses their passion of architecture, design function and flowing muses for the love of cooking.

Architecturally, we couldn't change window height, so we created a custom large drawer for pots/pans on either side of their Viking Range. The hood above fits neatly into a wood hood but still provides the functioning blower vent required.

Using Quarter Sawn Oak provides a true Mission look dating back to 1895. The farmers sink adds such a warm touch, and paneling the new Dishwasher gives the function of the appliance without noticing it's there.

Below are the "Before" images of the same kitchen..what a difference. Fortunately the same elements in both kitchens are the wonderful home owners, their memories of cooking, entertaining and family time. All of that will be brought into the new design :)

Getting "Boos" is great!

How lovely and warm is wood grain with its ancient curves and cathedrals running smoothly like telling a tale of it's time.

Using wood for cabinetry is beautiful, yes, but also unique and functional as a countertop!

This island below begs to be sat at with a steaming cup of coffee and the latest great read..."Twilight" anyone?

In the past many people worried about bacteria on wood surfaces such as cutting boards but did you know, bacteria actually dies quicker on wood than on most surfaces?!

Occasionally layer your wood top with an inch of coarse kosher salt overnight to remove any lingering smells of garlic, onion, etc.

How perfect is this multi-height countertop on this island...love the bench for seating!

A lilliputian kitchen-only 48 square feet!

I came across this kitchen in one of my favorite magazines, "House Beautiful" and was so impressed with what a fellow kitchen designer did with her own space.

This tiny but highly functional kitchen is located

in NYC (again, a favorite place of mine).

I couldn't help but think; how clever, and sweet and still modestly elegant.

We often complain about how small our kitchens are, but perhaps what we need to do, is appreciate the space we do have, and do something GREAT with it!

Enjoy!

A few fun facts about this bite size kitchen:

• A mirrored backsplash, an electric cooktop that doubles as countertop, and simple cabinetry give the illusion of grandeur in this tiny kitchen.
• There is a specific space for every pot, plate, and peppermill.
• Four-inch-deep drawers, with slides along the sides rather than the bottoms, hold spices, tea, hot pads, and assorted cooking paraphernalia; slots provide tidy storage space for cookbooks and serving trays.
• Deeper drawers substitute for lower cabinets to give easier acces
• The refrigerator is just outside the kitchen, in the pantry. She stores table linens in closets in the hallway.
• The "pantry" for dry goods consists of two cabinets that slide out over the countertop. Bins for trash and recyclables similarly pull out beside the sink.
• The wood floor was handmade by an artisan in Brooklyn to showcase the family crest, a way of putting a personal imprint on the kitchen design.

What inspires your design thoughts?

In design, anything can trigger an idea and a flow of thoughts.

Below are some beautiful inspirations for new finishes that we design with.

Chocolate truffle anyone?

This 'Truffle' finish, below, will satisfy your craving and keep you in your skinny jeans

To enjoy a glass of Cabernet with your loved one at a vineyard...

Or using the classic and traditional 'Vineyard' finish in your home

Admiring the unique coat pattern of an Appaloosa horse in a nearby field

Bringing that warm speckled finish of 'Appaloosa' into your next design, perhaps an island for your family to gather around.

What is your unique inspiration...

Blissful cabinetry

What a fun and creative job we have as cabinetry designers!

Below is a brand new product, in our "Medallion Cabinetry" line. I am focusing on the greenish-blue painted cabinetry seen below, so beautifully labeled as "Bliss."

Exceptionally serene and just perfect for a spa-like bathroom, pool house, or lake house..the uses could be endless.

Enjoy...

"Bliss" painted cabinetry comes on several different door styles, each very different from each other. The style above is called "Trinity." Very fitting, don't you think?

Classic Bath design

Choosing cabinetry for your Master Bath can prove to be a difficult task, especially in when trying to predict what you will like for years to come.

  Whether or not to go sleekly contemporary, vintage shabby chic, British traditional, or bo-ho eclectic in style, can all whirl around in confusion for many of my clients.  

Sometimes it's best to play it safe and go somewhere in between; transitional. 

That means picking a simple, clean and classic cabinetry style.  Different selections of hardware, proves to wear like "jewelry" and can easily be changed out in the future.

Instead of a typical linen closet behind plain doors, we created a custom space that has a furniture appeal to it, but still provides all the storage needed. 

Shown here is a maple cabinet in a classic Shaker style but combined with a clean slab (or flat) drawer front to keep the look even more simple.  The hardware chosen is a more contemporary stainless steel rod (still proving to be quite popular) but could easily be changed to a bin pull for a totally different look in the future.

The pesky Microwave and where to put it?

As a kitchen designer, I am constantly faced with design challenges.  One that constantly comes up is this question, "So, Kristen, where is my microwave going?"

The correct answer is; what works best for your space and for you needs, and below are some of the many options to consider for your kitchen.

• Option 1: Creating an upper cabinet with space below to house and trim your micro out nicely creates a seamless look. Having a counter top below makes prepping and re-heating a snap. Keeping it near the refrigerator is also quite functional.*This a key element; being most items that need to be microwaved come straight from the refrigerator, it's a time saver to keep it near by when possible.

• Option 2: The microwave seen below, is installed underneath the built-in coffee machine, to the left of the refrigerator. This built-in microwave also functions as a second oven and in this application fits nicely in this large tower cabinet and is easy to access. 

• Option 3: Placing the microwave in a lower base cabinet and trimming it out nicely creates a separate work zone. This application is wonderful for families with children over 7 yrs old typically, so the children can access the microwave SAFELY and when trusted to do so.  *Another key note is I prefer to lift hot microwaved items out and up on to a counter for stirring, etc, rather than pulling from above toward the face. 

• Option 4: The microwave seen below is most typical. Having a microwave hood proves practical and functional when tight on space.  This application can also function as a hood fan (either recirculating or venting out). The height allows the microwave to be out of younger toddler's hands and off the counter tops.  For the at-home 'chef's' this can prove to be a time saver too by keeping all cooking elements together.

• Option 5: Many of my clients are now choosing a more natural approach to food and are eliminating the daily use of a microwave, enabling me to place it behind closed doors, seen below.  This proves to be beneficial when you DON'T use it daily.  A great benefit to this design is it's atheistically pleasing while still housing the microwave. *This is a great design when you aren't wanting to invest a lot of money in a high end microwave and it's easy to replace because you aren't locked into one size microwave.
  

I hope these ideas inspire some creativity...and boy, am I craving some microwaved popcorn! :) 

A Modern Beauty

Who doesn't love a great "before vs. after?"

Here are a couple of "before" shots of the kitchen:

Featured below is the newly redesigned lovely kitchen for my wonderful friend, who also happens to be an interior designer (as if you can't tell!):

Don't you just love the light fixture over the sink? 

I think we succeeded in hitting their budget while achieving a beautiful chic kitchen that showcases her great taste.

Custom desk for teens

We can all remember how hard it was to sit down and do our homework.

Perhaps this will make that daily chore a little more inviting; a custom desk area in your children's or teen's bedroom.  A place of their own to study, read, and stay organized.

Here is one design done in our 'Quality Cabinet' line, in the beaded white 'Nantucket' door style.

Suspended seating

Being a kitchen/bath/cabinetry designer, I get to see so many cool products!

Take a swivel on this one: Suspended seating! 

Creates a whole new look for your kitchen island,  perimeter or desk area! 

Mudrooms can be pretty and practical | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Mudrooms can be pretty and practical detnews.com The Detroit News

Detroit News Article feature

Click below for the article feature in Detroit News on my photographs of my designed "Mud Suite" below:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090501/OPINION03/905010302/1038/lifestyle01/Mudrooms-can-be-pretty-and-practical

Many thanks to the editor, Jeanine Matlow for this feature! :)

A Home Office you can be proud of

With so many of us working out of our home (myself included), it's very important to separate "home life" from "home office."

Shown here is a beautifully designed home office for one of our clients, using our "economy friendly" cabinetry line, Quality Cabinets.

Although "economy friendly" there is no compromise on this great design!

Plenty of file cabinets and other drawers were designed within her "L" shaped desk area, providing plenty of counter space for her to multi-task throughout the day.

Additional file cabinets support the bookcase area (above) used for display, family photos, books, etc. It's up to you to accessorize and make this space your own!

Now...this is an office you can spend time in!