ALL THAT GLITTERS COULD BE GLASS!

You've heard me talk about glass before and it's place as a progressive material used in all sorts of innovative ways in the 21st century kitchen.  The following is a press release I recently received for a company called Think Glass.



"One of the coolest products just unveiled at the National Kitchen Bath Show in Las Vegas was a stunning 4-inch glass countertop that looked like the luminescent ocean and actually glowed from within. The powerful LED lights embedded inside gave the glass countertop a radiance. ThinkGlass offers a variety of light colors and even the ability to create a “light show” via remote control with special effects such as flashing and fading lights to create an ambiance.

ThinkGlass has quickly become a leader in the thermoforming industry by pioneering a versatile technique that allows the creation of new or repetitive textures at a very low molding cost. This process allows the creation of glass slabs without thickness constraints opening the door to all kinds of design possibilities that far exceed anything that can be accomplished with stone, granite or marble."

This truly is a revolutionary break through.  Previously the thickest counter top any sane glass expert would offer is 3/4".   When glass reaches a thickness of 1.4" it becomes hard as stone and it is naturally antibacterial because of its totally nonporous nature.

Original artwork or decoration as well as texture can be added to make a glass counter top a unique expression.

ThinkGlass has been around for about 11 years and here's how they do it.  The process begins with 8' by 11' sheets of 1/2" glass which is cut to size according to project specs.  The glass is stacked and placed on a bed of sand in an oven.  Any desired texture or design is drawn into the sand before the glass is placed on it.  The glass is then baked for one day for every 1/2" of thickness.  The finished product is then polished by hand.  Pretty cool, huh?  The sand is even reused so there is no waste.

The addition of LED lighting for illumination really takes glass to the next level and is sure to deliver lots of  "wows".  Glass is easy to clean and the addition of a texture is a crafty way to hide finger prints.

If you'd like just a little wow that's good too and can be enough.  How about a raised glass top on your island?  If you go this route make sure to employ a qualified professional who will know the best way to install and secure your top.  Last but not least, don't forget that if you are a follower of  Feng Shui, glass is a great way to add the water element to your kitchen.  The element of water is said to attract wealth and health!

DREAM KITCHENS MADE IN ITALY

Flux by Scavolini designed by automotive designer Giugiaro who designs for Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini

Daniele Busca lives for Scavolini.  After spending an hour chatting with him and touring the showroom and US headquarters in Soho I can understand why.  Daniele is the Manager and Creative Director who makes it all work on this side of the pond.  The new location which has been open since last October is enjoying a brisk business and I think it's largely due to Daniele's knack for tweaking this Italian product for an American market.  "American kitchens are generally bigger", he says, "and where you would have an island in America we might have a kitchen table instead in Italy."  Another major difference is the appliances.  American refrigerators are almost always bigger."  White still reigns.

Showroom Manager and Creative Director Daniele Busca

I thought it was interesting to hear that home owners are requesting glossy finishes and architects prefer the matte look.  A artful mixing of textures, both tactile and visual,  is also important.  I asked Daniele to define a trend.  He says, "in the end a trend is what sells." The showroom spans two floors.  Displays were designed in Italy and re-designed by Daniele for an exact fit both in size and taste for the US market.  "Americans also tend to prefer symmetry in kitchen design," he added.  Scavolini is a family business based in Pesaro, Italy and has been the largest cabinet manufacturer in Italy since 1984 with 40 dealers  in the US.  This year marks the company's 50th anniversary.  Clientele for the New York location is largely an international group who keep an apartment in New York City as well as elsewhere.  This year Scavolini will roll out seven new models.  Four new displays are already in the works for this new showroom.  The Tetrix line, as seen at IDS,  designed by internationally-famous British designer Michael Young, is also being featured.  Tetrix is not yet on display here but Daniele's sending me some pix to share with you.  Designers may be interested to know that Scavolini has developed their own design and pricing program.  Scavolini is very involved in the Green movement.  I was surprised to hear that the manufacturing facility in Italy is 85% powered by solar panels and they are planning to make it 100% by the end of the year.  All cabinet boxes and door panels are made from 100% recycled fire retardant and water resistant wood.  All lacquers used are water-based.  Scavolini is involved in the local community offering the showroom for fund raising events  organized by trade associations and design schools.  Generally speaking, a Scavolini kitchen can be yours for from about 10K to upwards of 90K.

Cool corner storage

Love the sculptural upper cabinets (if you have the room)

Ultimate trash/recyling pull out

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The magic of efficient pantry storage!

A place for everything

check out that hood!

Follow the red glass steps to a whole other world of displays downstairs

The traditional display is down there just in case someone wants it. Daniele wants you to know that the exact same cabinets in black are HOT!

Italian walnut

You can probably afford this laminate kitchen but it still looks like a million bucks!

This is "niche storage", very specific (love the Italiano shoes and skinny trousers)

Thank you to Daniele for hosting my visit.  I really enjoyed chatting with him.  I asked a million questions and he was up to the task, warm and most gracious.  If you're ever in Soho stop in and see for yourself.  Tomorrow I will be back with more from New York.

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS CHROME AT IDS11

 

[caption id="attachment_542" align="aligncenter" width="461" caption="The new Culina kitchen faucet by Blanco. The sink (also Blanco) is a polished stainless steel."][/caption]

Now that I'm back and basking in the sun once again, I'm busy creating a whole new Flickr site with all those photos I took to share with you.  Here are just a few to get you warmed up.

[caption id="attachment_544" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="Polished chrome faucets by Canadian firm Riobel will be available in the US this year."][/caption]

Look for the link right here at Kitchens for Living where you can view all the photos and commentary.  As soon as I post you'll be the first to know.   Just to get us started I thought I'd show you some of the faucet fashion at IDS11.   Incidentally this is the 13th IDS show and it's Canada's largest contemporary design show.  This year's event featured 300 exhibitors.  As an American designer, it was interesting to see the differences not only in taste but in product offerings just over the border.  Products and styling appear more progressive.  When I question why so many of these products are not available to us here in the USA I am told that it is not our market.  I hope they are wrong.  If we can't get it we can't buy it.  Right?

 

[caption id="attachment_553" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="This stylish Moen 90 degree faucet is also available in stainless. Photo courtesy of Moen."][/caption]

Plumbing faucet manufacturers from Moen to Riobel to Brizo showed a dazzling array of faucets of all types with one thing in common, a polished chrome finish. Fellow bloggers who had the opportunity to visit Cologne, Germany last week for the "Living Kitchen" event tell me that polished chrome is the choice in Europe as well.

 

[caption id="attachment_543" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="This stunning Siderna faucet by Brizo is simple yet elegant and I LOVE the glass detail on the handles!"][/caption]

Next post: The Sink of the future is here today!

Don’t forget to enter your chance to win a free Orgaline drawer organizer by leaving a comment on any post between now and February 15th! Click here to read January 14th post for details

FLORIDA KITCHEN CHARM

Thank you  for the out pouring of love and concern for our family.  No matter what happens the sun always rises again and we begin another day.

[caption id="attachment_282" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="White cabinets and a shiny blue glass tile backsplash lend a coastal feel. Photo by Southern Accents"][/caption]

As you guys up in the northern regions are beginning to crank up the heat,  I thought I'd share a little warmth from down here in sunny Florida.  If you love warm tropical beaches, even when there's snow (instead of sand) on the ground, here's how you can bring this ambiance to your "anywhere" kitchen.

Blue & White will give you an instant feel of sun and surf.  White cabinets are hot!  Blue calls  to mind the ocean and may be added to your backsplash, walls or even used as  accent color for an island or hutch cabinet.

[caption id="attachment_285" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="A modern version with Balthaup cabinets. Photo by Elle Decor"][/caption]

A sea view is a must and you can have one even if you don't live by the sea.  Think art!  That way you can choose the sea view of your choice.  It can be a painting, a photograph or even something more abstract like a mixed media work of art.

[caption id="attachment_286" align="aligncenter" width="570" caption="I wish I was at the beach by ABSTRACTINC from Etsy.com"][/caption]

Gifts from the Sea are fun ways to add a beachy feel.  Shells, starfish or even bits of beach glass are great accents.  Try using a shiny glass tile backsplash for a watery feel or tiles with more of a honed finish look like glass that has been eroded by the sand over time.

[caption id="attachment_292" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="seashells, starfish and beach glass tell the story of the sea"][/caption]

Burled Beach Corian countertop by Dupont

Throw some sand into the mix with solid surface counter tops in colors like Dijon from the Elements collection by Denova or Burled Beach by Dupont's Corian.

[caption id="attachment_288" align="aligncenter" width="261" caption="Dijon from the Elements collection Denova Solid Surface Counters"][/caption]

The nice thing is you can add a little or you can pull out all the stops.  If you have "Floridified" your kitchen sent me pix.  I would love to show and tell.  Oh, and by the way, it's nice to be back!

CABINET STYLE 101

One of the myriad decisions you'll have to make when considering new kitchen cabinets is STYLE.  What do you say when your kitchen professional poses the question, what style are you?  There are, of course, many but we can safely narrow it down to three categories.  The first one is known as TRADITIONAL.  Anything Old World, Country, French Country or Tuscan would come under that category.  You know you're traditional when cabinet doors are ornate with lots of finish detail and moulding.  Because of this, a classic or traditional look is usually the most expensive to create.  The second category is CONTEMPORARY.  This style is usually very simple and streamlined with not a lot of detail.  This type of kitchen gets its beauty from the materials used.  For example a beautiful wood grain or color.  If you are careful about the materials used this can by your most inexpensive option.  Remember less can be more.  The third style is TRANSITIONAL.  A lot of us come under this category which could also be described as eclectic. The popular Shaker door is a good example of this.  It can be either modern or traditional looking depending on the hardware you select and the rest of the finishes in the kitchen.  If you're interested in resale value this is the way to go as it will appeal to the majority. Now can you identify the style of kitchen in these three photos from Holiday Kitchens?

CABINET STYLE 101

One of the myriad decisions you'll have to make when considering new kitchen cabinets is STYLE.  What do you say when your kitchen professional poses the question, what style are you?  There are, of course, many but we can safely narrow it down to three categories.  The first one is known as TRADITIONAL.  Anything Old World, Country, French Country or Tuscan would come under that category.  You know you're traditional when cabinet doors are ornate with lots of finish detail and moulding.  Because of this, a classic or traditional look is usually the most expensive to create.  The second category is CONTEMPORARY.  This style is usually very simple and streamlined with not a lot of detail.  This type of kitchen gets its beauty from the materials used.  For example a beautiful wood grain or color.  If you are careful about the materials used this can by your most inexpensive option.  Remember less can be more.  The third style is TRANSITIONAL.  A lot of us come under this category which could also be described as eclectic. The popular Shaker door is a good example of this.  It can be either modern or traditional looking depending on the hardware you select and the rest of the finishes in the kitchen.  If you're interested in resale value this is the way to go as it will appeal to the majority. Now can you identify the style of kitchen in these three photos from Holiday Kitchens?