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The VERY Latest Kitchen Design Trend 2008
2008-04-01 12:49:00
This is truly breaking news, and truth be told, I am THE force behind what will prove to be a movement in architectural and interior design starting the moment this post gets published. I predict what is already beginning to surface is this: Henceforth, and from now on:There will be a kitchen in every room in the home. If not a full size, then, well, something a little smaller, whatever, forget the details for now, I'm busy with the concept. Kitchen s are the nourishment, the heart and soul of the home. It is the most important room in the home. It is SO important, that it only makes sense to expand the concept! The advantages are really where our society is moving, anyway. Here are the advantages:maintaining one's privacy-once and for all! You know all that privacy talk you hear? Now, there's one more way to be private.have your own stash of fooddecorate the kitchen however you want - seek out and express YOUR inner kitchendesign it to...
More About: Design , Kitchen Design , Trend , 2008

A Dream Kitchen?
2008-03-31 20:51:00
I started reading the New York Times' blog, Dream Home Diaries, late last spring. Let me say that I truly wish Alison and Paul, the homeowners who built a home in Anna Maria Island, Florida, the very best. I hope they love their kitchen, that it works well for them, and I wish them all good things in connection with their home.I've been a regular on the Dream Home Diaries blog on posts that had to do with the kitchen. My motivation was to help out Alison and Paul, who asked for help, admitting to being completely clueless to building a home, as well as educating the public at large. Many of us helped out. What a great resource of information (and smart alek-y and snarky comments) they had before them. Man, this blog is so entertaining, I'll be sorry when it's gone. I found myself feeling quite annoyed at times at the authors' complete lack of response to my and others' advice. Advice on fundamentals! Let me give you an example. Alison wrote that J...
More About: Kitchen , Kitchen Design

Products For Kitchen Inspiration
2008-03-31 13:07:00
Here are a few things, either new or cool, that I think are definitely worth noting. First, take a look at this receptacle. Good for an island situation or other areas around the kitchen. It makes countertop receptacles possible. Not for every installation, but I can think of a few it would be perfect for, a long island, for one. This kitchen receptacle will do a good job being sealed off from liquid spills. By Doug Mockett & Company.     Loo k at these Harmony Wood tiles, by Anchor Bay Tile, aren't they cool? It's a real wood tile that is mounted with mesh, something your tile man will thank you for, that is, after he criticizes you for buying non ceramic tiles, of course. Just tell him they are made of wood from sustainable forests, and he'll feel better..we can dream. And, I really love this product, American Clay. It is a natural earth plaster, made of natural clays, a green product, recycled and reclaimed aggregates, and contributes to L...
More About: Products , Kitchen , Inspiration

Kitchen Eye Candy
2008-03-30 23:47:00
I need some kitchen eye candy. I've worked solidly for two days (this weekend.) Tons of detail work doing an electrical plan, plotting very specific dimensions for lighting and appliance centerlines, switching, and receptacles, only to have beams be in the way, I'm sure! Also, uploading plans to my out of state clients.I also designed a kitchen within an entire space, designing around a structural column in the middle of nowhere, adding in furniture for the family room, again for context, as it is important to understand the negative space as one moves around furnishings, cabinetry, etc. That negative space is equally as important as where to put kitchen cabinets! You have to see it all. Remember that, in your great room design adventures...do not forget to have the surrounding spaces/furniture drawn into your plans. Otherwise, you're driving blind, so to speak.But, I'm wild about my monitor. It's truly the best thing I've done for myself in years! So fantastic, so crysta...
More About: Kitchen , Candy , Eye candy , Eye-candy

Kitchen Tech
2008-03-28 23:25:00
My world has changed today. My computer arrived a week and a half ago, but my new monitor arrived TODAY. I had been using a Sony monitor that I paid $2,000 for about 5 years ago. You'd think it was a good investment. I noticed over time, it was getting increasingly dimmer and dimmer and adjustments made no difference. It wasn't terribly dim, you wouldn't notice it, but put a new, cheap, really cheap, monitor next to it, and there was a huge difference, the cheap monitor blew it away at this point.So, I researched and researched. And, as I work with images all the time, it was best to have a certain color management ability/setting. And, since I'm always working on my kitchen design drawings, clarity was equally important. I'm boring you now, I know it! Anyway, I ended up getting an Eizo 27" monitor, a brand that is well known for both photography and cad use. This thing is crazy! It's so bright! It's so crystal clear! I see this BLOG so differently, like, WOW, look at&nb...
More About: Kitchen , Tech

Random Kitchen-ness!
2008-03-28 01:17:00
I'm sorry I haven't been around! My head has been moving in other directions...moving from one client to another plus a bunch of other work related stuff. So much to say, I'll never say it all! One thing I can say very enthusiastically... I find this to be the best time in a very, very long time, that, really, all the kitchens I am working on are interesting, aesthetically challenging, and all kinds of other good stuff. I'm loving my work. I'm enjoying my clients. I'm really revved about all of what I'm working on!Let's take Grace. As I said, we installed most of the kitchen and Grace decided, after some time, that she just didn't love one section of the kitchen. And, she wanted to design an entirely new and different wall (in the upper section, the base cabinets would stay). Luckily, what she decided NOT to use was not a large financial loss. So, I came up with another plan, which Grace loves. The left side of the elevation is opposite the dining area, the right side,...
More About: Kitchen , Random , Kitchen Design , Ness

A Computer For Me, A Computer For you!
2008-03-15 13:40:00
No, I'm not giving away computers! I just got a new one yesterday. My very smart son, in college (he just got a 102 on an Economics Test-good job!) told me NOT to get a computer for the $4,000+ I was going to spend, as recommended by my local computer guy. I have a local computer guy because my son, Matt, lives in the city, too far away to respond quickly to my computer issues when they arise.Matt said, hold everything, he'll build me one! Matt has been working on computers since he was 12. Matt is also frugal cheap. He is obsessed with doing research to find the best product, part, piece, whatever, at the VERY best price. Matt, being frugal cheap, looked up the specifications of a few of the programs I use most, spoke to people at tech support behind the programs and determined that even though I wanted the best/fastest/ultimate, he reminded me that he could save me money and still make me a computer that was FAST but customized to my specific needs. Above all, Matt knew I wanted...
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Top Ten Secret Kitchen Design Tips - Lighting!
2008-03-13 22:35:00
Do you think lighting is boring? Do NOT touch that mouse...I promise to totally excite you with these tips, ideas, and whatever, about lighting your kitchen. Here we go... (come on, get ready, settle down!) These are quick, useful, and un-boring ideas, like take-out from the gourmet food store. Maybe not ALL you need to know, but close! 1. Let's talk style! Lighting is jewelry, end of story. Think of it as such. It says something, a big something. Whatever you want it to say, it says it, and says it loudly. Do you want to pick something safe? It will say safe. Do you want style that's "out there"? That's your message. What's the point? Take your fixtures' design SERIOUSLY please...put TIME into choosing your lighting jewelry. 2. Pendants - hang 'em LOW! Low is cozy. Low is dining table-like. Low is cool. If your mother tells you they are too low, you know they're close to perfect, and maybe a little bit lower will do. If your contractor says they're too low, lowe...
More About: Design , Kitchen , Tips , Kitchen Design

More From The Architectural Digest Home Show
2008-03-09 04:03:00
Here is more good stuff I saw at the show...let's look at tables. Tables send such a strong message about who lives in the home. Modern, traditional, formal, informal, textured, smooth, light, dark, light, heavy...these are just a few of the decisions one needs to make when contemplating the table in the context of the room and the home. Tables can also be a functional piece of artwork, and I am finding more and more, manufacturers are building and designing in practicality in terms of being able to refinish scratches, when they occur, which they will. Here is a lovely table. It IS a piece of art, at least to me. The table is made by the Asia Design Studio.  Designed by Na Winn, a talented Vietnamese artist.     I like City Joinery. I'm also a fan of the name. Made in Dumbo, they have a wildly smooth finish on their wood pieces, allowing the wood to be enjoyed, every piece of grain, pigment, characteristic. They make some great tables. I was also told...
More About: Home , Show , Digest , Architectural

Kitchen Ideas At The Architectural Digest Home Design Show
2008-03-09 00:40:00
Lucky for me...New York is at my doorstep, so I must take advantage of special events when I can. I really looked forward to the Architectural Digest Home Design Show, featuring "the best in home furnishings from nearly 300 exhibitors" as the press release says. Last year, they say 23,000 people attended over four days...and it's not such a big space, so with an eye on the clock, we (me and Steve-my husband aka "Show Dog") got there at 10 am, when it opened. When I go to design shows that are not kitchen-centric, sometimes kitchen items, like major appliances, are displayed or a few cabinet companies here and there. I don't really stop at those exhibits. What I think is more interesting are other manufacturers which are NOT necessarily kitchen focused. It allows me to look beyond the "typical' world of products manufactured for the kitchen and bath industry, maybe to find a use IN the kitchen of a product which was designed for elsewhere in the home.In ge...
More About: Ideas , Home Design , Kitchen

My Day So Far...What Kitchen Designer Dreams Are Made Of
2008-03-06 21:58:00
Oh, disregard the last part of the message...I just felt compelled to write that, and I'm feeling punchy, lol! So, here's my day so far...3:45 AM - I can't sleep, no big reason, but now that's it, I'm awake. Reach over for the laptop (it's ALWAYS fired up) and start the day...5 AM - Down in the office, easing into the day...6 AM-7:30 AM - Emailing with Hansen...we've been asked by a prestigious architectural firm to submit a proposal to include Hansen kitchen and bath furniture for a "green" complex of apartments in Washington, D.C. so details back and forth, as they are 6 hours ahead. Meanwhile, I was told by the Hansen marketing director that the press release I wrote in late January had a date of January '07 on it and a release date of 2/28/08! NOT a good thing! I changed the date fast! arghhh, so early in the morning.8:15 AM - A meeting with a new installer. We had some good conversations in the past few days, but the in-person meeting is very important. How do...
More About: Dreams , Kitchen , Kitchen Design , Designer , Made

Changing The Kitchen Design In Mid Stream
2008-03-05 22:37:00
Grace's kitchen project is, I guess, 2/3 done at this point. Here was the plan.  I think it was a few days before I left for Denmark in August, Grace didn't feel comfortable with the plan (the cabinets had already been ordered) so I told her to come by my office and let's figure it out.  I came up with an alternative plan after our meeting and Grace was happy. This entire general design reflect's Grace's desire to have continuous countertops everywhere, yet to keep things interesting over and under the counters. She wanted a sort of country/Tuscan feel, yet with modern conveniences. This type of style was what we were after. FAST FORWARD TO LAST WEEKAfter mulling it over for some weeks, Grace decided to make a big change. She decided she didn't love the entire upper section of the elevation below, she wanted it all gone! Fortunately, the arch and other built in cabinet next to it was made of plywood, destined to be faux painted. Yesterday, they were dismantled!W...
More About: Design , Kitchen , Kitchen Design , Changing , Stream

Kitchen Trends 2008 - Organic Shapes and Forms
2008-02-29 11:35:00
When I look forward, I see shapes, forms, textures, and a blending of styles, often leaning toward nature. I feel it. Just recently, Blink Decor talked about it. Here's what was noted on their blog, as they looked forward to design trends in 2008: Sticks and Stones: Organic , eco-conscious elements continue to meld with more traditional home decor. Bright white cotton duck looks effortlessly chic paired with aged wood and accented with funky fur pillows. Large river -smooth stones make a great lamp base topped with a classic white drum shade. Blink Decor then references Bleu nature...take a look at this beautiful site. Now I know why I had this post unpublished for a couple of weeks even being only a few lines, while I galavanted in Denmark...my father loved and collected driftwood for years, only to see this site as I sat down again to think about this post. It was in his yard and in his home. Beautiful pieces everywhere.I'm not the only one who sees textures, natural elements, ...
More About: Kitchen , Trends , Shapes , Forms

Hansen Kitchen Furniture - The Back Story
2008-02-26 00:12:00
I'm back home, so where do I start?? I suppose, from the beginning, that's a good place.For years and years, whenever I go to Copenhagen, I always take time to go into the kitchen showrooms and take pictures and chat with people who work in the showrooms. Being of Danish descent, and being familiar with Scandinavian design, and loving it, I love seeing what's new in the Scandinavian kitchen world. It always gives me a fresh point of view.As part of my showroom visits in August, Hansen was one that I knew I must take time to see.  I walked into the showroom, the last showroom to see before my vacation ended in August, and my immediate instinct told me that these kitchens were special, noticeably well crafted, and overall, so beautifully designed.I chatted as usual with the man who approached me (hoping to score a brochure) and after a short chat, in which he told me that he knew of my blog and followed it(!) he introduced me to Knud Kapper, architect, and creator of Hans...
More About: Story , Kitchen , Furniture , Back

Introducing The Top Secret Project
2008-02-23 10:04:00
It is my pleasure, as I sit here in Copenhagen writing this post, to introduce my readers to a very special new line of kitchen and bath, and other furniture, new to the U.S. as of right now! Hansen "Living Kitchen Architecture" is a line of kitchen furniture unlike anything in the U.S. kitchen and bath marketplace today.Hansen is designed by Danish Architect, Knud Kapper MAA MDD. Architect designed, the aesthetic is elegant, modern, yet timeless.Hansen is 100% eco friendly, using woods from managed forests, to adhesives, to finishes, all eco friendly, to the construction method, which features SOLID WOOD throughout every single piece. There is so much more to share with you, and I will...in the meantime, please visit the Hansen website.Last night, I attended a fantastic event, the redesign opening event of Hansen's Copenhagen showroom. More on that event later! Oh, the theme? New York, New York!  
More About: Kitchen Design , Project , Secret , Top secret

Granite Kitchen Countertops 1+1 = ?
2008-02-15 13:35:00
Here's an interesting question about a countertop from Meg... "I have a dark green granite table that I am moving into a  new house.  It matches my current kitchen counter.  The kitchen counter in the new house, although not yet chosen, will NOT match the uba tuba granite of the table.  Should I sell this table?  How can I incorporate a table with a different granite from my counter into my new decor?My first reaction is that it appears to be assumed that you will be selecting another GRANITE countertop. It also assumes that you can't have enough granite, that you really love it. If that is the case, you are entering an advanced countertop selection process zone! Blending two granites is possible, but must be done with great care.  The easy way, of course, is to pair Uba Tuba with a Black Impala, a solid black granite. Easy, done, perfect. But, what if you don't like black?Then, you must begin to be aware of two things: color and grain pattern.C...
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Kitchen Details That Might Bore You To Tears
2008-02-14 13:15:00
I've talked about this before. The period of time just before an order is submitted to the factory. It's the time with the most pressure, as once released to the factory, that's it forevermore. The right and left sides of the brain collide but must work together...or else. End of story. Here's an entry for a kitchen order I'm doing that is going to the factory today, and which is the culmination of months of creative thought and engineering on my part, and later, includes even more detailed collaboration with a designated person at the factory. This entry reflects an effort to provide a chef in a small residential kitchen the absolute maximum in storage and ease of use. This is one cabinet, and I've had two highly detailed kitchen orders I've had to make 100% perfect before I go away...oh, did I slip and say "go away?" I must be referring to the TOP SECRET project! But, I digress... This level of detail and, really, engineering, when working with custom cabinetry, d...
More About: Kitchen , Details

Random Kitchen Meanderings
2008-02-11 23:46:00
I'm thinking random thoughts today, so I'll jump around and show you some things you need to see. You need to see the post from Living Well in Westchester, about antique hardware! I mean, come on, how cool is that?  Mark has lots of good insight on all things home related. Laurie Burke from Kitchen Design Notes has good information on small space kitchens. Laurie says she likes small kitchens. I do too. They're efficient, smart, and any designer worth his/her salt enjoys the unique challenge of trying to get every square inch of function out of a small kitchen! Kelly from Kitchen Sync has insightful information on seating around countertops, what works, what may not, and WHY. Most important issues to resolve is real lifestyle behavior rather than assumed. Good ideas and solutions, take a look.Ann from KitchAnn Style is showing new tile from Ann Sacks. Of course, you know it has to be gorgeous! These handmade tiles of glass give an old world look with modern character. I...
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Decor8 Blogger House Party!
2008-02-08 17:38:00
Decor8 is having a blogger house party, and I was tagged to do the virtual kitchen! As usual, I may be a bit late to the party, but it was fun doing it. OK, here's the client info:Home owner: Young single mom (cookbook author) with a son living in a 18th century Georgian townhouse in Savannah Georgia approx. 2000 sq ft., 2 floors, 3 bedrooms (one is an office), and a large patio off of the kitchen. She loves to entertain, enjoys pastels and Swedish decor, decorating on somewhat of a budget but she can splurge on one expensive item per room. Loves pattern and feminine touches but can't deal with too much clutter.Since I only had a few finishes to select,  I thought I'd go a bit further and design this kitchen from scratch, exclusively for decor8's virtual client. Let's go with dessert first...the one special item chosen for the kitchen was a (pricey) 36" induction cooktop from GE Monogram. For THIS client, a cookbook author, it's a dream come true. The super high...
More About: House , Party , Blogger , Kitchen Design

Kitchen Blog Anniversary
2008-02-06 23:24:00
Talking about kitchens...does it ever end? It's been a year since I wrote my first post on this blog. I started with a little hesitancy, a bit unsure of where this was going. Somehow I just kept thinking of kitchen related issues to talk about. At this moment, I have so many kitchen focused things to talk about, I don't know what to talk about first! This is such a natural process for me...just to toss out ideas, stir up the pot a bit, and lots more. I love this process. I've also met so many amazing bloggers who have welcomed me into the design blogging community from the very start. I actually didn't know about this whole, well, underworld isn't the best word, but universe of blogging, until I started blogging, and then, what a surprise I found! Cool people, great ideas, interactivity at its best.So, I'm feeling good at this one year mark. I also feel I'm at my prime in life and in my career. I've actually never been more happy, more confident, fully engaged with life in a...
More About: Kitchen , Anniversary , Blog , Kitchens

Your Superbowl Kitchen
2008-02-04 01:54:00
How is/did your kitchen function this superbowl Sunday? I'm watching the game as I write, or I should say, watching the commercials and getting up during the game! We've had party superbowls and quiet ones. This is a quiet one this year. Just my husband, me, and my son. Earlier today, Steve (husband) and I took my daughter and her husband (and Max, the dog) back to the city after their weekend visit and we stopped at Whole Foods on the way in. Let me tell you, it's all about their chicken wings! Of course, that's a staple for superbowl Sunday, and wow, are they GOOD. Worth going off the diet for! This is actually the smallest choice of food, I think we've ever had for superbowl Sunday. Blue corn chips with salsa, potato salad, blue cheese dip for the wings, and that was IT. I'm almost ashamed! I also bought fresh veggies, and somehow they didn't get on the table, but those wings!!I want to share my favorite commercial with you. The second half just started, and I don't need ...
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GE Monogram New York City Showroom Event
2008-02-01 00:23:00
I think I've just taken a totally unintended break from my blog. Wendy, a loyal reader, asked if I took a "busman's holiday." So many things have been going on that I want to share with you, large and small, plus something VERY top secret and hushhush (coming soon) but I just have not had the chance until now to sit down and put these thoughts into words.  And now I'm afraid that if I do, this could very well be my longest post in history.  That runs a huge risk, because as we know, it is not difficult for me to go on for paragraphs over a thought or a detail.  So, I think I had better be a bit cautious at this moment!  You know, I also have to say that I feel I am so lucky.  I feel so fortunate to be in the kitchen and bath  industry.  It is an exciting industry, it is an industry that is creatively exciting, is technologically interesting, fashion oriented, for better or worse, and nearly every one I have ever met, whether ...
More About: Event , New York , York , Showroom , New York City

Ten Top Secret Kitchen Design Tips
2008-01-20 13:30:00
It's all in the details! Who knows why, but I just started thinking of how small, pesky, planning details, if overlooked, can cause pain and heartbreak if not addressed. OK, "top secret" may be just a little stretch, but not by much! I came up with these planning secrets, largely unknown to the typical consumer, off the top of my head, and trust me, there are MANY more that I must be aware of as I slowly and carefully go about editing a kitchen plan for the last time before putting the order "to bed" as I call it, at which time there is no more time for changes. The factory begins to produce the order, and the result of these planning exercises will be known....upon installation. It can be the stuff nightmares are made of, if only thought of, say, during cabinet production, or as a surprise, during installation! Here are just SOME of the details I'd like to share with you: 1. Size (width) of window and door casings - If cabinetry must fit between, say, a w...
More About: Design , Kitchen , Tips , Kitchen Design , Secret

Randomly Gorgeous Kitchen Styles
2008-01-20 02:33:00
Hi dedicated readers and new ones too. I'm feeling a little fluid in the aesthetic part of my mind today. We're in the city this weekend, which always makes me think more specifically about the coming kitchen renovation, and now, more and more, in terms of style, theme, the general look and feel of the room rather than the mechanics of the kitchen, for now. Once the wall came down, it opened up more than the physical space, it opened up questions about the entire space, as I said before.Short note...my husband further cut the half wall down below the countertop. Looks even better. As we speak, he's removing some soffit pieces (as quietly as he can,) So, I move to questions of style, as I surprisingly came up with the plan for a 12' sofa the other day! I didn't expect THAT, but we're on board with it. Having a home on Long Island, which is somewhat eclectic in style, more of a soft contemporary, very soft, with more of a touch of an artisan feel than a contemporary feel, I...
More About: Kitchen , Decoration , Styles , Gorgeous

Kitchen Design Musings...II
2008-01-18 11:38:00
Back to contemplating, confronting and exposing potential biases based on this post, regarding a book I was asked to review, in which my immediate reaction to its images was not favorable, having ended with the question "Am I a kitchen design snob?"I am one who likes consensus, not to follow it blindly, but for the information value it provides. I look for consensus in my own mind, by reacting, then verifying what/how/why I'm feeling, sometimes over and over. It's sort of a "checks and balances" thing, and I'm sure many of you do the same.  Thus, the "kitchen snob" question came into mind to verify my immediate reaction, as I do in my design practice, to make sure my ideas and opinions a) are not too personal to me b) survive the "verification" process I give it c) have real merit. I torture myself! "The images are 'eh' " followed by, "Am I a kitchen snob?" Each of us, whether professional kitchen designer, or co...
More About: Design , Kitchen , Musings , Kitchen Design , Sings

Kitchen Design Musings
2008-01-17 12:41:00
I received a book in the mail as a request to review it, the other day, which I subsequently declined, for reasons not relating to what's written below. Being a kitchen design pro, and especially, a blogger focusing on kitchen design, I see MANY kitchens, many more than I ever did before I blogged. It's been great!That part alone, to be exposed to new kitchen design concepts, day after day via my blogging efforts, again, has broadened my aesthetic horizons, leaving me, continually, newly inspired.The vast majority of the pages of the book I was asked to review contained what I'd call "bread and butter" kitchens. At first glance, I found many of the images in the book to be either dated or uninspired, with a few gems here and there, for sure. On second and third glance, my instinct was further confirmed. I didn't care for the layout of the book, either. I've seen it all before. I had an immediate, "eh" reaction.Then, another voice (th...
More About: Design , Kitchen , Decoration , Musings , Kitchen Design

New/Cool Kitchen Products!
2008-01-17 00:51:00
It seems I'm seeing more and more natural, textural, and exotic themed products coming down the pike. With a mainstream eco friendly trend happening, I think we'll see some interesting product introductions in the months ahead, and I'll keep you informed, as spring is the season for the most new products coming to market. Take a look! Stone Forest introduces a sink made of a black granite polished interior and rim with a natural front apron. The sinks are carved from a single block of stone. Each is unique, and color and texture will vary. The sinks will fit most 3.5" drain assemblies or disposals. Weight: is approx. 300 lbs. It's natural/organic and has non-toxic/low VOC.  The Mandalay Collection of knobs and pulls by Atlas Homewares brings the essence of Burma to you. The intricately woven design is reminiscent of the mastery created by Burmese artisans. Available in finishes of brushed nickel and venetian bronze, Mandalay round knobs are $7....
More About: Products , Kitchen , Cool

Kitchen Week At Design Hole Blog
2008-01-15 22:19:00
Lots going on over at Design Hole, on my blog roll for a long time. Jennifer Mitchell, an interior designer, is quite intense about her work, and what she's doing this week on kitchens are, well, kitchens on steroids! Go and take a look, and while you're at it, take a look at my little chat on kitchen trends.  It's all very good stuff. All this week. Meanwhile, I've played around with my apartment floorplan for a little bit. It's funny how taking a wall down makes one rethink the entirety of the space, not just the kitchen! That's what I'm doing, having had no previous intention to do that. I felt the furniture worked. Now I'm not so sure, and I never really loved the sofa against the half wall.Here's the thing. My husband and I require, NOT the typical sofa and one or two chairs in our living space, as is found in nearly all apartments of our size. We need the ability to stretch out and gaze mindlessly at the tv, in between napping, doing computer ...
More About: Kitchen , Kitchen Design , Blog , Week

The Kitchen Walls Came Down! My Apartment Remodel
2008-01-14 19:15:00
I met my husband at the apartment in the city on Friday. I drove in, unloaded my stuff, my son loaded his stuff in the car and drove the car home to Long Island, to return sometime on Sunday, at which time we returned to the Island (yesterday evening, car in front of the building, he again unloaded tons of laundry, still undone.) So, my husband walks in the apartment door at 2:45 pm on Friday, I had just arrived a little earlier, and we both look at each other and know that noisy work in the building has to be done by 3 pm, Monday to Friday, no weekends. He has 15 minutes to cut through the kitchen walls with his sawzall, or whatever it's called. Twenty minutes later (so shoot me!) the wall is cut in half, via horrible noise! Yay! Just enough time to get cleaned up and go off to see Martha Stewart, in person, at the NY Times Talks series, her biggest fan (HE is.) The walls remained in place until the next day, Saturday, at which time he removed the sheetrock, twisted out the studs...
More About: Kitchen , Walls

More With Martha Stewart
2008-01-12 16:44:00
There's more that comes to mind today, as I think about last evening's New York Times' event with Martha Stewart , and I'd like to share it with you!Interesting bits and pieces...As Martha sets out for the drive to the city each morning with her hot water and lemon, she carries the beverage in a paper cup, which she reuses. Martha spoke passionately about sustainable living, wanting her products to last. She talked about towels, or was it sheets, that are from her collections, that have lasted 17 years!In regard to food, Martha was a very early advocate (early 80s) of the locally grown produce movement, a la Alice Waters and Jeremiah Tower, notable chefs of that period. Martha encourages everyone to grow their own produce. As a child, Martha had to do many chores in the garden, on her relatives' farms, where she spent time, and her parents believed in self sufficiency in a big way, teaching tasks to Martha and her siblings with expectations that they would be done properly, inst...
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