Kelly's Kitchen Sync

If you could use any wood...

What would yours be? I’m talking for furniture, flooring, etc.  Mine is mahogany, specifically Honduran Mahogany, or Swietenia Macrophylla (Meliaceae) from Central America. I love the richness of it and the tight grain. I love how the grain itself reflects light.

Unfortunately, I’d heard rumors it used to be an endangered species (and it isn't cheap.) Sapele might have to be my (very satisfactory) alternate choice from now on.

What’s yours?

 

(Photo Credit: Good Millwork Blog)

 

Steampunk Sunday: The trend grows

 

Last week, my friend and fellow design/blogger compatriot, Paul Anater of Kitchen and Residential Design, was invited to visit the Sub-Zero/Wolf Center for a getaway of visual and cooking delights.

Their visitor area above, as you can see, is a fine representation of the steampunk Nouveau movement I called out a couple of years ago. For those new readers playing along at home, this is a return of the artistic design of "the Modernists" (the Art Nouveau artists of the late 1800s and early 1900s) and our latest construction techniques, and styles. Paul was kind enough to tweet me as soon as he saw their visitor areas so I could drool envy see for myself.

There is some spectacular wood-work and a lovely homage of Art Nouveau goodness in their training center, but rather than me copying all the details, here’s the link. Enjoy!

Do you talk facts or emotions in design?

So I’ve been pondering something that architect Bob Borson said. Now, if you don’t know Bob, he has a blog called Life of an Architect. Great stuff, but darn if he didn’t write something in his blog that has nestled in my little brain. (Okay, he does that a lot, plus he’s got a lovely sense of humor.)

Anyway, he either wrote a post or left a matter-of-fact comment that went something along the lines of  “I was taught to articulate in concrete terms why I like something.” 

Now, maybe that wasn’t the actual jist, or he might have meant something different, but darn if I haven’t been wandering around trying to explain exactly why I like things. It’s like speaking a new language.

Designers are taught how something makes one feel. So when I first read Bob’s comment, I remember thinking, “Yeah, right”, with this mental picture of me in a chair and a client on a couch, “So ven did you schtart hating your drapes?” Client: “Well, when I was a very young child…”

There’s not enough study in my lifetime to delve into why a client hates avocado. We both deal with it and move on. While I enjoy manipulating spatial properties, I still frame it in such a way as to evoke feelings (“Lowering the soffit in this area will create intimacy – perfect for a cozy hideaway.”)

So, if I did interpret Bob’s comment correctly, if designers are talking emotions and architects are talking physical, I can see why there can be a disconnect between the two sometimes – and yet, the end result is the same. (Couch optional.)

Thanks, Bob!

A Reader Asks: Arts and Craft Handles in Banner?

 

Where did the kitchen cabinet pulls in the Craftsman kitchen shown at the top banner of this site? Barb

 

Hi Barb --

You’re not the first to ask about those handles; in fact, I’ve told so many people that I figure I’ll just answer it in a post and then it’ll save me some time.

They’re from the Classic Brass Arts and Crafts Collection in Aged Bronze. If you click on the photo above, it’ll take you to the link.

Now I’m happy to tell you this online, because that’s what this blog is for – sharing. For those of you out in the great wide world, I want to help you understand why a designer might not give you this information.

 

Scenario 1

Imagine you're a designer. You spend hours, no, days researching products for your showroom. You’ve ordered some, found out they didn’t work, found out the finishes didn’t work. You’ve discussed and argued product with the product rep., the supplier, and the manufacturer, struggling to understand how they will work for you, how the delivery works and what the cost of returns are.

After days of research, you find The One. The perfect source, product, supplier. Angels sing. You want to jump in the air and can’t wait until they’re installed. When it is, it looks fantastic. Your clients are excited and you’re happy to share with them. People love your showroom.

Someone who’s clearly not a client walks in one day. “Oh, I love that! What is it?” He or she takes down the information and waltzes out again. They didn’t have to do the research, they didn’t have to work out all the details. They got the benefit of your hard work and experience for free.

While we want to be nice (and we usually are), nice doesn't pay the bills.

(I've talked about this with some talented DIY-ers. Some have much the same feelings when friends and neighbors ask them where they got their products. )

Scenario 2

The person who wasn’t working with you, who didn’t have anything to do with you, gets the product, and installs it in their home. They’re a friend of one of your clients. Your client comes in. “One of the reasons I came to you is for the benefit of your experience. If you're just going to give all the answers for free, why do I have to pay when my friend didn’t?”

Scenario 3

This banner is an actual kitchen. Luckily for me, my client doesn’t mind if I share. But some clients don’t want others to know where the products came from, even friends. If they discover that any  of their friends have the same product, the end result is the same as Scenario 2, but with more vigor.

 

Of course, there’s always the scenario 4 and 5 where the non-client gets upset because you won’t share, and you honestly can’t remember where you got the product because it’s been discontinued or it’s tricky to install after all and you don’t use it anymore. So if you’re not working with the designer, and you’re getting deliberately vague answers, now you’ll know why. You won’t get it in big multi-national stores, because they’re happy to sell as much product as they can. My scenarios usually falls under higher-end or one-of-a-kind design.

What you’re hiring an experienced designer for is not only to say, “Here’s the Classic Brass Arts and Crafts handle that might look great in your kitchen.”  You’re also hiring them for this: “Order a few extra because the bronze finish you like varies somewhat on both the handle and backplate. Is this something that might bother you?” 

And that’s my 2 cents for the day.

Steampunk Sunday: Wallpapers

Some of you are cringing about the very idea of wallpaper – I can feel it from here. Don’t kill the messenger, but you won’t be any happier to note that wallpaper has been making a resurgence over the past couple of years.

For those of you who love wallpaper, it’ll be right up your alley for steampunk home design.

Although it’s said that the Chinese were actually the first to create wallpaper, the English and French gave us the idea of wallpaper we know today.

Before repeating patterns, or mass consumption, wallpaper was for the wealthy. It was usually made by hand, on either cloth or block cuts on paper (think of stamping an entire room of wallpaper before you even get to hang it to get the idea of the labor involved.)

Thus, its rarity, production, and shipments were entirely dependent on whether trade between England and France was friendly or not. Between the 1500-1700s, wallpaper taxes, wars, hefty import fines, smuggling, Puritan overthrows, and bans all established wallpaper as a precious commodity – at least until the late 1700s/early 1800s when the first machines to print wallpaper were produced, and then wallpaper went mainstream. (Wikipedia has a good summing up entry here.)

Since steampunk is a subset of fantasy and science fiction writing which explores an alternate reality (what if steam had been the main source of power and electricity never went beyond Edison?), much of it focuses during the time of steam and electricity – the Victorian and Edwardian periods.

It makes some sense in our steampunk homes to at least consider wallpaper for rooms (especially if your home is already Victorian.) A further thought – Victorians thought nothing of wallpapering the ceilings and had several unique designs.

So, here’s a tip. One of my favorites is a reproduction firm called Bradbury & Bradbury. Bradbury has many of the actual reprint rights of the originals – from the strong, bold Victorian patterns to the refined Arts & Crafts. For the colors, I might suggest the golds, greens and reds, but some Victorian patterns were quite wild, even for today.

 

Reproduction of the Dresser Collection, presented at the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition

 

Arts & Crafts Tulip Frieze (border)

Natural Marigold

If you were considering wallpaper for your steampunk home, the rooms I might avoid would be heavy use bathrooms with inadequate ventilation – the wallpaper will curl. Protect the wallpaper around wet or splash-filled areas.

Bradbury also has a blog, filled with historical references and photos. Enjoy!

Basic comment etiquette

Lately I've been getting a lot of quick, meaningless, generic comments from multiple commenters -- often from overseas. It's apparent the commenters have never even read the post. Even some of my other readers have commented on it. We all know when someone is fishing for link backs. These ones are pretty transparent.

This is not considered proper etiquette. I don't believe the posts "are useful for you" or "great post" or "I learned something" -- especially not when it's repeated multiple times in multiple posts. We know exactly why it's useful for you -- you hope other people will see your link and click on it. If you have some insight or thoughts or fun discussion, then I'm delighted if you leave your link. But a drive-by shouting at us is not the way to go.

Please leave something that adds to the discussion. Otherwise, I will continue to delete all generic comments from this point on.

The rest of us will continue on as we've always done.

Thank you.

What clients say and how we hear it

Clients: “We’d like to remove the wall between the kitchen and dining room. It’s not load-bearing.”

What the designer says: “Great! Let’s look at the options.”

What the designer thinks:  Two-story home? Is there plumbing above the kitchen running down that wall? Is this a slab floor? Which way is the electrical wiring running? Is it aluminum? Is it grounded? Will we need a header? Why is that beam in the middle of the room? Is it real? Will it affect the cabinet crown mold? Why is the floor sloping? The casing all needs to be replaced. How are we going to tie in the paint colors? That window is off-center – how can I tie that in with the design?

Clients: “We’re thinking of a wainscot for the bathroom, possibly tile.”

What the designer says: “Smaller tile? Larger? Colors?”

What the designer thinks: Better check to see how wavy those walls are, or the large-scale tile will never work. They like hand-made tiles, but they’ll be thicker than the door casing and we’ll need to change it out. Better to have the thinner tiles – will make a note to talk to them. What cap will work here and will it die into the counter edge?

This also applies to every question you ask of your contractors, architects, and all trades, especially if we've been in the business for awhile. So, if we don’t always answer you right away, you’ll know why. *grin*

Can your kitchen survive the test of time?

Just for fun, I thought I’d post one of my mother’s earlier kitchen designs.

Can you guess how old it is?

 

This kitchen is approximately 23- to 25-years-old.

(Neither of us could remember the exact year. Or wanted to. The abbreviated conversations went something like this: “That kitchen is about 18 years old.” “Noooo. Wait, it’s older than that.” Sometime around the L.A. KBIS, remember?” “Ew. Really? Where did the time go?” Pause. “When was the L.A. KBIS?” “We’re getting old, mom.” “La la la, I can’t hear you.”)

Joking aside, with a little updating – change the table and chairs and the appliances, remove the brass trim and knobs, the balloon valance, the plants on the wall cabinets – this kitchen could be completely refreshed for relatively little cost. Add some paint and new tile backsplash if you wanted, and you’re done.

My mother’s rule for timeless design is:

1) To keep “the big ticket items” neutral, which usually means cabinets and flooring, or anything that involves a lot of demolition and labor costs. “Paint’s cheap compared to other things,” she has always said (but keep in mind she’s an artist. I grew up with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs painted on the walls of our basement, and she’s pretty exacting about colors.)

2) Make the layout as functional as it can be.  A good layout is timeless, will make your life easier, help sell the home when you need to sell (hey, I know you lot. The first place you want to see when you look at a home is the kitchen, right?)

Sure, even the counter and crown molding could be changed, but it requires a bit more work (the color of the painted cabinets ages slightly over the years, and wall cabinets that “sit” on a counter have to be removed and reinstalled), but it’s do-able.

Even so, it’s still a beautiful kitchen, don’t you think?

Steampunk Sunday: Brass Elements

 (via The Steampunk Workshop, “Steampunk Keyboard Mod”)

I was thinking about the predominance of brass in steampunk design which adorns everything from keyboards to re-made jump drives to lamps and clocks.

(Industrial lamp/steampunk clock via the ever talented Art Donovan)

It’s funny because we used brass a lot in the ‘80s which eventually fell out of favor – not always because it was out of style either. Once people found out the finish tarnished and required a fair amount of upkeep, most lost interest.

Actually, a lot of metalwork in my grandmother’s day required a fair amount of elbow grease and polishing -- just asking about polishing the silverware was good for a wince or an eye-roll. Think of brass statues in parks, where children have touched one piece so often, it’s gleaming compared to the rest of the statue.

So, if you want to add brass elements to your steampunk home – perhaps knobs or handles, or trim pieces on a furniture piece or a brass bar trim, you should know that brass can tarnish, especially if you’re using an antique piece, or if you’re near shores with salt-laden breezes, or cold climates where salt trucks are still a winter ritual, or areas with strong pollution. Just ask hotel managers of older hotels with brass railings how much they spend on polishing and maintenance of their Victorian and Edwardian decor.

Unlike our grandparents and great-grandparents days, we’re more accustomed to “living finishes”, patinas that develop as a result of not polishing. Many of us like the weathered finishes, like the art above, where the living finish is built in – antiqued or oil-rubbed brass with no polishing required, or even desired.

For those of you who like polished brass, you’re in luck. One of the good things about reproduction brass is that the brass is protected with a thin coat of film so that the brass stays bright.

 

(Victoria Knob with keyed Victoria backplate via Emtek)

(Astoria Knob with keyed rope backplate via Emtek)

 

What you don’t want to do is polish the brass using cleaners with strong or harsh chemicals. They’ll remove that layer of protection and then you’ll have a job on your hands. Solid brass always tends to last longer than plated brass (that’s a thin coating of brass over another metal), but it’s more expensive.

Don’t be afraid to mix your metals – copper and oil-rubbed bronze and brass – but always remember how they’re going to wear over the years and what your comfort level is for that wear.

Now you know.

Would you have it in your steampunk home?

Design School: are you checking under the sink?

When I was a young design sprout, my father drilled into my thick, young design sprout head the need for checking plumbing. “Always look under the sink,” he said. “You don’t know the quality of work done before you.”

For you new designers, what he meant was you never know where the hot and cold supply lines are, or where the drains are, or what is happening in the wall.

You could have:

• a boxed corner where a vent or electrical or other framing is buried
• a “dirty arm” – a length of drain that runs along the front of the wall and behind the cabinets instead of IN the wall
• plumbing which comes out the side of the cabinet instead of the back

This is where it’s going to cost you if you don’t check – your new bank of drawers might not fit (since the old ones were custom-made around the plumbing), or everyone might have to wait around for the plumbing repairs, while you shoulder the blame (which you should, if you're part of a design/build firm. At the very least, point it out to your plumber or contractor you're working with.)

Just when I thought I’d seen everything – stairs buried behind a cabinet, and all sorts of odd plumbing – I ran into this the other day – a vanity with two sinks and a bank of drawers between them.

 

You pros’ll know what this is immediately if the photos are big enough. There is only one drain and one set of hot and cold supply lines. A homeowner who knew about plumbing but wanted a quick home resale decided to DIY a second sink on the left. The dirty arm runs behind the bank of drawers which is between them. I can’t begin to count the no-nos, or the code violations.

First thing I asked the client was, “Ever have any draining problems or loss of water pressure when both sinks are used?”

The answer was yes. Surprisingly, there had been no leaks, but I think it was a matter of time (there’s electrician’s black tape wrapped at the joints.)

I won’t get into what should have been done, although each sink should have its own plumbing. Had I not checked under the sink and designed and priced the job, I would have missed the extra plumbing costs associated, plus the time, plus the delay, and perhaps the costs of ordering a new bank of drawers which would have been too deep for that dirty arm.

Always check. It’ll save you time, money, and stress – not only for you, but for the homeowners as well.

Okay, running off to select tiles. Have a great day!