open shelving
so one of the houses i am working on is almost finished and i wanted to show y'all some pics. the kitchen is one of my favorite spots. the house is on sullivan's so we went w/ a coastal look. shaker style cabinetry is definitely where i tend to lean...we did mix in beadboard for the island (its painted eliza lucas, one of my favorite colors- the brand use to be lord and evans but its from the historic charleston collection and i think SW owns it now). the counter top is calcutta marble honed. the refrigerator is a sub zero glass pro 48" w/ glass door. i persuaded the clients to use a white viking b/c i have been in love with suzanne kasler's 04' southern accent showhouse FOREVER (its crazy that i still love something that was designed 4 yrs ago- which makes suzanne even a more awesome designer). the bridge faucet is by rohl in polished nickel. the subway tile backsplash is waterworks (i wish you could see the sheen, its just gorgeous in person). and the lights are 19" harmon pendants in polished nickel from restoration hardware.
so i was recently introduced to the appliance company AGA when i started working on a kitchen project that was using one of the ranges. the appliances arrived to the job site yesterday and the range it is super cool. it is made out of cast iron so it looks like a 1930's style stove but w/ all of the modern day entities.
i love the farmhouse sink...probably b/c it has that vintage feel that i am constantly going back to. i can't help it, it totally gets me. there are so many choices out there when it comes to this deep utilitarian sink basin. believe me, i just spent my afternoon yesterday and then again last night, trying to decide on the right one for a job i am working on. there are so many sizes out there. we have found that it is really important to know exactly which farmhouse sink you are going to use when you start the "kitchen designing process"....this is especially true if you are going to use a vintage one. and the quality of the product varies a lot according to the vendor (we weren't very pleased w/ one we just put into a kitchen this week). plus, you have to keep in mind that many of them taper at the bottom- generally this is found in the ones made from porous fireclay. just a little info i thought i would pass along in case any of you are in the market for a fab farmhouse sink!
nothing makes my heart skip a beat more in design then being surprised by the unexpected. this kitchen takes the cake by introducing thrift store drafting tables for it's kitchen island. i just have such a love for bringing in vintage finds and incorporating them into the design of a home....especially when the results look so effortless! i hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! we sure are thankful to my mom for babysitting!! maybe i should send out a service announcement: watch out for new parents running kid -free!
we spent new years in atlanta (football game...not my number one choice of ways to bring in the year but it was fun none the less). in our hotel there was a magazine of atlanta homes which somehow happened to make its way home w/ me (i justified it by thinking of it as if it were the toiletries they offer in the bathroom...just another friendly jester to welcome you). it's a very good magazine. i especially loved this one house which was featured in an article titled "the un-white house". the architecture was amazing. it was a contemporary house built in a traditional bungalow neighborhood. the architect used angular walls and windows that really make the house stand out. it has loads of light pouring into the house and the kitchen is beautiful. i love the limestone ann stacks tile they used in the backsplash, very modern- sleek and sophisticated. i was also pleased to find that the magazine had a great website. (i can now access the mag even if i am not staying in an atl hotel!)
one of my favorite things about having this blog is that i feel like it keeps me in the "know"; i am challenging myself to want to keep up with the latest and greatest, as well as educating myself on things that i may not have known previous to this....which leads me to today's post on pickling... i think we are going to be seeing a lot more of the "pickled" look in wood finishes. it seems like the weathered, distressed, almost drift wood look is where designers are heading- and i love this. maybe it's because i live in a beach town but i love the soft, gray hues that are given off by the wood and the rawness that it produces. i guess i am kind of over the really dark stained cabinets and this is my way of opening myself up to a new evolution of wood cabinetry. i adore this kitchen done in the pickled white oak. it is so clean and crisp...something that i find myself gravitating to much more in design. pickling is definitely not limited to cabinetry; it looks amazing on furniture, applied on floors or ceilings (oh, love it on the ceilings).
suzanne from simply magic totally makes me envious of her kitchen backsplash tile, custom designed by her super fab design team woodson & rummerfield...i noticed this little beauty in a display of her christmas card. i emailed her and told her it was amazing and that's when she informed me that ron and jamie had this ann sacks tile custom colored green, gray, and white for her space! the top pic is a view of her entire kitchen/ dr/ lr space. lucky lady! i read in one of her previous posts that her husband had mastered the art of tile installation...wonder if he installed this? btw, great talent to master. tile installation can get pricey, especially the decorative, art inspired tiles that are now available. finding someone who has this talent is a true gem! (you can check out other pictures of her house at w & r, it is to die for...love the powder room wallpaper!!)
i can't believe i am writing about this but brass is creeping back into the design world. some of you may say "did it ever leave"...well, if that is what you are thinking- YES, it left! you must be one of those who are holding onto that chandelier that came w/ the house when you bought it in the early 90's. i think that if you put the word "antique" in front of brass- antique brass, it makes the word sound so much better. brass is something i associate w/ the 80's and early 90's...but lately, (can't believe i am saying this) i am loving some bronze/ antique brass looks . you will be seeing it in hardware, which is pictured above (thanks beach bungalow8). i love the way it reads in this kitchen and the light just screams cool. lighting is another place it will be found... and you will also see this finish in a lot of furniture design. i adore this lona design console in pale pink with bronze accents. so, i guess we must give brass...let me clear my throat- bronze/ antique brass another look. and forgive those nice people who have hung onto their beloved 80's brass chandeliers.....
