KBIS 2013 - Part 2

My second day of KBIS can be summed up by one booth…. KOHLER!  Kohler put together one of the most innovative and interactive booths of the show.  Here are some of the highlights:  

Kohler's Abrazo freestanding bath tub 

Kallista's Vir Stil by Laura Kirar EXPOSED SHOWER SET

Kohler's Briolette Glass bathroom sink with Margaux faucet reminds me of a diamond!  Perfect for adding a touch of luxury to any powder room.

Kohler's Caravan Collection Nepal Caxton Bathroom sink with Loure tall widespread bathroom sink faucet

This sink features a beautiful South Asian inspired design around the bowl. Very charming and elegant!

Kohler's Purist Bridge wall-mount kitchen sink faucet in vibrant polished nickel  

Next we visited the Ann Sacks tile section. I was instantly drawn to these geometric tiles!  Who could resist the beauty? I could not.. My husband literally had to drag me out of this section.

This display of Ann Sack's tile and Kallista products showcases a current trend in finishes.  * Blue green tones mixed with weathered wood finishes and light creamy countertops*

I can definitely see myself using this Ann Sacks versailles mesh mirrored tile in a few upcoming projects. It certainly has that old New Orleans feel!                                                  

                     

Mick De Giulio's gorgeous Bacifiore collection for Kallista is absolutely stunning.  It is made of a polished and distressed stainless steel and handcrafted by Mick's very own artisans.  BEAUTIFUL!

After the Kohler booth, we checked out what we missed from the first day.

The best thing in the Hafele booth were these sliding cabinet doors!  Technology for cabinet doors has come such a long way in the past few years.

Blum's lift door hardware is used by several of my cabinet manufacturers. Finally, lift doors are gaining popularity in the South. This new technology by Blum allows you to press a button to open and close the door! My friend Melissa, modeled this technology for my husband and the conversation is about convincing me to try out for HGTV. They finally talked me into it after a few bribes and drinks from the Caesarstone booth.

KBIS 2013 was an amazing experience. Innovative concepts, trusted vendors, and the electric New Orleans atmosphere. Who could ask for better?  However, I must be honest about one thing  that I noticed. There were very few cabinet manufacturers there.  I did not take a whole lot of kitchen display pictures because I simply was not inspired by the displays that were set up.  All in all, KBIS was a blast!!!  

Patterned Tile: Where Bold meets Elegance

Over the past few years, subway tile has been the trendy choice for kitchen backsplashes. However, more people are moving away from the subway tile trend to a bold new choice. Patterned Tile!!  The versatility of patterned tile can easily tie a room together or turn a dull wall into a work of art. 

Modern Kitchen design by Cincinnati Architect Drawing Dept

One of my personal favorite concepts is the Fretwork 3D Tile by Walker Zanger (above) . This geometric shaped backsplash tile pairs beautifully with contemporary and modern kitchens.  The edgy shaped pattern really gives this kitchen attitude and presence.  Walker Zanger offers several versions and shapes of this tile. 

Eclectic Kitchen design by Charleston General Contractor Structures Building Company

I love this selection of Nottingham Tile by Ann Sacks.  The color and pattern adds a decorative touch that allows the other elements to take life in this kitchen. The white cabinetry and gray tone floors really pop with this tile selection.

Traditional Kitchen design by Boston Kitchen And Bath Venegas and Company

A new take on subway tile is gaining popularity in the design world. This new style uses smaller pieces of tile laid in patterns to create visual interest in your kitchen walls or backsplash.  This backsplash, from Discover Tile, utilizes a herringbone pattern adorned with a border. 

Modern Kitchen design by San Francisco Architect John Lum Architecture, Inc. AIA

This oval dimensional tile by Heath Ceramics is a favorite in more contemporary settings.

Mediterranean Kitchen design by Austin Design-build JAUREGUI Architecture Interiors Construction

Mediterranean patterned tile is becoming widely used in traditional kitchens. Warm colors and charming patterns allow you to add a personal touch to the design.

I used the Contessa Salerno Mocha tile by Walker Zanger in this kitchen a couple of years ago. The rustic feel of the Contessa series worked perfectly with the French country design I envisioned.

Last, but not least, Arabesque shaped tiles are making a grand appearance in backsplashes. The beautiful shapes will add a bold, but regal feel to any wall. This selection of tile is from Pratt and Larson. 

A New Orleans Style French Country Kitchen

 

                                                   photo by David Tompkins 

                                                   photo by David Tompkins 

                                                  photo by David Tompkins 

                                                  photo by David Tompkins 

                                                   photo by David Tompkins 

                                                  photo by David Tompkins 

This has to be one of my most beautiful kitchen designs yet.  It is so warm and inviting and I am very proud of it! The cornufe looks stunning with it's copper accents and designer series Ventahood hanging above it. The walnut countertop made by Grothouse Lumber adds warmth and contrast.  The Thermador refrigerator, freezer, and wine unit all hide behind cabinet doors and give a nice furniture feel to the space.   I used Mid Continent cabinetry on the perimeters of the kitchen and CWP cabinetry for the island.  I will be posting more pictures of beautiful kitchens like this one very soon.

Green & White

This is a fabulous kitchen that I designed a few years ago. The homeowners were amazing people to work with and were really open to an updated look! (I did not have to talk them out of diagonal corner wall cabinets and glazed finishes.)

The kitchen is a huge improvement from it's original state---a tiny closed in room. The wall between the living area and kitchen was removed and the windows on either side of the range were added....one of my favorites features of this kitchen.

Design Details:

Cabinets- Wellborn - Bristol door style - bright white finish

Range hood- Fisher Paykel

Other appliances- JennAir

Tile- Interceramic

Lighting above Island- Restoration Hardware

Cherry & Taupe with One Unique Backsplash

This is another display in our showroom that I have been meaning to post about. We used cherry wood cabinetry with a toffee stain and taupe painted cabinetry with a brown glaze on the opposite side.

The coppery tones in the granite work perfectly with the cherry cabinets. I really love the way the colors complement eachother in this display.

I designed this piece to resemble an antique hutch. The cherry wood countertop matches the cherry cabinets and the taupe cabinets complement the travertine tile that we selected for the opposite side.

Here is a close up of the beautiful tile from Stafford Tile & Stone. We decided to lay the travertine diagonally and border it with a 1" x 2" glass tile. The tile is my favorite part of this display.

These photos are all a bit bright--due to the huge windows we have in our showroom. I cannot complain because I love working in natural light.

We are currently preparing for Mardi Gras here at Artisan. Last night we watched a parade pass right in front of our shop and have several more to view before the celebrations are over. It is fun to watch the city transform into party mode and to get to talk to all of the out of towners that keep popping in!

Tile that resembles Water

Our new location is across the street from Stafford Tile & Stone Company, one of the most fabulous tile stores in the state and the south for that matter. Stafford carries lines that include Walker Zanger, Artistic Tile, AKDO, Syzygy, Interstyle, & Oceanside Glass tile. Peggy and her talented staff are all lovely and fun to work with.

The picture below is of a Walker Zanger ceramic tile called MIZU. MIZU means water in Japanese. I fell in love with this tile the moment I first saw it and knew that it would be perfect in one of the displays I designed. We will be using the Field style, which is 2" x 5 1/4".

This beautiful Marble is called Alba Chiara and hopefully it will be the countertop used in the display. The colors are so serene and it looks gorgeous next to the tile. This display is going to be facing Magazine Street and a head turner I hope!

I will be writing about more of the pieces that make up this display soon! Have a wonderful weekend.