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!!!  

KBIS 2013 - Part 1

KBIS – The national kitchen and bath industry show arrived in New Orleans at the convention center a few weekends ago.  Designers and vendors from all over the world gathered in the Crescent City to talk kitchen and bath.   This was my first KBIS experience, so it took two days to soak it all in.

Wilsonart was the first booth that we visited. Right off the bat, the walnut laminate caught my eye. I have never used laminate on a project, but if you are looking for a beautiful low cost alternative for a table or island.. this walnut laminate by Wilsonart would be a perfect choice.

A few of my favorite moments at KBIS were meeting the designers that inspire my work. This year at KBIS, I had the pleasure of meeting Susan Serra and sit in on her design demonstration. I have been following her kitchen design blog, The Kitchen Designer, for a few years now and was excited to hear her speak in person.

Ventahood rolled out a few new innovative hoods for KBIS.   The hood pictured above had an interesting mix of painted metal, mirrored stainless steel trim, and brass accents.  It would be fitting above a La Cornue range.  

I was really impressed with EMTEK's line of cabinet hardware.  This was a fabulous new take on the common bar pull!

 EMTEK also had a collection of door hardware that caught my eye.  I love how clean these door knobs are! 

 

Caesarstone's booth was definitely the most fun of all and of course they showcased their new 2013 colors in dramatic fashion.....beautiful life size samples!

 They also had a wonderful bar in which I might have had a few tasty samples from.

The most exciting moment was getting to listen to Mick deGuilio, famous kitchen designer, speak at the Caesarstone booth.  Mick de Guilio designed the 2012 kitchen of the year for House Beautiful magazine.  

Later I got to speak with him and of course take a picture with him.  I was in designer HEAVEN!

I will be back later in the week with more on my KBIS experience.  Thanks for stopping by!

Caesarstone MASTERS look of Marble

Prepare to do a double take as Caesarstone rolls out their 2013 collection of new quartz countertop colors.  Fusing the durability of quartz with the regal beauty of marble; Caesarstone has truly mastered the au' natural look of marble in a quartz countertop.  The sophisticated veining pattern unique to marble runs through the entire slab of the 5 new marble-esque colors.  Other quartz brands have tried to attempt the marble look, but none have been as successful as Caesarstone.  This elegant new line places Caesarstone, yet again, a step ahead of the competition in 2013.  

Dreamy Marfil (above)  is almost an EXACT REPLICA of the MARBLE crema marfil.

Above, I placed the new Caesarstone Dreamy Marfil quartz on top of a slab of crema marfil marble.  It is nearly impossible to tell them apart.  This new line makes this kitchen designer happy, happy, happy!

Marble is beautiful, but boy is it a pain to maintain.  It etches, stains and requires periodic re-sealing and  these days who has time to worry about their countertops?  That is why I LOVE quartz.  It NEVER has to be re-sealed, nor does it stain.  It is really the easiest countertop to maintain.

Frosty Carrina (above)

London Grey (above)

   

  Emperadoro (Above)

Piatra Grey (above) 

Stop by Artisan Kitchen and Bath today to see these beautiful new Caesarstone colors! 

A Luxurious New Orleans Kitchen

This award winning kitchen always takes my breath away.  My sweet, sweet client and I had such a blast working on this together.  Our collaboration resulted in a glamorous kitchen! 

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. 

GE CAFE: A stylish new look for GE Appliances

I really love the new GE CAFE line. The CAFE series' bold new attitude is definitely turning heads this summer.

New tubular handles and a sleek design give the appliances a more  professional look that compliments both modern and traditional kitchens.  

The 30" double oven gas range features:

• 5 sealed burners
• two ovens, the bottom is convection!!
• One 20,000 BTU burner    

You can prepare two different dishes at two different temperatures at the same time! 

And my favorite feature of all,  is the interchangeable cast iron griddle!!  I would use it daily for veggie stir fries, scrambled eggs, chicken, steak, fish, and other limitless options.

   

The series offers a 30" convection wall oven, a 30" convection double wall oven, and a convection microwave. The convection ovens are said to cook twice as fast as a conventional oven.

There are several elegant french door and side by side refrigerator models to choose from in the CAFE line.

One of the best features on the CAFE refrigerator line up is GE's ClimateKeeper system which uses multiple electronic sensors and a multi-flow air system to keep consistent temperatures and preserve food.

There are two dishwasher models in this line.  My favorite is the dishwasher with SmartDispense Technology, a bulk detergent dispenser that you only have to add detergent to every once in a while! It has a deep clean cycle with Steam prewash, a 48 dba sound level, stainless steel tub, hidden controls, 4 wash cycles, and 5 options. 

See the full line of GE Cafe appliances here.  

Crazy about Quartz Countertops

Quartz countertops are my top selling countertop these days.  It is no wonder, since they are pretty much maintenance free!  They are non-porous, scratch resistant, highly resistant to stains, and most come with a 10 year warranty.  They also do not have to be re-sealed like granite, marble, and recycled glass countertops.       

                                                        

                                                     Caesarstone - Blizzard

Caesarstone - Haze - a new color!

      Caesarstone - Linen - also a new color

Caesarstone has even come out with several colors that contain recycled content.  I just installed a display in my new showroom (pictures to come soon) of Caesarstone's blizzard and quartz reflections, one of the new recycled content colors.  

Caesarstone - Quartz Reflections

New Orleans area readers, please stop by Artisan Kitchen and Bath to see the complete collection of Caesarstone samples!