SBK Blog

The Evolution of Kitchen Design

2010-08-29T23:04:35Z

The NY Times has an interesting posting in it's opinion page about the evolution of kitchen design.

]]> It's quite interesting. The Kitchen from the movie "It's Complicated" (shown above) is even referenced. Take a look "What's Cooking in Kitchen Design?".

The Pure Life

2009-10-22T21:50:14Z

Hansgrohe's new Puravida brings fluid lines to the bath.

]]> The latest addition to the Hansgrohe line appears to be more of Zaha Hadid sculpture than a lowly bath tap. The new collection consists of fixtures and fittings with very smooth lines and shapes. The most striking fixture is the bath faucet itself. A single joystick controls the temperature and flow of the water, while the water itself seems to simply appear from the underside of the tap. The faucet is available in chrome or white. The white color gives it a decidedly more futuristic appearance. Look for the Puravida to begin appearing in showrooms soon.

The Water Spa

2009-10-22T21:45:46Z

Australian water goods manufacture Methven recently introduced the Satinjet Maia, a beauty shower for your skin.

]]> Maia is a chlorine-free facial and body hydration shower that harnesses Vitamin C to neutralize chlorine. Maia is equipped with a Vitamin C canister that eliminates chlorine and the drying effect it has on skin. The Vitamin C leaches the chlorine from the water as it passes through the hand shower, allowing for a chlorine free shower spray. By removing the chlorine you limit the drying effects of chlorine on the skin and hair. The hand shower allows you to rotate the head to the facial function, which shuts off a few of the spray jets in the center, allowing for a breathing pocket for a prolonged water facial massage. The spray massage stimulates capillaries encouraging better circulation and blood flow. I brought my purchased sample home and tested it and can tell you that the spray leaves your skin feeling tingling and taut(my wife did not want to return it). There are also plans to add an aroma therapy module to the shower, already available in Australia, and soon to be available here in the states. For more info on the Maia visit Methven or contact us.

Exotic Materials

2009-01-04T06:00:34Z

More kitchen bling & gold.

Photo courtesy of Toyo Kitchen

]]> One trend that we have seen in Europe for a while now is the use of warm metalic tones. Gold and brass, two finishes not seen in mainstream American design are common place in just about every European shelter magazine. In Japan, the same trend is beginning to be seen as well, albeit with a Japanese twist. Gold is being mixed with crystal, carbon fiber, and bright primary lacquered colors. Japanese manufacturer, Toyo Kitchen, recently unveiled the Ino collection of kitchen cabinets which are available in different finishes such as carbon fiber, Swarovski crystals, and polished steel. The materials are intermixed with brightly colored lacquer panels adding a bit of color. The colors seem inspired by the bright colors of Japanese anime. The look is decidedly different from the clean lines you see in Europe or the more traditional styling in the US. While carbon fiber may not catch on in the US as a standard finish on cabinetry, do look for the gold tones and more lacquer to begin showing up in kitchen and bath products over the course of the next few seasons.

Glowing Halo

2009-01-04T05:52:05Z

LED's continue making their way into the bathroom...

]]> Toto Japan has been experimenting with incorporating LEDs into a variety of different products for the bath. From a night light on their uber commode the Neorest 550, to LED chromatherapy lights on their line of air tubs, Toto has now turned it's attention to lighting up the wash basin. The Halo is the latest product which incorporates a solid surface counter top basin built in. The basin is then up-lit creating a glowing halo effect.

Toto recently unveiled the Halo at the 100% Design Event in Tokyo. The effect is quite stunning in a dimly lit room. Other US brands, such as Neo-Metro, have been experimenting with lighting effects on their counter tops and basins, such as their Ebb collection. However, the Halo turns the basin into a light itself.

While not available in the US just yet, look for more products such as the Halo to begin popping up at design shows very soon.

A Warm Soak

2009-01-04T05:39:23Z

Photo courtesy of Roberts Hot Tubs

]]> The traditional ofuro tub has evolved from a simple soaking box into a sleek design element for todays modern bath. Traditional ofuros are constructed of aromatic woods such as hinoki, Alaskan yellow cedar, and teak. They are joined together without any visible hardware(as is the case with the Roberts ofuro in the image) creating the appearance of a seamless box. The ofuro is typically over 2' in depth and has a built in bench that allows the user to completely immerse themselves in hot water.

Photo courtesy of Roberts Hot Tubs
The idea being you shower before entering the ofuro to clean yourself off, and then you soak in the ofuro as a way to relax and relieve stress. Japanese models will often have a heating system for the water, allowing you to leave the water in the tub for several days and simply reheat it before returning to soak. In western culture there is a certain "ick" factor when you think of re-using the same water for several days, especially when it is shared amongst the entire family. However, with rinsing off before you soak, you are clean before you set foot into the tub. There is something very nice about sitting immersed in piping hot water up to your chin, breathing in the scent of warm cedar, and simply doing nothing. Sign me up...

Spanish Fusion

2008-11-16T04:24:28Z

The open bath continues to stay popular, as evidenced by the new EME Fusion Hotel in Seville, Spain.

]]> Take 14 row homes in a European urban center, join them all together with a team of architects, designers, and property owner with a modern slant and what you get is the Fusion Hotel.

The idea of the open bath in the room has been around for a few years now. The Hotel Adagio in San Francisco pulls the concept off nicely in some of their rooms. When designed properly the look is very rich and luxurious.

A peek of the room...

The look can also fail. I've seen some bad examples that make you wonder what a bed is doing in the middle of a bathroom. The Fusion manages to pull off the design as it blends the modern decor and layout into the mix of new and rustic rooms. Why not soak in the tub while chatting with your significant other laying in bed? It's not a bad thing.

The rest of the hotel is quite nice as well - The pool

The Japanese restaurant - Japo

The ladies loo - Dig the gold leafed stalls...

Photos courtesy of EME Hotels. www.emehotel.com

Prefab Becomes a Reality

2008-09-19T00:47:05Z

The Palms House awaits it's finishing details.

]]> Marmol Radziner is one of the premier architectural design firms in this country. They produce simple, modern, and luxurious homes for some of today's biggest names in Hollywood, the fashion world, and beyond. Their Marmol Radziner Prefab factory has also been producing some of the smartest and stunning prefab homes available today. The Palms house is one of their most recent installations.

Located in Venice, CA the palms house consists of 14 steel framed modules which are manufactured at their Vernon California factory and them trucked and assembled at the home site. The modules are fully built out with flooring, tile, cabinets and pretty much everything needed to move into the home. The modules are craned into place and then seamed together on site.

The result is a home that goes together in a matter of days rather than months. MR Prefab is also introducing a new lower cost prefab named the Rincon. The Rincon Five brings Marmol Radziner design to a whole new group of customers with prices beginning at $179K for a turn key module. For more information visit Marmol Radziner Prefab.

Karbon Credits

2008-09-19T00:39:25Z

Leave it to Kolher to re-invent the concept of the kitchen faucet.

]]> The Karbon's design was inspired by articulating lighting and construction equipment. It moves at three different points allowing you infinite flexibility in maneuvering the faucet just about anywhere.

The faucet is controlled by a separate joystick allowing the body of the faucet to remain simple and visually balanced. The surface of the faucet has an applied finish which simulates the look of carbon fiber giving it just a touch industrial detail. I have to say that I am not always a fan of Kohler products. However, they did a nice job on designing the Karbon. Look for many copies of this faucet in the market by next year.

Taps are the New Chairs

2008-09-17T05:12:37Z

Mies van der Rohe was quoted as saying "A chair is a very difficult object. A skyscraper is almost easier. That is why Chippendale is famous." I would argue that taps are equally difficult to design. The Italian manufacturer Bongio pushes the boundaries with the new Acquaviva collection..

]]> The little known Italian company Bongio, is re-interpreting how water should flow from a tap. The Acquaviva delivers water through a simple channel that allows the water to cascade out naturally.

The Riva tap pours water from a concealed spout which allows the water to slide down the face of the faucet. It's interesting though, the Starck collection for Hansgrohe Axor can be considered a bit phalic in shape. The Riva might remind people of ...

The Margarido House goes Hollywood

2008-05-13T05:41:04Z

The Margarido house hosted the Discovery Channel's Planet Green Network for the the day.

(photo courtesy of melissa kaseman)

]]> The Margarido House is beginning to take shape and gain the eye of a few shelter magazines and television shows. The former This Old House host Steve Thomas was on hand for the preparation of the planted roof as well as the installation of the Permeable Pavets driveway.

(photo courtesy of melissa kaseman)
The new permeable driveway system allows rain water to permeate through and be captured in a large cistern, which can then be stored and used for irrigation later in the year. The entire drive was prepped and installed in a matter of 2-3 days.

(photo courtesy of melissa kaseman)
The planted roof material was craned into place and planted with native, drought tolerant plants. The soil used a mixture of lightweight humus and additives, helping to keep water retention high while keeping the weight down on the overall roof.

(photo courtesy of melissa kaseman)
The inside of the house is also beginning to take shape with the installation of the Hansgrohe fixtures. The house has a combination of the Axor Steel and Axor Uno collections, with the LEED 1.5 gallon per minute restrictors. The combination of the stainless steel and Heath Ceramics tiles is turning out quite stunning.

The Luminas LED Lights are also currently being installed in several areas of the home such as in the bar area below. In the great room, the switch from the standard 30 watt MR-16 to the Luminas 5 watt LED MR-16 will cut the energy consumption by over 80% from 1,200 total watts to 200 total watts.

For more images of the ongoing project visit www.melissakaseman.com/margarido

Margarido House 2:08

2008-02-22T06:36:21Z

The LEED Gold Margarido house continues to take shape.

]]> The exterior cedar siding is beginning to be applied giving the Margarido house a nice contrast of material between the cedar, cement and steel.

Inside the window casings are being framed in absolutely beautiful American black walnut. The walnut wood is sustainably harvested in the US and is beginning to be used more often in residential projects. The walnut adds a level of warmth to the modern environment.

The radiant heat system is also currently being installed using Thermal Board. Thermal board is a completely recycled wood composite board which uses a recycled aluminum skin to distribute the heat under foot. The Thermal Board is laid down in sheets which have PEX flexible tubing inlaid in them. The PEX material is pretty interesting as well as it is now used in many parts of the country as an alternative to copper tubing for plumbing in homes.

The steel skeletal frame for the floating stair case has been installed and will be fitted with black walnut treads to match the casing and hardwood floor.

More updates to follow...

Citterio Lite

2008-02-22T06:07:13Z

Antonio Citterio's new collection for Hansgrohe brings simplicicty into the bath.

]]> Building on the popularity of the original Citterio collection, Antonio Citterio has created a new collection of bath & shower fittings for Hansgrohe. The new collection is vaguely reminiscent of the simple bath designs from the 1960's & 1970's with a sleek update in the shower area.

The Citterio collection includes an all new shower head design as well all new lever sets for bath & shower controls.

While the new collection is quite elegant, I'm still partial to the architectural detail of the original Axor Citterio collection.

The Margarido House 1:08

2008-01-12T05:51:47Z

Construction continues on the LEED project in the Oakland Hills.

]]> The Margarido house is coming right along. The Nana Wall is now in and frames a spectacular bay view from the Kitchen/great room.

The expanding foam insulation has been sprayed into the walls and will provide a very high R factor for the home.

The solar panels are now in and will be used in conjunction with solar thermal system as well as the planted roof.

The area reserved for the planted roof and deck can be seen below.

We are pleased to announce that Hansgrohe and Toto have joined on to become project partners on the Margarido house. Look for more information on products from these partners in future posts.

Green is the new Black

2008-01-12T05:25:45Z

The Luminas Lightrail brings a new level green technology to the home and office.

]]> The Light Rail TM by Luminas produces lighting comparable in brightness and
color to that of incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. The difference is the lightrail
uses 1/2 of the electricity of a compact fluorescent and 1/8th of an incandescent
bulb resulting in up to 90% energy savings.

The Lightrail is made of recyclable aluminum and does not contain mercury, as is
commonly found in fluorescent lighting. In addition, the lighting is direct current
so there isn't any of the flickering that you would see with fluorescent lighting.
This coupled with a life span of approximately 15-17 years of use(50,000 hours),
you will begin seeing the Lightrail pop up in many homes and offices.

(In an effort to offer full disclosure, Luminas is a sister company to Style. However,
we are still genuinely super excited about the quality and environmental aspects of the
Lightrail)