SBK Blog

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)

Northern Lights - Dutch Wallpaper

2007-11-30T05:12:47Z

Dutch designer Jonas Samson uses new technology to create light emitting wallpaper.

]]> Artist & designer Jonas Samson created a light up wall paper installation that emits ambient light. It's an interesting idea, which reminds me in concept, a bit of Pablo Pardo's Ventana lamp.

Wood Fired Bliss

2007-11-13T00:15:48Z

As the air begins to cool the idea of firing up the perfect neopolitan pizza becomes a reality with the Forno Bravo.

]]> Forno Bravo has been assisting homeowners and restaurants outfit their environments with the most authentic wood fired ovens available on the market. Their ovens use state-of-the-art refractory materials allowing the ovens to offer fast heat-up time (about 45 minutes) and excellent heat holding capabilities. The outer shell of the oven stays cool, while the oven chamber cooks authentic Italian pizza in 2-3 minutes.

The Forno Bravo is available as a kit, which can be assembled on site, or can be purchased as a complete prefabricated unit. So the next time you have a craving for authentic wood fired fare consider the Forno Bravo.

For more information visit: www.fornobravo.com

The latest on the European design scene - Cersaie 2007

2007-10-06T06:26:10Z

The Cersaie design fair just wrapped up in Bologna, Italy and with it came a number of new product introductions from some of Europe's top bath manufacturers.

The Zerosette colection by Q'in integrates decorative glass panels into the design of floating vanities and storage cases. The trend is rather decorative with a hint of 1970's design in the patterned glass.

]]>
The Grimilde collection by Bertocci brings a decorative flair to accessories for the bath. The baroque pattern cut into the Grimalde shelf allows for light to pass through and create interesting patterns. It's an interesting look.

The Biblio Bath by Lupi turns the bath into a living room. The tub uses corian shelves integrated into the exterior to create a modern bookcase. The look is intersting although I would worry a bit about the actually keeping anthing on the shelves...

Margarido House 9:07

2007-09-27T05:34:59Z

The Margarido house begins to take shape.

]]> The exterior of the Margarido house is currently being wrapped in order to close the house before the rain season begins.

The interior walls have been rough framed and are beginning to have the plumbing, home automation, and other infrastructure systems installed. The main staircase frame has been put into place. It will support the floating staircase connecting the public & private areas of the house.

The home has a series of retaining walls that hold back the hillside while adding to the architectural design .

Spanish Soaker

2007-09-05T05:49:47Z

The Hayon Colllection by Artquitect brings an elegant approach to the bath.

]]> The Hayon Collection by Spanish designer Jaime Hayon is modern and classic at the same time. The lines are reminecent of art nouveau design that has been stretched and smoothed out. The classic lines are mixed with pieces created using state of the art production techniques such as laser cut mirrors.

The bath is cretively skirted making it appear to be simply float in the sleek black laquered frame.

Sexy, beautifully detailed, and perfectly scaled, the Hayon Collection is sure to make a statement in any bath.

(photos courtesy of Artquitect - www.artquitect.net)

Green Design in the Oakland Hills

2007-08-09T05:03:41Z

Style Bath & Ktichen is pleased to be joining the team working on one of the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified homes in Northern California.

]]> The Margarido house, currently under construction in Oakland, CA, is incorporating such environmentally friendly features such as solar panels, rain water cistern for irrigation, a planted roof, recycled counter tops, radiant heating, as well as many more innovative green features.

The construction process itself is even green, with the builder's efforts to recycle as much of the refuse and left over materials as possible. I do have to say that this is one of the cleanest building sites I have ever been to.

The house is currently in the rough stage, with the internal systems and infrastructure now being installed. Check back often for ongoing progress and photos of the project.

For more information on the Margarido House or the developer visit: http://www.m-c-d.net