White Kitchen - Scandinavian Style!

I haven't really shown you any images from my trip to Copenhagen yet! I have so many....over 2,000 to be round about precise (call me obsessive, I'm guilty!) And, let's not forget my 10 (at least) magazines too. Lots of good stuff. Don't get me diamonds, just get me a Scandinavian interior design magazine! (I didn't really say that, right?)

Speaking of good stuff, I went a little crazy with taking lots of images of this very soft, romantic, Scandinavian style that everyone loves so much. I found this wonderful style (so much style) in some very special antique stores, Atelier September and Fil de Fer.

I have shared these particular images with Desire To Inspire, my good blogging buddies, because they have featured one of the stores before and I thought they would enjoy them, a fresh look from being IN the stores. I think they enjoyed them so much that they are doing a feature today AND featuring more, and different, images tomorrow! 

What's missing is the kitchen! The apartment we stayed in, in Copenhagen, definitely had this same romantic style going on. I saw pictures of it online and booked it immediately! I just HAD to stay there. So, here is a kitchen design connection to this romantic Scandinavian style that Desire To Inspire is showing.

Today I will show you the kitchen, tomorrow, I will show you the adjacent breakfast room which will make you fall right over!

Don't forget to check back with Desire To Inspire tomorrow too, to see the complete look, connected with my images here.  

Here are previous posts in Desire To Inspire...on Scandinavian Style  and more Scandinavian style and good Danish design too. I would encourage you to use the search tool in their blog, but watch the time, you'll be there all day!

Creative Kitchen Designing

I visited a blog I have been following for some time. It's about a "gut" renovation of a charming, old house in Sag Harbor, that really wonderful town on the east end of Long Island.

I've been waiting SO patiently to see what was going to happen in the kitchen, and finally, the images are up. Brooke Williams, Domino blog editor extraordinaire, (and mom-to-be very soon) did some pretty interesting things with her and her husband's kitchen. Definitely alternative!

Take a look at this kitchen post for more very interesting images and information on the kitchen.

The message, here, is that kitchens come in all different types and styles for all different reasons, and, in the end, should be as individual as you are!

Perhaps you would not have certain design elements or products such as is designed into this kitchen (no upright refrigerator, only 2 under counters opposite the range!) but Brooke and her husband thought this through carefully and decided a spacious, open feel was what they wanted most. Likewise, kitchen countertops made of unfinished, reclaimed antique wood, which will need to be finished on site. Another alternative idea! My understanding is that this will be a second, weekend, residence, another reason to make it a laboratory and venture beyond the typical.

Feel free to seek out, find, and then express your inner "kitchen!" You may get a range of comments and reactions, but, who cares, it's a reflection of who you are, and that's as it should be in kitchen interiors. I see it as having a very interesting mix of textures. Good work following your kitchen bliss, Brooke!

Blogging Kitchen Blogs

Let's see who's talking about what in the kitchen focused blogosphere...

K+BB Green's Jeff Holloway, CKD, who blogs on green kitchen and bath products, issues, and ideas, also looks at green focused kitchen and bath issues, but look beyond that post, and you will be enlightened in a green way.

Peggy Deras, CKD, from Kitchen-exchange, has a great post on a free service for lighting questions. Let me tell you, planning lighting for any room in your home SHOULD be given first rate attention. It's a small price to pay (in this case none) to get it right the first time and to "see" clearly what you need and want to see!

Ann Porter, CKD, of Kitchann Style has a very interesting post on opening up, or visually enlarging small kitchens. Now, the conventional wisdom says that one must pack in as much storage as is possible in a small kitchen. As Ann says, it's more about finding alternative storage solutions, with the benefit of a much more spacious look to an otherwise small feeling kitchen. I like this way of thinking!

Laurie Burke, from Kitchen Design Notes, talks about the maintenance of soapstone.  Soapstone is a quite misunderstood material. No need to be freaked out by scratches...with a little elbow grease, your countertop is brought back to life and lustre. Explore, there is more on soapstone in the blog.

And for pure style, one of my fave design blogs, Desire to Inspire always manages to sneak in some great kitchens in their posts, which are a joy to see, especially in the context of the whole house, apartment, or whatever the environment! Take a look and get, well, inspired...  

Kitchen Designer Diary - A Day In The Life

From time to time I will share with you real life client meetings, like today. It was an interesting day today. I had received a call last week from a woman who asked about my kitchen design services, as she and her husband are planning a kitchen renovation. I was immediately intrigued when she said they lived on Fire Island. Fire Island is a very long, and very narrow, strip of land, beyond the south shore of Long Island, about 1/2 an hour off of Long Island by boat, reachable only by private boat or ferry. No cars are allowed on the island, and there are several small towns. It's all about the beach on Fire Island!

I was born and raised on Long Island, and I had never been to Fire Island, the residential section of Fire Island, as opposed to the public ocean beaches, a totally separate area, so I was interested in going. The trip there and back was time consuming. I live on the north shore of Long Island, a straight shot across the island from the ferry on the south shore. Here's the math:

1/2 an hour to the ferry

1/2 an hour on the ferry

2 hours 45 minutes between ferries (once on Fire Island)

1/2 an hour on the ferry back

1/2 an hour back home, once on the mainland

= close to 5 hours and a fair amount of wear and tear!

But, again, I was interested in seeing it, so off I went. I thought I'd be met at the ferry, so after wandering around a bit, I called, and they said they'd be right there and asked if I rode a bicycle. Hmmmm...I dressed in a skirt and had 2 heavy bags with me, but, this was an adventure, so, I must do adventurous things. "Sure, I said, I ride a bike."

Some minutes later, up came a man (the husband) riding a big old bike and holding another bike as he rode, a female style bike, bright blue. The husband took my things, put them in his basket and off we went on the way back to their house.

We rode on some beautiful, very small, narrow, paved lanes, typical for the island, past lovely, small homes, with beautiful gardens, such lush growth everywhere, a front lawn with large seashells, tall beach grasses blowing, and passing others on their bicycles too. Weaving from one lane into another, we eventually got to the house, leaned the bike up against the house and went inside.

The home was beautiful in its simplicity, exposed beams everywhere, as the home is not winterized, and it was all in white. There was authentic, and beautiful, mid century furniture pieces by famous designers such as Hans Wegner, and a light by Louis Poulsen. It was very inspiring. We talked, all went well, and I immediately thought of a new line of cabinetry that I will be announcing soon (!) which would be just perfect for this particular setting. The kitchen is wide open to the living room and dining area. I know exactly what to do here. This kitchen needs surgery! The estimate was received well, it was asked that I fully measure, we'll see what happens.

It was a long day, oh, and how can I forget to mention the pouring rain on the ferry trip back, complete with rough seas, thunder and lightning (and let's not forget the below "E" gas fill-up at the self help mini mart gas station where one must go into the mart, fill up, then go back to the mart, then back to the car (in the rain)? Ugh.  

All in all, I had a great day, met nice people, saw a beautiful place, and an interesting home, it's definitely all good. 

Kitchen Cabinet Order Process

It was a very busy week last week. Of course, a large cabinet order for a kitchen had to be edited while I was away, which I did (while I was away). Then, it had to be looked at in its entirety again right after I got back, to do the back and forth editing with the factory, which I did, and have just finished.

I thought it would be interesting to give you a little glimpse of what is involved in ordering a kitchen, this stage of the order processing, which is the final stage. It's a stressful time. It's decision time, fish or cut bait, do or die, last chance and all that!

I do things the long way. When I put in my cabinet order, it's probably 95% accurate. Usually, that is because I need to rush the order writing somewhat so that I can reserve a particular week for delivery...timing is always critical in my line of business! At this time, the client and I go over the final plans and they place the deposit with me. In the course of going over every final detail, more issues often arise, changes, rethinking, etc. on the part of the client. I permit that, I never discourage it, because I want my clients to have things "their way." I want them to have every opportunity, even if it comes later than it should, to make their kitchen the way they want it.

Sometimes, as in this case, the client kept thinking and rethinking things well after we first placed the order, and I continued to accommodate this client until the day before I left for my trip (a surprise two hour meeting!) And, then we emailed and spoke again while I was away!

When the factory gives me back their interpretation of my written order, and before production, it looks like the image, here! I need to start from scratch with every single dimension for the entire room, taking another look at a couple of hundred+ cabinet order details, and taking everything else (appliance specs & more) into consideration all over again. That's how I do it.  It takes focused concentration for long periods of time.  As a result, I never, ever, have a problem with a cabinet's fit, and I'll often come up with new, better, ways of detailing a cabinet during this time.

There are four pieces of information that I check, one against the other, constantly: the specifications list in the contract, the floor plan and elevations, my order to the factory, and the original dimensions from the space. Back and forth, one to the other and back again.

Sometimes I have not been 100% clear in the order, and sometimes the factory makes a mistake or misinterpretation on their edited copy of the actual order. They check me, and I then check their final interpretation before it goes into production. We communicate via phone and email. To me, it's not over until it's the last day before production (well, the goal is to have it be over when the factory begins their editing process!) You can get a sense of how detailed a designer is if you ask him/her to tell you how he/she edits their orders with the factory. Sometimes I call it engineering the cabinetry to fit, as I design all cabinetry to the 1/8". If they roll their eyes at the thought of this stage of the process, it's a good sign! Now the order is done, and guess what, when the cabinets arrive, I'm doing the whole thing all over again to remember why I did what I did!

 

Thank you blogging buddies!

I think I'm the only one I've come across who refers to "blogging buddies." I do like the sound of it! I would like to thank my blogging buddies, Holly from Decor8, the gals at Blink Decor, and Linda from Surroundings, for showing my kitchen design work and/or my images from Denmark.

Thanks to Blink Decor for showing the images of my currently published kitchen. I'm glad they enjoyed it! I have to take a moment to say that I'm really crazy about the layout of their blog. I love the colors, it's very exciting, it always revs me up, and it's very user friendly. Good stuff on there too, and always thoughtful and informative advice. Thanks, gals.  

Thanks to Holly from Decor8 for creating that big, fantastic, post on Danish home interiors (images from some of my familys' homes) and for showcasing some of the great, Danish, furniture that I photographed in the fine, home furnishing stores. My cousin's comments on sources and designers of her home furnishings are very interesting. What a thrill to be on decor8! It's always a destination for me. Need to keep up to date and see what's happening design-wise!

And, last, but definitely not least, to my very good blogging buddy, Linda, from Surroundings. I laughed out loud when I saw the title of Linda's post, about the rotten state of Denmark, and wish I thought of that myself! Thank you Linda, for both showcasing my white kitchen and for linking to the Danish inspired posts on the blogs. Always a go-to source for interesting, eclectic, design information, and, I appreciate the mentions, Linda (each live link links to a different post). Surroundings takes the pulse from many sources and makes sense of it all to the rest of us!

You know, I really need to ask this question. Due to the enthusiasm over "things Scandinavian," I am often confused, because I'm SO tied into the culture and the beauty of it all. So, tell me, what do you all love about it? Do you see Scandinavian design becoming even more of a factor in today's design interests? Do you see it moving forward in everyone's design focused radar screens? Or is it just the classic beauty of it which will always be appreciated? Is everything old new again, or is it fresh, new, Scandinavian points of view that you are seeing? I'd really love to hear your thoughts.  

The image is my cousin's dining room, with some of our family, a beautiful Danish home interior.

Kitchen Dining Inspiration via Restaurant Interiors?

Knowing Design*Sponge has a love for restaurant interior design, I offered to snap a few shots of restaurants while in Denmark. Here's the result of passing by fantastic restaurants, during two weeks of strolling through Copenhagen and beyond.

See the whole slide show of my images via Design*Sponge.  

Now, down to the issue...can one get inspiration for one's home from restaurants? Of course! How many times have you gone to a hotel or other public area, including restaurants and been inspired by the colors, textures, or other interesting or beautiful feature of a public space? It's a fantastic source, truth be told, of inspiration. Keep your camera handy, snap what "speaks to you" and save it in your file of ideas. The interpretation of the design can shift from larger proportions to smaller in most cases. No, you won't have 50 tables in your own dining area, but if you are observant of the interior design, and are open to it, these areas can be a valuable resource of ideas. Remove the white table cloths, and you have a great kitchen dining spot which can be tweaked to be more or less formal as you need.

This image, below, is a room for a larger party in the restaurant. Both images are from the restaurant, Madklubben.  Thanks for the mention, d*s!

 

A White Kitchen by Susan Serra, CKD - Published by Better Homes and Gardens

I arrived home last night from my vacation to see one of my favorite recent kitchens I've designed, finally, in print! The feature just came out in the September issue of Better Homes and Gardens. It's in a section called "Better By Design."

I designed this kitchen a variety of different ways for the client, in an extensive design process, and in the end, the client decided not to change the existing location of windows, doorways, and appliances. BUT, that was only the start of the story. Maintaining these same locations, I wanted there to be a renewed excitement and importance to the kitchen design, but, based on good design principles, rather than easy, but, uninspired "runs" of cabinetry as you can see in the "before" pictures. I also wanted to "lighten up" the area above the refrigerator, which was achieved. A much more spacious feel on that side of the kitchen than before.

Other Ideas Which Didn't Make It:

Some of my ideas were not implemented that I would have liked, but I have to remind myself, it's not my kitchen! I had recommended that the rear wall, rather than subway tile, be some sort of subtle stone, a slab material, although the end result looks great. I also did not want to connect the cabinetry on each side of the range to each wall. I thought it would look interesting to be open, a bit unfitted. Then, I suggested open shelves with the wall showing behind, and no toekick. In the end, the client wanted a more "connected" look, but we did maintain the open shelving below, which makes it.  

New Ideas 

New design ideas were developed and explored, based on the proportion and scale of the space as well as taking into consideration the architecture and style of the home. I also created a personal style interpretation for the client, which bridges the concepts of tradition, a nautical feel, a bit of a "commercial" look, and some real beauty included in the mix too. Please see all of the images in the gallery.

 

Kitchen Design Diversity

I think I'm fortunate to have a fair amount of diversity in my extended family. As I end my trip to Copenhagen, it occurs to me just how important it is to design kitchens suited to the needs of the users. In my own extended family, I have these diverse personal situations, all of whom work in their kitchens in different ways for different reasons.

• Daughter/son-in-law in an apartment in an urban setting, concerned with healthy living and healthy cooking, with demanding jobs, and then, early evening, exercise routines, speed and efficiency in the kitchen being the goal, and leisurely cooking as recreation,
  

• Son, 21, and girlfriend, moving in together soon, who both cook up a storm nearly every night, with a health conscious and multi cultural focus due to their different cultural/ethnic backgrounds and green philosophies, (without a time concern, as I can attest to, having a recent meal with them at nearly 11 pm)
  

• A cousin and her (yes, her) wife (legally married in Denmark) who are expecting twins sons soon, sharing domestic responsibilities, as all married couples do, in a countryside setting by the sea, with one spouse working, the other not,
  

• My 93 year old uncle, living alone, preparing traditional Danish meals and also hosting weekly get togethers at his apartment, the apartment he has had for, oh, maybe 60 years or so,

• Another cousin and her husband, empty nesters, and retired, moving back and forth between an urban apartment and summer house in Denmark, with interesting food storage issues to solve,
  

• Another cousin's busy working life with two young children and a husband (the traditional "subjects" for all previously held kitchen design ideas) with the woman's mother as frequent helper and occasional chef,
  

• A recently widowed aunt, who lived a long life, preparing from-scratch meals for two, now, for one,

• A male cousin, single, 30s, in a new urban apartment, with a new kitchen, planning his kitchen HIS way,
  

• A male, 22, single, student, who owns an apartment and lives with rent paying roomates, but plans to live there a long time, later with a girlfriend, and just planning a kitchen now,

• Me and my husband, nearly empty nesters, soon to be spending more time in our city apartment, redefining "home" as well as our cooking habits.
  

 
Designers need to understand that there is no longer one family "model," but many, and oftentimes multi-cultural, multi-generational, perhaps a non traditional lifestyle, and sometimes all of these mixed together. It is imperative that each personal situation be dissected to uncover the needs for function and aesthetics which are unique to he/she/them alone. I do believe the time has arrived where both homeowners and designers are understanding the wide realm of new design possibilities that can be tailored to one's unique way of living in the kitchen.

Are you planning a kitchen? Look more deeply into your/your family's personal needs. Take time to do that. Don't settle for standard, typical, or one size fits all. Ask for , look for, plan for, personal design solutions.

Vive la difference! 

Kitchens Are Love

Oh, I have so much to share with you in the days and weeks ahead (and months!) We're here, in Copenhagen, nearly two weeks, and leaving to go back home Thursday morning. Our suitcases are packed, as tomorrow will be filled with two different family outings, maybe one more quick stop at a kitchen showroom, and somehow we have to pack the two paintings I bought!

Copenhagen is truly one of the design capitals of the world. To have two weeks to observe great design in shops, in public spaces, and in private homes, has been a constant source of education, enjoyment, and privilege. I've also been inspired by learning new ways of thinking about protecting our natural resources and changing the way we live in small ways. Danes are famous for subtle, but pointed, humor, and perhaps you will see this characteristic in this special exhibit I will show you on thinking green, which is taking place at the Danish Design Center. Coming soon.

So, having been in six of my family's kitchens this time around (that, not being all of them) and spending a lifetime of seeing these relatives only every few years, I can tell you that it struck me more than ever that our kitchens are a conduit to so much more than food, but to family togetherness, to sharing, to love. Kitchens are so incredibly important, wherever they are in the world and regardless of whoever is planning a meal for someone else, or for one's own nourishment as well. It's all good, isn't it?

The image is of my cousin, Lis, showing me the smoked herring we will have for dinner!

Luxury Kitchens on thestreet.com

I thought I'd share with you an article that just came out that I was interviewed for...take a look, it's on TheStreet.com. My son, 21, is a huge fan of Jim Cramer, so this adds points for me with him. Points for me? I think it should be the other way around.

Take a look and stay in the loop! 

Luxury Kitchens on TheStreet.com.

Kitchen Dreams in Copenhagen!

Oh, to be without the internet! It's been, what, 6 days, without the use of my computer, which was, let's say, an interesting experience! I'm glad to say I didn't freak out about it, I've been busy doing wonderful vacation things, here in Copenhagen, visiting with family, and taking so many pictures, it's just crazy. Yet, I've got to say, with my computer now connected, I feel, well, almost giddy! Thanks to Linda for putting in the post I sent to her, and to my friend Peggy from kitchen-exchange, who almost pinch hit a post for me. I can't put up images just yet, but hope to soon. In the interim, I have learned to type fast on the iphone, as I have been doing since I arrived last week (hold it with the left hand, and type with the second and third fingers)!

Copenhagen is always fantastic to see. Just yesterday I started my trek into kitchen showrooms, featuring Scandinavian kitchen manufacturers, and have many more to see. As you might expect, the designs are mostly sleek and highly functional. I've asked permission to take photos in the showrooms and will show you lots of fresh, new, design ideas upon my return (or sooner). It is part of my mission in this blog, to introduce the (at least the U.S.) world to Scandinavian kitchen design. Many, at least in the U.S., are familiar with German and Italian kitchen design, but, there is much to be said about Scandinavian kitchen design as well, which we shall see as a result of this trip!

Catch up with you later! 

Lost in Copenhagen!

Hello kitchen fans! This is Linda from ::Surroundings::! Susan is away in wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen without an Internet connection for the last four days! Tomorrow may be the day she gets connected so cross your fingers.

In the meantime  susan tells me that she is living right across the street from a very cool kitchen showroom and is anxious to tell us all about the kitchen design scene in Copenhagen..always a city of world class design.

She said that we won't believe the kitchen she's staying in...for starters a real brick floor with full thickness (not a veneer) and it has the open shelving she's talked about in previous posts!

Let's hope she's back on line soon! Oh, to be without an internet connection!

Kitchen Design Notes - What I'm Working On Now

Aside from going stark raving crazy, getting ready to go on my vacation to Denmark, otherwise known by my family as the Motherland, I thought I'd share with you a few projects that I'm working on. If you recognize yourself here, dear clients, not to worry, your names and addresses will never be sold to third parties.   ;-)

It's what keeps me going...the unique-ness of people. I absolutely love discovering, and helping to transform, my clients' lifestyles in that most important environment...one's home. Here's a peek at some random details and observations, and perhaps, goals, of four in the collection of projects I'm working on.

The R Family: This kitchen will be first and foremost a Kosher kitchen. A very large kitchen, it is open to the family room, with a focus on views of the park-like rear yard as well. We will have a very large cooking area, and I think we will be exploring a huge hood, perhaps something sort of built in, like the idea of some of these French country kitchens, if I can get away with it...another inspiration is the hood in this kitchen by Mark Cutler, very oversized, and oftentimes, oversized just works.

Another R Family: This family is planning an ambitious addition and whole house transformation from the existing sleek contemporary architectural style to a Country French Chateaux! How interesting is that!  We'll be working on designing-in unfitted pieces, open shelving, and interesting proportions. Several family members are hearing impaired, so we will also focus on design issues for acoustic purposes.

The M Family:  A family of a lovely couple and their precious furry friends, the M's are building a house in the forests of the Berkshire mountains in Massachusetts. Yes, I'm commuting from New York for this project! The home is situated with a view of distant mountains. The kitchen will have a closed off adjacent scullery nearby  (a pantry/clean up area), and a long wall of bookshelves in the hallway just beyond. The style will be possibly something classic, perhaps a mix of white and wood, we'll see. I finally got my way and designed in, what will be a fantastic banquette (soft, super cushy) area!

The S Family: How about a beach house? The exterior wall is all window area, the view is of egrets and beautiful bay views. The style is casual, the husband, a chef, the kids, budding chefs as well. The mom, grateful eater! This is a home for entertaining all summer. A surfboard leans against one wall, the antique table is a very long and a strong element, and so the kitchen, wide open to the living and dining areas, will be part utilitarian, part beachside food shack!

I'll surely show you images as progress moves along!  

Custom Kitchen Cabinetry - Draper DBS

I'm pleased, and very excited, to announce a new line of cabinetry that I have recently welcomed into my design practice. The cabinetry is Draper DBS, located in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, a region of Pennsylvania with a rich tradition of fine cabinet making.

I went to the factory a couple of months back. There is no direct highway to the factory. It's literally over the river and through the woods! One is forced to slow way down (not so easy for me) to go over the covered bridge, through the wonderful village called Frenchtown, up and over big, winding, hills, and to stop and buy a quart of fresh picked strawberries at the local farm. Slow down, I did. But, I happily digress.

I wanted a line of cabinetry for kitchens (and other rooms) that was different, even exciting, yes, I'd say exciting is a good word. I wanted a line rich with authenticity and character. A line with depth, in terms of fine craftsmanship and creative thinking. I found it. I'm very happy to have Desire To Inspire introduce this line on their blog today, and I will follow up with a few other, totally different, looks than what Desire To Inspire is showing today.

What makes me really excited about this line is two things:

First, as noted above, Draper DBS is a thinking company. I was told over and over that if I can imagine it, they will build it, and will do so gladly.  Typically, cabinet companies have their way of doing things. Some factories are willing to deviate from standards more than others. I only choose companies to work with who are willing to accommodate my and my clients' needs, and Draper DBS is one of those (few) companies who will accommodate me.

 
Second, they are a truly creative company. They do any style with aplomb. Modern, artsy, traditional, European farmhouse, cottage, anything. So, on to some examples here (trust me, you'll want to click on that link, above) and below, examples of more traditional styling. Wood species such as alder, butternut, mahogany, and others, (yes, others) create a welcome alternative to the usual pine, maple, oak, and cherry. Bill Draper, owner, having a dose of "hippy" in his past, just adds to the open and creative dialogue he enjoys having with the carefully selected designers who work with his cabinetry.

A little something from The Robb Report on Bill Draper.  

Before I forget, do you know what is one of the most wonderful things I found? The talented cabinetmakers can hand plane the doors, which creates an amazing, one of a kind, and highly authentic, look - see the image. They also have an aged, painted finish which consists of 14 layers of paint to get that great, old, layered paint finish. I don't know about you, but to me, considering this stylish cabinetry plus the rich, authentic, possibilities below, this is a WOW and gets me excited all over again!

Kitchen Remodeling Project Management and Technology

I love technology, I always have. I'm not an expert, but I have a natural curiosity for many technological things...gadgets first and foremost, software, any sort of productivity tool. I think of these tools not only as time saving but as fun, and fun is always good, especially when you're in the kitchen remodeling business, or even worse, UNDERGOING a kitchen remodeling! So, I'd like to share a few productivity tools that I'm using that you could find useful too, I'm sure.

Backpack -  You're a homeowner and you're doing a kitchen renovation. With backpack, also called backpackit, you have pages in which you can put information, accessible to you anywhere/anytime, since it's web based, and it's all in one convenient spot. So, you may want a page for your kitchen cabinetry, a page for your countertops, a page for your sink, your faucet, even a page for your designer and contractor. Well, I can think of a whole lot of "pages" you'd need during the course of a remodel. It's the web's answer to a spiral bound notebook.

Here's what you put on the pages. You'll put in notes, lists (with lovely little boxes next to them to check off tasks), make tags for search purposes (a huge plus), use a calendar, set reminders, and let's not forget, upload images!! And, here's the best part...you can make it completely private, open it to specific people, or have it public for the world to see. I'm wild about it. I have the super mega upgraded service and I'm paying $9 a month! 37 signals, makers of this service, also offer other amazing services, of which I use a few, such as basecamp.

If you wouldn't mind, please use this code in the Referrer Code field if you sign up: BP2956J - many thanks!

Cell Tell - It's "voice notes" and it works with backpack, above. This service is nuts. I'm sorry I can't be more elegant than that. Picture this: I'm at a granite yard. The slab my client and I love has a long reference number along the side of it. We may want that slab. Here's what I do. I speed dial a number on my phone, I say the reference number of the granite, which yard we're at, where it is in the yard, and I hang up. Two minutes later, the voice note is sitting on my designated backpack page. No hunting for the salesperson, no hunting for pen and paper, only to have to keep track of the paper, no taking forever to type it into my pda. Oh, by the way.....the service is FREE.

And, guess what else? It couldn't be easier. No voice menus, no other entries to make! You a) speed dial b) hear your name c) speak d) hang up. It's a beautiful thing.  

SilmulScribe -  If the above service is nuts, this is beyond nuts. Again, picture this. You're someplace where you can't really take the time to access your phone messages, or are otherwise preoccupied. OR, too, like me, your cell phone doesn't ring in your home or office because you're in a bad cell area, doesn't matter if it's sitting right next to you. SimulScribe will translate cell phone calls into text and will then email the text message to you! For me, it's amazing, whether I'm in my office, working on my computer, and I get a cell phone call (which will show up as a text message in my in box a few minutes later) or I'm out and about and can't take a call, but CAN quickly skim a message on my pda, this service solves a whole host of problems. For the hearing impaired, it could be a great tool. I'm wild about it. It's $10 a month for 40 messages.

When I'm out of the office , I can forward my office calls to my cell phone number, which will then email me the text messages of these calls, and I can read/view them on my pda.  The trick is to remember to do that before I leave the office!

iPhone -  I love it. I'll tell you just ONE reason why, out of many. The calendar is a joy to use, but the best part is that you get TWO alerts, or reminders, for an appointment. So, you're my client, and we have an appointment at Friday at 2 pm. Set one alert for some time on Thursday, as a general reminder, and set the second alert for two hours before our appointment on Friday, or any other handy combination of dual alerts. I don't know about you, but I'm busy, and even with a calendar, I could really use that second reminder.

SnagIt - And, last but DEFINITELY not least, I'm all OVER this little piece of software! A client who used my consultation services turned me on to SnagIt. Whether you are making notes on an image, a word document, an advertisement, any piece of anything, this software allows you to create notes right on the "capture" and convert it to a variety of formats, including a jpg or pdf document. You can also "capture" just a section of a document or image to save in a file and then make notes on it. Oh, I'm not explaining this very well, but, please take my word for it and go look at it! This image is an actual "capture" that I marked up for a client.

And, wait till you hear this...there's this little 1/8"-1/4" x 2" blue line that sits up at the top of my monitor that is just waiting for my mouse to touch it, I don't even have to click on it, just run the mouse on top of it, and it springs into action, to capture what I need captured, always at the ready.

Now it's your turn! What great productivity tools do you use?? 

(I promise...pretty kitchen pictures are coming back shortly...and wait till you see what pictures I'm going to put up next!) 

UPDATE:  How about one more very cool tool? I also signed up for Jott. Jott does the holy grail...it takes YOUR calls or messages and emails you (if it's a note to yourself) the text AND the original voice mail! So, I'm at a jobsite and the installer tells me to order 6' more crown molding. I speed dial Jott, say "order 6' more crown molding for the Smith job" and when I get back to the office, the email is there with text PLUS the original voice recording. Jott also works with group contacts, where you can Jott a message by your cell phone, to say, 6 people, saying you'll be late to the meeting. No more separate phone calls! Oh, it's FREE.

Right now I have signed up for both Cell Tell and Jott, and have them both speed dialed into my phone. I'll use them both and see which one I go toward more...the one where one designated "page" of backpack serves as a (good) dumping ground for these random on-the-fly notes, to later move the items into my personal to do list page or business to do list page, or Jott, which emails me text, and I like text, but, which could get lost in the black hole of the emaildom inbox. It's all about productivity and the ease of it!

OMG, I'm going to have a backpack page for each client! I've found the holy grail (I think I've found a couple here today!)

Kitchen Design Whine

I'm going to take a minute and whine (yes, I'd safely put this under the category of whining) but along with whining there's the lesson behind it (ok, my motherly instincts are also at work here, I see) and so, I will make this brief, but instructive.

So that I don't trash any particular allied professional, as I must say, from the architect to the helper who sweeps the jobsite clean every day, and everyone in between, including myself, we all have our day in the sun where we can screw up on a (hopefully, teeny tiny) part of a client's project. However, with luck and concentration, those times are few and far between, IF we follow this advice below regarding email communication.

It is important for the unnamed (above) to do a few simple things in an effort to make a project progress in a timely and responsible way. This advice absolutely goes for clients too (you have responsibilities too!)

 
1. If an email is received with specific information in it, read it...carefully. Don't just ignore it. Look at attachments with specific information in them as well, (which, if pointed out-means something is important) and deal with the information on a timely basis. If this is not done, things may get messy later on.

2. Don't skim emails, as information will be vastly diluted, forgotten, and of course, not even seen in the skimming process. Again, slow down. Did I say slow down?

3. Don't make excuses that you could not keep track of the information in two emails because another person was involved with forwarding them, yadayadayada. This borders on insulting.

4. Consider all pieces of information from all parties connected to the project as being important to hear. Do not judge "importance" until you have absorbed the information at hand...premature judgment of non importance is risky.

5. It's the recipient's responsibility to reply, get answers back, etc. Don't be one to have others chase you down for information. That's not cool. 

That's all. Had an email with critical information been read in a timely way, a month would not have gone by, which, at this moment, has now put a big, fat, snag in a project. Color me annoyed at this moment. It will pass, as it all does. It's not cancer, (perspective is always important) but I get nuts about the above stuff. The devil resides in the details! And, yes, my turn will come, with another situation, but I'm not sure I'll be ranting about it!

Have a nice day...and read your emails!!  ;-) 

Kitchen Remodeling - Do I Hire An Engineer Or Architect?

One of my kitchen remodeling projects in Nassau County, Long Island, has a structural issue. An engineer, who I use on occasion, went to my client's home yesterday morning. The client had also called in another engineer, previously, just to evaluate more than one engineer.

Yesterday was my engineer's third visit. The first was to survey some structural issues, at which time he explained which areas he needed access to, so that he could see the structure in the ceiling. We were planning to open a doorway into a family room and there was some funky beam work in the lower height family room, just beyond the kitchen, ending with a column hidden inside a wall. I needed a doorway in that wall widened.

We had part of the ceiling removed so that it was accessible to the engineer, at which time, he returned, and saw what he needed to see. I like this engineer. He's a thoughtful sort of person. He runs ideas out loud, listens to our ideas as well, and the collaboration just works so well. He's also very conservative. He's a stickler for details. All that, and a pleasant person too. He stayed about 2 hours for each visit, going upstairs, downstairs, basement, garage, and outside. I like that.

$250 for each visit so far. I think that's reasonable, considering the length of time he stayed, when one wants the house to remain standing, don't you?

Today he went back again, a third time, as the client had decided to go ahead and have him draw plans for the new ceiling/beam work. He called me after, to tell me he saw one other detail that he did not see before. I'm glad he returned! He will charge $750 to draw the beam details for the contractor to follow. He'll be in touch with the contractor as the work progresses. 

What about calling in a contractor? Contractors are good and very knowledgeable, as they deal with structure every day (well, often, anyway). When I'm noodling around with a client's home, however, I go for the professional with the state license, an architect or engineer. 

What I think I may do next is, perhaps, get a second opinion on the structural plan, once it is designed. Why not? I'm a cautious kind of person, perhaps to a fault. I take my responsibility seriously, referring an engineer to a homeowner. I will probably pay for this second opinion myself, and also, risk alarming the client just a bit by yet another engineer's visit. But, I'm a bit obsessive that way, when it is not my area of expertise. It's a $220,000 renovation, I think another $250 is not a big deal. Probably totally unnecessary, no doubt, and that's ok. The engineer is licensed and will put the proper seal on the drawings, a critical piece of information to be aware of.

Engineer Or Architect? 

You may call on either an engineer or an architect to design small and/or simple structural work in your home, which is what we are speaking about here.

An architect is, by definition, also focused on the design of a home in a larger way, so the point of view may be slightly different. If the work is straight forward, with little design impact, an engineer could suffice. A (fancy) architect may charge more than an engineer, but as in any business, operation costs vary, so I would not assume that. Me, I just like the fact that an engineer is concerned with only one aspect of a residence, structure, so my first call is usually to an engineer, unless there are design issues I'd like to collaborate on, then it's an architect, hands down. These have been real pieces of my thought process connected to a real project that I thought might be interesting to share with you!

Here is some great advice on how to hire an engineer or architect. Coming from California, earthquake territory, it is especially good, and very clear, advice. From earthquakecountry.info. Please take a look! It is the most important part of this post. The website also mentions the Structural Engineers Association. Please, also, be aware of the American Institute of Architects.

A Long Island Kitchen Designer

Well, that's me, of course, a Long Island kitchen designer! My market/territory/areas served are the Long Island and New York metro area and beyond as demanded!

We know that, so?

What I'd like to talk about today is that the kitchen design "look" of Long Island, for the most part, reflects its well established suburban roots. Long Island being situated in the Northeast, close to New England, surrounded by history, naturally evokes tradition in many aspects of suburban life, creating a Long Island kitchen design point of view.

The majority of the architecture on Long Island is based in tradition, as are most furnishings seen in the homes here, as well as traditional landscaping, artwork, accessories, and other areas of home design.

I'm yawning already, what's the point?? 

Don't be so impatient! Here's the point! Most of my clients are in lock step with their physical, regional, surroundings as opposed to who they are, what styles appeal to them, where their interests lie whether recreational, via their heritage, personal interests, or "other." The home is Georgian, therefore, the kitchen is traditional, is often the conventional wisdom.

The point, as discussed regarding Long Island kitchen design, as an example, can be made for other regions of the country as well. The southwest, with its tex-mex point of view, southern California, a similar style of architecture and design, the often sleek, modern kitchen design of New York City and other urban areas, the warm woodsy soft contemporary look of the Pacific Northwest, the sleek, white kitchens of Florida, and other micro-themed regional areas. Point being, most regions have their "look." Actually, some areas on Long Island are more inclined to modern styling, other areas to formal styling, and still others to white, traditional kitchen design.

Set me free! 

First, be aware, be very aware! Be aware that you may indeed have an automatic reaction to what is the "right" way to design your kitchen either a) based on your region/history and/or b) based on the architecture of your home. 

Can you put a modern aesthetic into the log cabin lake house? A resounding YES. Mid century in a Victorian? Why not? You get the idea. The trick is to understand combining elements such as line, color, texture, mass and form. You will ultimately be creating a composition.

If you are unsure of how to proceed with this sometimes tricky aesthetic, please invest in the services of an interior designer for surrounding rooms and a kitchen designer who understands electic style for the kitchen so that you have a common thread among your spaces. Soon I will talk more about eclectic style, but first, one needs a germ of a thought, to begin to go against the grain, and here that is. Just call me the trouble making Long Island Kitchen Designer!

Desire To Inspire is a great resource to discover your secret eclectic self! Purple Area has some great examples of eclectic styles throughout the home, and also take a look at my category, Scandinavian Kitchens for inspiring eclecticity! (New word!) Although a Long Island kitchen designer, many design languages are spoken here on this blog!

Kitchen Design Miscellania

A few items of interest have been noticed today, and I'd like to share them with you!

First, I'm happy to have been asked to contribute to the blog, freshome, in the form of a piece I wrote on how to start the kitchen design process.  Freshome happens to be a very popular blog, covering a very wide variety of topics devoted to the home. There are inspiring, new, ideas, practical products talked up, tips, and lots more. Really, it's surprisingly comprehensive and covers the entire home. Dig a little deep, and you'll see what I mean. I just love tips, anyway, the more the better. So, take a look!

It's interesting that corporations are beginning to get into social networking (in connection with their products, at least in the kitchen and bath industry, something new), creating new environments for their customers to talk to one another about specific products and to learn more about the products including tips and how-tos, to allow a richer product experience, which, you know, really does make sense. Here are two new communities I'd like to share with you. I like forward thinking companies, and I REALLY like that they are taking a risk to actually bring their customers out in the public to chat with one another.

First, take a look at the GE Advantium community. I just love how it's designed. Fresh, clean, thankfully easy to navigate. Love how the recipes are categorized in different ways. Give it a little time, the community will build. It's a very complete environment with easy access to manuals, accessories, and so on. I poked around quite a bit. It's also the type of appliance where it is great to see how others use it to its potential.
 

Next, is a new community from Moen. I'll insert what I was sent, which says it better than I could:

 "Faucet-maker Moen Incorporated debuted the 2007 Show Us Your Style kitchen and bathroom remodeling contest today, showusyourstyle.com. DIYers everywhere can submit their remodeling stories and photos for a chance to win $500 every two weeks. (my words: YAY!!) Last year, the site proved to be very popular with homeowners as an excellent place to get ideas. What happens is, if you have a project to share, you just write your story, upload your photos and we update the site every two weeks with all the content. One of the neat things is, you can sort through all the entries by different criteria, like cost."