This week we reveled in all things posh: blue velvet sofas, splashy marble bathrooms, and handsome brass shelving. Next week, we're jumping into the kitchen and deconstructing the best layouts, appliances, and cookware. Until then, allow us to share a few other things we've been hung up on lately.
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Above: To fill you in on the week ahead at Remodelista, we've introduced a new MondayTable of Contents column.
Our favorite British flatware from David Mellor Design will be showcased as a part of an in-store exhibition at Heath's San Francisco factory and showroom. For the opening, Corin Mellor, son of David Mellor and the company's creative director, will be sharing the story of the company's history and design with Remodelista's editor-at-large, Sarah, on Friday, March 14th, from 5-8 pm. Event details here.
Dalilah is rallying for a coat rack in the Remodelista SF office (she'd rather hang her Fidelity peacoat than fling it across a Herman Miller chair). She's eager to make a plumbing pipe garment rack for the crew.
Looking for some vintage finds? Our friends at Big Daddy's are launching their first annual Big Daddy's Deal Days in both their Los Angeles and San Francisco locations. Saturday and Sunday, March 8 and 9.
Come join us in the kitchen this week. We'll be exploring kitchen layouts and presenting exemplary horseshoes, U-shapes, L-shapes, and galleys. We'll also be introducing you to a new concept: the sexy kitchen island (no kidding).
Stay tuned, too, for a Rehab Diary with gasp-inducing Before and Afters, a roundup of precision-made vegetable peelers and other German kitchen staples, and read Sarah's account of her attempts to live a garbage-free life, inspired by Zero Waste Home.
N.B.: Table of Contents is a new Monday column to fill you in on what's what every week at Remodelista. (If you're a subscriber, note that our posts go up a day before they get emailed.)
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Monday
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Here's what we mean by kitchen islands gone glamorous: UK designer Rose Uniake does it best in her own London house, shown above. Photo by Henry Bourne via the NYT.
Tuesday
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Julie gathers the Mercedes of kitchen basics—made with precision in Germany (case in point: black galvanized metal utility buckets from Redecker, via Father Rabbit). Also look for our weekly Steal This Look column, in which we dissect a kitchen sink with plwood cabinets and gold-plated faucet (yes, gold is looking good again).
Wednesday
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Some of us on staff have managed to give up paper towels in the name of conservation—but not all. For the stragglers, we rounded up 10 good-looking countertop roll dispensers, including Crate and Barrel's marble model. On Wednesday, we'll also be presenting a compact kitchen packed with design takeaway.
Thursday
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Meet the formal eat-in kitchen. This parlor kitchen by Oliver Freundlich belongs to actress—and design genius—Julianne Moore and debuted in the Remodelista book. We think its furniture-like design is the look of things to come.
Friday
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We end the week with the Zero Waste Challenge, Sarah's account of attempting to live with as little waste as possible. Also on Friday, look for a roundup of galley kitchens—sometimes the smallest designs are the most hardworking—and a visit to a restaurant in Poland, above, where rustic wood meets outsized gingham in an altogether fresh way.
"You should totally come," began the invitation. Mollie Cohen and Andrew Berman's wedding was held in a historic brick warehouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn, on a freshly laid carpet of grass, where they celebrated by holding a giant picnic. They presented each guest with a pair of Vans, and for refreshments there was a fully constructed dive bar and cans of Bud in paper bags with the wedding monogram on them. They asked architectural designer Oliver Freundlich to apply that same playful high brow/low brow spirit to their apartment, a Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, duplex in a converted mid-19th century church rectory that Freundlich describes as "a piece of developer crap set in a basement with major light challenges." Not surprisingly, architecture (and some alchemy) comes next.
Freundlich—who the couple discovered on Remodelista—runs his own New York firm, Oliver Freundlich Design; we're longstanding fans and unveiled the glamorous eat-in kitchen he designed for actress Julianne Moore, his sister in law, in the Remodelista book. During his first meeting with Mollie and Andrew, Freundlich says he flashed a red Vola faucet he thought they'd like and the deal was sealed. "Meeting Oliver was like going on a good first date," says Mollie. She grew up in New York and is a buyer for Madewell; Andrew is a carpenter turned furniture designer from Madison, Wisconsin (they met as freshmen at CU Boulder); the couple planned their remodel with Freundlich over "burrito design sessions," and nine months of construction later, Mollie and Andrew found themselves living in the apartment equivalent of a lavish picnic, complete with a teak-paneled bedroom ceiling, his and hers trough sink, tinware-stocked custom kitchen cabinets, and a powder room with a telltale red spigot.
Above: The most striking transformation in the duplex is the kitchen, which was formerly a gloomy landlord special tucked into a corner. Now fresh and bright, it's equipped with an island and cabinetry made of moisture-resistant MDF finished with a spray lacquer—and an overall pleasing geometry.
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Above: The dining table came from the couple's old apartment (they got it at Future Perfect six years ago) and the lights are remakes of the Dunlop factory pendant from UK firm Trainspotters. The painting, a wedding present, is part of Andrew and Mollie's flag collection, which extends to flag-festooned belt buckles and sneakers. Explains Mollie, "Andrew is a grass-fed, free-range boy from the Midwest. He has always had a hankering for Americana and the freedom it represents."
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Above: For the couple's dog, Cash, a pet bowl niche was incorporated into the island. Taking his cues from the flag collection, Freundlich applied a palette of white, black, and oak throughout the duplex with artful hits of red. The new floor is plain-sawn white oak, lightened with wood bleach "in order to magnify the daylight as much as possible," says Freundlich. It's finished with Monocoat's Natural Oil Finish in Cotton White. Stay tuned: on Thursday, we'll take a closer look at the kitchen (and present Before photos) in a Rehab Diary.
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Above: "The apartment completely lacked character and detail," says Freundlich. "On the main floor, we reduced a full bath to a half bath and relocated the laundry room, allowing us to create more openness between the living room and the kitchen/dining room. New baseboards, windows, and door trim were also added throughout to introduce clean lines and fresh materials in lieu of sheetrock corners and stock moldings." Cappellini's Cuba 25 sectional sofa fills the room and is the equivalent of a one-dish meal: "It was one of our biggest splurges," says Mollie, "but it's the center of the whole apartment, so we felt it was the most important piece of furniture." The rug is from Breuckelen Berber. The oak Nesting Boxes under the TV are Andrew's own design, and can be used for storage and as stools (they're available with Richlite or cushioned tops); they're available from Andrew's just-launched shop, Dane Co.
Above: At first designated for bike storage, the space under the stairs ended up becoming a home office. "In such an open plan, it's critical that you have a place to store all of life's junk," says Freundlich. "I realized the underside of the remodeled stair was going to create a warm and inviting space." The chair is an Eames Molded Wood classic.
Above: The powder room has a custom medicine cabinet made of rift-sawn white oak (which matches the apartment's new baseboards and other millwork). The wallpaper in the mirror is Flavor Paper's Dia de Dumbo design—toile-style Day of the Dead scenes of Brooklyn. The Vola HV1 faucet is the very model Freundlich pulled out during his first meeting with Mollie and Andrew; it came from New York plumbing supplier AF Supply and is paired with American Standard's Roxalyn Wall Mounted Sink—"the ultimate high meets low moment in the house," says Freundlich.
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Above: The apartment's existing stairs received a total makeover: the treads and risers were reclad with rift-sawn white oak, and in place of a generic black metal railing, Freundlich installed two new railings, "one white-painted steel to match the stringer, and one in solid oak mounted to the wall. The idea was to clean up the composition of the stair, making it more of a feature within the open living area."
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Above: To draw light throughout the reconfigured upstairs, Freundlich introduced double-wide doors with stippled wired glass that lead to the bedroom: "Wire glass is a favorite of mine; it makes the doors feel less slick, more utilitarian." The air vent came from Architectural Grille, a favorite Brooklyn source for patterned metalwork. All of the doorknobs are Rejuvenation's Finley model in black porcelain.
Above: A wooden Art Shelf runs along the hall; Andrew created it in collaboration with Matt Hogan of Brooklyn's Reliquary Studio (who also built the kitchen cabinets and teak ceiling, among things). The ledge hangs from a steel angle bolted to the wall. "Art has been a hard thing for us to decide on," says Mollie. "What's nice about the picture rail is that we can just keep piling on everything we collect. Instead of committing to one big piece, we're constantly adding and changing the contents of the shelf. At this point, it has a lot of nice memories."
Above: "The idea was to keep the bedroom spare and the furnishings low, and allow the wood ceiling to soar," says Freundlich. "The pendants dropping from the ceiling add some drama to the height." (There are dimmer switches next to each side for easy on and off.) The white metal bed frame is School House Electric's Hamilton Bed, an update of the classic iron bedstead, and the lights are Barn Light Electric's Ivanhoe Dino Porcelain Cord Pendant Light. Andrew built the blackened ash bedside cubes: "We didn't have side tables for a few months, so I'd put my glass of water on the floor. When I woke up, it would be empty, and then I realized our dog was drinking it," says Molie. "So I badgered Andrew for side tables. He took extra cutoffs from something else he made, and the wall-mounted shelves were his temporary-turned-permanent solution." For kindred designs, see 5 Favorite: Bedside Shelves (in Lieu of Tables).
Above: The bedroom's crowning glory is its new teak ceiling: "It makes our bedroom feel like a special retreat," says Mollie. The tall peaked window, a detail dating to the building's origins as a rectory, was painted Benjamin Moore black in a satin finish, detailed with one-inch trim casing to trace its outline, and given a ledge of rift-sawn white oak. The Blackened Oak Bench and Rift-Saw Oak Peg Rack are both made by Andrew and available in custom sizes and finishes at Dane Co. "We wanted hooks to put our clothes on instead of the chair in the corner that collects your weekly wardrobe," says Mollie. (For more on the subject, see Christine's post How Shaker Peg Rails Saved My Sanity.) The credenza is from Cappellini and the standing lamp is the Flos Spun Floor Lamp.
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Above: Freundlich kitted out the master bath with one of the most enviable details in the duplex: a custom teak medicine cabinet that has solid wood shelves and is deep enough to hold rolls of toilet paper. (It was fabricated by Tony Visco of Ivory Build, who also built the desk under the stairs.) The enameled iron double sink is the Kohler Brockway paired with Chicago Faucets. The Subway Tiles are from reproduction specialists Subway Ceramics—"we used a traditional black liner, but located it an an atypical height to try to loft the ceiling," says Oliver. "Subway Ceramics has great accessory tiles, including tile hooks, recessed toilet paper holders, and soap niches, all of which we put to use."
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Above: A dressing room stands between the master bedroom and bath. It's playfully wallpapered with doodles of things Mollie and Andrew like—bagels, bikes, high tops, their dog—that they had used on their wedding invitation. The wallpaper is from Flavor Paper of Brooklyn, which specializes in custom orders: "we just sent them a PDF and selected a paper type," says Mollie.
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Above: Mollie and Andrew's mandate for Freundlich: "Clean, simple, warm, functional, and lots of shoe storage."
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Above: The apartment's entry originally had what Freundlich describes as "a telephone-booth-like closet facing you immediately when you walked in." He replaced it with with an open coat area at the far end of the living room defined by a "landing pad" of Pennyround Tiles in Black Matte from Nemo Tile. The yellow cabinet is from Cappellini and moved with the couple from their first apartment.
Above: The foldout Arrow Hanger in powder-coated aluminum by Design House Stockholm.
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Above: "Though the renovation includes some luxury items here and there, the overall tone is meant to be low-key and not take itself too seriously," says Freundlich. Bikes are parked right by the front door under an antique framed flag that the couple brought on eBay. It's no coincidence that even the bike colors work in the apartment—Andrew and Mollie always zero in on red and white.
Above: The final newlywed detail: Freundlich inset the entry with a doormat from Coco Mats 'n More affordably customized with the couple's wedding monogram.
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Above: A plan of the first floor. Formerly dark and lacking coherence, it's now loft-like, tightly unified, and filled with light.
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Above: The fully redesigned second floor incorporates not only the master bedroom (with en suite dressing room and bathroom), but a guest room, guest bath, and laundry room.
Designed in 1939 by Swedish inventor Alvar Lenning, the Ankarsrum Original Kitchen Mixer is a Rube Goldberg type of machine, capable of doing seemingly anything (with the right attachments). It's especially celebrated for its bread-kneading abilities and its longevity; happy owners call it a once-in-a-lifetime purchase. During WWII, it even came with a collection of "crisis recipes" for Swedish households feeling the pinch of rationing. About a year ago it came on the US market; it's available in a range of subtle pastels, with a glossy black and a glossy white finish to come.
Above: The electrical motor and the diecast aluminum components are cast and assembled at the Electrolux factory in Ankarsrum, Sweden. The Ankarsrum Kitchen Assistant features a 600-watt motor and is available in 10 colors choices; $799.95 from Metro Kitchen.
When Boulettes Larder closed its doors last summer for a remodel and an expansion, we were nervous. The small restaurant in San Francisco's Ferry Building overlooking the Bay Bridge served breakfast, lunch, and the best private dinners around, and had become a Remodelista hang out. We need not have worried. Boulettes Larder soon reopened, a smarter, reincarnated version of itself, with a larger, all-day dining offshoot, Bouli Bar, right next door.
For the renovation, restaurant chef-owners Amaryll Schwertner and Lori Regis enlisted San Francisco- and London-based architecture firm Kallos Turin. Schwertner, who trained in neuroscience before shifting to the culinary world, is known for intellectual rigor in her approach to food. “From the start of my career I wove every interest I had into food," she says. "That has allowed for a deeply personal voice to emerge in my cooking. I see all the elements of the environment I work in as critical tools in the endeavor for a distinctive voice.” Kallos Turin was able to complement Schwertner's approach with a design that employs a limited, yet elegant palette of timeless materials reduced to a simple design that adds a welcome note of glamour to the Ferry Building.
Above: A palette of American white oak, bronze, and black forms the Bouli Bar backdrop, overlaid with the rich texture of a beaded bronze curtain.
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Above L: An American white oak table with a brass base stands before built-in seating with pillows of black Mongolian lamb under a black smoked mirror. Above R: The beaded bronze curtain is made from a brass ball chains; it lends a formal element to the dining room and screens it from Ferry Building shoppers.
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Above: The dining tables, bars, cabinetry, and wainscoting were all crafted in American white oak.The black ceiling is punctuated by a selection of black and brass Tom Dixon Beat Pendant lights, providing a counterpoint to the black Hans Wegner dining chairs. The large smoked mirror adds a moody note to the space.
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Above L: The naval bronze wood-burning hearth is shared by both Boulette's Larder and Bouli Bar as part of a communal kitchen. Above R: The counters are made from naval bronze and terrazzo.
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Above: A dining room, organized as if it were a stage set, is located at the entry to the restaurant; its communal table is illuminated by oversized Tom Dixon Beat Pendants. For more details, visit Bouli Bar.
Is "kitchen island" the least sexy term in home design? Even "kitchen table" is better (remember that scene in The Postman Always Rings Twice?). Here's a roundup of 11 rooms with style to spare.
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Above: An apartment in St. Germain des Pres, Paris, designed by Joseph Dirand features a pair of bronze Fingi suspension lights by Eric Schmitt and a pair of office armchairs by Pierre Jeanneret from Galerie 54; photo by Adrien Dirand via Yatzer.
Above: London designer Rose Uniacke's simple but luxurious kitchen is located in her restored 19th century Georgian Revival house. For similar pendant lights, consider the Dodecahedron Pendant Lanterns by Adolf Loos, available through Rose Uniacke; photo by Henry Bourne via NY Times.
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Above: An oxidized-brass-clad kitchen island by Dimore Studio in Milan is lit from within via a fluorescent strip.
Above: In this kitchen in Germany, designer Gisbert Poppler repurposed an antique farmhouse wardrobe as a kitchen cabinet.
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Above: A Scandinavian kitchen with mirror-clad kitchen island; photo by Pia Walin.
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Above: Stockholm-based architects Claessen Koivisto Rune added a dash of glamour to a streamlined pure white kitchen via a brass cube table.
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Above: In a Boston brownstone kitchen, architects Katarina Edlund and Scott Slarsky (of designLAB Architects) paired marble-topped work stations with a Poul Henningsen artichoke lamp suspended from an ornate plaster medallion.
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Above: A Mediterranean kitchen with concrete island and chandelier via Nosy Parker.
A few weeks ago we featured designers Dan Honey and Paul Fuog's artfully remodeled apartment in Melbourne, Australia. Designed by architect Clare Cousins, the one-bedroom flat was transformed into an open living space with inexpensive materials. We especially like its kitchen and dining area, which Cousins outfitted with plywood cabinets with cutout handles, a surprise gold-plated faucet, and round pale wood table. Here, a look at the design and the elements for recreating a similar look.
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Above: Cousins paired plywood with a simple white laminate counter and an electroplated gold faucet. Photography by Sean Fennessy via The Design Files.
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Above: The laminate countertop extends down the side of the cabinets creating a frame.
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Above: Honey and Fuog's small-space survival tip: create an instant dining room between the living and kitchen area with a round table for four and overhead pendant.
Above: The Muuto Unfold Pendant Lamp (shown in gray) is made of soft silicone rubber that packs flat and unfolds into shape. Inside the shade a frosted opal diffuser hides the bulb and softens the light; also available in black and blue and currently on sale for $160.65 at Design Within Reach.
Above: Alvar Aalto's classic Artek 91 Dining Table in birch veneer is $1,940 at All Modern (Honey and Fuog purchased it at Anibou in Australia). For a similar but much more affordable design, consider Ikea's Bjursta Extendable Table; $229.
Above: The Eos Armchair is a similar shape and style to the dining chairs Honey and Fuog found at a local flea market. The armchair is made from powder-coated aluminum in black or white; currently on sale for $204 at Design Within Reach.
Above: A coiled Microbasket by Brooklyn artist Doug Johnston hangs above Honey and Fuog's sink. This example is made from cotton sash cord in a variety of colors and is used to hold salt; $30 directly from Doug Johnston. The woven fruit basket near the sink was a find from Australian store After; Johnston makes a similar basket, the 100' Tray, $100.
Above: Designed by Erik Magnussen—and awarded the Innovative Design prize by the Danish Society of Industrial Design in 1977—the EM77 Vacuum Thermos Jug in soft mint is $99 from Scandinavian House.
Expand your smart phone or tablet's job description with apps that turn it into a tool kit, remodeling guide, and all-around design assistant. Here are a dozen apps we've found extremely useful:
(Discovered any home design or remodeling apps you've found indespensable? Please share your finds in the comments section below.)
Design Tools
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Above: No need to lug measuring tools: the iHandy Carpenter App includes two types of levels, a ruler, protractor, and a plumb bob (a tool that verifies the verticality of lines or walls). The iHandy Carpenter App for iPhone and iPad and the iHandy Carpenter App for Android are both $1.99.
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Above: If you're like me, you pull out the measuring tape and jot down figures on a sticky note to take shopping or pass along to your contractor. Inevitably, the note gets lost or mixed in with the other crumpled notes at the bottom of your bag—or you just plain forget exactly which measurements belong to what. Instead, consider using Photomeasures, an app that allows you to take a photo of a space and draw the measurements directly on it. You can also add notes ("thinking sofa could go here"). Brilliant, eh? The Photomeasures App for Android is $4.99 (a free Photomeasures Lite for Android version is also available). The Photomeasure App for iPhone and iPad is $6.99.
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Above: The AutoDesk Homestyler app allows you to experiment with paint colors, furnishings, and layouts using photos of your choosing. It's a great way to "try on" before making big decisions. The AutoDesk Homestyler for iPhone and iPad and the AutoDesk Homestyler for Android are both free.
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Above: Whether you want to rearrange your furniture or create a draft of your ideal kitchen layout before meeting with your architect, there are several apps available for creating floor plans, including the highly-rated Home Design 3D ($6.99) and Home Design DIY—Mark on Call ($2.99), both for the iPhone and iPad.
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Above: A tool for helping with the placement of lighting, artwork, work tables, and other items dependent on lighting conditions, the Sun Seeker app is recommended by architect John Maniscalco, a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory. "Using the GPS in the phone, you can stand on a site, move the phone across the sky and it will show you where the sun will be located at various times of day and times of year. It's very useful for understanding site conditions and daylighting." The Sun Seeker App for Android is $5.99 and the Sun Seeker App for iPhone and iPad is $6.99. Image via Advanced Window Tint.
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Above: Wish you had a handyman to help figure out how much paint or carpet you need? The Handy Man DIY for iPhone and iPad ($1.99) and Handy Man Calculator for Android (free) help calculate room dimensions, square footage, and costs. The app also offers shopping and task lists, as well as DIY tutorials.
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Above: Stumble across your dream wood floors at a restaurant? Use the ID Wood App for iPhone and iPad ($4.99) to help identify the wood and find out if it's applicable to your setup.
Inspiration
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Above: Looking for the perfect couch, stylish DIYs, or inspiration to refresh your space? Admittedly, we're biased, but the Remodelista App for iPhone and iPad ($2.99) allows you to peruse Remodelista's daily content with simple finger scrolling. The entire Remodelista archive of posts is browsable, as well as a list of all products associated with each post. The Remodelista LITE version is free.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Above: Pinterest has an app that not only allows you to pin photos (onto boards of your choosing) while browsing on your mobile device, but also enables you to access your Pinterest account and all the clippings you've already saved and organized. It provides a great way to plan projects and share your image inspiration on the go—shown here, a peek at my Pinterest kitchen board. The Pinterest App for iPhone and iPad and the Pinterest App for Android are both free.
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Above: Phaidon Design Classics App for iPhone and iPad ($14.99) puts Phaidon's three-volume illustrated history of 1,000 timeless product designs at your fingertips in an easily navigable app. A product design encyclopedia tucked into your mobile device.
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Above: Paint manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon with paint color apps that are fun and inspiring. Benjamin Moore's Color Capture App for iPhone and iPad (and Color Capture for Android) allows you to snap a photo of a color inspiration and get the match from Benjamin Moore's paint colors. Both versions are free.
Buyer beware! Philip Reno, owner of G & R paints and creator of Philip's Perfect Colors, warns that while paint color apps can be used as an inspirational tool, their utility beyond that is limited. "None of them have the capability to accurately represent paint colors as they are in the real world," Reno says. "The difference between the emitted light from a screen display and the reflected light of paint on a wall has not been satisfactorily bridged to date. Paint color is so subtle, it's just one of those things you have to see to appreciate."
The BWMs and Mercedes of the precision kitchen world, courtesy of the Germans. Here's a dozen kitchen tools, storage containers, and cleaning supplies we're currently coveting.
Above: Williams-Sonoma offers a range of storage containers from venerable German company Wesco. A set of three Wesco Canisters (top shelf left) is $99.95; available in white or red. The Wesco Cookie Box (top shelf right) is $59.95; available in white or red. The Wesco Grandy Bread Box (bottom shelf) is available in white, gray, or red; $79.95.
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Above: Stainless steel Kitchen Scissors made by the 275-year-old J.A. Henckels company; $110 from Kiosk.
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Above: The Wagenfeld Tea Pot, designed by Wilhelm Wagenfeld in 1931 and manufactured by Jenaer Glas, is €135.90 from Connox.
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Above: A favorite with European hoteliers, the Alfi Thermal Carafe is available in three sizes from Williams-Sonoma; prices start at $179.95 for the small size.
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Above: Messermeister Knives are made from carbon steel alloy using the original hot-drop, hammer-forged manufacturing process. We especially like the Oliva Elite series, which feature Italian olive wood handles (prices start at $85 for the Spear Point Paring Knife).
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Above: The Oil/Vinegar Drizzlers are made of laboratory glass by Jenaer Glas; €35 each from Manufactum. The design was singled out in the Remodelista book in the Remodelista 100, our roundup of favorite everyday things. Lookalike Glass Cruets are available from Chef's Planet starting at $12.50
Exposed vents are the perfect example of how to turn a remodeling obstacle into appealing decor. We like the way a basic vent can add an industrial note in the kitchen.
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Above: A kitchen in Tuscany designed by Giorgio Brogi and seen on Office for Word and Image (OWI).
Ideal for small spaces, U-shaped kitchens (sometimes called C-shaped kitchens) can accommodate only one or two cooks, depending on the width of the U. As its name suggests, this configuration features a horseshoe-shaped work area, with cabinets and counters running around three sides with an open end for access. At its most narrow, it can be as compact as a galley kitchen. Going a bit wider (if your space allows) might seem desirable, but go too wide and you reduce efficiency, because the points of contact within the work triangle (stove, refrigerator, and sink) get too far apart. Have a look at 10 of our favorite U-shaped kitchens to see how to strike the right balance and figure out if the U is the right layout for you.
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Above: A diagram illustrates how the ergonomic kitchen work triangle (stove, fridge, and sink) works in a U-shaped kitchen. Image via Kitchens Interior Dezine.
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Above: Julie's horseshoe kitchen in Mill Valley, CA, is small but efficient. "Dinnertime drop-ins are a frequent occurrence, and I love to cook, so it was important to me that the kitchen be outfitted for action," she says. Her architect, Jerome Buttrick, provided well-designed storage that allows for all of the necessities to be kept on hand but out of sight. Inset open-shelving creates an eye-catching mixing bowl display. For a full tour and dissection of the kitchen, see theRemodelista book. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.
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Above: New York architect Kevin Dakan brings texture to the back wall of this Brooklyn townhouse kitchen with glazed subway tile that runs all the way up to the ceiling. Image via Kevin Dakan Architect.
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Above: When jewelry designer Kathleen Whitaker remodeled her turn of the century home in Echo Park, Los Angeles, she found she liked the way the existing U-shaped kitchen formed a separate cooking area from the dining area. Whitaker's only update was to repaint the cabinets in Avocado Peel from Martha Stewart Living. Photograph by Nancy Neil. N.B.: Take a stroll through Whitaker's equally inviting garden in Tropical Paradise in LA's Echo Park.
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Above: A butler's sink and overhead open shelves provide the focus in designer and blogger Sarah Sherman Samuel's small cabin kitchen on the shores of Lake Michigan. Image via Smitten Studio. (N.B.: Have a look at Sarah's newly remodeled kitchen in LA employing what she calls "the ultimate Ikea hack": Ikea cabinets and custom doors).
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Above: The ceiling in this white U-shaped kitchen with stainless steel appliances has been raised to give the space more definition. Image via Sortrachen.
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Above: Prop stylist Erin Bennet-Jenkins removed a wall between the cooking and dining area of her 1926 Craftsman house in Atlanta before installing a U-shaped peninsula. Image by Amy Herr and Tracey Brower via The Kitchn.
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Above: ArchitectTim Barber designed a U-shaped kitchen for a new house in Palisades, CA. Running beadboard behind the open shelves enhances the traditional cabinetry detailing. Image via Tim Barber Ltd Architecture.
Here at Remodelista, we've put a lot of energy into sleuthing the perfect toilet paper holders, toilet brushes and receptacles, doormats, brooms and dustpans, and dish drainers. But somehow, until now, we've overlooked the countertop paper towel holder (perhaps because the more conscientious among us have stopped using paper towels altogether). Nonetheless if, like me, you aren't blessed with a built-in paper towel niche in the kitchen, you likely have a roll standing naked on the countertop for use at least now and then. Here are our 10 favorite countertop paper towel holders to help wrangle the roll.
Above: Skagerak's Bollard Paper Towel Holder has a small recess in its wooden base to keep the end of the roll from unwinding. Made of teak wood and steal, the holder is $70 at Fjørn Scandinavian.
Looking for a kitchen layout, with space for multiple cooks and onlookers? Consider the versatile L-shape, a two-walled setup that tucks neatly into a corner while remaining open to the surrounding space. The L-shaped kitchen works especially well in lofts and open-living setups where it's often wrapped around an island or dining table. Here's a look at some favorite examples:
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Above: A diagram illustrates how the ergonomic kitchen work triangle (stove, refrigerator and sink) can work in an L-shaped kitchen. Image via Archway Construction.
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Above: Shelves run across the short leg of this L-shaped kitchen, providing open storage for artwork and ceramics. Image via Obumex.
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Above: A streamlined fireplace and island face an expansive L-shaped kitchen in a New York brownstone by architecture firm O'neill Rose, a member of the Remodelista Architect/Design Directory. A window wall at the far end provides storage and separates the working kitchen from the breakfast room. See how O'neill Rose rebuilt the house behind a landmarked 19th century facade in A Brownstone for the 21st Century. Photograph by Michael Moran.
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Above: Danish illustrator Nynne Rosenvinge's L-shaped kitchen in Copenhagen is a study in black and white with disciplined pops of color. Image via Femina.
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Above: A marble-topped island is the focus of this L-shaped kitchen with subway-tiled walls. Image via Kitchen Lab Design.
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Above: Butcher block counters and a Dinesen Heart Oak Floor complement a wooden dining table in an otherwise rigorously white L-shaped kitchen in Copenhagen. Image via Archilovers.
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Above: Black cabinets with concrete countertops anchor a light and airy—and enviably tall-ceilinged—L-shaped kitchen in Rotterdam. Image from Fantastic Frank via April and May.
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Above: Plywood cabinets form an inviting L-shaped kitchen in a Melbourne apartment by architect Clare Cousins. Like to create something similar? See our Steal This Look and tour the full apartment in An Artful Makeover with Plywood.
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Above: L-shaped kitchens are often seen in farm-style country kitchens with much-used dining tables. Image via Lonny Magazine on Flickr.
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Above: The Brooklyn Home Company created an L-shaped country kitchen with a long wood table and open shelving in a Brooklyn townhouse apartment.
If money were no object I would live surrounded by French modern classics by Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier, and Pierre Jeanneret. From Jeanneret (Swiss architect and cousin of Le Corbu), I would opt for the V-Type Armchair, recognizable by its angular teak frame and caned seat and back. It's a midcentury icon that hasn't been reissued—and yet Jeanneret's design is more ubiquitous than you might expect. Here are five examples spotted of late in the houses of notable architects and designers.
N.B.: For those on the hunt, the V-Type can be sourced on 1st Dibs and eBay for a price; West Elm's Slope Leg Dining Chair evokes the design's rakish legs.
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Above: Pierre Jeanneret's armchair looks very much at home in the spacioius living room of Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen (the tables are Van Duysen's own design). Photographed by David Spero for T Magazine.
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Above: A pair of armchairs flank an island in a dramatic kitchen in St. Germain des Pres, Paris, designed by Joseph Dirand, via 11 Kitchen Islands Gone Glamorous.
Above: Belgian architect Nicholas Schuybroek has an ebonized version of the V-Type in his living room and teak V-Types around his dining table; photo via Coffeeklatch.
When a young, single Londoner set out to buy an apartment in the center of the city, she discovered she had two options: she could afford to buy a characterless one bedroom, or she could downsize to a studio and have some money leftover to make it her own.
She opted for a tiny studio—just 290 square feet—with high ceilings and charming details, and partnered with Jennifer Beningfield of Openstudio Architects (members of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory) to transform it into an adaptable living, working, and cooking space tailored exactly for her. The pair co-opted half of the high ceiling as a sleeping loft—adding another 80 square feet—then created a masterful modular plan for the main room.
There, the kitchen and office space remain hidden when not in use. Says Beningfield, "The problem with open kitchens in small spaces is that the entire space looks like a kitchen, with all the mess (or constant cleaning up) that entails." Beningfield painted the room a warm white and cleverly assigned bright colors to its customized features, so that the kitchen or office define the space when engaged, but fully retreat when not in use. "The idea was to create a room that moves and changes around the client," says Beningfield.
Above: The studio's blue kitchen is tucked under the sleeping loft and, when its sliding track door and folding doors are open, it overlooks the main living space. The kitchen's leftmost wall slides away from the fixed countertop to provide extra prep space via the bread board.
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Above: The kitchen is shown here half-open to the living room. Almost unbelievably, the architect managed to fit a sink, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, oven, and induction range within the compact space.
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Above: The kitchen's blue surface is laminate from French company Polyrey. The white cabinets are polyurethane lacquer over MDF.
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Above: The kitchen drawers line up with the rise of the stairs to the sleeping loft. Says the architect, "Everything fits together like a three-dimensional puzzle. We used every inch of available storage space."
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Above: When its doors are closed, the kitchen is completely hidden from the main room.
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Above: The office space is set off in turquoise. Like the kitchen, it can be put to use or concealed behind doors as desired.
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Above: Though the apartment is small, it has height and character: its tall sash windows open onto a small balcony and communal garden.
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Above: The floor plan of the 290 square-foot main room details the architect's color-coded, shape-shifting solution for the space.
People with eat-in kitchens always describe them as the heart of the house. It's easy to see why. So much of daily life can—and does—take place in these hubs. And the more people that pack in the merrier. It's no wonder so many childhood memories take place in eat-in kitchens. Have a look at some of our favorite designs, including Julianne Moore's glamorous living room-style kitchen.
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Above: Cape Cod architect Sheila Narusawa, a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory, is a firm believer in putting rooms to multiple uses. In the Cape Cod house she designed for herself and her husband, she incorporated the kitchen and dining room into one lofty setup, that, as she says, "works equally well for morning oatmeal and for dinner parties." The trestle table was a wedding gift from her husband's siblings and was built to Narusawa's exact specifications: it's 8 feet long and 30 inches wide, which, she says, are the "magic numbers if you want a design that has room for people and tableware, but still allows for intimate conversations." See more of the kitchen an tour the whole house in the Remodelista book. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.
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Above: A mirrored ball and Cararra marble backsplash (that runs the full length of the wall) add hints of luxury and glamour to Scandinavian stylist and writer Emma Persson Lagerberg's informal eat-in kitchen. Learn how to recreate the look in A Mint Green Kitchen by a Scandinavian Stylist.
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Above: In a bright Sonoma, California, kitchen with a polished concrete floor, a farmhouse dining table is mixed with midcentury-inspired bentwood chairs. The house is a recent construction and its basic plan is available for $2,500; see Sonoma Farmhouse by Houseplans to learn more.
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Above: The dining table in the eat-in kitchen of the Heerlijheid van Marrem guesthouse in West Flander, Belgium, is well placed to take in views of the surrounding orchards and fields. The guesthouse accommodates 20-23 people, and is perfect for family gatherings. See Glamorous Farm for Rent, Belgian Edition for a full tour.
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Above: The ultimage eat-in kitchen is large enough to fit a sofa—as seen in this New England kitchen by Sage Design. Photograph via Sage Design.
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Above: An early sixties vibe pervades the eat-in kitchen of this renovation by Bfs Design of a 1957 house in Berlin built for the International Building Exhibition. To recreate the look, see Muted Color in a Mod German Kitchen. )
Above: A wooden table and high-back chairs lend an air of formality to a rustic kitchen with tin ceilings and a galvanized metal backsplash. Image from Homelife via Mad About the House.
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Above: A modern crisp white kitchen inserted into the rear parlor of a 19th century townhouse. Photograph via Home Shopping Spy.
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Above: Actress Julianne Moore's newly finished eat-in kitchen in New York occupies the former back parlor of her historic townhouse. And with its freestanding, furniture-like cabinetry and large-scale art, the design gracefully straddles the line between kitchen and living room. It's the work of Oliver Freundlich, who happens to have designed another standout New York kitchen we're spotlighting later today: watch for Rehab Diary. For a full tour and dissection of Julianne Moore's kitchen, see the Remodelista book and our post Behind the Scenes: 5 Design Lessons from Julianne Moore. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.
Rizzoli’s newly released The Inspired Home: Nests of Creatives by Kim Ficaro and Todd Nickey is one of our favorite interiors books of late (the Remodelista book notwithstanding). It's a refreshing look at a variety of approaches to living, rather than the depiction of a particular style. The book presents 17 houses belonging to creative people whose quarters telegraph personal and inspired approaches to living.
Ficaro, a prop and interiors stylist, and Nickey, an interior designer and co-owner of Nickey Kehoe, one of our favorite design shops in LA, are in the business of helping create spaces for others. For this book, however, they stepped back and used their curatorial vision to document the work of others. They discovered an array of creative types, from designers and tastemakers to writers and musicians, whose passions and sensibilities are reflected in their surroundings. And since the book is devoted to presenting nests, the duo use avian references to categorize their subjects: fashion designer Rogan Gregory, for instance, is a Sandpiper, while architect Vincent Van Duysen is the book's Mourning Dove.
Ficaro and Nickey note that while their daily work is about lending their taste and style to projects, The Inspired Home gave them "the opportunity to look through a different lens: it let us appreciate the beauty and composition of what's in front of us without our input.” Mission well accomplished.
Above: Interiors and lifestyle photographer Ditte Isager shot all 17 of the houses featured in the book, including her and her partner Christian Vang's own country house on the outskirts of Copenhagen. It's one of our favorites in the book; here's a preview, starting with the open living and kitchen space.
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Above: A view of the garden from a cot used as a bench.
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Above: Tiles in shades of gray form a patchwork backsplash for the bathroom sink with brass taps.
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Above: A wall of the living space is devoted to art and records. The rustic table and bench are made by the couple's friend Andrea Brugi.
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Above: A serene, large-format photograph by Isager and a chandelier hang above the bed.
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Above: A claw-foot bathtub sits at the end of the bed. Next to is the loo, the only room with a door in the open living space.
Above: The Inspired Home: Nests of Creatives by Kim Ficaro and Todd Nickey, with texts by Mayer Rus and Sarah Sophie Flicker, is available from Amazon for $38.41.
To see our posts on other worthy design books, go to Required Reading. And if you don't yet have a copy of Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home, buy it here. Getting ready to return to the garden? Have a look at Gardenista's Favorite Titles and don't miss Michelle's Domestic Dispatch: My Worst Design Decision Ever (hint: it involves getting rid of books).
As you might have noticed, we're having something of a coffee moment at Gardenista. So when we kept on seeing beautifully framed shots of cappuccinos and cortados pop up on the Instagram feed of one of our favorite New York City photographers, we had to get in touch.
Alice Gao, whose work you can see in Of What Use is the Tuileries to Us? shares photos featuring her discerning taste in coffee with her 709,758 Instagram followers daily. A photographer by trade, she's also a coffee aficionado in practice. We wanted to know: what does she look for in the perfect cup of coffee, and what are her tips for brewing a cup that lives up to her high standards?
Above: The view from above; a morning scene in Alice's Manhattan apartment.
GD: What's your current favorite spot for drinking coffee when out and about in New York? AG: It's hard to say because it's constantly changing. For quality of coffee, I still really enjoy Blue Bottle. The one in Chelsea has a siphon bar on the upper level, which is my favorite place to linger over a cup of excellently made drip coffee (the Belgian waffles are a bonus). For atmosphere and café design, I love Cafe OST in the East Village. Marble tabletops, Thonets, and beautiful afternoon light. Sigh. I also have a soft spot for Abraço, on East 7th Street, because it was my neighborhood shop for so long.
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Above: A cup of pour over, made at home.
GD: When looking for the perfect cup of coffee, what are your criteria? AG: Well, for one, the place needs to be able to consistently pump out a good cup of coffee, no matter who is behind the bar. One thing I hate is only being able to go somewhere when "that one good barista" is working. Because I am so precise at home with measuring beans and water, I look to see how the café is doing pour overs. Are they just ballparking it, or using a scale, timer, and temperature-controlled water? As for espresso drinks, it's all about taste and texture for me. I can't stand over-extracted bitter espresso, and don't even get me started on heaps of dry foam in my cappuccino. There should be a nice velvety feel to my cappuccino and a good balance of milk and espresso.
GD: Do you order the same thing every time, or do you change it up? AG: I do change it up depending on my mood. In the summer, I like iced cortados. Otherwise, I usually order cappuccinos or drip coffee.
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GD: What are your essential coffee making tools at home coffee? AG:
Burr grinder; the Rancilo Rocky Coffee Grinder (Middle) is $345 from Seattle Coffee Gear.
GD: Any beans preference? AG: I personally prefer beans of Ethiopian origin—Yirgacheffe is one of my go-to regions. (A 1-pound bag of Blue Bottle Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gelena Abaya Natural is $24.) When I can find them, Ethiopia Nekisse and Panama Gesha beans are a real treat, but they're rare (and quite expensive). I trust Blue Bottle and Stumptown the most when it comes to a proper roast. I can always find single-origin beans that were roasted just a few days ago when I go to their locations in the city. I always, always check the roast date. If you want to get truly geeky about it, I especially like Blue Bottle's small lot roasts of Ninety Plus beans, which are really special. But, I definitely encourage trying out all sorts of regions and roasters to find your preference.
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GD: Coffee pet peeves? AG:
Freezing beans. It's a misconception that this extends the life of beans.
When people take so long to photograph or Instagram their cappuccino that the entire top bubbles over and really, the drink "dies."
Pre-ground beans. Just no.
Inconsistency at cafés (as mentioned above).
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What do you think? How does Alice's routine compare to your daily cup of joe?
The slow coffee movement is all about the handmade: roast by hand, drip by hand, syphon by hand. So why not ditch the factory made for handmade when it comes to coffee makers? Here, for the pour over enthusiast, are 10 artist-made coffee drippers to complete the artful morning ritual.
Above: The Masanobu Ando Coffee Dripper is made in Japan with a precisely angled design for optimal extraction; $120 CAD at Mjölk.
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Above: Brooklyn ceramic artist Paula Grief makes a porcelain 2-cup coffee dripper with a blue striped design; contact Paula Grief to custom order one of her designs. See our visit to her handmade kitchen Paula Grief in Brooklyn.
Above: Made from white stoneware, the Ceramic Coffee Dripper and Carafe by Merkleware is available through Iko Iko; contact directly for pricing and availability.
Above: Manchester, UK-based Joseph Hartley's coffee system consists of a thrown jug and funnel; his Terracotta Coffee Dripper, compatible with Hario v60 filter papers, is £80 from Fao Shop.
Above: Made in Bushwick, Jennica Johnstone's Ceramic Coffee Dripper is $35 from Beckon and comes with a glass mug and coffee filters to get you started.
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Above: A faceted coffee dripper from Tenstone in Japan.
Above: From Silverlake, LA-based ceramicist Ben Mendansky, the Coffee Dripper includes a satin white glazed dripper and a brass stand. Available from The Primary Essentials in Brooklyn; contact for pricing and availability.
Above: From Craighton Berman Studio in Chicago, a Kickstarter project: the sculptural Manual Coffeemaker is made of borosilicate glass with a wooden base, and doubles as sculpture.
Above: With its speckled granite counters, maple cabinets, and Sheetrock-enclosed fridge, the kitchen had a 1990s upscale condo look. Oliver Freundlich's verdict: "cluttered and off balance." As he explains, "Despite being in the same physical space, the kitchen and dining area were articulated as separate. Empty soffits at the ceiling created a division between the spaces and the kitchen island had a knee wall framed behind it with a higher counter to block the view of the countertop surface from the dining table. This, along with the variety of warm-tone materials that were used, made the kitchen gloomy and generic."
After
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Above: Freundlich entirely reconceived the design, reorienting the kitchen away from the corner, lighting up the space via white cabinets and pale wood, and detailing it with a tight, visually pleasing geometry. "The first priority was to make the room feel much brighter," says Freundlich. "Since the ground floor of the apartment is built over a slab, we were relegated to using the back wall of the kitchen for all of the major appliances and fixtures." The island and cabinets are custom built of spray lacquered MDF (which also serves as camouflaging doors for the dishwasher and fridge positioned at either ends of the sink counter). "We chose white lacquer because it keeps the kitchen looking and feeling brand new," says Mollie. The island measures 32 inches by 72 inches and is fronted by shallow storage cabinets that have touch latch openings so they look invisible.
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Above: The kitchen and dining area are now united in a compact but airy space in which everything has its place. The new floor is plain-sawn white oak, lightened with wood bleach and finished with Monocoat's Natural Oil Finish in Cotton White. Freundlich introduced baseboards of rift-sawn white oak that have the same gold tones as the island's butcher block top. The existing window and door (which leads to a small garden) were turned into dominant features; Freundlich had them trimmed and painted black; like all the windows in the apartment, this one is finished with a solid oak sill. The clock is the Fartech Retro Modern Calendar Auto Filp Desk Wall Clock, available in three sizes starting at $128 from Homeloo.com on eBay.
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Above: Taking his cues from the couple's fondness for flags, Freundlich stuck to a palette of white, black, and red throught the apartment, kitchen included. The dining table (bought by the couple several years ago at the Future Perfect) was repainted black and is surrounded by the 111 Navy Chair in Snow White, $280 each from Emeco. (The chair is so named because each is made from 111 recycled plastic Coke bottles.) The lights are reproductions of the Dunlop factory pendant from Trainspotters in the UK, and come suspended on chains with a choice of cord colors. The plates are Falcon Enamelware, a Remodelista favorite.
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Above: The inside of the island is fitted with two stacking pull-out freezer drawers from Sub Zero. Tucking the freezer into the island enabled Freundlich to install a 27-inch-wide, two-drawer Sub Zero refrigerator in the narrow space next to the range. "Our only kitchen request were drawers—freezer drawers, fridge drawers, dishwasher drawers, and storage drawers," says Mollie. "We prefer drawers because things get lost in the back of cabinets. We left the planning to Oliver. He actually itemized what goes into each drawer, and we haven't deviated from his plan."
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Above: The fridge is playfully concealed behind a bulletin board made of Forbo Marmoleum Furniture Bulletin Board 2182 in light gray to match the backsplash tile grout. Andrew is the one who created the parade of tomato sauce cans on top of the fridge: "He always points out how much he likes the design when we're at the market. Now we have a little collection," says Mollie. "It's the cheapest way to spice up the kitchen."
The couple are new cooks—they swear by the recipes and ingredients delivered by Blue Apron—and like storing spices over the stove, even if the containers get a bit greasy. The stainless steel shelves were custom fabricated to continue the line of the upper cabinetry. The milk glass backsplash tiles are Freundlich's homage to Pierre Chareau's 1932 Maison de Verre in Paris. "The tile is unique because it has imperfect edges and a slightly rustic quality that offsets the otherwise pristine white kitchen," he says. It's finished with a contrasting gray industrial grout—"to match the Pierre Chareau inspiration." (Scroll below for the tile source.)
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Above: No dog bowls to trip over—Freundlich thoughtfully inserted a niche at the end of the island and painted it Christian Louboutin red, a nod to Mollie's "shoe thing" (to replicate the shade, Freundlich suggests color matching a pair, or photo, of Louboutin pumps). For those interested in more of the kitchen's specs, we've gone deep into the design details below.
Materials
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PAINT: The kitchen walls and cabinets are painted Benjamin Moore Glacier White OC-37 (Above L).
CABINETS: The island and cabinets are made of MR (moisture-resistant) MDF that's spray lacquered. Of his choice, Freundlich explains, "MR board is totally flat and smooth, which makes for excellent spray finishing. Moisture resistance is important for avoiding damage when moisture from spills and splashes accidentally sits on the surface. Additionally, slightly rounding the edges of each door, instead of using sharp square edges, prevents damage and chipping." A downside is that the finish is not as forgiving to touchups as a brushed finishes are; repairs to chips and scratches often require refinishing the whole door for an even look.
COUNTERTOP: The sink counter is indestructible Corian in Glacier White that's 3/4-inch thick: "1 1/4-inch thick is standard; I went with 3/4-inch because it's thin and light and complements the scale of the kitchen," says Freundlich.
BUTCHER BLOCK: The island's rock maple butcher block top was custom made by Matt Hogan of Reliquary Studio in Brooklyn (who also built the cabinets). Freundlich recommends products from John Boos, such as Hard Rock Maple Kitchen Counter Top, as a good readymade option.
Appliances and Hardware
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SINK AND FAUCET: A Franke KBX11028 stainless steel undermount sink, $821 from Faucet Direct, is paired with a KWC Suprimo faucet with black rubber pull-out spray (Above L), $763-$833 from eFaucets. Freundlich notes that there's a minimum of 18 inches of clear counter space on either side of every fixture: "Less than that is impractical."
STOVE: The 30-inch Wolf gas range and companion hood are the only elements from the original kitchen that were preserved.
REFRIGERATOR: The Sub Zero 700 TR is an an unusually narrow (27-inch-wide) fridge-only model with two drawers; it's been discontinued, but is available from AJ Madison.
FREEZER: Sub Zero 700 BF(I) Freezer Drawers are a compact design that consists of two stacking drawers; like the fridge, this model has been discontinued, but is available from AJ Madison.
DISHWASHER: Fisher & Paykel's Dish Drawer Tall Series is situated next to the sink and concealed behind moisture-resistant MDF panels that match the cabinets. "Mollie and Andrew wanted drawers," says Freundlich,"and compositionally, they work well with the lower cabinet drawers."
CABINET AND DRAWER HANDLES: Sagatsune FT Classic Style Small Pulls (Above R) are simple classics, available from a wide range of sources, including Lowe's for $23.80 each. They're combined with a slightly larger version of the pull on the appliances.
LIGHT SWITCHES: Lutron'sAriadni/Toggle Dimmer in white metal with exposed screws—"elsewhere, we also used them in black; they keep our palette consistent and pepper the space with utilitarian touches," says Freundlich.
