Three Tips from New Kitchen Ideas That Work

I'm excited to share that my first book, New Kitchen Ideas That Work, is ready to ship on Amazon.com!  Here are three tips from its 224 tip-heavy, full-color pages.

TIP #1 INTEGRATE YOUR ELECTRONICS

Got a new iPhone 5 or Kindle Fire recently? Integrate it into your kitchen design. We all spend more and more time with our hot, new portable gadgets. Explore ways of integrating these new “appliances,” as well as your WiFi, television and desktop computer into your kitchen. 

Hide your iPhone safely away when it's not in use
(Photo Courtesy:  S-Box)

There's a whole spread in the Appliances chapter on integrating your electronics into the kitchen!  

TIP #2  GO HANDS-FREE AT THE SINK

Reduce the spread of cold and flu germs with hands-free kitchen faucets. These public restroom staples have been redesigned for stylish, practical kitchen use. Not only do the new hands-free kitchen faucets reduce the spread of cold and flu germs, they also reduce the risk of food contamination and water bills. The newest models come in popular finishes with convenient features like pull-out functionality and multiple spray settings. 

A hands-free faucet brings convenience, water savings and germ spread reduction to  your kitchen
(Photo Courtesy:  Moen)

There's a whole New Vision spread on the New Sensor Faucets in the Sinks & Faucets chapter!

TIP #3 CREATE A FAMILY LANDING ZONE

Create a family landing zone for reduced clutter in this busy indoor season. The dark days of winter are when families spend the most time inside, and are likeliest to get a bit stir crazy from the clutter of everyone’s needs. A family landing zone can ease the stress and keep your kitchen organized year round.

Even a small cabinet with drawers and bag space for each household member can become a family landing zone
(Photo Courtesy:  Grandin Road)

There's a beautiful case study featuring a full-scale family landing zone in the Layouts chapter, and this very same Grandin Road Springfield cabinet in a Working with What You Have section in the Finishing Touches chapter.

SENSIBLE STYLE – TIPS INSPIRED BY WRITING MY FIRST BOOK

My first book, New Kitchen Ideas That Work, (Taunton Press, 2012) is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com and will hit store shelves the first week of December. (You know all of those kitchen books at the front of your neighborhood Home Depot and Lowe’s store? Mine will be among them!) 

New Kitchen Ideas That Work - Look for it at a Home Depot or Lowe's near you
(Photo:  Taunton Press)

Here are some Sensible Style tips that you can find handsomely illustrated and explained in this full-sized, full-color volume. 

Layout enhancements 

It’s much more affordable to improve an existing layout than it is to change it entirely. Moving vents, electrical and plumbing often require permits, demolition and skilled trades persons. You can increase your storage potential, improve your appliance performance and update your style, all while keeping everything in its current place.     

• Increase your storage potential with cabinet accessories and backsplash organizers.
• Update your style with new hardware, refacing, paint and lights, all while keeping everything in its current place. 

A backsplash organizer adds storage without remodeling
(Photo: IKEA)

Fixture enhancements 

Do you have a builder grade kitchen sink and faucet? These are fairly easy to upgrade, unless your sink is under-mounted in stone tops. As so many older homes still have laminate counters, there’s a good chance you have those, too, and can easily upgrade your fixtures. 

• Improve your prep and clean-up efficiency with a modular, accessory-equipped sink. 
• Add convenience and reduce germ spread with a hands-free, sensor faucet. Multiple spray functions improve its usability, too. 

Enhance your clean-up zone with a hands-free faucet
(Photo: Moen)

Appliance enhancements 

Everyone wants performance appliances, but you probably don’t have the space for a 48 inch pro range. The good news is, you don’t need one to get better cooking capability. 

• Add another oven to your kitchen with a microwave that does more than reheat and defrost; it brings convection, warming and speed cook features to your home.
• Replace an inefficient radiant cooktop with an induction model. It will give you professional class performance with amazingly easy clean up and improved safety. 

Improve cooking performance with an induction cooktop
(Photo:  Bosch)

More enhancements 

New Kitchen Ideas That Work covers the entire kitchen, from ceiling light fixtures to flooring options. Here are some additional Sensible Style tips to consider for your home.

• Replace outdated incandescent track lights with LED-equipped versions for better style and energy savings. 
• Replace a worn, stained rug with an outdoor-rated version that will freshen the kitchen’s style and be a breeze to clean. 

Add style and low maintenance with an outdoor-friendly rug
(Photo:  Ballard Designs)

I'm proud to share that my first book has 224 pages of Sensible Style-inspired tips, 370 photos and 14 case studies of real kitchen projects around the country to educate and inspire you.

Four Favorite Sensible Style Kitchen Solutions

Thanks for stopping by during my month-long Gold Notes' Fourth Anniversary celebration.  This is Kitchen Week.  


I believe that kitchens should be practical as well as pretty. They should make sense for how you and your household functions, not how someone on television or in a magazine does. They should fit into your home like they were “born” there if, in fact, you’re remodeling the one that was. I also believe they should fit the value of your home and neighborhood standards, so you don’t put a $100,000 kitchen into a $200,000 condo. These are my Sensible Style design principles and the solutions I recommend to my clients and readers generally come from that philosophy. 


As a professional kitchen and bath designer these past eight years – and a blogger for four – I’ve come across a myriad solutions I think are great for a wide range of kitchens. Here are my four favorite Sensible Style solutions: 


Engineered Stone Countertops 


This is my favorite widely-available material for kitchen countertops.  (Porcelain slab is my latest, but it's not yet widely available in the US yet.  Look for that to change in the next couple of years.)  Engineered stone, aka quartz and sold under brand names like Zodiaq, Cambria, Silestone, et al, is durable, low maintenance, warrantied, versatile and attractive. You can go contemporary with solid styles that look like concrete, or traditional with recently-improved styles that look like marble and granite. Its main limitation is that it can’t go outside if you’re also creating an outdoor kitchen. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning. 

Engineered stone goes contemporary
(Photo: Silestone)

Rectified Porcelain Tile 


Like engineered stone counters, porcelain tile is durable, versatile and low maintenance. The rectified versions have minimal grout lines, reducing maintenance even further. This makes them practical for both flooring and backsplashes. They can also go traditional or contemporary, depending on the style you choose. The only disadvantage is their hardness underfoot, which can create foot, back, hip and leg strain, as well as fatigue. A cushioned task mat can alleviate that issue. 

Porcelain tile looks and wears wonderfully in hard-working  kitchens
(Photo:  Ceramics of Italy)

Hands-free Faucets 


Kitchen faucets work harder than any other in your home, and are likeliest to spread the most germs. Having a model that’s hands-free means fewer winter colds and less chicken grease to clean up. They’re available in traditional, transitional and contemporary styles. Choose the one that works best for your home and budget. 

A hands-free faucet adds style and convenience
(Photo:  Moen)

Induction 

I love induction cooking. Not only is it faster than even pro gas, it’s safer to use and more energy efficient. Chefs across Europe have been using induction for years. I’m very glad it’s catching on here. My very first blog post [], way back in July 2008, was on induction. Since then, there has been an increasing array of offerings in this category, from economical freestanding ranges to the new state-of-the art Thermador Freedom Induction Cooktop.

Induction is the smartest cooking technology on the market today
(Photo:  Thermador)

Preview Post: Jason Wu for Brizo

I pushed back the post I was going to run today in favor of this one. This post lets me show off one of my very few ties to the high fashion world. (OK, I have just two ties, which doesn’t technically add up to a few, unless you count my Project Runway TV habit.)

Anyway… At the very beginning of 2010, I was invited to attend a Fashion Week design blogger event hosted by Brizo. If you’re not familiar with that brand, they are Lexus to Delta Faucet’s Toyota. Their focus isn’t just well-engineered kitchen and bath taps and accessories, it’s well-engineered, high fashion taps and accessories. Hence, their invitation to Fashion Week, where the rag biz celebrates its superstars and rising stars*.

Jason Wu Runway Show at Fall 2011 Fashion Week

Brizo is a corporate sponsor of Jason Wu, one of the most successful young fashion designers in the world right now. Even if you don’t follow high fashion – and I admittedly don’t, for the most part – you might recall that he designed Michelle Obama’s 2008 Inaugural Gown. Our group of bloggers-in-attendance attended Wu’s Fashion Week show and met him at a cocktail party organized for our benefit afterward.

Jason Wu

We were allowed to take a group photo with Wu and pepper him gently with questions. I asked if he would consider designing a faucet line for Brizo, seeing that as an inevitable outcome of their synergistic tie. He demurred. The Brizo and PR agency guys demurred. Having been trained in one of the best J schools in the country, I followed up with a related question on the same topic. They demurred again. I knew the Blogger 19 wasn’t going to get an exclusive that night. No biggie. I wasn’t there as Lois Lane, but as blogger junket Jamie.

The announcement I anticipated in February 2010 came more than a year later. In April of this year, a new Jason Wu Collection for Brizo was announced. (Duh.) This morning,Brizo’s PR firm led a collection preview webinar for us B19ers. I wasn’t able to attend it “live,” but have it on my PC now.

The collection is just what I would have expected from these folks. It’s functional and fun, pretty and practical, whimsical and worldly, crisp and candied at the same time. OK, I’ll stop with the alliterative adjectives now. I like it!

Odin Faucet with hands-free technology and WaterSense




Making your towels look better!

Tux-worthy soap dish

One of my favorite pieces - a wastebasket evocative of a Wu skirt design

Pumping up the style

Shelving the ordinary

Makes even TP look good!

You’ll notice that there are no tub or shower faucets in this collection, which I've excerpted here. This is being billed as a Powder Room suite. If my prescience allows me yet another prediction, I anticipate that success with this line will usher in a Wu for Brizo Master Bath suite in Fall 2012 or Spring 2013!

Wu for Brizo collection pre-orders are available between now and February for the first one thousand faucet fashionistas. I’m tapped out – bad pun intended – when it comes to bathrooms at Chez J, or I’d probably sign up myself if just to get the cool Wu original signed and numbered lithograph and key chain!


*My second tie to the high fashion world is 2011 Rising Star award winner, Loris Diran, a close friend from our NYU days. I attended his Fashion Week show the week I was in New York for Brizo. I don’t know if Loris will ever design faucets, but he makes hot-hot-hot clothes for men and women!



PS: Today's post was going to be my fourth Food for Thought musing. It'll publish next Tuesday. Hope you'll stop back!

TOP BATH PRODUCTS FROM KBIS 2008

Every year, the leading companies in the kitchen and bath industry gather for the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show, the largest gathering of manufacturers, dealers and designers in North America. This year, the National Kitchen & Bath Association, which produces KBIS, decided to feature official bloggers to cover the show as it occurred. I was one of those bloggers. My beat was "luxury products," and I reported the show as it happened on Glam.com.

I’m looking beyond the luxury market for my own blog to products that could benefit any of our homes. Last week, I brought you the best of KBIS kitchens. Here's the scoop on KBIS bath products.


TOUCH-FREE FAUCETS

When I covered the International Builders Show in 2007, I spotted the same types of touch-free sensor faucets that one often uses in public restrooms showing up there for the residential market. They make great sense for home use, both from the avoidance of germ spread and for their potential water savings. They’re also great for those with arthritis, Parkinsons and other ailments that impact hand flexibility.

The problem was, the styles shown at IBS looked like they belonged in public restrooms, not in someone’s home. That deficit was clearly overcome at KBIS this year, and fashionable sensor faucets showed up in almost every plumbing booth. Shown here: Axor Starck X Electronic Faucet with Temp Control from Hansgrohe.

DUAL FLUSH TOILETS

Again, these are not new introductions this year, but very much in keeping with one of the dominant trends of KBIS 2008: environmentally-friendly products. If you’re not familiar with the dual flush concept, here’s a brief explanation: Standard flushing uses a lower water ration than our current standard, and is suitable for liquid/paper flushes. The alternate flushing mode uses a higher water allotment, comparable to our current standard, for bulk needs. Dual flush toilets may become code mandated in future years as fresh water supplies dwindle further and droughts threaten even more areas. The good news is, you don’t need to sacrifice style while saving water. More manufacturers are introducing dual flush models into their designer suites. Shown here: Kohler’s Saile Dual Flush Toilet.

NATIVE TRAILS BASINS

I love the hammered metal looks of the Native Trails product line. They evoke both contemporary and classic elegance and come in copper or silver finishes. I can definitely see myself incorporating one of their lavs in upcoming client projects. (They also make a line of tubs, bar and kitchen sinks.) Shown here: Tatra Basin in Antique Finish.

KOHLER BELAY

One of my design specialties is Aging-in-Place, which seeks to make spaces more accessible, comfortable and safer for older residents wanting to remain in their own homes. The image that comes to mind when you mention Aging-in-Place or Universal Design is a nursing home with white plastic grab bars. Not for my clients! I go more for Resort Spa than Rehab Hospital, and Kohler’s new integrated Belay grab rail system fits right into that plan. The front can be tiled to match the rest of the shower, tub or toilet area. The top edge is made to match the most popular Kohler finishes. It’s the grab bar system for clients who don’t like the look of grab bars. Shown here: Kohler 30” Belay with Brushed Silver edge.

HANSA COLOURSHOWER

If bath time in your family is a daily struggle, maybe adding some color to the experience will speed things along. The Hansa Colourshower lets your kids–or your spouse!–choose their favorite colors to shower with, as well as choose from variable pressure settings. The handheld body sprayer is super-convenient, as is the soap dispenser. You might want one of these for the kids’ bath and your own.

CAESARSTONE CONCETTO QUARTZ COUNTERTOPS

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I’m a quartz countertops enthusiast. One of my favorite versions of the product literally stopped me in my tracks at KBIS 2008. It’s a jeweled version from Caesarstone, one of the leading manufacturers of engineered stone tops and the only one I know of that offers a limited lifetime warranty on its countertop material. Called Concetto, this gorgeous stone would enhance any master bath or powder room. Best of all: while giving a high-powered impression, it's a low-maintenance beauty. Take a look for yourself! Shown Here: Blue Agate.

BAMBOO BASINS

I love the natural beauty of bamboo, and enjoyed seeing it in lavatories at KBIS 2008, rather than in its more common flooring application. Pair it with a soapstone, concrete or honed granite countertop for a knock-out powder room! Shown here: Solid Bamboo Vessel Sink from Totally Bamboo.

GRAFF LUNA FAUCETS

Tying into KBIS 2008's other major trend - modern style - is Graff's Luna faucet series. I featured it in the Bathing Beauties' Style File this summer, include it in my Amazon Gold list (so you can buy it easily for your own home!), and mention it here again. I can definitely see a Luna lav faucet in a show-stopping powder room. Can't you?

BATHROOM BONUS!

You probably don't think about washers and dryers when the word 'bathroom' is mentioned. Imagine for a moment, though, how incredibly convenient it would be to have a washer and dryer located where the pool towels pile up, or where the kids' hamper sits, or where your own clothes hang for convenient laundry day handling. Asko's new washer/dryer set can be installed virtually anywhere you have a water hook-up and power, as it doesn't need to be vented and has "shock absorbers" built in for second-floor placement. If you're planning a bathroom remodel, you might want to consider whether a second washer/dryer in your home would save your back and legs from lugging laundry baskets around the house. Many of the new home projects I've been involved with in the past couple of years have second/upstairs laundry rooms. This panel-ready set allows you to have that convenience, cleverly camouflaged in your bathroom or walk-in closet. (There are some nifty add-ons -- like a built-in ironing board -- available, too in its HiddenHelpers line.) If you're concerned that adding a second washer/dryer pair will hike your utility bills too high, Asko is known for its water and energy efficiency. Given that fact, and its more convenient location closer to the laundry source, you might find yourself using these more than your older set and actually lowering your costs! (Hmm, what alternate uses might that laundry room serve...)

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you're interested in more information about any of these products not furnished here or on the company's web sites, please let me know. I may be able to get your questions answered through my manufacturers' contacts.

Also, if you live in the Tampa, Florida area, feel free to contact me to run some local comparison pricing for you. I do long-distance consulting on fixture planning, too, but not price comparisons out of area. Feel free to contact me at (813) 810-0467 or jamie@jgkitchens.com.