Suzanne's Modern Kitchen

Hi Christine,

I am currently working on a kitchen redo and need some design help. Kitchen Details:
We have ordered cherry cabinets in a honey color (the style of the doors are Manhattan, flat front).
Our appliances are black.
The countertop I have chosen is a laminate slate color (this is not ordered yet, so can be changed).
We are thinking of going with cork flooring but are not sure what color or pattern.
We are replacing the railing around the stairs going into our basement (I am thinking a metal frame and glass panels (is this a good idea?).
We are installing 4 – 4 inch spotlights and are planning on putting 2 pendant lights over the island.

I need advice on colors, backsplash, flooring, railing ideas, window treatments, etc. I am trying to go for a modern look, using earth tones and metals. Can you give me any advice? Should I paint the kitchen, dining room, living room, back entrance and hallway the same color? Oh yeah, we are on a fairly tight budget.

Thanks!
Suzanne

Dear Suzanne,
They key to a beautiful modern look is oftentimes restraint. Keep your selections simple, not busy. For example the backsplash above is large glass tiles. You can get these in a number of different color tones. I also like using a juxtaposition of cool and warm tones, keeping the entire pallet pretty neutral.

Cork seems too busy to me for a flooring selection. I would go with linoleum. That is not the same as vinyl. The photo above is marmoleum, a brand of linoleum. Linoleum is made of linseed oil. It has a very natural feel to it, similar to cork in that way, but less movement in the patterns. You can get it in sheets or squares. It is also a very green, earth friendly flooring- and not too expensive :).

For your banister/railings, use metal combined with wood. I like the interest in the design above- adding a cherry wood rail to the top would be fabulous. Your idea would also work well- but I would add wood- all metal is a pretty stark feel.

For your window treatments- keep it simple again. Go with a solar shade. They are available from Hunter Douglas and all of your major brands. Again- you can get them in a number of different colors from brown to gray to white and everything in between.

Don't get all colorful in your paint selections, but feel free to use more than one color. Frequently one side of the home gets more light than another, and using lighter shades combined with darker can add dimension to your architecture.

Add some great contemporary art to be your focal points- keeping your rooms streamlined and beautiful.

The Shore House Part II

Today's post is a continuation of this post. I wanted to address this fireplace/TV stand. This home has such beautiful architecture - except for this area. With all of the many windows, you can see how the architect was limited on options as far as where the fireplace would go. And because of the staircase, the size of it is limited. However - times have changed since this was built - and today we can have very thin fireplaces and very thin TV's- which is exactly what this room needs. My plan is to remove the fireplace altogether, and add a slim gel fireplace, so that we can increase the width of this unit. It is so narrow that it is awkward, especially because of the TV box above it and its great height.

So - take the whole thing out - then make it only protrude from the wall a small amount, so that it can be closer to the staircase. Of course - we would need a flat screen over it - and then resurface the entire fireplace with reclaimed washed wood, like what we see on the walls in the room below. There you go! This may be cost-prohibitive, but would be, in my ever-so-humble opinion, the perfect solution for this wall. Keep it centered - keep it symmetrical.

SIDENOTE: OK- I am hating this blogger program- I cannot seem to move my photos around at all!!! Anyone have any ideas for me?

Green Design

For St. Patty's Day, I thought I would address "green" interiors. A big trend in interior design is to go "green." True green design would use domestically grown wood, where the logging follows the sustainability guidelines, and where possible the manufacturing waste products are reused or recycled.

Personally, I think that "green" furnishing should be a very high quality. Lower quality furniture that falls apart, is the opposite of the "green" concept. Environment Furniture makes "organic" furniture. They focus on sustainable materials- while still maintaining great style.

I also like the idea of antiques and re-using everything from old furniture to re-claimed wood and architectural elements from torn down houses and barns.

The pillows at the top of the post are filled with fiber made from re-cycled plastic bottles.

I like the idea of high chairs that turn to toddler chairs, and cribs that turn to beds- I feel like this is green design. Stokke is really good at this. (of course, if you have four kids like me- it really isn't necessary- when one kid is out of the crib- there's another one ready for it!)

With every design magazine having articles and layouts on green homes, and so many lectures from the interior design community for me to learn from, why aren't my client's more interested in being green? I rarely have a client concerned about the "footprint" of his/ her purchases. Has it just not "tricked down" to the average person? Do I not live in a "green" area? Are people not aware of what's out there? Do they not want to pay more money? What do you think readers? Are you concerned about being green? Do you care what your pillows are stuffed with?

My Green Pick for the Day

Going Green is a huge trend in Interior Design. I love to see it done in such a way that it inspires creativity, like the "Miss Rio" Ottoman does.

This Ottoman is called the "Miss Rio" and is made from the soft rubber of recycled flip flops. The raw material is used without further manufacturing, in its natural "flip flop" state. Miss Rio is also manufactured by otherwise unemployed craftsman in the local community in Brazil. I also think it is such a great design. Not only is it a conversation piece in your home, it is fun, colorful, and unique, and makes you feel less guilty for throwing out perfectly good flip flops, because you wanted a new color for the new season :)

Available from DWR. Designer: Karin Wittmann Wilsmann

Earth Day

I think it is important for each of us to do our part to protect and preserve the earth for the future generations that will inherit it.

I am always impressed when a manufacturer takes special effort to be "earth friendly."

One of my favorites? Mathews and Company. Their copper tables are made of a blended mix of soda bottles. Their wood furniture is made of vintage wood, over twenty years old. Their pottery can be returned to the earth, as it is made of three different types of soil.

What else? They are fantastic from a design standpoint- unique, bold, and easy to customize.