Kitchen Cabinet Guide » Kitchen Design News

Joss and Main – Scandinavian Rug Sale

The Kitchen Designer — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:34:24 +0000

We are excited to announce the sale of our rugs fir the first time on Joss and Main – a special sale for the next 72 hours. The rugs that we have curated in our web shop, Scandinavian Made, have these characteristics in common:

They are hand woven by an individual artisan

All the rugs, whether vintage or new, are made in Sweden

They are made with wooden looms

They are exclusively runners of different lengths and widths

They reflect the unique artistic aesthetic of the weaver and are an original piece of art

They have been carefully curated by me (Susan) and Kelly Donovan with our eyes focused on interesting design, use of color, pattern, texture and overall beauty

It’s not always easy to visualize just how a rug may look in your home, especially when you are looking quickly through an assortment of patterns and colors. Here are some tips to find the right Swedish rug from our collection:

1. In an otherwise neutral space, a shot of color, any color, will bring the space to life!

2. Think of these Swedish rugs as works of art and add them to [...]

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InSinkErator Instant Tap for New Moms

The Kitchen Designer — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:51:01 +0000

We’ve posted before about our affinity for the InSinkErator instant tap. However, the lovely folks at InSinkErator were kind enough to send over another unit and this devotion was taken to new heights immediately upon installation. To clarify, this is the home of a second time new mom, with a newborn and a toddler under the same roof. For the uninitiated, that means the need for lots and lots of purified water, both cold and hot, meals on the table before you can say “I don’t want pasta tonight, mom!” and most importantly, an abundance of coffee. STAT.

The InSinkErator Indulge Instant Water Dispenser has found so many uses in my home and I’d wholeheartedly consider it a must for new parents. Here are just a few uses I’ve found for it just two months in: First and foremost, instant hot water for my beloved Starbucks Via instant coffee any and every time of day. Easy and fast filtered water to drink endlessly and quench my nursing-induced thirst, and a quick filler-up of sippy cups. Readily available boiling water to warm milk for bottles. Instant boiling water for frequent bowls of oatmeal, and pots of aforementioned pasta water. Fast opening of stuck-on [...]

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Tile Trends – A Brief History Of The Kitchen Backsplash

The Kitchen Designer — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:50:28 +0000

Everywhere I look, I see small rectangular tile used on backsplashes and upper walls in the kitchen. It’s getting a little bit worrisome to me. It’s worrisome because, having been a kitchen designer since the very late 80s, I have perspective. Perspective helps my clients, and I hope it helps you too.

It started (my professional association with tile) with 4×4 ceramic glazed tiles and pretty fruit and vegetable or flower designs, often seen with corner motifs, sort of that Country Floors look. Definitely gorgeous. Funny, I’m seeing it more and more frequently again and it’s still every bit as beautiful. Like Terracotta flooring, it was very popular, then went away. Now it is returning, at least on the periphery, to fashion again.

Then came 4×4 tumbled marble tile or matte, earthy, or light shades with fancy border tile. Tile was laid on the diagonal as a lower border against the countertop with a thin border tile above with square 4x4s above that (not on the diagonal), all over the backsplash on the diagonal with a square border at the countertop level, or maybe just in the cooktop area.

Later, probably near [...]

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Introducing Scandinavian Made – Unique Ceramics & Hand Woven Rugs

The Kitchen Designer — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:14:03 +0000

As you’ve no doubt noticed, we’ve recently added the newest member to our family of brands under the Susan Serra Associates umbrella, Scandinavian Made. You’ve heard us talk at length about Scandinavian design and style, as it’s the foundation of not only our heritage but our professional aesthetic as well. Leveraging this passion, we are now bringing the best of authentic Scandinavian handcraft to your home with a carefully curated selection of one-of-a-kind vintage & newly woven rugs, and handcrafted ceramics direct from a select group of Scandinavian artisans. Each of these artisans has never before presented their work in the US, and we are honored and privileged to be the vehicle for their debut on American soil.

Take a peek inside our shop and you’ll be greeted with intricately textured and colored hand woven rugs, rich with a long history of an ancient Scandinavian craft and storied beginnings.

Vintage Vara Rug

You’ll find delicate, ethereal ceramic work from Bornholm Artisan, Charlotte Thorup, and bold statement pieces Simon Koefoed.

Charlotte Thorup’s Wall Hanging Tile with Folds

Simon Koefoed’s Puzzle Bowl

Dynamic texture, complex relief, [...]

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Electrolux Kitchen Appliances – Design Competition

The Kitchen Designer — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:12:01 +0000

I had the privilege of being among an impressive group of design professionals serving as one of the judges for the Electrolux kitchen design competition, “The Kitchen Reimagined.” We met in New York City in November at the offices of Interior Design magazine.

Coming from different design disciplines, with me being the only kitchen design specialist, we dissected each submission from the global group of competition finalists.

Passionate dialogue, active listening in appreciation of all views of the design professionals in attendance and some open second guessing in search of verifying our instincts brought us closer to a smaller group of finalists. Time spent seeking to understand the points of view of all entrants eventually put the focus on the top 5 winners in the order we deemed appropriate.

The entries to The Kitchen Reimagined competition were, in a word, inspirational – and that is the spirit with which we approached our work. Spirit, imagination and inspiration were celebrated attributes in seeking the best kitchen design submissions. Interior Design Editor in Chief, Cindy Allen, was our fearless leader for the day.

[...]

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La Cornue – Kitchen Le Magnifique

The Kitchen Designer — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:59:19 +0000

I had the pleasure some weeks back of dining in New York City with Xavier Dupuy, president of La Cornue, my colleague and friend, Leslie Clagett from the blog KBCulture and a couple of PR people, always useful to fill in the blanks for a brand. I very much enjoyed this type of intimate setting.

I love up close and personal meetings with manufacturers. It helps me “get” the culture of the company which always trickles down to my understanding the quality of the product and the type of people who actually manufacture the product.

Mr. Dupuy spent a fair amount of time talking about his factory workers – the length of time many of his employees have worked for La Cornue along with past generations of these employees’ families who also worked at the factory. Lots of interesting stories. In times like these, it’s nice to hear that. Mr. Dupuy takes immense pride in those who manufacture his products. This was not a short conversation!

La Cornue is a luxury brand of ranges and rotisseries that are made [...]

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Kohler

The Kitchen Designer — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:56:15 +0000

And here is the last, and I hope you’ll agree, the best post of the series on my trip to Kohler’s headquarters at Kohler, Wisconsin. The trip was a visual feast! It was also an actual feast throughout the weekend since my trip was centered around the Kohler Food and Wine Experience – a weekend event (among many all year ’round) that I highly recommend which takes place in October of each year.

The piece de resistance of Kohler Village, to me, is the Kohler Design Center. A three level building of beautiful products and room vignettes in beautiful settings surrounded by fabulous materials, products, accessories and design elements, I want to share some of this gorgeousness with you. Without further ado…here we go (all images have been enthusiastically taken by me)!

Please see MORE images on my pinterest board, “Kohler’s Design Center”, and follow me!

I was so excited and wanted to take as many shots as I could that I did not stop to take note of each and every fixture, fitting or designer’s name. If you have questions, please ask and I’ll get the information to you!

Below, a stunning interplay of warm [...]

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Kohler Design Center – Kitchen & Bath Plumbing Products, Furniture, Tile

The Kitchen Designer — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:30:00 +0000

The best part of my trip to Kohler’s headquarters in Kohler, Wisconsin a couple of months back at the invitation of Kohler, was to visit the Kohler Design Center (how could I have said that without four “Kohler’s” in the sentence??) A beautiful brick building in which all of Kohlers brands are showcased, it is a place that will take a design aficianado hours and hours to go through. There is something for everyone.

First, there were selections from Kohler’s furniture brands such as Baker and McGuire…

There was a display of stunning Ann Sacks tile and down the road, a tile store with the complete line

But here’s what I REALLY came to see, below….and which did not disappoint. In fact, it made me see, as I learned about Kohler through the factory tour as well as discussions with Kohler designers, the incredible depth of design talent, commitment to design, and breadth of style that Kohler embraces and has embraced for decades.

DID YOU KNOW that for nearly 40 years Kohler has offered [...]

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Kohler Food and Wine Experience & The American Club Resort

The Kitchen Designer — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:28:01 +0000

My weekend at Kohler, Wisconsin, at Kohler’s gracious invitation, included attendance at a tempting array of food and wine related events of my choice. As I said in my previous post, I would go back to the Kohler Food and Wine Experience in a heartbeat. The vibe was fun, stimulating, insightful…and quite tasty. From beginning to end, all of my experiences, every one, were sincerely, and very solidly, positive. But first, a bit about the historic American Club Resort. (this season’s winter image below)

A Forbes Five-Star Resort Hotel and AAA Five Diamond Resort Hotel, the American Club Resort was founded by Walter J. Kohler, Sr., originally to provide rooms for immigrant workers who were employed at Kohler. A Tudor style building and interiors, the wood paneled hallways and public spaces lend an air of history and traditional design that is at once comfortable and inviting. The rooms? The word “divine” comes to mind. The bathrooms? Perfect…or certainly, near perfect if one wants to quibble (not me.) But, the weekend (an annual event in October) centered around food and wine, so here’s a little taste (pun intended-image from the seminar on baking with [...]

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Thermador Freedom Induction Cooktop

The Kitchen Designer — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 01:26:08 +0000

“Heat without boundaries”, the holy grail for cooks, chefs, heater-uppers … Thermador introduces a new cooktop with revolutionary natural mapping technology. What is that and what does it mean?

Imagine the following: you are sauteeing ingredients for Thanksgiving stuffing-let’s say onions, celery, and sausage (I’ll also add apple chuncks in mine) in a large pan. Another spot on the cooktop is needed to cook the fresh cranberry sauce. Don’t forget the turkey stock – the stock pot needs a place too.

At different times of the cooking process each piece of cookware needs to be the center of attention, maybe moved to the front or off to the side to simmer or have more intense heat. The ability to move cookware around a cooktop at will is flexibility and freedom for any kind or type of cook. It’s what you can do with the new Thermador Freedom Induction cooktop

I saw this technology first hand at IMM Cologne, Germany, last year, and thought it would be quite awhile before we saw this technology in the US. This is big news, as this Thermador cooktop is the first cooktop with [...]

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