Light and bright! A new idea for your mixing bowls.

Yep, these are ceramic mixing bowls.  If you don't use your collection and find yourself with them buried in your cabinets or out on a shelf where breakage is inevitable, create this instead.  My client has them hanging as pendants over her prep sink now.

Need a great plant as an interior element? Use orchids.

Orchids are one of the most architectural plants that look fabulous as an interior element.  With a cascade of flowers on each stem and deep green leaves, they are pure in form and light in appearance. Whether you have a traditional home and plant one in blue and white porcelain or a minimalist space and use a low slung matte black planter, orchids will add to your decor.  Even if you opt for only a flowering stem in a vase, the bloom can last for months.  

 
1) Use.  For elegance, I love to place orchids on a stack of books on a coffee table. I prefer that they 'float' in main rooms so they enhance the furnishings from every angle.  For dining rooms, I use them on sideboards and consoles where they are often reflected in mirrors and flanked by wall lighting; I frequently use them to enhance focal points. In a bathroom, they dress up the empty space in tub surrounds and love the humidity. Placed in front of a mirror, they 'double' in size and add drama to your counter. A potted orchid by the bedside is elegant and sensual. Placing an orchid on a kitchen island or peninsula provides a fabulous visual barrier, often between entertaining and dining spaces. On large bookshelves, small orchids nicely soften the linearity. Needless to say, they are wonderful as centerpieces, particularly large or grouped orchids. 

2) Care. Orchids require a special potting mix and not soil; the mix will differ with the type of orchid you select (dendrobium, phalaenopsis, cymbidium, etc...). Roots do not need to be covered fully by the mix and actually love extending out from the pot. An orchid will grow only a few leaves per year, but can bloom multiple times if cared for. Orchids don't like wet feet but love moderate humidity. Generally, they should be watered every 5-8 days, or when the mix is completely dry. Water from the top, allowing the water to flow through the pot. Do not leave soil saturated and never leave standing water at the bottom. When in doubt, it's best not to water. The best light is generally indirect and bright; even a low light orchid needs a period of bright West light and won't thrive in the center of a room. I re-pot my orchids once each year, and only increase the size of the pot - generally one with holes on the sides for best aeration - by one inch. Orchids allowed to acclimate to their pots will do better than those 'swimming' in mix in a too-large pot. With just a bit of attention, your orchid plant will bloom regularly for year-round enjoyment in many spaces in your home.

Trends in Kitchen and Bath Design

It's important to know design and technology trends when remodeling your kitchen and bath. Kitchens can be costly, and it's smart to use the best quality products and maintain current code and technology standards. Aesthetics are as important as function, and understanding what's available will give you a long-term advantage for style, usefulness, and more. Since sustainability in purchasing, using, and ultimately discarding products, is a way of life, knowing what is 'green' and why will help you make the right decisions for your remodel.

The age of remodelers plays a tremendous role in design trends but is 'flattening out' as technology and aesthetics cross generational lines.  For the first time ever, 4 separate generations—Gen Now (ages 15-34), Gen X (ages 35-44), Zoomers (ages 45-65) and Prime Timers (ages 66-plus)—are interacting, influencing and coexisting closely with one another. While each has its own set of needs, together they are reinventing the rules of what a kitchen and bath should be, whether it cater to youthful technology savvy, a passion for entertaining, the quest for wellness or the desire to age comfortably in place.  Sure "Zoomers" are opting for easy of use and maintenance and "Generation Now and X" opt for clean lines and high technology, but overall, kitchen and bath styles are moving towards sleeker lines - no ornate details - and simple outward appearances, with function that makes operation and use fast. Whether it's due to a busy lifestyle or arthritic joints, new cabinet hardware that enables automatic opening, remote controlled shades, and faucets that turn on when you place your hands underneath, are all products that are here to stay. Long-term value and quality are must-haves for any kitchen or bath, as durability is key for homeowners raising families, as much as for those who have resale value in mind. Aging in place elements provide fabulous function and aesthetics across generations, and will be key elements when selling a home. 

Black chrome faucets

Formica has a new look and edge styles.

A savvy new toilet by Kohler.

Adding color to a neutral kitchen is hot (literally).

Color is more earthy overall, yet mixing in bold color is new.  Plumbing fixtures remain popular in chrome, but new black and midnight chrome are gorgeous and enduring. Sinks are available in earthy browns, grays and with suede finishes, and vessel sinks continue to be an opportunity to add style and a unique focal point to bathroom design. Glass is beautiful as well as functional for vessel sinks and even kitchen counters. Grey and white are popular in natural stone tile and quartz surfaces, as well as appliances. I see products that enable a more personal design alternative. For example, updated quartz and paper - yes paper - countertops, glass backsplash tiles, and even Formica, have textures, colors, and patterns that will work well today as for the long-term. Cabinet colors lean towards white and ivory, but dark stains are still in vogue.  White tubs, toilets and sinks are still king in the bath. Blending with large format porcelain tile in deep gray, makes an elegant and easy care statement.

Integrating products seamlessly into the spaces remains a top trend. From refrigerators that blend right into the overall cabinetry to drawer inserts that provide quick access to hard-to-reach spots, these new storage solutions generated new, unexpected openings for work spaces. Concealed kitchen shelving and extra-wide sinks boasting functional colanders and cutting boards within were also heavily featured, as storage possibilities spread from not only closets and the garage but to the kitchen and bath as well.

  Advanced technology from products that include smart phone applications to designs that mix light and sound in the bathroom. Toilets can now determine how long you’ve been sitting, or open the lid as one walks toward it, and even wall sockets are built smarter to incorporate direct USBs plug-ins for consumers using laptops and charging their phones in the hub of their home, the kitchen.
Once a buzz term, “green” has become engrained in the kitchen and bath industry. What began as an appeal for eco-friendly products and materials in the home has now transformed into holistically sustainable spaces that encourage healthy living behaviors by those inhabiting them. Designers, architects and manufacturers alike are rethinking the word “green” to encompass a complete lifestyle, and as a result, its definition has expanded to include descriptors such as “authentic,” “American made,” “character,” “local” and “organic.” It's now easier than ever to go green. High-efficiency toilets and showerheads are the norm and can easily be installed or retrofitted in any home. Recycling has even become easier, with compactors that can silently crush cans installed right into kitchen cabinet space. Technological advances like motion sensor faucets and lighting have become more sophisticated, helping to save both water and energy. 

5 Designer ideas to update your kitchen.

When you want to add a little bit of glamour to your kitchen, try these ideas:

1) Use a detailed edge on your counters. Whether you elect to use a double rolled edge of stone on the island, or a beefy 2" edge to your quartz, the look will be elegant and dramatic. 


2) Dim all of your lights. Place all recessed and other fixtures on dimmers so you can create ambiance when all of your prepping is over.  

3) Build your electronics in. Add receptacles, cables, etc.. in for laptops, phone charging and TV and video watching. Having them in a central location can assist with homework, cooking practice and on-line research.

4) Add furniture touches to your cabinets.  By upgrading basic cabinets with details like scroll legs, inlays, and veneers will enable the kitchen to blend more seamlessly into your decor.

5) Provide glamour with lighting and fabrics.  Rather than use a basic fabric on your chairs and barstools, use a durable, stain resistant acrylic.The patterns and colors of sun-resistant fabrics are dynamic and you can have a plush velvet with easy clean-up. Opt for a chandelier with glass or metallic elements over the island or to anchor your table. Glamour has never been easier to obtain.

Jewelry for your doors and drawers makes a fabulous statement.

Whether you are updating a kitchen or bath, refurbishing a piece of furniture, or just looking for a change,  using decorative hardware will make a custom design statement.  These are some of the pieces we love, and they are available at A Touch Of Tradition Home & Garden Shoppe in San Diego. Many come in 6 or 7 finishes - chrome, nickel, brass, oil rubbed bronze, silver, antiqued, and black.

Sophisticated polished nickel pull for cabinets and furniture.

The right hardware can often set the style for your space even if very little else changes. For example, you can change a kitchen whose cabinets are in good condition by using pulls in lieu of knobs.  Make them a different style from the existing and enjoy the transformation.  

Glass and chrome - artistic yet classic.

Available in 5 finishes, this knob is elegant and traditional.

Dressers and chests whose style is dated in your home, can be updated with new pulls or knobs.  Antique pieces are ideal for hardware changes, since they will dress up the furniture yet be removable if the piece needs to be sold. Schaub Hardware has several lines of decorative, traditional hardware perfect for this application.










Linen closet and other hallway storage cabinet doors and drawers reap benefits from new hardware. What was a wall of doors can become a work of art with hardware like pieces from Vicenza Designs.  Even simple hardware from a big box retail or hardware store can have a huge impact on cabinets and closets.

Add appliance pulls to larger pieces of furniture. Try adding an element from nature - like these textured bamboo pulls - for a casual yet enduring style. 

Bamboo textured, casual and classic. 7 finishes available

 Have a specialty area in your home like a wine cellar?  Use an elegant pull with a theme, to create a stunning, custom space.

Satin nickel and granite for a modern kitchen.

To update a casual kitchen, try these pulls with a brushed metal finish and a stone center. The metals will add sophistication and the granite will provide elegance and artistry.

Lions head style for a European look. 6 finishes.

A wonderful themed knob in nickel.

White baths - timeless and classic

Transitional style.

With so many options in stone, porcelain and ceramic tile, we don't often think of the design possibilities using white. Using textures, varying scale, and changing the shades of white in tile and slabs, can create dramatic baths whose designs stand the test of time. Using accent hues in cabinetry, mirrors, and lighting, a white bath will be timeless.  With classic elements, these baths demonstrate how stunning simply white can be.

Classic and traditional.

Cottage casual and minimalist yet comfortable.

Classic and elegant with cabinetry as the accent hue.

Should you use stone or not?

When selecting surfaces for your floors, walls and counters, also consider the long-term cost of maintenance. With a huge variety of color and size options, the cost to purchase install your surface, as well as costs to maintain should be the determining factors for selection.  Here is a brief guide to surfaces and their care:

 Recommendation from the designer: Porcelain tile and Quartz counters are two of the most durable, easy care, competitive cost alternatives.  For both, the selection of colors, ways to use, and overall performance are fantastic. The options in porcelain tile sizes and styles are ever-increasing, with trim tiles to finish edges. I prefer porcelain and quartz to their natural stone counterparts.

1) Granite: Porous, igneous stone. Tile and slab available. Must be sealed annually in baths, more often in kitchens. Stains and etches. Don't let oils or vinegars sit on surface too long. Great heat resistance. Be aware that some colors have radon. Not impervious to bacteria. Clean with stone cleaner to avoid removing sealer or dulling shine. Don't use acidic products or shine can be dulled.

2) Quartz: (Silestone, Cambria, Caesarstone, etc..) Stone-epoxy composite.Tile and slab available. Non-porous so no sealer required.  Heat and stain resistant. High durability. Often embedded with antibacterial compound. Clean with almost any household cleaner. Some versions by Silestone are 'green'. Colors can be stone-like or unique in pattern and particulate.  This bath uses a fossil-like quartz in a soft white. 

3) Travertine-limestone-soapstone-marble-slate: These are all porous stone products that can be used on counters, floors and walls. Tile and slab available. They MUST be sealed often so water and products don't penetrate.  All are stainable and prone to scratches. Soapstone has good heat resistance. Requires regular cleaning with stone cleaner or neutral non-abrasive cleaner.  Products for ceramic tile may NOT be used on these stones. Soap scum is difficult to remove. Special products are available to help remove stains.

4) Porcelain: A subset of ceramic tile. Highly durable surface for floors, walls, and even counters. Generally through-body color with a glazed surface. No porosity. Clean with nearly any household cleaner. Recommend that you seal grout after installation for best stain resistance in high use areas. Patterns, colors, and sizes nearly limitless. Unique stone-like patterns available for more durable, easy care surface than real stone.

5) Ceramic: Made from clay or other inorganic materials, hardened by oven firing and usually coated with some kind of glaze.  Ceramic is easy to clean and doesn't harbor germs.

6) Solid surfaces (Corian, Corinthinan, Wilsonart, etc...) : Solid, manufactured with plastic or acrylic. Durable, non-porous, stain and bacteria resistant. Not heat resistant. Through-color and easy to buff scratches or make repairs. Often has integrated sink options. Seams are inconspicuous.