5 Fabulous Finds!

Check out these five fabulous retail finds that can be used in nearly every room in your home!

 

1) French kitchen island. With a real marble top and classically styled legs, this piece can be used to supplement storage and counter space in a traditional kitchen. With a Carerra marble top, you can likely bake and roll dough with ease. Creative placement can have it serve as a dining buffet or even an entry console.  Not as great for a table  - although that's the image shown by Crate and Barrel -since the legs do impede comfortable sitting.

2) Wall mirrors. These look like windows and are perfect for a large wall that reflects a great view.  With beveled mirrors and curved mullions, they provide a classic element with timeless appeal. From Ballard Designs.

3) White vases.  Add texture and elegance with these interesting vases. Fill with organic elements for a serene style.  These are from Ikea and they have multiple sizes. I love them alone or in a group of three!

4) Area rug. The hand washed appearance of this wool rug from Pottery Barn makes it a wonderful addition to a living room, bedroom or dining room

5) Silk drapes.  Silk adds an elegance to window coverings that works well in traditional interiors as well as modern styling. For the price, from West Elm, these are a great find in multiple colors and fully lined. You don't have to use the pocket...rings are easy to add.

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.

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.