A Smart Cooktop

Appliances keep getting smarter. Thermador has just made our lives a little easier. We've all dealt with the messes created when our pots boil over.  Thermador's Sensor Dome addresses this issue, helping us to achieve culinary success and cutting back on the clean up issues.

Their "Sensor Dome" is a pop-up dial with an infrared beam that measures and regulates the temperature of cookware.  In doing so, it prevents pots from boiling over and maintains the ideal cooking temperature.  When not functioning, the dial retracts, sitting flush with the stovetop's surface.  Small and unobtrusive, it addresses and effectively solves a problem we all face, often on a daily basis.

I am not sure if it's worth buying a whole new cooktop but if you are looking to replace one it might be a nice feature to look for.

Wing and a Prayer

I have been following Motoart now for awhile...My first love being design and my second love being airplanes.  

This California company turns old airline and military plane parts into high-end furniture and functional art for your home or office.

Everytime I look at their site I drool....They are all soo creative there and everything they make is not only well made and beautiful but most likely one of a kind too.  Who wouldn't want to own a piece of this kind of history?  The romance of flying....

Talk about taking recycling to a whole 'nother level.

If you are a design or airplane enthusiast like myself, you have to check them out to get your wing...I am still praying for mine.

Welcome To My Blog

I wanted to make this posting  today to let everyone know how and when you can receive my blog postings.

I added Feedburner to my blog yesterday so it's even easier now to follow me.  Just simply put in your email address and hit "send".  Once you've done that you'll get a confirmation email in your inbox for approval and then you'll receive the newest blog I post on all even days (every other day) at 10:00 am Central time.  You can opt out at any time but I hope you don't.

I have created this blog to share, inspire and guide you along your design journey for your own homes.

I love comments and I would love it too if you like my blog please forward to everyone you think who would be interested to follow me as well.

Thank you for your support and have a GREAT weekend!

PS.  I love pictures so I thought I would share one of my "rockstar" dog, Calvin today.

A Vision of Glamour

Brizo is always on the leading edge of design, it's a fashion label that works not in silks and wools but in polished nickel and chrome.

This new fixture line is called the RSVP collection, it's sooo elegant and refined, I just love the curves to it.  I see alot of bathroom fixtures that tend to start to lookalike but this has definitely pushed the creative envelope.  

The Swarovski Crystal finials are optional if they are too glam for you.

Make Mine a Black'n Tan

If you are tired of the same old kitchen sinks of either some shade of white/beige or stainless steel consider the black'n tan from Kohler.  It's a deep rich color with different shades of brown.  It looks GREAT with darker granite choices and doesn't stand out like other finishes but blends beautifully.   You know it almost looks too nice for a kitchen sink but it's not, it's a workhorse. 

These sinks are Kohler cast iron, enamel finish and are guaranteed to not chip, crack or burn (heat resistant up to a 1,000 degrees).  

These are easy to clean too, gone are your steel wools and abrasive cleaners. Just a soft sponge does the trick.

So not only are these sinks tough and easy to clean but are made from 93% recycled and reclaimed material.

They come in lots of different shapes and styles, the one in the picture is an apron sink for more of that farm/country feel but check out the modern vessel shapes as well.  The Black'n Tan also looks great on a travertine slab/countertop for a WOW factor.

Check out this Kohler commercial for the durability of the cast iron sinks, love these colors too! :)

Toto: The Smart Toilet

I think Toto makes the best toilets out there and I specify them as often as I can.  Technology wise they are always at least 2 steps ahead of everyone else....Now they have just recently worked with a Japanese builder to develop a high tech toilet, the 

"Intelligence Toilet II" to be exact.  

This isn't just any toilet, this one is capable of calculating all sorts of YOUR vital statistics, including weight, body mass index, blood pressure, blood sugar and hormone levels...I have heard it can even tell you if you're pregnant.  All of this info. is then networked to your PC. 

Not sure I trust a toilet to communicate these vitals to me....How would you like to sit on this toilet?  No worries, they have no plans for launching this toilet anytime soon in America...But if you go to Japan......You may just have to have a seat.

New Book: The ART of Tile

There are sooo many more options for tile out there than your standard travertine look.  The variety and functions are endless!  It is a great way to add your own personality to almost every room in your house.  

Check out this book,  The ART of Tile it was just released and if the inside of the book is going to be anything like the outside I think we are all in for a special treat.  

From what I can gather, this is a comprehensive book featuring design lessons, real-life examples of stunning installations and a catalog containing more than 1,500 choices of tiles from traditional to modern, in other words, something for everyone.

I can't wait to get my own book, as of a matter of fact I am going to buy it right now.

Equal parts Rat Pack and pack rat

This bathroom vanity is called "Twenty-One" by Waterfall Bathroom Furniture. It's "equal parts Rat Pack and pack rat". Custom sizing is available along with an optional Caesar Stone or 3-Form recycled counter with porcelain sink.

Check out their website for more exciting colors and other great transitional, well priced bathroom furniture pieces.

Three Dimensional Florals

I just saw this stairway that is showcased in the 37th annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House which opens April 17th in New York.

One word....WOW!!!!!  This is beyond fabulous....I love the 3d artistic effect that has definitely transformed this mansion.  This installation will run from the 2nd to the 3rd floor staircase.

www.mayaromanoff.com

Go Green!

How wierd is this announcement right after the blog I did on colorful washer and dryers last Tuesday?  

Electrolux is now offering a limited edition Kelly Green washer and dryer for Earth day that packs a visual punch in a good way.  Not only are these green but they are "green" as well....

Every virtual flower you plant  on http://www.kelly-confidential.com Electrolux will not only donate a $1 to Global Green USA to support green schools initiatives, you are automatically entered to win a Kelly Green washer and dryer too.

Ebony Walls!

I love suggesting really dark, sexy walls to my clients, especially black.  

I was just cruising around on Apartment Therapy and saw some great inspirational black walls to inspire you.

Start small....I think black walls in a powder room or butlers pantry make big statements.  All of a sudden everything pops in these rooms and they just feel sexy!

Dare to go black you won't go back.

Happy Easter!

I love spring, when all the flowers burst with such beautiful colors.  The outdoors just feel so fresh and full of renewal......

I took these pictures of the botanical gardens near our house and had to share.

Staying In!

I think "staying in" has become the new "going out", and I don't think that is a bad thing at all.

A lot of us work away from the house so when you come home from a long day at the office, it is or definitely should be your sanctuary.  It doesn't take much to spruce it up for spring and create a fabulous scene to share with friends and family and the best part of said scene is that at the end of the night you don't get a bill.

Now I love my vacations don't get me wrong but I heard a new word the other day that I wanted to share with you along this same line...."staycation".  Maybe this spring you could have one of those and enjoy your friends and family, while saving some coin.

Get Me An Umbrella Drink!

Woke up, got out of bed....Saw my mail with lots of catalogs strewn in the pile.  Normally I toss them, BUT it's a beautiful spring day and guess what's on the front of every one of them?  Outdoor settings!  How inspiring is that to start planning for your outdoor spaces?  

If you haven't started thinking about your outdoor living spaces yet for this upcoming summer now is the time to start.  Some places in the country are still getting snow, so even though you probably can't physically start planning outside you can dream from the indoors. :)

I love the look and low maintenance of the outdoor resin furniture.  Sooo many choices with color and style now, I want a couple of backyards.

Every year I am shocked at the selection of outdoor fabrics that keep getting better. Sunbrella fabrics are a must for outdoor use.  They are weather resistant, less fading issues and very durable.   They have come such a long way that I have on occasion actually used them inside for the fade resistant, durability on indoor furniture.  My clients couldn't tell the difference.  

I love spring!

Go Crazy!

I love that washer/dryer companies are embracing color!  The color choices to choose from are sooo yummy, from "Turquoise Sky", "Aspen", "Champagne", "Wild Cherry" and "Ocean Blue" to just name a few....The names alone set the mood to wash.

Yes you can still have white, but I think you should push the envelope with some color. The great thing about choosing a color that you wouldn't normally choose because you were afraid of it trending out in a bigger/important room such as a kitchen, a laundry room usually isn't seen but by the family most of the time and why not have a "wow factor" to enjoy each time you go in to use them.  This is a low risk/high reward room.

Why not set your mood to vacation mode with a washer and dryer that are in"Turquoise Sky" so when you sorting clothes you feel a little like you have "escaped".  

There are some other real benefits to updating your washer if you haven't in a long time....

*Front loaders are easier on backs than top loaders 

*ENERGY STAR:  Very energy and water efficient

*Larger capacity  

You know, the laundry room is one of the one rooms I rarely get to design unless it's a for a new home, so I am soo excited about all the fun, new choices out there, that for the next "Decorator On Demand" client who wants a room done if you mention this blog I will include the laundry room design for free.  Contact me at decoratorondemand@me.com.

So go crazy and get that new washer and start that vacation today!

Ethan Allen Undergoes a Modern Makeover

More and more Americans are embracing a contemporary furniture style.  To appeal to this new swing, Ethan Allen just launched their "New Modern Living" marketing campaign based on 9 distinct buzzwords, which are my favorite buzzwords too:  Modern, Chic, Fresh, Elegant, Sexy, Cool, Pretty, Hip and Now.

Personally, I am thrilled about the reinvention of their brand because I think it's high time furniture stores that usually have more of a traditional/older feel come around to how most Americans are living now.  They still have the classics but their new furniture looks exciting and fresh most definitely.

My parents bought a lot of Ethan Allen when I was a kid so as an adult I never felt like they were "talking" to me with my style, but I think they are moving in the right direction to capture my attention and others like my generation.  Let me know what you think of their "new" look.  It's not your parents Ethan Allen anymore.