MID-CENTURY KITCHEN MAGIC

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Innovative and creative couple Charles and Ray Eames are most commonly known for their slick ergonomic bentwood chair designs of the post-war era.  They sought to bring comfort, edgy style and affordability to all the furniture they designed.  They were proponents of mass production and design for all people.  Mid-century design is enjoying a resurgence not only in home decor but also in the media with the popularity of Mad Men (love that show!).  If you live in an area with an abundance of ranch home designs of the 50s and 60s you may want to add an authentic touch of  the Eames aesthetic in your kitchen which is easy to do.  Here's how:

1. Choose blond to medium toned natural wood finishes.  Cabinets in these finishes are among the most affordable.  A simple stain rather than coats of paint, glazes or washes is less labor and less product needed.

2.  Slab doors and drawer fronts give you an overall modern look which can be Mid-Century depending on the other elements in your kitchen.

3.  Keep it simple!  The designs of the 40s-50s were all about clean lines and no visual clutter.  Try to get it of the counter (of course unless you have a cool toaster, coffee pot or other authentic looking small appliance)

4. Paint color is a great way to add the MCM feel.  The colors of this prosperous era were upbeat and cheerful, just what we need to come home to today!  Sherwin Williams even carries a line called Suburban Modern which offers an authentic pallette.

5.  Don't forget the boomerang!  As I was growing up (my formative design years)  I remember our Formica kitchen table with its gray and pink boomerang  pattern.  Now whenever I see it I go right back to my first kitchen experience.  So you don't want Formica?  No worries, how about fabric?  Cover your kitchen chairs or create a wall hanging in your favorite MCM pattern.  Find some awesome designs on line right here at Contemporary Cloth.

Last but not least send me pix and I will post!  If you are a professional or an enthusiast leave a comment and your contact info.  We're all about good content.  With your input Kitchens for Living becomes an even more valuable resource.

SMALL KITCHENS, BIG SOLUTIONS

Sometimes we just can't contain ourselves, or at least the contents of our kitchens.  If you're someone who's love for kitchen living  is at odds with an undersized space you're reading the right blog.  Did you know small kitchens can be a good thing?  For example if you've organized efficiently you can work with more efficiency, taking less steps and with less movement than someone doing the same task in more spacious quarters.  That being said, there's no denying that a few tricks are needed to achieve that high function.  Here's what I recommend:

 -Maximize the interior storage that you do have.  Even older cabinets can be outfitted with roll out shelves or inserts to help you get into blind corners.  

These roll outs are an old trick that works!

My clients love this blind corner cabinet accessory!

 -Look up.  Do you have unused space above your cabinets?  Although it's not handy for everyday it could be a great place for what I call "remote storage".  Get those Halloween decorations up and out of the way to free up the prime real estate in your kitchen.  How about using some interesting containers to add a little visual interest over your cabinets while you're at it?  Remember, remote storage doesn't even have to be in the kitchen at all but wherever you have a bit of room.

Baskets above cabinets look great and hold a lot! Check out those open shelves. Photo by designfabulous.com

-Focus on the function.  If you have a small kitchen you have to pick a focus and approach everything towards that purpose.  If it's for cooking then anything not related to cooking must be gone.  Sorry but that means the junk drawer, your bills (who wants to look at those anyway?), your meds and whatever else that doesn't fit your main purpose.

-Clear the decks.  If you have limited counter space think about what you can put away or up in a cabinet.  A general rule of thumb is if you don't use it everyday put it away.

-Open shelves are also great for items you use daily, or almost daily.  They make items easy to find and reach.  Dust is not a worry if you're using these items all the time.  Open shelving also creates a more open spacious feeling.

-See the light.  White is IN (and never really goes out of style in the kitchen.)  Use it along with cleverly placed mirrors and lots of lighting.

If you have a tiny dining area in your tiny kitchen make sure you're using armless chairs.  Clear lucite is back and it's a great modern furniture choice that practically disappears!  Last but not least, add a dramatic hanging light fixture to draw the eye up. 

It's small and complete. Photo by ApartmentTherapy

Happy (Kitchen Design) Endings

It's been one of those weeks.  I'm happy to be busy but struggling to keep up!  I have been working on a big traditional kitchen design for a client trying to recreate her favorite kitchen back in Toronto.  Since lots of walls are being removed to create a large open space we ended up with a situation which will locate the end of the refrigerator in the hallway! One of the most unsightly kitchen endings would be the side of a refrigerator.  Who wants to look at that?

With the enduring popularity of the open kitchen plan we are faced with including a seamless transition between the "kitchen proper" and the adjacent living area.  Even if you opt to spend a little extra for a decorative finish to the sides or backs of cabinets that are fully exposed there are some other creative solutions.  This got me thinking about how to end it all, in a happy way, of course.  I decided to employ a technique I have used previously.

We accomplished this fine ending with less than 12" of space.  I will use this solution in my new design

If you're short on space, you can implement this solution with only 6" of extra space.  Make the top doors glass for a place to display a collection or if you can squeeze out 12" in depth, use solid doors and you have a handy pantry. Don't forget you'll have to finish side of the end cabinet so it looks great from the front too.

Photo courtesy of Holiday Kitchens

This traditional example by Holiday Kitchens, becomes warm and inviting with the addition of an attractive end unit which, not only creates a beautiful spot to display that special something, but it's also a great way to transition from kitchen to living area.

Mini peninsula placed at the end adds counter, storage and visual appeal

Easy access to BBQ tools from porch

Here's a handy solution for a client with a smallish kitchen who was looking for a little extra counter space as well as a handy place to store his barbeque paraphanalia.  The back of the cabinet opens right at the opening to a sliding glass door leading to his barbeque on the porch.  It also visually defines the end of the kitchen.

This solution by Holiday Kitchens uses 12" deep cabinets and offers a little extra counter space

Add Wearstler Hollywood Kitchen Design Appeal

Mixed Materials are featured in this design by Wearstler's protoge Lara Fishman

Did you happen to catch this morning's CBS Morning story on Hollywood designer Kelly Wearstler? She is described as the "new Dorothy Draper", the original Hollywood Design Diva.   Wearstler sports a theatric edgy personal style that flows into her work as an interior designer. There it is again, fashion informing design and vice versa.  Wearstler shared 6 tips on kitchen design with Food & Wine magazine.

A kitchen carved in stone by Kelly Wearstler

Be bold with white.  Yes, she is partial to the cooler sleeker finishes such as stone, marble and stainless steel.  White works with these materials to create a clean open sensibility.  Plus, let's face it, for those of us in Florida, white will always have a place.  Play with color and pattern. This is a great way to personalize your space and make it your own.  How about a punch of red with that white?  Open up cabinets.  Open book cases and glass doors are a great way to break up what can be a monotony of cabinet doors.  Consider using mirrored glass for a Hollywood look.  

Mixed materials, glass doors and chandelier light fixture in Gwenyth Paltrow's kitchen by Kelly Wearstler

Mix materials.  I'm often asked if it's OK to mix materials in the kitchen.  The answer is yes!  My advice is to include one unifying element such as color or texture.  Use pendant lighting.  If you're up for the drama, this lighting option is the way to go, just like jewelry for the kitchen. Gotta have a chandelier, daaahling!  Last but not least, hide those paper towels.  They are a glamor killer.   

Paper towel solution is handy and hidden

How do you add drama to your kitchen?

KITCHEN ALA-MOD

The Frankfurt Kitchen 1926 Wikipedia

So where were we?  As I recall, we were examining the roots of the heart of the home (Click on Part I here.) to see just how we got from our origins to where we are now.  Today I will show you the first MOD(ERN) kitchen.

Although cooking made it to the indoors pretty quickly, water pipes in cities were not commonly laid until the end of the 19th century. Open shelves were the original go-to storage and coal fired stoves ruled. Cupboards, or cabinets, were first used by the upper classes to protect contents from dust, steam and smoke.  The middle class kitchen was were the family lived with the living rooms and studies saved for special times.  Sound familiar?

The first standardizations for the kitchen came from the German brand Poggenphol (est. 1892).  In case you ever wondered, this is where we got the ergonomically pleasing counter top height of 36".  These new guidelines were the result of time-motion studies  known at Taylorism.  As women increasingly found the need to aquire factory jobs, the need for efficiency in the kitchen increased and the Frankfurt Kitchen was born in 1926. I guess you could call its creator, Margarete Schutte-Lihotzky the first kitchen designer!  The design was influenced by railway dining cars of the day with two main objectives, to save precious time and make modern convenience affordable to the masses. These two priorities still endure so we'll keep them.  What can we chuck?  Maybe the closed-in tight quarters and the limited counter space?

The pre-historic Chemex Coffee Maker also on show at the MOMA

Margarete's Creation on Exhibit at the MOMA

Check out this exhibit which opened September 15th at the MOMA in NYC.  This examination of modern food prep is called Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen. spanning the last century of Western cookery -- from the architecture of the kitchen itself to the introduction of newer and stranger gadgets, like Chemex coffee pots and even Tupperware!  The show runs until March 11, 2011, and yes I'm already planning another jaunt to the B.A.!! 

A Radiant Finish

Photo by Jayme Thornton

The end of my time with Brizo was spent at the Showtime House attending an after-the-show cocktail party where we had the pleasure of meeting Jason.  We also got to tour the Showhouse featuring rooms designed to reflect the current Showtime series lineup.  Check it out here.   In addition to all this Brizo announced the winners of the Bath Design Contest in which we competed earlier in the day.  I was a part of the team led by Erin Loechner of Design for Mankind.  

The Runners Up, Trevor, Erin, Glo & Eric. Photo by Jayme Thornton

 Happy to say we made runner up and now I am the proud owner of a new I Pod Nano, courtesy of Brizo!  I can promise you a great time was had by all.  I met so many wonderful people and will be fired up for a long time to come!  Saturday and Sunday I got to see my sister and brother-in-law who happen to reside in NYC.  LOVED visiting The Brooklyn Museum, attending "Melt" and viewing a screening of The Radiant Child.  

Five stars to all and thanks to Pam and Tim.  Thanks also to Mary Jo, Danielle, Michelle and Melissa for coming in to the city to visit with lil' ole me!  Now, dear readers, we shall resume our exploration of all things kitchen related.  Now where were we?