Daniele Busca lives for Scavolini. After spending an hour chatting with him and touring the showroom and US headquarters in Soho I can understand why. Daniele is the Manager and Creative Director who makes it all work on this side of the pond. The new location which has been open since last October is enjoying a brisk business and I think it's largely due to Daniele's knack for tweaking this Italian product for an American market. "American kitchens are generally bigger", he says, "and where you would have an island in America we might have a kitchen table instead in Italy." Another major difference is the appliances. American refrigerators are almost always bigger." White still reigns.
I thought it was interesting to hear that home owners are requesting glossy finishes and architects prefer the matte look. A artful mixing of textures, both tactile and visual, is also important. I asked Daniele to define a trend. He says, "in the end a trend is what sells." The showroom spans two floors. Displays were designed in Italy and re-designed by Daniele for an exact fit both in size and taste for the US market. "Americans also tend to prefer symmetry in kitchen design," he added. Scavolini is a family business based in Pesaro, Italy and has been the largest cabinet manufacturer in Italy since 1984 with 40 dealers in the US. This year marks the company's 50th anniversary. Clientele for the New York location is largely an international group who keep an apartment in New York City as well as elsewhere. This year Scavolini will roll out seven new models. Four new displays are already in the works for this new showroom. The Tetrix line, as seen at IDS, designed by internationally-famous British designer Michael Young, is also being featured. Tetrix is not yet on display here but Daniele's sending me some pix to share with you. Designers may be interested to know that Scavolini has developed their own design and pricing program. Scavolini is very involved in the Green movement. I was surprised to hear that the manufacturing facility in Italy is 85% powered by solar panels and they are planning to make it 100% by the end of the year. All cabinet boxes and door panels are made from 100% recycled fire retardant and water resistant wood. All lacquers used are water-based. Scavolini is involved in the local community offering the showroom for fund raising events organized by trade associations and design schools. Generally speaking, a Scavolini kitchen can be yours for from about 10K to upwards of 90K.
Thank you to Daniele for hosting my visit. I really enjoyed chatting with him. I asked a million questions and he was up to the task, warm and most gracious. If you're ever in Soho stop in and see for yourself. Tomorrow I will be back with more from New York.
CABINETS OUTSIDE THE BOX
Today I decided to re-visit The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art before checking in at Scavolini. I could be swallowed up never to be seen again in all the great art on display. Not everyone can endure going to an art gallery or museum with me. I. Take. My. Time. I read every label and all the commentary. Then I take notes and photos (if allowed). One of the current special exhibits is entitled Thinking Outside the Box: European Cabinets, Caskets, and Cases from the Permanent Collection (1500-1900). I thought it would be interesting to look back and see a few examples of cabinetry from the past before we look ahead at Scavolini. Before entering the exhibit I spied these two most amazing examples of Rennaisance cabinetry. 
The first dates back to early 17th century Germany. Are you ready for this? Here's what it's made of: pine, oak, walnut, Hungarian Ash, walnut, palisander (?), birch, various fruitwoods and MORE! Really? What else is there? Before becoming guild masters, cabinet makers had to study architectural theory, especially things like column details. Cabinets were made to look like facades of Italian Rennaisance Palaces. 
The second example is Dutch and was made of oak in 1622. It was used for linen storage and is the earliest definitely datable example of its kind. Narratives depicted in carving represent stories from the bible.
The exhibit itself contained many examples of intricate ornate boxes and cabinets. What is so interesting is that these items were also entirely functional.
This Fall Front Cabinet is from Italy and dates back to about 1600. It's made of pine, walnut, veneered with rosewood, ebony, macassar ebony and ivory. There are ten small drawers and a central compartment behind the panel. Photo taken of cabinet behind glass.
The contrast is most striking in this coffer and it features a mirrored recess in the center used for storing a treasured object to be admired. Just about all of these cabinets were crafted by unknown artists, commissioned by wealthy patrons.I also enjoyed the Stiegletz, Steichen, Strand exhibit as well as the Gutar Heroes: Legendary Craftsmen from Italy to New York. All good things must end, however so I made my way to Soho to meet Daniele over at Scavolini. Wait till you see what I found there! More later.
KITCHEN FUN IN NEW YORK (AGAIN)!
That's right. Today I'm back in the BA (big apple but you should know that). If you recall, I was here only 6 months ago during fashion week courtesy of Brizo Faucets. Click here for a journey 6 months back in time. Wouldn't you know it, the amazing exhibit Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen at MOMA opened within days of my departure necessitating a return trip before it closes on March 11th. Some savvy bloggers wrote about it on the front end so I'm going to wrap it up for you and send it out with a bang. I'll be there on Sunday. Tomorrow I'll be visiting the new super slick Scavolini showroom in Soho. I hear it's not to be missed so I will also be bringing you the latest in Italian kitchen design from this progressive cabinet manufacturer. Now if you know me, you'll know I have to fit in a little art and guess what's happening this weekend? Yes that's right, the Armory Art Show. 
NEWSFLASH!!! You can now subscribe to Kitchens for Living on your Kindle! Check it out here.If you're paying attention you'll notice yet another badge on my sidebar. I am now officially an "expert" at EzineArticles.com with one published article and loads more to come, as soon as I have time. More from New York tomorrow.PS. If there's anything you think I should check out while I'm there drop me a comment and I'll try to squeeze it in. Cheers! 
WHAT IS LEGACY?
Every two weeks, an intrepid group of bloggers participate in something called a Blog Off. We share our take on the same topic on the same day. Ok, so I'm a day late but better late than never, as they say. The topic this time is "What is legacy?" Such a huge topic in one word! When I think of legacy I think of a few different things. Naturally I think of where I came from and the legacy given to me by my Jamaican mother, grandparents, aunts, uncle etc as well as my very American dad and his parents. I guess having close relatives in another country (and a dad who worked for the airlines) has made me aware and appreciative of this great wild, wide, wonderful, world we (how’s that for alliteration?) live in. In fact, legend has it, some of my very first words were "Pan American"! I love my country, don’t get me wrong, but there is nothing like foreign travel to give you the big picture! This awareness and experience connects us to humanity in all its varieties and has brought me to the realization that we are really all one. So a big thank you to my parents for their legacy to me and for having the temerity to haul two little girls around the globe and sharing their adventures with us.
The next thing I think about is what I will leave behind when I’m gone. I have two beautiful children who are a precious legacy of the human kind. Then there is my work and my art. These are the things that will hopefully outlast all and be around to speak for me in the decades after my demise. Everywhere I have designed a kitchen I have left a little legacy behind and hopefully touched a soul or two along the way.
Last but not least there is my writing and my art of which I have not yet created nearly enough. I hope to change that. If you want to check out some of what I have created you can see it here. Check on the links below to read what other bloggers had to share. 
SHOW SOME SKIN IN YOUR KITCHEN
Don't get excited. Skins are what we sometimes call wood veneers, or super thin sheets of material used to cover cabinet doors or panels instead of using solid wood. As clean lines and contemporary styling continues to increase in popularity, surfaces themselves become the ornamentation and focal interest in a kitchen. The use of interesting wood grain veneers which are both beautiful and unique, is an excellent way to make a simple slab door stand out.
Many of my clients are surprised to learn that this is can actually be a more expensive option compared to a solid wood door. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that these veneers, or skins, are often made from exotic wood and secondly this can be a labor intensive process, thus the increased cost. The advantage being you can "control" the wood grain, so to speak, creating patterns that match up with each other. So if the unexpected randomness of natural wood grain makes your pits sweat this could be a good alternative for you.Another option if exotic wood veneers are too rich for your blood is something called "engineered wood veneers". These are man made skins that replicate the exotics using not-so-exotic woods. The material cost is a lot less and in many cases it's hard to tell the difference.
If you still love more traditional styling, veneers can still be useful for you. A traditional 5 piece door benenfits greatly from a center panel that is veneer rather than solid wood. The reason is that the veneer is applied to a dense MDF substrate that will not expand and contract the way solid wood does, thus the center panel will not ever swell cracking open the seams or shrink resulting in a lose rattling center panel.One of my favorite traditional doors made here at Brendan Donovan Furniture & Cabinet Co. is this Sapele Mahogany door with a Rosewood veneer center panel.Another way to get the look without blowing your budget is to mix it up. Just use the veneer on, for example, your upper cabinet doors. The more intricate the graining the stronger the statement. In other words, a little goes a long way. Too much and it becomes busy and you lose the concept of focal point.
If your kitchen design involves round radius shapes it's going to involve wood veneer which can be bent and moulded to conform as needed. Another beautiful effect can be achieved through the use of marketry, or inlay. In researching this post I came across the amazing work of Juli Morsella. Talk about adding a little art to your kitchen! In addition, Juli is committed to using reclaimed woods, eco-friendly materials and she donates 10% of her earnings to environmental causes.
If you're interested in using wood veneers (or not) for your kitchen I would love to hear from you! Congrats to Amy Parrag of Eye See Pretty. She is the winner of the Orgaline drawer organizer giveaway!
TIPS TO AVOID KITCHEN REMODEL RIPPOFFS
Seems like the consumer is a little leery lately. Everyone's radar is on high alert looking to avoid the big RIPOFF. I can only speak for myself but I'm confident that I am in the majority. All we kitchen and bath industry professionals want is to make you happy. Do we have to eat? Yes, and so do all the hard working people that make your life possible. That said, I do understand where you're coming from. After all, I am a consumer too. With that in mind I have come up with a cheat sheet for you. Run through these 5 tips as a prelude to your decision making and you should be able to trust once again. Oh and remember there is a difference between cheap and value for the money. I know cheap is tempting but it isn't cheap anymore if you have to replace a product that doesn't make the cut.
1. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER- Today there is no excuse not to educate yourself before you go shopping. There is a wide array of media at your disposal. Use the internet and talk to people! Yes, people, in person (ok can be online too). Talk to the experts. Read blogs. Ask questions and talk to other consumers. One of the best ways to feel good about your choices is to know other people who have made them before you and been happy. No, you can never know for sure but the more knowledge you have the more equipped you are to make the right selection for yourself.
2. RESEARCH-This goes hand in hand with #1 but it is really the next step. Once you have defined the scope of your project you will be ready to select specific products such as appliances, counter tops, cabinets etc. that fit into the big picture. Research the choices. What are other people saying? How long has a company been in business? The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Consumer Reports and the Better Business Bureau are good national and local resources and can indicate if you're headed in the right direction.
3. TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE- Take a little time to find out what your style is. Who wants to spend a butt-load of money on something they're going to hate looking at? The best way to find what floats your boat is to do something I call "kitchen scrap booking". Time to have fun. Collect images from magazines, catalogs and the internet. These don't even have to be photos of kitchens. They should be anything that appeals to you, a style, product or just a general ambiance. In this way you will begin to see the patterns and perhaps even discover some things you never consciously knew! For example you may find that 7 of 10 photos contain white cabinetry but maybe you never considered that. Getting what you love is good value. It just takes a little vision.
4. LET THE PROFESSIONALS DO THEIR JOB- A WORD OF CAUTION: Don't get carried away here. You've all heard "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing". It's true. Never succumb to thinking you know it ALL. That's why there are people who have studied and spend a large part of their waking lives becoming certified experts so they can get paid to help you. Use them.
5. COMMUNICATE FOR GOD SAKES! Once you've got some semblance of a plan in your head it's time to take it (along with your scrapbook) to the magician professional who can make it happen for you. This is not about money. You have to buy your products somewhere and that place should have a professional on hand to take your vision and translate it into your dream. That's all we do folks. It is my experience that the best projects are really good collaborations between client and designer. Getting what you want equates to good value for money invested. The NKBA is a good source for qualified professionals in your area. Many of us are also willing to work on a consultation basis, so ask!
