Seven tips to a more functional kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home and some of us live with less than optimum cooking environments. Try the following tips to create a more functional and livable kitchen.

1. Add under cabinet lighting. This will increase the amount of light in the kitchen and make it easier to work at the counter.

2. Add a portable island. Some of you are not yet ready for a full blown kitchen remodel but have the space for another workstation or eating area. Add a portable or free-standing island. This can create a focal point but being in a different material or color than the perimeter cabinetry. It can also create an additional storage component and act as a gathering place or another location for serving buffet style.

3. Switch to a deeper sink. A deep sink will virtually eliminate the splash factor that we see on many kitchen counter tops. Also, by adding a grill to the bottom of the sink, it can act as a drainboard for small items and they will be out view of your guests.

4. De-clutter your counter tops. Store unused items. A busy counter top is less functional and visually uninviting. Try purchasing multi-tasking counter appliances. For instance, a toaster oven is a better solution as you can toast, bake and broil in one appliance. You can also try a magic bullet which can blend, puree, chop, etc., allowing you to clear the blender and food processor off the counter top!

5. When designing a kitchen, always make sure you have "set-off" counter space near an oven, stove top or refrigerator. The worst mistake that people make when renovating is to think only of aesthetics and not function. You need a space on the side of an oven or stove to place a pan when you take it out of the oven. You also need a place to set groceries down as you load them into the refrigerator.

6. Install pullout shelves or pot drawers. Even if you are not ready to renovate, you can still make your existing cabinets more functional. Being able to pull out a drawer allows you to access the items at the back of a cabinet with the same ease as you have in the front.

7. Install a pot filler at the stove. Yes, it seems a luxury item but it is oh so nice to be able to take a large stock pot and fill it with water right at the stove as opposed to lugging the pot from the sink to the cook top. It is also helpful when creating sauces, making risottos and so many other dishes to have the water right there at your fingertips.

Re-Use = Green Thinking!

We met with a new client the other day. She has worked with a number of Interior Designers and Architects over the years on various residential and commercial properties. She commented that we are the only firm who has ever suggested keeping and reusing some existing finishes, fixtures and furnishings.

Of course, as an Interior Designer, I earn my living by selling goods and services. However, I have a conscience. I truly feel that if something is still beautiful and functional and the client likes it, why replace it? I also believe that the less we send to a landfill and need to replace, the smaller the footprint we leave on the earth and our environment.

This particular client had fabulous marble tile in the powder room. By just changing the fixtures, updating the wall coverings and adding some lighting, we can completely change the look of this all important room.

So, the next time you feel you need a change, think paint! Paint can completely change the feeling of a space. You can apply it in solid color or use a faux finish technique. Either way you are sure to have an interesting result. Benjamin Moore has a wonderful Eco Spec paint which has low VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which release toxins into the air. They have also recently come out with a water based paint called Aura. With one coat you can acheive a finish which formerly required at least two coats of paint. Thus, you save on product and labor!

Try it and see! Add some new towels and accessories and enjoy the new look!

Phyllis Harbinger, ASID, NYSCID: What your Entry Door Says About You

Phyllis Harbinger, ASID, NYSCID: What your Entry Door Says About You

What your Entry Door Says About You

This is for all of you homeowners out there who wish your entry door had more panache. Most of us have done the "drive by" where we look at homes in a neighborhood. A fabulous door can truly create a focal point for your home. It can complete change the personality of your front elevation and give viewers a feel for your sense of style. There are, of course, rules of thumb to follow when selecting a door:

Check the size of your opening. While a double door is more inviting, do not sacrifice function for visual aesthetics. Choose a door appropirate to the size of the opening.

Home Style--if you have a traditional center hall colonial, you would be best off selecting a panel door with or without a fan light. Stained or painted wood are both great options for you. If you want to invite more powerful Chi (energy) into the home, choose a vibrant red paint for your door. If you wish for a more understated look, paint doors and shutters black or a more neutral color.

A French Chateau deserves a door with stature. See the photo above of a set of entry doors that we had custom made for a client. We designed the panel moldings and had decorative ironwork details added to the walnut door. It is perfectly suited to the stone facade and Chateau style.

Just be sure to marry function and style and be true to the architecture of the home. A modern home will allow you the most flexibility and if you are fortunate enough to live in such a dwelling--indulge, live on the edge and explore the possibilities of new materials such as metal, specialty glass or a combination of materials. Most important-have fun and let your individual style shine!

Architectural and Decorative Moldings

Just as jewelry can make a plain black suit look incredibly glamorous, architectural moldings can do the same for your interiors.

When a ceiling plane meets a wall plane, you can create visual interest by adding a crown molding detail. Moldings can be stacked for even greater interests.

Doors can be framed out with larger more substantial moldings, baseboards can become more interesting with a higher molding or just by adding a more interesting profile.

I urge you to assess your interior. Homes with 8 foot ceilings as well as a loft with a 12 foot ceiling can benefit from the appropriate selection of architectural moldiing details. Try it and see!

See the Light, not the fixtures! Less is More!

I know how I feel when I am faced with a ceiling full of recessed lighting fixtures and it is not pleasant. Especially when the fixtures are the tradiitonal builder-style 5 or 6 inch cans. To me, this looks like a ceiling that is suffering from "lighting acne."

Recessed lighing (aka hi - hats) is a wonderful general or ambient lighting solution. Recessed light fixtures can also serve as a source of accent lighting to illuminate artwork or wash a wall with light. They can be fixed or adjustable. We can discuss this more in another posting.

I urge all of you to work with your own Designer and/or electrician to carefully lay out recessed lighting. I would also like to recommend that you specify 3.5" diameter fixtures, rather than the traditional larger diameter cans you find at the home improvement store. Use less, rather than more fixtures. Low voltage fixtures emit powerful clean beams of light. This type of light also uses less energy! A bonus!

Please remember that general or overall illumination is just one layer of lighting. Use only what you need to move through the space. Then, add other layers such as accent lighting and task lighting in the form of table lamps, floor lamps, uplights or sconces. This will create a well-balanced feeling in the space.

I would also recommend that you place all fixtures on dimmers so that you can control the amount of light and the mood that the various lighting solutions will create.

Then--enjoy!

The Power of Design

Hello Everyone and welcome to my blog!

As an Interior Designer and a Professor at FIT, I am constantly surprised, energized, awed and challenged by the world around me.

Living in New York presents a wealth of opportunities for both the Professional Designer and the Design Enthusiast in all of you! I am sure that some of you are aware of the building boom occurring here in our City. Many of the world renowned architects and designers of the 20th and 21st Century have been very busy over the last few years designing and constructing both iconic office and residential buildings. While some of them have certainly created controversy, all have raised the awareness of the public to the power of design and architecture.

Last Christmas, my husband and I were driving on the West Side Highway, heading back home after his Business Christmas Party. He was driving so I had the distinct pleasure of gazing at the water on one side and all of the new construction on the other. Right before my eyes, the most incredible building materialized. An organic, glass curtain wall that changed shape as it climbed the building. I had read that he had finished the IAC Headquarters (Barry Diller's Media Company) on the West Side and having studied the work of this architect, I knew that it was Frank Gehry's work the moment I laid eyes on it. I was literally blown away by the undulating curves and the milky white glass curtain facade. Then the surprise----the glass began to change from white to green to orange.....the whole lobby was flooded in color.

Design and architecture can pack a powerful punch. Expertly executed, it can evoke emotions, questions and a sense of awe in the viewer and the user of the space. Whether one likes the style of the building or design, the more you have seen and learned, the more you will appreciate the genius, creativity and originality of a great design.

I happen to love Gehry's work. Not everyone will. However, to appreciate his innovative use of materials, color, texture, light and other elements of design, you can understand the genius behind his work. He has created a brand. His mark, his style, and you can easily recognize his work all over the world including Bilbao, Spain; Los Angeles, CA; and now in New York City.

If you want to see some images and read more about the building process, click on the link below:

http://www.realestatejournal.com/propertyreport/office/20060113-silver.html

Stay tuned for more design stories and commentary!