2011 June

Archive for June, 2011

French/European Kitchens

Another decidedly French project came in to the office last week and I have been busy becoming familiar with the project. Located in Newton, it will be a new house whose exterior will be done in a French Renaissance style. (Are we becoming Boston’s French Connection???) The architects are fellow New England Chapter ICA&A members, Merrimack Design Group. One of our first responsibilities is to look at the kitchen and give our opinion on its functionality and its relationship to the rest of the house. This became one of my task, along with sketching preliminary furniture plans so we could evaluate the lighting design in the architect’s set of drawings.

As I worked on fine tuning the kitchen, I couldn’t help thinking ahead to what it might look like. Knowing it will need to be done in a French/European style I thought I’d take a fresh look. I’ve grown to feel that many French style kitchens become “over columnized and over corbelized” – that they’re trying/working too hard. I’d like to see this kitchen pulled back with the noise taken out of it. Today, I went through some of our books and magazines to see if I could find examples the vision I held in my head. (The first sunny day in 5 days. What am I doing at my desk????) Here are some examples.

This will probably be too rustic, but I like the cabinet and exhaust hood details.

Sept - Dec 2009 Cote Est

I like the light fixture and the simple details of the cabinetry (even the pilasters…) in the next image. LOVE the cramone bolt!

The other half of the double page spread… The open shelves with their brackets add such a touch of elegance!

Dec 2010/Jan 2011 Cote Ouest

Still too rustic, but I love it anyway.

Axel Vervoordt Timeless Interiors

This has the sophistication and elegance I’m envisioning.

Axel Vervoordt Timeless Interiors

As does this kitchen with delft tile backsplash, furniture-like rift cut oak cabinets, beautiful exhaust hood and cool little pull out shelves below the counter.

Axel Vervoordt Timeless Interiors

Time for a break and a glass of wine in the garden before dinner.

Enjoy!

Fantastic Equine Photography by Lisa Cueman

Our recent Design Show vignette at the Wenham Museum offered many opportunities for us to get to know new artists and what the galleries are offering. We felt privileged to meet a new artist, Lisa Cueman, and feature her work in our vignette. I was captured by the magnetism of the photos I saw from Iris Gallery, Boston. As I reviewed the portfolio of new works, I knew that one of them would be a knock-out in our upcoming design show vignette.

Lisa, and Iris Gallery, graciously offered to loan us a piece, but frankly I was hard pressed to pick just one. Here I would like to show you all of our final picks. I would have been happy to feature any one of them in the show. John selected On the Run, and I said to myself, “John can have any one that he wants. I love them all.” So Lisa was wonderful enough to have the very first print made of On the Run, and you see it in our design show here.

On the Run

But I love In Flight, Mane Motion, etc.

The tilt of the head in Snow Dance is just lyrical. Music in photography. There is a wonderful energy here. An abstract quality along with the very real graphic quality. Studies in black, white and grey.

Many of Lisa’s photos that we loved were taken at mustang preserves out west, where she goes into the field and may wait for hours for “something to happen”. On the Run captures a magical moment. Notice the mane flowing, showing the movement of the horse, and the foreground flowers swaying in the breeze. Flowers and horse are clearly yards and yards apart. It is her skill with the lens that makes this a magical moment.

French Villa Style Meets the North Shore

The past few weeks have been rather hectic at the “WKD Ranch” with several new projects ramping up. Those first few conversations with a new client as you’re beginning to wrap your arms around their vision so that you can help them bring it to fruition are always so so exciting.

We start our projects by asking our clients to put together what we call an “Idea Book”, with pictures and articles of styles, furniture, lighting, cabinetry and millwork, flooring etc. that they love. I’d like to share some images from the Idea Book of one of our new clients, located on the North Shore of Boston. Her taste is exquisite and Sally is going to have an opportunity to do a white on white scheme with a strong French period influence. The design will be all about shape, form, pattern and texture – and letting Mother Nature do her thing with light. Our real challenge will be lighting the house at night. Can we begin to match the subtlety of the shifting moods of daylight?

Most of these images are from the current May/June issue of Veranda.