The Baker's Kitchen - Reality Design!!

Ranch Style Kitchen!

Absolute granite counter tops surround while black bakers island in bianco carrara marble top gives the homeowner the perfect workspace opposite the double ovens!

Angled peninsula/breakfast bar to accommodate passage from front foyer to kitchen to family room areas. Wonderful flow and function for entertaining. Just think of the buffets on that space to the left!

 Enter from garage through kitchen side door into the ample pantry area and move onto the great sink! Undermount deep stainless steel sink paired with a very functional pot filler faucet!

Can's see the dirty dishes from the table but you can see the gorgeous gray hued                glass verticle tiles....ahhh!

Opened the wall of this ranch home to allow light flow, conversational flow and overall open feeling to the kitchen. Allowed enough wall space to remain for a double oven.... see above for more photos.

Breakfast break or stop and chat with chef!


This is your classic ranch home!  The removal of two walls, one in common with the foyer and the other in common with the family room opened this kitchen up to light and functional flow! The updated lighting and angled peninsula give it an unexpected twist. No more dungeon kitchen. Reconfigured completely. Not pictured, to the right of the refridgerator is a office area desk space underneath a lovely front window! Just knock out, REASONABLE solutions!! Just add: art and accessories....

NEUTRALITY! Always a good place..............

The ground is crisp white cotton and the floral is marked with palest gold, deep charcoal, medium gray.  The stripe is a lush cut velvet in deep gray, taupe on a pale gold ground.  The stunning plaid/herringbone cotton weave is grounded in white linen woven with palest gold herringbone pattern with larger all over simmering gold metallic checks. Lastly the solid textural woven cotton gray nubby needle point.  What to do?  Oh that is easy.  This ensemble would make a striking family room.  Sofas in a very durable soft cotton chenille solid pale gold.  The textured plaid for the comfy chairs.  The ottoman in the solid needlepoint, tufted with nailheads!  Combine the velvet stripe and floral pillows with thick soft brush fringe, oh please do!  For the adventurous, the floral on the windows!  Or for a more transitional look do the windows in a natural wood shade.  Set yourself up with some end tables in a soft black finish,  some white porcelain lamps with linen shades, some soft gold woven baskets for storage.  This is divine neutrality at its best.  

Go ahead an throw in a ginormous plasma TV and DONE.

The magic of fabric!

Whether it is a neutral scheme like the first,or the neutral scheme like the last, or bold colors in between offset by natural linen ground, the colors and textures, fabric scale and content all contribute to an amazing collection! The first all neutral scheme says a calm and sophisticated romantic bedroom or formal living room.  The second linen, chartreuse, turquoise scheme speaks coastal family room!  The classic blue and white floral with blue chenilles makes for a bright casual living room.  Now the cool warm neutral floral combined with the slight shimmering gold, ivory plaid in cottons and linens are offset by the cool cotton woven fisherman's knit that would make an amazing sofa paired with the silk cotton chenille stripe that marries all the colors in the floral.  This would make a great room anywhere!  Which one do you identify with?

A Natural Inspiration

Here is a photo I took the other day at around 2:30 in the afternoon after a soft rain.  Look at the color inspiration here!!  This is a color scheme begging to be translated into a room or an entire home!  The assorted browns are obvious.  Flooring, larger pieces of furniture offer the sleekness and richness of brown.  Greens are window treatments and wall color.  Greys are stainless steel accents such as tables or more literally actual stone in a fireplace!  Deep purple and orange are wonderful accent colors that could be showcased in art, florals, pillows and accessories.  This could be a subtle or bold scheme depending on the saturation of color used.  For a spa like quiet feel add gray hues to soften each color. 
The lesson here is not to be afraid of color, IF you know what you are doing with it.  A purpose is required of course.  It is all in the way color is combined, how intense and knowing when and where to punch it up.  Texture can not be ignored with this inspiration either!  Look at the smooth bark, the chunky stone, the wavy ivy ground cover, whispy grass and lacey branches.  There is a balance among the massive variety so perfectly provided in nature.  Don't be overwhelmed, just look outside for your inspirations.  It is all there before you.  Translation is the key and sometimes requires an expert eye to make the transition from the natural environment to your home environment.

What is your Style? You do have one.

A very simple way to determine your style is to go onto google images and just put words for objects you would like to see.  Now make a selection of about 20 - 30 things/objects that appeal to you.  Copy them onto your photo alblum space on your computer.  Very quickly you will see a development of your style appear.  Keep doing this until you are satisfied that you have covered enough subject matters and given yourself the opportunity to consider texture, color, light and dark. 

This exercise will be most helpful to determining your style.  It may be that you are acclectic and really just appreciate all kinds of shapes, sizes, color, texture and designs and that is okay.  You may become overwhelmed by how your selections don't seem to define your sense of style.  Someone who is trained in design will be able to interpret this for you and will translate it into a most magnificant space that will speak to you.

Here are some examples of very different table top designs.  They all have very different styles and may not appeal to everyone.   Choosing just one will begin revealing your style to you.

Enjoy!

Amy

Celebrating Decoration!

Mini lighted trees added to a buffet server bring holiday sparkle!

Tiny arrangements made in vintage unpolished sterling warm things up without being too fussy.

The more the merrier with these flanking small trees and topiaries adorning the mantel.  Go over the top by adding sprigs of greens, candles and battery operated mini lights.  Here the artwork needs to be hung higher to leave more breathing room for the holiday decor.

White birch wrapped planter with year long life-like greens make this a statement piece and pull color  into the space.

White birch ribbon and exaggerated pine needles make this sweet wreath an organic looking treasure.

Some are allergic to pine and must opt for the life-like alternative.  The beauty of it is you can always make it fit the room!

The Foundation of Design - Sound Advice

It may seem obvious to some that the foundation of a design is the artchitectural elements that form the space.  The foundation of designing a great men's custom shirt is based on the measurement of the body: arms, neck, chest, shoulder, waist and hip.  The off the rack shirt may fit okay but to fit optimally those measurements are key to designing at the highest level.  For the room it is not only the length, width, height.  In order to produce a great design for the room all the elements that are structural need to be included in the plan.  Taking into consideration, beams, columns, doors, windows, angled walls etc.  These elements are deal breakers when you are designing a space.  Not including just one can throw off the whole design.

Measurements and architectural elements are the truth of the space and are what some may consider the limitation or the challenge.  This is what separates a good eye from good design.  Professionals know this to be an exacting science and the more the professional designer understands this principle, the more the professional knows they are constantly challenged.

As a client, it is important to know that all good design begins with proper measurement of existing space or an accurate and updated version of a blue print.  The more accurate the measurement or the plan, the better the design can be executed.  Very often clients would like to take this out of the equation and want to simply opine on the subject of what would be best for a space.  Not a good idea.  Always put to paper what is intended for a space.  It does not have to be fancy just include the truth of the space.

Would you walk around in size 9 shoes if you wear an 8?  Short cuts are the way to a sloppy design.  http://www.interiorconceptsbyamy.com/