In honor of my recent trip to New Orleans, what is a Fleur-de-lis?
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily (in French, fleur means flower, and lis means lily) or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. Dictionary.com ~
Fleur-de-lis is a heraldic device somewhat resembling three petals or
floral segments of an iris tied by and encircling band. The heraldic bearing of the royal family of France. The iris flower or plant.
From the time the French Explorers founded New Orleans in 1717 the fleur-de-lis has been a strong iconic symbol of New Orleans French heritage. From the architecture to the Saints logo, the Fleur-de-lis is an everlasting testament to the strength and history of the city of New Orleans.
I spotted the Wine Logic as an entry in Best of KBIS during #KBIS2013 and I knew it would make for a great Friday Kitchen find.
photo credit wine-logic.com
It you are a wine enthusiast and have begun to collect and purchase wine, then this Friday Kitchen find is a perfect solution to your wine storage needs. The Wine Logic has three roll-out shelves, holding up to 18 bottles and fits into a standard base cabinets. It is easily installed and you could have multiple units installed to create your own personal wine cellar. Check out this video
left to right Lori Gilder, Andie Day, Amanda Talley, Meridith Heron, Carmen Christensen
While in New Orleans for KBIS I had the pleasure of going to, artist, Amanda Talley's gallery. In the heart of the New Orleans Garden District, Amanda's gallery is located in an amazing old building built originally to house a pharmacy in the early 1800's.
photo credit amandatalley.com
upstairs living area with amazing exposed brick
floor to ceiling windows lead out to a 2nd story balcony
The street level space houses the Gallery, a fabulous courtyard and Amanda's art studio. The upper level of the building is where the artist calls home. The character of the building combined with the vibrancy of Amanda's work and her amazing hospitality made for a memorable experience.
Amanda Talley in her studio
a look at Amanda's work in her Gallery
gallery director Randy Jackson
So what does this have to do with Wallpaper? Well Amanda the Artist has a distinct style and creates works of art that have been transposed into fabric...
Amanda in her gallery wearing a dress made of fabric designed from her art
and quite naturally into this amazing wallpaper...
The wallpaper comes 24" x 144"and can be purchased for $120/roll Check out these most recent patterns
Just back from KBIS ~Kitchen and Bath Industry Show~ in New Orleans and I am excited to share with you a few highlights and Trends of the show. For me a big part of attending the show is to connect with my peers and like minded professionals. It is an opportunity to meet new people, discover new products and have a hands on experience with the latest and greatest. And here is but a sampling of the trends and highlights I spotted during#KBIS2013.
There was a definate infusion of color throughout the show. Bright bold colors are definately on trend as was seen in Formica's booth highligting their Laminate Anniversary Collection. The colorful R.Christensen Spectrum collection Berenson hardware booth and Kohlers Whist Glass undermount bathroom sink was on spot. Color is in and growing stronger as was evident during KBIS2013.
photo credit formica.com
left is Berenson's R.Christensen Spectrum Collection
right top is Kohler's Whist Glass Undermount Bathroom Sink
bottom right is Formica's Booth KBIS2013
Another trend is the growing by leaps and bounds is automation in the kitchen and bath, from Hafele's emphasis on Universal Design and automated cabinetry fittings to Brizo's Charlotte handsfree SmartTouchPlus Technology, Kohler's Moxie Showerhead wireless speaker. With automation, seeing really is believing so check out these videos and see for yourself how automation and technology is becoming part of everyday kitchens and baths...
Universal Design and Automated Cabinetry fittings
Brizo Charlotte handsfree Technology
Kohler's Moxie Showerhead Wireless speaker
And here are a few highlights...
The Kalamazoo Hybrid Fire Grill is the ultimate grill. A seriously powerful, professional-grade gas grill that also cooks with charcoal and wood. Changing fuels is as easy as opening a drawer. Be sure to check out an earlier post about their outdoor dishwasher --> CLICK HERE
photo credit kalamazoo outdoor gourmet
Fiandre Architectural Surfaces - beautiful porcelain tile that comes large sizes 60" x 36" and 60" x 120". They are amazingly realistic and have a striking appearance.Would be spectacular in a shower surround.
CHROME CHROME CHROME - polished chrome was everywhere. It was great to see some new modern styling in the timeless polished chrome finish.
Berensen R.Christensen—Level Art Tech
Berensen— Dierdra Collection
Emtek—Zeus polished chrome entry set
Top knobs—Chareau Collection
Berensen R. Christensen—Axis Art Tech
In addition to attending the show I was also part of it, as a member of the KBIS Design Studios team of designers, I had the fortune to present my GenX Outdoor Living design to show attendees in conjunction with QueX and Telliris technology. I will be sharing this with you in a future post.
The Friday Kitchen find is, yes you read it right, an Outdoor, and yes I said "Outdoor", Dishwasher!
{ Who knew? }
I can tell you who, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet™ knew and they did exactly that, they have designed a dishwasher that can withstand the harshness of the outdoor elements and I think it is brilliant!
Outdoor living spaces, and especially outdoor kitchens, are becoming the norm in luxury homes. Everyone is spending more time at home and with the way we are now living in our homes, entertaining in our homes and nesting in our homes, we are most definitely spending more time in the outdoor spaces around our home. And why shouldn't your outdoor kitchen have the same luxuries as your indoor kitchen?
Remember when you had your last cookout and afterwards you and all of your guests carried the plates, pots and pans indoors to be put in the dishwasher? Those days are a thing of the past. Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet™, the leading manufacturer of high-end outdoor kitchen equipment, makes doing barbecue dishes easy and faster with an outdoor dishwasher specifically made to work outside. Able to withstand the harshness of the elements, it features a unique wash system designed to clean dishes that have been sitting outdoors or pots and pans that have been over the fire of a grill.
