Let me start off by introducing myself, since this is my first blog post. I’m the editor of K+BB’s Industry Watch newsletter, I have a background in interior design and recently had the opportunity to attend Moen’s Inspire 2011 conference. The event not only gave me my first introduction to New Mexico (A state I absolutely can’t wait to revisit), but also made me stop and think about work, but more importantly, how we work.

Now, the conference certainly had a series of sessions that showcased both kitchen and bath products and design, but I also found one of the speakers who addressed what she called the “work/life balance” fascinating. The ideas brought up in the session resonated with me, so I thought I’d share.

The session speaker pointed out that we are currently living in a world with very little predictability or stability. Almost anyone who has been working in the design field can probably relate…and then some. So what do you do when life becomes unpredictable? Do you overcompensate and work even harder, hoping everything will fall into place? Or do you shut down and go into survival mode, just trying to get by. Presumably everyone reacts in their own unique way.

So there’s a lot that’s beyond our control, but how do we find balance in our work and lives? This session pointed out that as much as we push ourselves and think “you can do it,” ultimately, you can’t keep up. You will never get it all done, there’s too much to do and not enough time. Now that much we know.

Well, this workshop suggested that in life, real balance comes from “connection.” Or in other words, connection creates balance. It’s the relationships that you have in your life that bring meaning and a sense of being grounded. These can be connections with friends and family or co-workers and clients.

In the workshop, we were asked to turn to those sitting next to us and share a ritual in our lives, and it didn’t have to something deeply profound, it could be as simple as walking your dog every morning. But, sharing even this small piece of information with a complete stranger led to a familiarity that was totally unexpected. And, no, I don’t think the point was to spout your deepest thoughts to people randomly sitting next to you. I do think, however, that often we get so caught up in the day-to-day with the “to do” lists running through our heads, that we forget to reach out and make that connection. To stop and listen or ask a question.

There will always be reasons why you don’t reach out to connect. We’re all busy. But it was interesting in the midst of a conference looking at design and inspiration, to take a few minutes to think about how we connect with others. And perhaps that may be the key to a more rounded and successful career and personal life.

-Nichole Schulze, K+BB Industry Watch editor

A century ago, the emphasis for kitchen and bath design was all about sanitation and safety. Plumbing was paramount.

Today’s design is all about fashion with an emphasis on “different and creative” at every turn. While it’s hard not to get caught up in so many unique materials and products to gladden the hearts of most designers, we should also think about the aging utilities and services.

When I first started in kitchen and bath design, that wasn’t something we discussed, simply because appliances and plumbing fixtures of the day didn’t require much.

That’s all changed—tubs are getting larger, ranges grow more powerful and multi-sinks and faucets are becoming the norm.

I think we have to pay attention to our aging housing stock. The majority of homes in North America are reaching the 40-year-old mark. Many have outdated electrical panels or insufficient electrical supply. In homes older than that, some of us are still dealing with fuses or
old knob-and-tube wiring, or old cast-iron pipes and insufficient water pressure.

These systems were never meant for all the appliances and plumbing fixtures we have today.

Of course they can be updated, and some already are. But do you know the homes in your area well enough to make you hesitate over some of your specification choices?

For example, in California we’re dealing with failing 50-year-old gas lines. The latest home gas explosion in Cupertino was last week and follows the multihome explosion in San Bruno last year. The culprit is old pipes. My late father, who used to work for a gas pipeline, would have simply asked, “Where were the shut-off valves?” That there aren’t any isn’t a good sign. Do we know when the entire pipeline will be updated or replaced? Not really.

As a kitchen designer, does this make me hesitate about whether a gas range or oven is a good option for a client? Of course it does.
Unlike other rooms, we can’t always skim-coat a kitchen or bath with materials and call it new. As long as the “bigger, stronger, faster” products come into play, I don’t see this improving. Before we put a pen to paper (or a mouse to pad), this should be one of the first questions we ask a client: “What is the age of your house?”

I envy those of you working in newer towns and subdivisions.

Until next time, Kelly

What’s red, white and green all over? This year’s “Urban Farmhouse” from Green Builder Magazine. Sustainably built in Orlando, FL, for this past January’s International Builder’s Show, it was one of two great homes created by Green Builder Magazine’s VISION HOUSE series. I’ve blogged a little bit about this home in the past, but wanted to share a few aspects of the interiors. Simple in concept, and designed with an open floor plan, it’s a hybrid of both country and contemporary. And it’s not too much of either, so the result is easy and pleasant, neither heavy-handed nor starkly modern.

The exterior harkens back to southern country style, with open porches and large, cottage-style windows. The red shutters not only add a traditional flair, but secretly hide their true function: They are actually incredibly strong hurricane shutters. An EnergyStar silver-colored roof that looks like one found on an old silo is also used as siding on the side entry, further enhancing the “farmhouse” look.

The interior of the house is where it gets GREEN. As the interior designer of the project, I was responsible for keeping the inside as green and sustainable as the outside. Nowadays, it’s not as difficult as it used to be. The kitchen and dining area, pictured below, boasts many gorgeous green products.

Energy-efficient appliances from KitchenAid include an induction cooktop, and an Energy-Star-rated refrigerator and dishwasher. Simple flat-panel-style cabinetry from Merillat is made from plywood with no added urea formaldehyde. Quartz countertops from DeNova that look like modern concrete add a decided modern flair and are GreenGuard-certified for good indoor air quality. The engineered wood flooring from Mohawk gives the appearance of a New York City loft, probably because it’s actually used flooring salvaged from old buildings!

Some other green elements featured in this home were the great pendant lights from Barnwood Electric and the really cool dining room table from Martha’s Vineyard Furniture that is made from dismantled stadium bleacher seats. In the family room, the fireplace wall was covered in Dal-Tile’s terrazzo tile, which is made from recycled marble and stone chips and concrete. During construction, there were so many wooden pallets lying around, I decided to use some of them to create the wooden shelving on either side of the fireplace. There was a piece of laminated floor joist left over from construction, so I used that as a rough but hip looking fireplace “mantle.”

I mentioned before that today, it’s easier to find great green products. All of these beautiful products featured are readily available in home centers, online, or through local showrooms. There’s great selections available at all price points and styles, so there’s no compromise in terms of design or cost.

Some years ago, when I first started talking about sustainable interiors, I said that I wished for a day when “green design” would just be called “good design.” That someday, there wouldn’t be a giant rift between the two. I think that day is here, and I’m looking forward to what’s coming next.

—Patricia Gaylor

Okay, I admit that I had no idea who Marco Piva was until I received an email about some products he’s designed that will be on display at this year’s Milan Furniture Fair. But from a quick tour of his Studio Marco Piva, with a quick side trip to Wikipedia, I learned that he’s an architect, interior designer and industrial designer who has worked with such companies as Moroso, Arpa, La Murrina and Rapsel, just to name a few. (If you go to his website and click on Product Design, you’ll find images of his work, which is pretty interesting).

You may have already seen Witch, a pendant he designed for Leucos, which seems to be getting a lot of ink of late—and, as you can see, with good reason. The light fixture is equipped with a shapely blown-glass diffuser in transparent black, mirrored crystal, white or gray. Moreover, the black diffuser can be paired with a red light for that extra touch of mystery and drama.

This wintry white and gray version is quite nice, too.

But what really made me stop and take a closer look were the images of Piva’s collaboration wtih MGM Furnari, a stone company, which won an award at Marmomacc for its booth. Unfortunately, the press release accompanying the images didn’t have a lot to say but the sinks below are pretty cool.

Piva has also designed Vitrum, a line of home controls for Think Simple. Formed of glass, the panels, which operate wirelessly, incorporate touch control technology and lighting in a clean—no screws or visible fasteners—ultra-modern look. For more information on the system, check out the Vitrum website.

—Alice Liao