Farm kitchens and quaint corners

While not my usual preference, tonight I was browsing online and found some lovely farm kitchens. I find the distressed touches and old-fashioned warmth very sweet.

I'm a big believer in doing your kitchen to match the bones of your home. If you have an ultra-modern condo, that lends itself to a specific style of kitchen. If your house is a 1925 cottage, you can lean towards a worn and vintage look.

I think a kitchen that looks well-used but functions perfectly (and secretly has incredible, brand new appliances) might just be the perfect fit for the right home.

What do you think? Would you plan your renovation to be in keeping with the era/style of your home?

Love,
Kelly

Images courtesy of http://www.countryliving.com/ and http://www.kitchenliving.com/

Hello beautiful!

I just want to let you know, I'm in love. Something about the dark wood and green wall just calls to me. First of all, my faorite color is green. Second, I LOVE a tidy organized closet. Obviously this is totally staged (nobody has three of the exact same pink dress lined up in a row), but I love it anyway. In my dream world, my closet would be perfectly color coordinated with gorgeously simple storage bins to hide any miscellaneous or mismatched items.

Image courtesy of http://www.kitchentuneup.com/

We are working on a couple custom closet projects right now. Take a look at our portfolio to see what we've done already. We'll update it with new pictures once we finish our current projects in the Water's Edge building in downtown Clearwater.

Showing off your style, safely, in your kitchen

I want to take a moment to share a few tips about how to show off your style in your kitchen. Whether you spend $10k, $20k, or $100k on your kitchen, you ar likely to live with your choices (for better or worse) for quite a while. Most people don't renovate their kitchens every couple years, and nor should they have to!

This first picture is the ultimate example of WAY to much of your personal style being more or less permanently impressed on your home. The wildly painted cabinets and loud tile backsplash are both bad choices, not just because they are ugly (sorry to you sea-themed decorators out there!), but because they are difficult to change when your taste does.

Ths second kitchen is perhaps more tasteful, but still the perfect example of a classic mistake. Pink kitchen counters along with the pink backsplash are again going to remain in your kitchen long after your obession with pink has faded. And of course, should you decide to sell your house at some point, your buyer is not likely to have your same love for the feminine.

This final picture below shows that you can add a splash to your kitchen without making a long-term commitment. The chair covers, accessories, valances and even the wall color in the next room are all easy to change and relatively inexpensive. This kitchen obviously reflects the home owner's tastes without locking them in to lime/chartreuse cabinet doors with fruit-shaped door handles.

If you want some help with you design choices in your own kitchen, send us an email!

Images courtesy of http://www.tileswithstyle.com/, http://www.yourpinkkitchen.com/ and http://www.besthomedesign.blogspot.com/.

Tall, dark and modern

I ran across these two modern duo-toned kitchens tonight and thought I'd share the inspiration. I think they both would perfectly suit a modern or loft apartment...or maybe even a wide-open house with lots of windows.

The simple linear cabinet doors, straight hardware, and the fact that the upper cabinets are a lighter contrast to the lowers is what makes this kitchens modern but not too cold.

I also love that both kitchens have ultra light-colored floods compared to the cabinets.

Would you go bold and modern in your house? If you'd like us to design a kitchen to perfectly suit your home and style, let us know!

Images courtesy of http://www.kitchencabinetcorp.com/ and http://www.kbi.webnetry.com/.

The power of black

It seems to me that the color black carries with it a statement. Sleek black cars with tinted windows, the little black dress and the black cat that walks boldly across your path are all noticed. They might be admired, feared, loved or despised, but they are certainly noticed.

I think it takes a pretty bold person to create a black kitchen, but it certainly makes a statement, sometimes even a beautiful one. 

Image courtesy of http://www.uktv.co.uk/

Image courtesy of http://www.helpful-kitchen-tips.com/

Image courtesy of http://www.hgtv.com/

Image courtesy of http://www.housetohome.co.uk/

Image courtesy of http://www.thedailygreen.com/

Dr. Pepper Kitchen

The title of this post isn't a joke (Dr. Pepper Kitchen), this really is Dr. Pepper's kitchen...Dr. Ellendee Pepper of Seattle.

Somehow this kitchen pulls modern and traditional together seamlessly. I love the stainless steel accent around the countertops, love the dark wood, but what really pleases me are the upper cabinets. I ran across this kitchen on Elle Decor's website, and in the article they say that the kitchen has a low ceiling. I think the unobtrusive, glass-doored uppers are perfect for opening up the room, keeping it light up top and they almost give the impression of windows.

What do you think? Is there anything you'd change?

If you'd like us to design a kitchen like this for you, just let us know!

The mismatched kitchen island...do or don't?

From country kitchens to modern showhomes, we are seeing mismatched kitchen islands. Whether it be changing the wood species, paint color or countertops, you can't deny the contrast makes a statement.


Of course, personal style will always over-ride design rules. Do you love the a mix and match kitchen or prefer the uniform simplicity of a cohesive design?

I have to admit, that I'm torn! What do you think? Maybe it depends on the size of the room, the color palate of the home or the wild side of the home owner.

Images courtesy of www.elledecor.com, www.centuryporchpost.com, www.burmancabinets.com and www.farmfree3.static.flickr.com

Brass is back

I don't know whether you are mentally prepared for this revelation, but brass is back. You'll see it in door knobs, chandeliers, kitchen faucets, cabinet knobs and hinges, clocks and accessories. Surprised? I know!

You may have just completed ridding your home of all the 80's and 90's brass harware that lurked near your "ultra-fashionable" bathroom sinks, only to hear this bit of shocking news: brass is back. Here to stay? I don't think so. These trends come in and out of style as time passes; your best bet is to suit your hardware to the style of your home. If you have a lovely Victorian mansion, you never had any business doing a fully modern stark kitchen remodel anyway; if you can learn the era and style of your home, your kitchen (and your hardware) will always be in style regardless of trends that change with the wind.

What do you think? Will you reincorporate brass or gold in your home?

If you'd like us to design a kitchen, bathroom or office to suit your home, let us know!

Could Giada De Laurentiis and I actually be the same person?

Could Giada De Laurentiis and I actually be the same person?

The signs are all there, I love to cook (I'm an expert at making Giada's saffron chicken scallopine), she is a famous Italian chef; I love being a mother, she has a beautiful daughter, Jade; I love Anthropologie, she married Anthropologie designer Todd Thompson; the list goes on!

The ultimate proof is our shared love for simple, professional, sophisticated design. Below you will see Giada's own kitchen, dining room and outdoor kitchen.

Giada and her husband Todd, built their home from the ground up with the help of friend/architect/neighbor, Peter Cohen. The kitchen's the deep, dark brown wenge-wood cabinets are set off gorgeously by the white concrete floors and white marble countertops. With two dishwashers ard four ovens, the kitchen is well-equipped to handle what I would imagine to be frequent dinner parties.

If you are interested in acheiving style like this is your kitchen, call us! Our company, Urban Kitchen and Bath, would love to do a free design and quote for you.

Photo credits: http://www.gremlindog.com/, http://www.architecturaldigest.com/

A little Italian inspiration in the kitchen

Italians just have that knack for style. From shoes to bags to cars, they've now outdone themselves in the kitchen. Italian Luca Lanzetta heads Ernestomeda Chicago's design team who have crafted some gorgeoulsy unique kitchens.

Ernestomeda is an Italian based company who's settled in Chicago to inspire Americans with clever range hoods and simple, beautifully designed cabinets.

Can you imagine yourself, tiny espresso in hand, plucking a couple basil leaves from your plants atop your bright red hood (the basil is, of course, for the perfect marinara sauce you have simmering quietly) in your well-appointed, modern, Italian-inspired kitchen?

Here in Clearwater, Florida, we built a kitchen very similar to the one pictured above. All custom glossy white cabinetry with stainless steel channeling, it was an incredible project from start to finish. Click here to view Holger and Julia Peens' kitchen on our website.

Texture, utility and sheer loveliness in a kitchen

When texture, utility and sheer loveliness combine in a kitchen, something special has happened.

My current love is a long table. Not a table with removable leaves that are packed away until Thanksgiving, but a permanent long table that says to the world that you love to entertain every day of the week. I love that DC designers Coleprevost used a table here instead of an island. It completes the kitchen and looks totally at ease where another table might feel insignificant in the room.

The blue on the walls, the plants surrounded by the natural rock and the cute hanging swing just make my day; they make an otherwise stark room cozy.

Photos courtesy of Decorati

Would you like a kitchen like the one you saw here? We'd love to design one to suit your home. Click here to request a free design and quote or click here to see our portfolio.

Mismatched perfection collides in a Manhattan kitchen

Can you think of anything better than a chalkboard panel fridge?! This gorgeous Manhattan aparment was originally built in 1884 by the man who designed the Plaza Hotel in NY. Originally owned by Western Union, it was more recently acquired by  Bronson Van Wyck (after whose ancestors the Expressway in Queens was named). Van Wyck, an event and party planner, knows a thing or two about style. His portfolio includes parties for everyone from P. Diddy to Bill Clinton.  He enlisted the help of designer Oliver Freundlich (of Made) to make-over the promising apartment and the success of that parternship is evident below.

This kitchen remodel (photos courtesy of Elle Decor) is classic clever design and gorgeous use of space.

What do you love about this remodel? What would you have done differently? Are you ready to move to a little apartment in the City and throw chic little soirees in your own adorable kitchen? I'll join you!

If you'd like us to design a similar look for your home, let us know! Urban Kitchen and Bath specializes in design and remodeling.

Bang for your $$$

Many agree, the kitchen is the heart of a home; the place the family gathers and spends quality time. It might also be a deal maker or breaker for a home buyer.

Watch the short video below to see three couples who spent $40,000 each in remodeling their kitchens. Not only will they enjoy their new rooms for as long as they live in their house, but they'll also see a nice return on their investment when it comes time to sell their gorgeous homes.



Video courtesy of HGTV show Bang for Your Buck

To see kitchens we've remodeled here in the Tampa Bay area, click here.

Delicious Summer Fun

There’s something so inspiring about summer. Despite the heat, summer makes me crave the outdoors. I dream of long days of swimming and kickball games and lazy bike rides followed by late nights sitting poolside and gathering with good friends and good food.

Whether your summer nights and days are spent at the beach, grilling on your rooftop deck, sitting on your veranda overlooking the lake, or in your backyard with your family, you know you’re going to have a good time.

Show us your personal outdoor space. We'd love to design a kitchen for you. Click here for details.

Check out these awesome outdoor kitchens to complete the picture:


photo courtesy of: www.beinteriordecorator.com


photo courtesy of www.caesarstoneus.com


photo courtesy of: www.kitchen-remodeling-info.com

photo courtesy of: www.woodworkingnetwork.com