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

A "LIFT" kitchen...incredible innovation

There's "thinking outside the box" and then there's the LIFT kitchen.

Imagine your upper and lower cabinets hanging on rails. Yes, rails. They can slide up and down and you can adjust them into any configuration you like at any time. You can lower them all down to provide yourself with some display counter space, you can raise the upper cabinets high to reveal your stovetop, sink and counter space atop your lower cabinets. You can stagger them to suit your whim or needs.

Below you can see the upper cabinets have been dropped down. The only vertical piece remaining is the fridge.

photo courtesy of www.european-kitchen-design.com

Here they just slid the upper cabinets up and revealed a more conventional kitchen set-up (if the word conventional can be used to describe this kitchen at all).

photo courtesy of www.european-kitchen-design.com

See how they can slide into any position to provide you with the counter or display space you need.

Let us help you with your kitchen remodel. Whether you are looking for unconventional or classically elegant, we can help you design the perfect look for your home. Click here to visit our website.

Brilliant Storage Idea

I don't know about you, but clutter drives me nuts and I'm always looking for more storage space to tuck away my worldly possessions.

I love a simply decorated house with a couple unique pieces on display and the rest hidden for another day.

Here is a brilliant storage idea for someone living in a two-story. Truth be told, for those of us who don't have stairs, this concept could be applied to so many areas in your house. Look around your living room and I'm sure you'll find the perfect wall to add custom pull-out cabinets like these. You could place them under a counter, flanking a bookshelf or on either side of your TV.

Your new-found storage would make the perfect linen closet or provide a spot to keep your holiday ornaments. Without getting too carried away, I can't help but think, the possibilities are endless!

photo courtesy of www.furniture-for-small-spaces.com

And of course, don't forget that Urban Kitchen and Bath can build it for you! Just click here for a free design and estimate!

Harbor Island Kitchen Remodel, Tampa, Florida

The Kipnis kitchen remodel, on Harbor Island in Tampa, Florida, was a beautiful example of style that suits the home owner's personality.

The white oak cabinetry stained in "slate grey" is the perfect contrast to the white calcite countertops. We chose these tops because of their gorgeous grey linear movement; they perfectly set off the dark wood and pale glass.

The upper cabinets are fitted with 70 degree sand blasted glass. Each door opens vertically with Blum Aventos lift-up hinges.

The lower cabinets are fitted with stainless steel legs rather than toe kick. This gives the kitchen a modern furniture look and suits the home beautifully.

With a Viking wall-oven/microwave combo, gas range cooktop and hood, the stainless steel hardware completes the look.

Simple, modern, elegant.

Here is a testimonial from Nancy Kipnis:

After much research, we contracted Urban Kitchen and Bath to remodel our kitchen. Jered and his team were amazing to work with. He offered creative ideas, price options, kept on schedule and stuck to our budget. We love our fabulous new kitchen and look forward to spending time in it every day. We are now moving on to bathrooms and closets and look forward to working on yet another project with Urban Kitchen and Bath.

- Nancy Kipnis, Harbor Island Tampa, FL

photos by K&K Photography