Outdoor Spaces With Remodelista Team
Sure sign of spring: It's Color Stories week at Gardenista. Here are some bright moments not to miss, private gardens of Paris included.
Above: Lady in Red: A Woodland Chicken Coop with Charm to Spare. Alert: Also don't miss 11 Gardens Ideas to Steal to Add a Touch of Red.
Above: 10 Easy Pieces: Straw Hats.
Above: Wedding Season: Gift Picks from the Remodelista & Gardenista Market on May 9.
Above: On the Road: For $75K, a Tiny Luxe House on Wheels.
Above: Required Reading: Private Gardens of Paris.
Above: Garden Designer Visit: A Burst of Color in the Green Mountains.
For much more, head to Gardenista and peruse the all the back issues.
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Home Inspiration With Christine Chang Hanway
The other day I found myself in a Twitter conversation with UK industrial designer Sebastian Conran (yes, of that Conran family; he's the son of Sir Terence Conran and older brother of fashion designer Jasper Conran and interior designer Sophie Conran). Sebastian has been hosting a Twitter debate on the subject of #beautility, the merging of functionality and style, a concept he is championing.
He got his start stocking shelves at Habitat and currently runs his own firm, Sebastian Conran Associates, which specializes in "user-centric" design, from products to packaging. Last year the company launched Universal Expert, Sebastian's line of cookware, storage accessories, and other housewares (available in the US through West Elm, and now through the London West Elm as well).
The upshot of our Twitter conversation? I asked Sebastian to sit down and answer some questions about designing a small kitchen based on the principles of beautility. Here's his take.
Above: A tiny kitchen by Oakland architect Christi Azevedo (see more at A California Carriage House Transformed).
How Do We Achieve Beautility in a Small Kitchen?
In most small houses, the kitchen is the central focus for activity. It has to work as a place to entertain friends and catch up on the Sunday news while also being set up for serious cooking. Small kitchens are particularly challenging not only to design but also to work in—designing galleys in boats and aircraft is something I have done in the past, so I know this all too well. Thankfully, with a home you don't have to worry about rolling seas or air turbulence. To operate efficiently in a small kitchen, you have to consider a lot of functional demands; here are some pointers on each.
- Layout: A logical layout helps maximize the use of space. And it should make cleaning and maintenance easier, especially in heavy-use areas. From my days designing boats and airplanes, I learned that the galley kitchen with prep/cook/wash and serve counters on either side of a narrow walkway is a very space-efficient layout.
Above: See Remodeling 101: The Urban Galley Kitchen for ideas on laying out a galley kitchen. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.
- Accessibility: Easy access to equipment, storage, and waste disposal/recycling helps to encourage good habits.
- Equipment: The quality of equipment you use makes a difference over time as well. Choosing multifunctional products and fixtures that save space can reduce the amount of tools needed—a chopping board that folds over the sink is a good example.
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Materials and finishes: The quality of your materials and finishes are a fundamental consideration to the concept of "beautility." By using honest materials that age gracefully, such as wood, stone, ceramic, glass, and stainless, your environment can gain character over time. I tend to steer clear of plastics and laminates as they might unpleasantly degrade with time and can harbor bacteria.
Above: A soapstone countertop in a kitchen in Maine; see more at Remodeling 101: Soapstone Countertops. Photograph by Justine Hand.
Beautility Kitchen Must-Haves?
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Open shelves: Personally, I prefer to keep regular-use items in open shelves rather than cabinets because in small spaces doors can get in the way; this not only means that it's easier to get at stuff with one hand but also it forces you to keep only the really loved products that you actually use and to edit out all the junk. A well-organized system of cabinets is the preserve of more occasional items and foods.
Above: Open shelves and hooks on walls—see Steal This Look: Toronto Kitchen by Jennifer Hannotte.
Above: Built-ins can hide a lot of clutter and unify appliances and equipment. Photograph via Alvhem.
Beautility on a Budget?
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Go for quality rather than quantity: The quality is long remembered after the price is forgotten. Investing in time-proved materials and methods that suit their purpose, rather than opting for fashionable alternatives. It's very much about choosing the right tools for the job. Funnily enough, cooking itself is actually all about form follows fabrication—the quality of the materials (produce) and the expertise of the maker (cook) totally affect the outcome—probably more so than any other process.
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Consider multifunctionality: Try to buy equipment that can be used for lots of jobs. You can cook and serve from a beautiful pan, and wooden spoons make wonderful salad servers. Flea markets are a good source for previously loved good quality cookware (the cheap stuff doesn't last long enough to make it to the rummage sale).
Above: Designers Jersey Ice Cream Co. transformed Justine Hand's New England kitchen within a strict budget. See Rehab Diary: Dream Kitchen for Under $3,000.
Interested in seeing more small-space kitchens? Go to 10 Ingenious Space-Efficient Kitchens. More Small-Space Living tips can be found in 10 Easy Pieces: Desks for Small Spaces.
And on Gardenista, we explore the world of small with Hardscaping 101: Garden Sheds.
This post is an update. It originally ran on September 23, 2014, as part of our Kitchens Around the World issue.
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Kitchens With Meredith Swinehart
Meet the latest development in the trend to bring the professional kitchen home. We predict the French-door wall oven is the next must-have design.
Above: In an LA kitchen, architect Jeff Troyer of JWT Associates installed the American Range Legacy Series 30-Inch AROFFE230 double French-door oven; it's $7,999 at AJ Madison.
Troyer tells us, "We chose the French door model because my client loves to cook but has a serious shoulder injury, which limits raising her arms. She wanted double ovens but thought it would be impossible for her to open the upper oven if it had a conventional door." The French door style also helped to maximize space: There's only 36 inches from oven wall to kitchen island, and the French doors allow room for users to stand in front of the oven with the doors open.
What is a French-door wall oven?
Relatively rare in private homes but common in commercial kitchens, French-door wall ovens have two doors that open outward simultaneously: Pull on one handle and both doors open, which means your other hand is free to hold whatever's going inside.
Above: A Viking VDOF730SS 30-Inch Double Oven with French doors on top and conventional doors below is $6,849 from Amazon.
What are the advantages of a French-door wall oven?
- A French-door oven can be safer to use than an oven with a conventional fold-down door since you don't have to reach over a hot oven door to get to the oven's interior.
- The opening action of the French doors helps people with back or shoulder problems avoid the awkward motion of opening a conventional pull-down door.
- As with all wall ovens, you never have to bend down into the oven to put in or take out something heavy.
- You can stand closer to the oven when the doors are open, making it easier to keep an eye on what you're cooking and test for doneness.
- For kitchens in which every inch counts, the French-door style requires less space in front of the oven than the conventional pull-down door. For example, the American Range French-door oven is 39.5 inches deep when the doors are open, while the pull-down version is 45.25 inches deep. It's a modest savings, but don't forget that you also have to fit yourself in front of the oven.
- Because most of these ovens are new to the market—the exception is the BlueStar range, which came out in 2008—they're likely to feature the latest oven technologies. The GE Monogram version, for example, can be controlled remotely from a smartphone. (We featured the BlueStar ranges when they arrived in 2008; see Appliances: BlueStar Wall Ovens.)
Above: The 30-inch BlueStar Electric Wall Oven is available in 190 colors and is $4,099 from AJ Madison.
How much do French-door wall ovens cost?
On the whole, ovens with French doors are more expensive than their conventional counterparts. The GE Monogram Professional French-door oven retails at $4,699, while its equal with a pull-down door is $3,799. The American Range Legacy Series French door oven is $3,899 at AJ Madison, while its standard-door counterpart is $3,499.
BlueStar's pricing is equal opportunity. Both the French door and pull-down versions of its Electric Wall Oven (above) are $4,099 at AJ Madison.
Viking's version isn't easy to compare because its French-door offering comes only as a double oven with French doors on top and a standard door on bottom. It starts at $6,849 on Amazon.
Any drawbacks to be aware of (other than price)?
- The space-saving pros of French-door wall ovens need careful consideration based on your space. While the French doors may not require as much room in front of them, they do require room on both sides in order to open. For example, the Viking French doors require a minimum of 18 inches of clearance on both sides.
- If you're after a flush-mount European look to your kitchen appliances, you're out of luck: French door ovens can't be flush—again because the doors need room to open.
- Though French-door wall ovens save users from having to reach over hot oven doors, we wonder if two hot oven doors open at waist or shoulder height is equally risky.
- Note that the Viking model doesn't offer the same space savings as the others, because its French-door oven is stacked on top of a conventional-door oven. When the top French doors are open, the unit's total depth is 39 5/8 inches. But when the bottom door is open, the total depth is 46 inches (and you'll also need room to stand in front of the open oven door).
Above: The GE Monogram 30-Inch Professional French Door Convection Oven was released in February 2015 and is $4,699.
The verdict?
Base your decision on your space and needs. Because of the room required to open the doors on both sides of the oven, French-door wall ovens aren't exactly small-space appliances, but they can offer real space savings in some layouts. And for people with physical restrictions, they can be a godsend.
Keep in mind that many manufacturers, including Bosch, also make wall ovens with single side-opening doors: a development we reported on back in 2008. These swing-door ovens require more opening space in front than French-door models but only need room on one side for the door to open. And they offer the same one-handed ease of use as French doors.
Have experience with any of these ovens? Fill us in in the Comments section below.
Designing a new kitchen or upgrading? See more of our Remodeling 101 appliance primers:
Considering classic French doors? See Remodeling 101: The Ins and Outs of French Doors.
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Home Inspiration With Meredith Swinehart
We're holding our first Remodelista & Gardenista Market of the year on May 9 at the Marin Country Mart in Larkspur, California, a 30-minute drive from San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge. (Or take the Golden Gate Ferry for a scenic trip past Alcatraz Island.)
More than 40 of our favorite local designers and creators will be there, and in anticipation, we've started making our shopping lists. Here's what each of us hopes to come away with.
Go to our Markets page for more details, and find the full list of vendors below. Hope to see you on May 9!
Above: Dalilah is set on an Adrien Shirt from children's wear line Les Petits Carreaux for her nephew's fourth birthday; $50. See the apartment of the company's co-founder in A Grand but Understated Flat in Paris.
For her daughter's birthday, Michelle has her eye on Pink Light Botanicals' skin-care range from Homestead Apothecary of Oakland. Above L: Crystal Rose Toner combines rosewater and aloe vera to freshen the skin; $24. Above R: Floral Facial Scrub gently exfoliates with oatmeal and the dried petals of four kinds of flowers; $32. See more in Shopper's Diary: Homestead Apothecary in SF's East Bay.
Above: Julie is planning to pick up an exotic arrangement from The Petaler. Read about the homegrown floral venture in Trend Alert: San Francisco's Favorite Flower Truck on Gardenista.
Above: Margot could use an apron update and loves Studiopatró's new ocean-blue linen Kitchen Apron, cut and sewn in California; $68. For more on Studiopatró, see Domestic Science: Studiopatró Tea Towels.
Above: I've been a longtime fan of SF jewelry designer Julia Turner's eight-foot-long Sweep Necklace; this one, made of Japanese glass beads in pumpkin, is $160.
At the May 9 Market, shop from these Remodelista and Gardenista sellers:
Browse our market picks for Mother's Day from Remodelista and Gardenista. (And if you can't make it to the May 9 Marin market, note that most gifts are available for purchase online.)
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