Johnny Grey kitchen Island Design

I always love the  innovative designs from Johnny Grey, kitchen designer from England.  Here is a great example of something I just found on his web site.  This idea could easily be incorporated into a variety of styles. Finding your inspiration piece of wood (or other material) can set the tone for the whole kitchen or home design.
Notes from this post on Johnny Greys blog


Five Easy Pieces: The Cooking Island


Posted by charlotte on September 28th, 2010


When we found this piece of burr oak, it was clear that this should be the key feature for our evolved take on a cooking island. Our vision for the piece began as a series of wonky-edge planks with gaps as cladding. Imagine looking across a field at night and seeing an old barn with gaps between the boards and light peeping through. The mystery of what lies behind and the darkness all around provides a comforting feeling as well as a desire to know more. We tried to capture that quality in this design.
The glass panels behind the burr panels are hand-cast, which blurs the impact of the concealed LED lights and creates a texture like captured water. The natural concrete is the same composition as that used in garden sculpture and incorporates the colour variations and natural imperfections found in the mix.

Thanks to the "Artisans"

If it were not for the "artisans" of this world, designers would be up a creek. I can have many great ideas in my head but if there is no one who is trained and talented enough to create them I can't continue to dream & to design. I know there are many talented "artisans that I have not yet met. If you are out there, let me know who you are and what you do. I would like to add you to my "artisan" list & give you a mention in my blog.

Currently I have the pleasure of working with several "artisans" that I just have to brag on. One is my son, Jason Swarthout who since he was 12 years old has been creating fabulous wood products beginning with wood toys & graduating to fabulous furniture, cabinets & exquisite finish carpentry. He builds custom doors & windows & & turns pieces of raw wood into whatever I need. He also does a fine job of installing tile & tile projects. His crew including Jeremy Haynes of Salem, OR are the wood workers of choice when I have a project that requires the best in detail, workmanship & custom finishes. He also works on projects for many other fine builders. He is currently building a custom home for his family in Mexico (near Cabo San Lucas.) It will have his beautiful hand made doors, windows & custom tiled tubs & showers. I want him to finish it soon so I can go to visit. He can be reached by email. miniblanco@hotmail.com if you have a project you would like to talk to him about. He "commutes".


Another fine artisan is John Pepples of Bend, OR. He serves as our foreman for Artisan Homes and Design in Bend and does all our stone work in addition to his other duties. He installs tile & is a very good artisan. He accepts outside projects when time permits. You can reach him at 503-932-4891.

I will let you in on some more of my favorite artisans in the future. In the mean time, I used to know an artisan in the Bend area who did antique copper counters & back splashes as well as metal relief work for kitchen vent hoods etc. I don't think he does that type of work anymore so if you know of someone who does that, be sure to let me know. I want to have that person in my "artisan" list for future projects.