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.

Installation Day at the Design Center

It was Installation Day at the Design Center in Redmond OR

It was a long day of installing draperies, shutters & shades.  The first window treatment has several layers, including under draperies in silky plaid, and a top layer of tapestry weight fabric panels, lined & interlined.  The cartridge pleats have contrasting buttons out of the fabric used to band the front edges of each panel.  Fabrics are from Fabricut & Norbar Fabric companies. The custom iron hardware from Iron Art by Orion compliments the Tuscan theme of the space. (Wine room & dining room).  The faux iron window panel completes the Tuscan theme. "Tableaux" faux iron, looks like iron but is light weight, versatile, & is a recycled "green" product.  It is completely customizable & can be made in many shapes & sizes.

Installation by Russel Bartz Interior Develpments

Bend OR

Hartmann & Forbes

Award-winning, luxury maker of handwoven shades from sustainable fibers.

Available exclusively through the design trade.

These unique draperies are made from finely woven grasses with a silk bottom border that coordinates with the silk roman shades.  These may be lined or unlined. 

Custom Iron rods Iron Art by Orion.

The pictures can not do this treatment justice.  My camera did not have the light to show this off

Sun Screen for the Outdoor Room

Hunter Douglas Designer Screens are perfect for blocking UV light & glare.  This one is installed in the Outdoor Room at the Design Center

Shades and Shutters

Hunter Douglas Duette Architella shades save energy & look great too.  They come in many colors & are custom made for your windows. You  may qualify for an energy tax credit of up to $1500.  See me for more details.  There are many lift systems to choose from including a top-down bottom-up, a cordless lift (perfect for french doors & rooms where kids and pets can get to cords) . There is also an Easy Rise lift for extra large shades.

Shutters come in faux wood, painted & stained real woods as well as custom finishes. Many configurations are available. We can fit sliders, french doors and arches.

Come by and see the new displays. 

More are coming in the next few months.

http://www.suzannemariesinteriors.com/

Fabulous & Beautiful Natural Materials

I really enjoy looking at beautiful & unusual uses of natural materials. I can't take credit for any of these fabulous photos but I think they are all beautiful in their own special ways. I am saving these pictures to incorporate some aspect of the idea into future design projects that I may have. I thought you might like to see some of them too.
The photo with the Marquetry Inlaid Wood Veneer is opulent…and not badly priced. Maya Romanoff has made a speciality of using unusual materials to make exotic wall coverings. The Marquetry Veneer uses micro-thin pieces of Pawlonia wood on a paper backing. The pattern is laser cut and then hand inlaid using traditional marquetry techniques. Available in 21-yard rolls, it is so flexible you can even wrap it around columns.
You can find this at http://www.mayaromanoff.com/

The last two are way over the top, (Banq*) but there are elements of this design that could be used to create something far more simple, (room divider -- ceiling treatment??) or something else I haven't thought of yet. It is so unusual that I have to keep it in my photo collection.

*Banq is a new restraunt in the old Penny Savings Bank (1375 Washington Street, Boston, MA) at the base of the old banking hall, designed by Office dA. The walls and ceilings were decorated using wave element made from unique pieces of three-quarter-inch birch plywood adhered together in a scenario that likens to a puzzle; only one possible location for each unit, formulating the continuous member.





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