The Argento Vivo kitchen system integrates prep surface, storage, cooking, and entertainment in one colorful package.

Perhaps the stylish Argento Vivo kitchen system by GD Cucine does convey an intrinsically flashy Italian-ness, though the designer claims the unit actually speaks to the hearth-centric culture of America. He describes the Argento Vivo as a place for congregating and conversing – like the fireplace in days past – only this gathering place is able to integrate food prep, cooking, and entertaining in one long, seamless surface.

LED lights illuminate the rounded end of the Argento Vivo countertop.

The circular end of the countertop is embedded with LED lights that provide a compelling focal point for a seating section. The rest of the counter is composed of workspace, cooktop, storage and basin, while the adjacent cabinet system mirrors the same curved glass forms that distinguish the island.

The brightly hued Argento Vivo, which is also available in yellow, blue, green, black, white, or silver, can be seen at GD Cucine’s Manhattan showroom. Oh, and here’s a bit of culture shock for you, this particular example of Italian design and engineering costs about $75,000, not including appliances.

If I lived in Portland, Oregon I’d want to work at Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co., a company known for its cool light fixtures and shades with styles and designs dating from the turn of the century through the late ’40s. Founded in 2002, and now expanded into other home furnishings and handmade items, Schoolhouse Electric remains dedicated to heritage, quality, and made-in-America craftsmanship.

Schoolhouse Electric's simply styled City pendants celebrate bare bulb hanging fixtures; the chandelier makes it fun.

Before starting in the lighting biz, Schoolhouse’s Brian Flaherty sold historic properties. In the course of his job, he discovered a treasure trove of cast iron molds for shades in upstate New York. Brian knew instantly that he was onto something good. Lighting, he thought, did not get the attention it deserved, yet he was certain that the public would respond enthusiastically to fixtures with authentic American styling. Thus began Schoolhouse Electric.

Schoolhouse Electric's flagship Portland showroom is in an old warehouse.

The City Pendant, hanging singly or in groups, is simple and understated. Flaherty says, “The idea was to use ubiquitous color ways — industrial yellow, factory white, machine gray, and black — with unadorned lighting components and bulbs that together form an optimistic expression of one of the earliest forms of manufactured light: the hanging bare bulb pendant.”  The City Pendant is $69; The chandelier is $195. Cloth cord covers are black or white, and fixture length is variable. Bulbs are sold separately.

Bulb choice alters the look of the fixture. The Edison bulb is $15.

The Wave Hammock is sturdily balanced and counter-weighted to withstand the weather.

Standing on a single point from which it rises and curls into an elegant and sun-shaded oval, the Wave is constructed of stainless steel and fabric. Its unique shape and balance point make it resilient to wind and rough-housing, and the semi-transparent fabric is enough to block 86 percent of the sun’s rays.

The Wave's transparent canvas cover blocks 86 percent of the sun's rays.

At 12 feet long and 9.5 feet high, the Wave is a substantial piece of outdoor furniture that requires an appropriately sized venue, but given the right circumstances, it’s also a ticket to year-round relaxation that allows you to spend quality time in the open air, protected from a sunburn in case you happen to doze off into an afternoon dream while gently lolling and rolling on the Wave.

It takes a generously sized yard to house an Old World Gazebo of this stature.

With a promise to “change the ordinary to extraordinary,” Tuscan Garden Works offers gazebos, pergolas, and garden structures to a homeowner audience ready and willing to make a substantial investment in enhancing the aesthetics of their backyard. With starting prices that range from $8,000 to $20,000, these gazebos are certainly capable of transforming a landscape and lending an air of Old World drama to New World property.

Tuscan Garden Works lend an air of fantasy with their gazebos, pergolas, and iron trellises.

The craftspeople at Tuscan Garden Works use hot forging ovens, hammers, and anvils to hand fabricate their iron works, which helps explain the authentic look of the metal trellises. The columns may be constructed of concrete, steel, or wood; they are shipped in 4 to 5 pieces and can be installed in similar fashion to laying concrete blocks.

To complete the experience, you may also opt for a swing, which will gracefully suspend you within the sheltering arbor of this Old World fantasy.

Inviting to recline, The Horizontal Shower by Dornbracht rewrites the rules of traditional bathing.

Devised by Dornbracht, a German manufacturer of high-quality accessories for bathrooms and kitchens, the Horizontal Shower seems like an abstract experiment in luxury until one actually imagines being the guinea pig. Reclining beneath six water bars that can be controlled according to water temperature, intensity and quantity, you would submit yourself to a choreographed series of cascades, pours, and sprays. For example, there are the alternating rainshowers of the Balancing setting, the vigorous downpour of the Energizing setting, and the wavelike sweep of the De-Stressing mode.

Six water bars pour various cascading effects onto the heated slab of the Horizontal Shower.

Lying on the heatable surface, the Horizontal Shower user can orchestrate the waterworks via an “eTool” control panel integrated in the head area of the recliner. It’s hard to tell whether this stone slab of aquatic technology is a contemporary icon of luxury or a throwback to the excesses of pre-fallen Rome. Feel free to chime in. I’ll keep an eye out for updates on the vertical bathtub.

One of my favorites: This retractable towel ring from Moen.

Many of the plumbing, cabinetry, and hardware companies at the show have been in business for years, and they have the steady, best-selling products to prove it.

Multi-generational homes are on the rise. Many families are finding themselves sharing traditional single-family homes, and talking about remodeling to make a home comfortable, safe, and accessible for everyone from babies to mobility-challenged adults. I was fascinated by how many more companies are putting out attractive products for this audience. Yeah!

Today’s “Sandwich Generation” homeowner might be baby-proofing while sharing a space with older relatives at the same time, so here are a few aging-in-place ideas, combined with some simple favorites:

• Emmet’s Elixr
  

Bally Block Company and Michigan Maple have been making butcher block countertops since before our grandparents were born. Their popular maple, lyptus, cherry, walnut, and teak species – and FSC-certified options – warm up any family-centric kitchen island. Most customers take advantage of their non-toxic Durakryl UVA (no VOC) coating for the strongest seal. To refresh a sealed butcher block, check out their Good Stuff.

For oiled butcher block that needs a facelift, try Emmet’s Elixir. NSF-certified for safe use on a cutting surface, it even smells good! Rosemary and lavender supplement the naturally anti-microbial nature of butcher block.

Emmet's Elixr helps renew butcher block counters.

• Karran sink drying rack

I was wooed into the Karran booth by the sleek, seamless edges of many of their sinks. Built for easy undermounting, their single and dual basin sinks have great lines.

Call me a nerd, but I fell head over heels for their new Roll Rack for drying dishes. It’s simple, rolls up beautifully, and stores effortlessly in any drawer. It’s not out until this summer, but it’s a no-brainer for a busy family kitchen.

I love this removable rolling drying rack from Karran.

• Moen Retractable Towel Ring

Moen did it. They did it! Surely Moen read the minds of moms across the country: When has a kid ever returned a towel to a towel bar or hook? (For that matter, when has a guy ever hung a hand towel up? But I digress….) Moen launched a retractable towel ring with an 11″ cord that allows a hand towel to be pulled down, used for drying, and to spring back into position… on the wall. Gah! I love it.

Moen's retractable towel ring keeps towels from cluttering up the floor.

I could easily see this working in the laundry room, kids’ bathroom, or any bathroom where your family members might have a reach/return issue.

• Now You See ‘Em… Grab Bars

We’re all getting older. THERE! I’ve said it. It’s time that “grab bars” become household words, especially in slippery areas of the home. The Invisia collection from HealthCraft knocked my socks off at KBIS… simply because they created beautifully integrated support bars that I’d put in any bathroom.

The Accent Ring grab bar makes an attractive safety addition to any tub.

Check out their Accent Ring and Corner shelf – two subtle ways to put safety first for those hesitant to install features that look hospital-esque, but wanting to promote safety in slip zones. Many of these products are making their way into homeowners’ guest rooms in anticipation of older parents’ visits.

This corner shelf grab bar combines safety with extra storage space.

• Healthcraft fold down seat and corner bench

Unless you’re a serious bike rider, shaving in the shower or bath is generally an issue for the ladies. Attempting the graceful art of shaving a leg smooth in the shower leaves much to be desired. Ask any bathroom remodeling contractor – it’s a topic that gets discussed!

HealCraft's corner seat makes an attractive seating addition to the shower.

HealthCraft has two gorgeous solutions. The corner seat is an affordable, beautiful walnut wood oasis in the shower stall. It’s lines are simple, and it works with any style bathroom.

I’m also a huge fan of the Serena fold-down seat. The mechanism moves smoothly, and looks attractive when folded up out of the way. Don’t let the slim profile fool you – this seat has a 500-lb capacity.

The Serena fold-down shower seat may be small, but it can hold up to 500 lbs.

• Lazy Susan? Buh-bye.

Listen, I don’t know who Susan is, but she’s super lazy… and she’s not the one stuck prying half-opened macaroni & cheese boxes and old flour out of the far corner of my lower cabinetry.  Now, after KBIS, the role of Lazy Susan has officially been recast in my heart. Enter a new starlet: Haefele Lemans!  Or, as I lovingly refer to her, the Foxy Peanut.

The Haefele Lemans "Foxy Peanut" offers a unique storage solution.

Talk about space optimization.  The Lemans pullout looks a little quirky, but every inch of this curvy, peanut-shaped hardware serves you (and your fancy olive oil collection) efficiently and effortlessly.  She’s a smooth operator… but I’m on board – and so are all my heavy pots and pans!

• Haefele pull down closet bar

It’s rare to be unhappy about high ceilings in a home unless you’re in a master closet and have enormous space above the standard closet height and don’t know what to do with it.  What can you store up there? Your 80s “hair band” tee-shirt collection?  Reindeer sweaters?

Haefele makes a simple pull down closet bar that brings hanging clothing down to Earth and makes hard-to-reach upper storage zones way more accessible for everyone in the family.  The pull-down closet bar brings storage (and independence) with a quick tug on a basic handle.

Haefele's pull-down closet bar makes better use of hard-to-reach storage spaces.

The coolest part of this hardware is that the more clothing the bar holds – the easier the mechanism operates.

• Lutron Shades

Some windows are better suited to shades than curtains. When family members can’t reach above their heads to get to upper windows, it’s worth exploring mechanized shades.  Sure, mechanized shades aren’t the cheapest thing on the market, but Lutron’s Serena shade has a remote control that can be mounted on the wall for ease of use, and the shade can run up to three years on standard D batteries.

Lutron Serena mechanized shades make it easier to operate shades that are too high for some family members to reach.

What other relationship in your life lasts three years before needing attention? ‘Nuff said.

In this Q&A Tracey shares her vision for the 2012 Best Kitchen design awarded at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Chicago, Ill.

Browse all Kitchen Designs From NKBA 2012 Finalists 

What were the homeowner’s goals for this kitchen remodel?

While many might have been satisfied with the “before” of this remodeled hi-rise condo kitchen, the new owner had a dramatically different aesthetic in mind.  And she likes to cook!  The small space had minimal, inefficient storage and the basic, builder-grade appliances didn’t meet the client’s needs.  Building support columns and plumbing lines could not be moved.

How did you arrange the design to accommodate the homeowner’s goals?

The small size, limited room for expansion and fixed mechanical elements together with the prominent placement within the residence necessitating a true fine furniture look posed the greatest challenges. 

Borrowing just a few inches from the adjacent foyer allowed the insertion of a stacked microwave, oven and warming drawer.  Fully integrating the refrigerator minimizes its visual impact.  Where there was once a marginally functional micro/hood, a stunning faux stone hood commands attention over the induction cooktop.  

Appliances were arranged to facilitate efficient meal preparation by following a path of “food flow”, from pantry and refrigerator to the prep space to the cooking center. All of the cabinets are fully accessorized with pull-outs, a “magic corner”, peg-board dish drawers, sliding towel bar and drawer dividers making use of every last inch of storage space.

What materials did you use to achieve the overall vision?

Multiple hand-carved moldings, stone splash with copper tile inserts, and a fabulous stainless and copper basket-weave apron front sink are just a few of the opulent details featured. The distressed finishes of cabinetry, hand-scraped wood floors and chiseled edges on the limestone countertops lean away from stuffiness and add welcoming, touchable textures to the design.   The entire kitchen space looks right at home among the eclectic mix of antiques in the adjacent spaces.

Describe what you learned from this kitchen remodel.

Though “open kitchens” have gained in popularity for years as to be common place adjacent to family rooms and casual living spaces, a beautiful, well-designed kitchen can be right at home, even a focal point, of even the most elegant interior.

While rewarding, remodeling presents some unique challenges.  I have to give credit to the homeowner for her willingness to “look outside the box” and consider new ideas.  She was very involved in all aspects of the project, particularly in selecting products and finishes. 

For more kitchen remodeling inspiration check out HGTVRemodels’ Kitchen Planning Guide.

In this Q&A Yuko shares her vision for the 2012 Best Bath design awarded at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Chicago, Ill.

Browse all Bathroom Designs From NKBA 2012 Finalists 

Describe the homeowner’s goals for this bathroom remodel.

The homeowners wanted a larger master bathroom with the vanity area in the bathroom.  As dog breeders, they wanted to incorporate a wide open space which could be used as a whelping area for their dogs as well as dog door which had to be hidden from view. Lastly, they wanted a much larger walk-in shower. Overall, they wanted their bathroom to have a soothing spa-like feeling. 

What was your process for designing this master bath?

The original bathroom space was chopped up into an unused steam room and an unused sunken tub area. A small shower stall was surrounded by three solid walls and was very dark and claustrophobic. For such a large impressive house, this master bathroom was totally out of synch.

I realized that we would have to rearrange the walls to maximize floor space. I had to create a layout to improve ease of use and create a better flow of activities within the space. I wanted to use materials inspired by nature that were not rustic but sophisticated to meet the clients’ esthetic taste.

What materials did you use to capture your overall vision?

The clients wanted a soft color pallet to create a soothing atmosphere. They instructed me not to use strong contrasting colors.  To meet this requirement but avoid creating a bland and boring plain beige space, I made the bathroom more interesting by selected different textured materials.

I used nature-inspired materials such as a bamboo cabinet, pebble stone tile, and a random-thickness clad tile wall, and water-like wavy glass tiles. These different textured materials helped create stronger visual interest.  I selected porcelain tiles for the floor and walls for durability since there would be dogs in the bathroom area.

What did you learn from designing this master bathroom?

I learned that clients with very clear and specific goals can challenge me to be more creative.  Also, since they had unusual requirements related to their dog breeding, I had to think about totally new design concepts.  Finally, by having my color palette restricted, I was forced to use the actual materials to create visual contrast and interest.

For more bathroom remodeling inspiration check out HGTVRemodels’ Bathroom Planning Guide.

The Mood Rocking Bed twists the traditional four-poster bed into a whole new concept.

Actually, it’s called the Mood Rocking Bed. It was designed by Joe Manus for Shiner International, which is marketing the contraption as an indoor or outdoor bed that either rocks freely or locks to a stationary position by virtue of rubber stops. Available in all sizes, The Mood Rocking Bed is framed in either carbon steel or wood, depending on your interior décor and whether it’s going to be an indoor or outdoor piece of furniture.

The rocking bed is marketed as an indoor/outdoor reclining experience.

Perhaps this swaying bed is a variant of the water bed, something that lulls one to sleep with entrancing, pacifying motion. Or you might just find yourself lying there wondering where you put the Dramamine. The Mood Rocking Bed costs about $3,000 for the queen-sized model.

Sliding doors made of lumber reclaimed from old barns.

Some companies are doing just that. One of them is Reclaimed Lumber Products, an Idaho-based operation that offers custom-designed doors, flooring, and furniture made from locally sourced, salvaged raw lumber. Whether the customer wants a rustic finish or a refined craftsman look, Reclaimed Lumber Products can satisfy a wide range of orders. The list of possibilities includes antique distressed doors, sliding barn doors, solid wood engineered doors, and wide plank flooring. The company will build to specifications for desired character, species, and color, and do it all by efficiently procuring old lumber that would otherwise end up on a scrap pile or just fading into the dirt.

Reclaimed Lumber Products builds each order in their shop near Boise Idaho and will make arrangements to deliver anywhere in the country. As a sample of prices, they generally have a minimum order for custom doors of around $2,500 to cover setup time, design, shipping, and handling. As the number of doors per order increases, the price drops due to economics of scale. To get a ballpark quote, send as much information as possible about your project via email.