I'm in love with LED

Just came from a mini seminar on LED lighting at Lucia Lighting in Lynn (BEST selection of lighting in the Boston area- hands down - not to mention the NICEST people!). I was really not too excited to drive there in rush hour, and to be honest, lighting has been my least favorite part of my design classes- it's complicated and requires a ton of knowledge. So that fact that I am so jazzed about LED is a total surprise to me.

I'm sure this is old hat, but just in case, the benefits of LED lighting are many. LED fixtures are low-watt so therefore they burn a lot less energy which is good for your wallet and the environment. One LED lamp (or diode to be correct) lasts for about 50,000-75,000 hours of use! So LEDs are the best friend to those of us who hate to, or can't, change lamps (light bulbs). They burn cool, unlike say MR16 halogens which add significant heat to your kitchen etc.

Lucy showed us the latest innovations in LED. The first being that LED is now available in warm white colors rather than that very unappealing blue white that first came out on the market. Dreamscape makes cabinet lighting that comes in flexible strips ranging from 2" to 11'. We passed around a small trip and it looks more like computer memory than lighting( the picture below is another brand FYI)

So while this stuff is bright enough to illuminate your cabinetry, you'll want a large size for under counter lighting. Color Kinetics makes a line called the EW Cove Powercore that mimics the color rendering of incandescent lighting almost perfectly (I bet if we give it another year and they will look interchangeable) - no color shift here. These are also DIMMABLE!!!

Lucy mentioned that you do want to be careful about using LED with white and cream colored cabinetry and stone - as it tends to do bad things to the color. She recommends borrowing a fixture and mocking up a kitchen in order to make sure that your LED lighting is working with your stone and cabinetry. Good advice which will save you lots of time and money in the long run.

Now on to my two favorite innovations by CSL Lighting!

First, I present to you the 3" 16 watt downlight! This lamp has a 50-60k hour lamp life with very little heat output. It is GREAT for low ceilings or for older home remodels where you don't have the depth to put in a traditional can. They make a wet version with a lens and it comes in a 5" size as well. Best part? These babies come with three changeable lenses: a spot, a wide flood and a narrow. How is that possible? Again, LED lights are not light bulbs, they are diodes, so the size/shape of the bulb does not determine the beam, the lens does. Even better? It comes in a SQUARE trim!!! How cool is that?

It should be noted here that LED recessed lights should not be used with polished stone surfaces. You will see the reflection which is not pretty. A nice honed surface? No problem.

And the icing on the cake? Gravity by CSL. This gorgeous fixture can be used as a sconce or overhead lighting and is wet rated - so no more boring shower recessed cans. I can't wait to integrate this baby into a tile design!

Still drawing.. and drawing.. and drawing.

Last night I sat down to sketch the entire kitchen/living room in preparation for the final floor plan. I had not done this previously because in 1/2" scale, I could barely get the kitchen to fit, let alone the hallway, garage and stairs (I miss you AutoCad!).

I had woken up in the middle of the night recently and realized that aside from a 30" high desktop area, I didn't have anywhere for somewhere in a wheelchair to sit, should it be needed for a visitor or injured family member. My kitchen was totally accessible otherwise! (those of you who know me know I am always thinking with my stomach - so this was a surprising revelation!)

So, the island was revamped: The "work" section of the island became narrower to accommodate the 36" induction top with ductless downdraft (love it JennAir!!) flanked by 2 24" wide cabinets that have these amazing pullout by Rev-A-Shelf that hold all the pots and lids. Here is a picture - although the one in the catalog is much better!

A 9" tray divider opens to the side of the island as well as a 9" pull out on the opposite side.

Then a seating island long enough to seat 5 extends from the rear of the 36" tall island, but at 30".

I really love my design. As soon as I'm finished drawing I will scan and share. It's odd that it makes me happy to design for a mythical family, but I feel like I've made their hypothetical lives so much easier. Now on to do the same for the living and breathing :)

Multigenerational models

At both my sessions at RDC and at KBIS there has been an emphasis on the resurgence of multi-generational families now living under one roof. This is really driving the need for the implementation of the principals of universal design.

At RDC we had a builder involved in the large scale, extremely expensive independent living facility end of the industry talk about how these mega-facilities are now failing. As the child of two parents who are trying to figure out what the next best step is for themselves as they begin to need simpler lives with less worry and more personal care options, I found this particularly fascinating. The reason for this failure is three fold - one, the cost alone pretty much excludes about 90% of the population. How many of us have the $600,000 deposit along with the monthly $5k for fees? Second, and this especially applies to my geographic area, these facilities require a ton of land to build on and as such are often out in the boonies, which is isolating. Third, is the 'I don't want to live with a bunch of old people' mentality that sort of works hand in hand with the isolation. Just because you're 60+ doesn't necessarily mean that you want to be surrounded solely by the same.

Developers are obviously taking note as interest in these large projects is winding down. So their solution is taken from a European model, where smaller communities are built closer to town. These communities will contain about 12 smaller units of housing, along with some common facilities such as a gym, function pace and outdoor space. They could be a combination of one and two story homes with the idea that it will attract residents of different ages who will want to come together to take care of one another. One neighbor with two children may be able to leave her children with her elderly neighbor in return for taking care of some of her errand and other needs. Perhaps dinner is prepared two or three times a week in the function space so that the community can come together to share a meal.

Much like architectural movements that tend to go from ornate to stark and then back to ornate again, it seems that family and community may be coming back into vogue. Yes, it's a little Utopia-esque but it makes sense to me that people are tired of feeling isolated and yearn for more sense of togetherness.

More KBIS fun...

After a very late night (or early morning) post Blackhawks game at Timmy O'Toole's, we revived a bit with some breakfast at Yolk. My friend Jess (who FYI won second place in the NKBA design competition for her Small Kitchen entry) and I headed back to McCormick for a design panel, Form that Functions, sponsored by Brizo.

On the panel: fashion designer Jason Wu (he designed Michelle Obama's inaugural gown), Brizo/Delta industrial designer Judd Lord and Cheryl Kees Clendenon, FL kitchen designer. Author/designer Johnny Grey unfortunately was grounded in London due to the Icelandic volcano eruption and didn't make it.

I loved that Jason stated that his job was to make things prettier. As an art school student I often struggled in my classes because I generally just wanted to make beautiful things. Instructors would always ask about my thought process or seem to expect some deep inner meaning, and to me, I just wanted things that were beautiful to look at. Often this left me feeling superficial. A fellow student would be praised for his series of photographs of still images of Valley of the Dolls playing on his TV, but my gorgeous pinhole photos not so much.

As a kitchen and bath designer, I don't have to struggle with deep inner meanings anymore, just improving and enhancing the lives of my clients. How many of us have been sucked into wanting a home for its gorgeous kitchen, only to find that the kitchen does not function well for our needs?

Part of my passion for universal design is breaking away from many of the 'molds' that are often instilled in me. A counter does NOT have to be 36" tall, in fact most of the time it shouldn't. A kitchen with varied counter heights is visually so much more interesting and functions so much better for users of all heights. Rather than your typical base and wall cabinet combos in a U or L, some of the most beautiful and interesting kitchens I have seen lately almost use cabinets as furniture pieces, as if they are heirlooms that have been passed down. A 63" tall bank of cabinetry, perhaps holding some appliances on one side, and say bookshelves or interesting glass cabinet on the other can act as a room divider in the large open spaces we are now so accustomed to seeing. This is a way to both create intimacy but still leave a room open to light or flow, and also puts appliances at a height that is user friendly.

Now armed with some great ideas and new product information, I'm excited to go home and start implementing my new knowledge into my work. I absolutely love this faucet that Judd designed and am hoping to work it into a glamorous bath for a new client (would love to use it with some totally fabulous Ann Sacks tile). Must put down the laptop to board my plane out of O'Hare but more thoughts later...

KBIS!

Greetings from KBIS (or Kitchen & Bath Industry Show for those of you not in the know)! What a great excuse to be in one of my favorite cities, Chicago.

But fear not, I have not just been eating hot dogs and hitting Cubs games - I actually spent quite a bit of time at the show this morning, starting with an 8:15 presentation at Delta by Universal Design specialist Mary Jo Peterson (thank you @charliekkendo)

Mary Jo reiterated that universal design is a winning combination of beauty and function that enhances living and benefits all. This is always a good reminder for me - while I'm often concentrating on Steve and trying to aid in his eventual independence, there are 4 other family members living in the household and the design needs to both work and enhance their lives as well.

Delta had some great new products that will be released this year. Here are a few of the highlights:

• The Zero Threshold Shower Bases: available in 63x39" and 39X39, you can still have a gorgeous tiled shower with an easy to maintain, slip resistant base and, as advertised, zero threshold. (For those of us who don't want to clean grout, they also make acrylic shower walls that comes as a 3 piece set along with grab bars and shelving)
• The 60" transfer tub : I had a previous post about parents complaining of back and knee pain while bathing their children (remember the fire truck bath?!) - well here is another solution that also benefits a full spectrum of people. The transfer area can be used by caregivers, or by the bather who wants to access the tub safely or from a wheelchair. There is also a removable bench and built in handles from which the bather can use to hoist themselves out of the tub.

• Handshowers with 8 spray combination, that include a pause button!
• Brizo's Smart Touch Faucets - Almost like a motion sensor, the faucets begin operating by a touch rather than a lever. They also have an auto off should they be activated by mistake or forgotten.

The floor is really vibrant and high energy and little old exhausted me needed to take the afternoon off! Didn't make it back at 5 for Jenn Air cocktails, but did make it to their booth earlier today to see the amazing ductless downdraft ventilation for island cooktops. Sick of stainless? They now make products in an Oiled Bronze finish and it's GORGEOUS!!!

OK nothing to do with my kitchen project but...

Just all around good design - fun!

I introduce to you, the fish condo, for discerning adults who still want a goldfish. Why throw your beta into one of those sad tiny bowls when he can have a penthouse loft?!