Ice: A Cocktails Best Friend

Let's talk ice!

Ice  

Noun: the solid form of water, produced by freezing; frozen water.

While the topic of ice may be a seemingly boring subject, ice is actually pretty interesting, versatile and maybe a little more important to you than you think. Without ice, cocktails and mixed drinks would be nowhere. Ice not only chills drinks , but as it melts or is shaken it becomes a part of the mix and because of this, the frozen water deserves more than a little attention.

There are four basic types of ice, and all of them are used in different ways accordingly.

Ice Cubes:

Ice cubes are probably the most popular type of ice, the general rule of thumb: the larger the ice cubes, the better.  Ice cubes are good for almost all mixing, shaking, stirring, drinks on the rocks, or with juices and sodas. Large ice cubes keep your drink colder longer, and melt slower, resulting in less dilution. Less dilution means your drink will maintain its flavor longer and will not become watered down as quickly.

Ice trays may be a pain to dump and refill, but they make a lovely sized ice cube.



 Shaved Ice:

Shaved ice is a great way to cool down a product quickly. This ice is great for molding, packing and shaping around the item you are trying to cool down. It is used frequently for therapeutic applications, to quickly cool meats and sea foods and of course it is perfect for snow cones. Shaved ice is soft so it will not damage your teeth like cubed ice will. The downside to shaved ice is that it melts quickly and can dilute the tastes of beverages if the ice melts before the drink is finished.

Nugget Ice:

Nugget ice may be more commonly known as Sonic ice or Zaxbys ice. Nugget ice is shaved ice that has been moulded into compact, random sized nuggets. This ice is of course, fun to chew, cools drinks quickly and does not stick together.

Cracked Ice:

Cracked ice is smaller than cubed ice and melts faster, adding more water to a drink. This ice is perfect for M A R G A R I T A S, daiquiris and other frozen beverages. Cubes are so large they can clog the blender blades and be inconsistent, cracked ice is small enough to avoid this problem.  Typically, the bagged ice you buy at the store or gas station is cracked ice.

Like all things, the more attention you pay to detail the better the results. So, as far as ice goes, here are some general guidelines to ensure your drinks turn out their best.

• Don't use ice cubes that have been sitting in your freezer for a month, or even a week. Fresh ice is the best. Ice will pick up all the flavors floating around your refrigerator/freezer and transfer those flavors to your drink  - think frozen pizza or fish.. eww!

• The colder the ice, the better. The whole point of ice is to cool off your drink. If you are drinking a cocktail, the colder the ice the more "heat" it will pull from the warm spirits and mixers. Cocktails have a high percentage of alcohol so they need to be much cooler to avoid the hot alcohol sensation.

• Do not put liquor in the freezer. While, this seems like a good idea to increase the coldness of the drink it fails in one very important area: dilution. The liquor needs to be warm enough to melt the ice, and dilute the alcohol, softening the edge a little.

*You walk a fine line with dilution. Dilution is very important to the taste of your drink. Too much dilution (caused by ice melting too fast) is bad because it will water down your drink. However, as I mentioned above you need a little dilution especially for drinks with gin, vodka or other strong tasting liquors because it softens the strong, hot taste of the alcohol.

Scotsman, one of the leading ice maker manufacturers, has recently introduced an ice maker that makes pellet ice. Ice makers are a popular addition to many kitchens, butler's pantries, outside kitchens and basement bar designs today. Companies like Scotsman offer ice makers that make all types of ice. Consumers today find that having an ice maker inside their home is very convenient, not only for entertaining but also for everyday living.

It has been said that ice is to a bartender what a stove is to a chef. It is one of the most important ingredients in a good drink, so familiarize yourself  with the rules above and make your next cocktail drinking experience that much better. Cheers!

Luxury Living Show 2012

Happy Mother's Day WEEK! That's right, our Moms, Grandmothers, Grandmas, Nanas, Dandys, Mimis, Grammys and Grandmamas are special enough to get a WEEK in their honor! If you're in the Atlanta area and are looking for a fun outing for a Mom in your life, I would suggest taking her to the Luxury Living Show at Phipps Plaza this Saturday.

For the third year in a row Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles has partnered with Phipps Plaza to host Atlanta's only Luxury Living Show. The show is Thursday, May 10th through Saturday May 12th and is anchored by a full sized living kitchen, built and co-designed by the company I work for, Inspirations Design Studio and Fernandez and True Interiors. The kitchen incorporates cabinetry from Bell Cabinets, Cambria counter tops, Thermador appliances, Richelieu hardware and Tile from Traditions in Tile.

We met down at Phipps Tuesday morning for our weekly sales meeting where many of us from Inspirations were able to see the kitchen for the first time. It's beautiful and very different from the last two, pictured below.

Luxury Living Show 2010

Luxury Living Show 2011

I don't want to give too much away, but I will say this years kitchen is smaller in scale than years past and shows dark wood cabinetry with a really cool finish. If you get the chance to come by, notice the counter tops. They look a lot like white marble but are actually Cambria, the color is Torquay. The kitchen will be on display at Phipps for the month of May and will be moved to our showroom in Alpharetta in June, where it will be our Thermador vignette.

Saturday will be a fun filled day where you can enjoy presentations by Chef Art Smith (former personal chef to Oprah Winfrey) and Chef Anthony Gray of Atlanta's SOUTHERN ART from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. and celebrated landscaper, floral and interior designer James T. Farmer III from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. followed by book signings.

It's going to be a great day, so come down with the mom in your life, enjoy the sights, presentations and prepare to be inspired!

Steamy Love

So, I've held out on you, Cow Spot Friends. In my last post I covered the highlights from my trip to the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Chicago, but I left out my favorite discovery. The truth is, this item was not forgotten, it was left out intentionally. I knew it was too cool to just include among the other items from the show, this item and topic deserved a post all its own.

The item: The Wolf Convection Steam Oven. The topic: Steam Cooking.

THIS is Wolf's Convection Steam Oven.

Oh.My.Gosh. This appliance is TOO cool. I had heard about steam cooking, but really didn't know a lot about it. Thankfully we were lucky enough to get a pretty thorough tutorial about this product and I was blown away by all it could do. To begin, steam cooking is quick, healthy and versatile. When cooking with this steam oven, foods maintain many nutrients that are lost by other cooking methods.

Take broccoli for example, if you boil broccoli you will notice the water begin to get a green tint.

Like this....

The green tint  you see above are the nutrients that have actually left the broccoli due to the cooking process. Most of us eat vegetables like broccoli to maintain a healthy lifestyle. By cooking the broccoli in a steam unit, you will increase the amount of nutrients your body receives, compared to boiling the broccoli, where a large amount of important enzymes wind up getting poured down the drain.

As cool as this information is, I was still hesitant. For most of us, it would be a stretch to buy an appliance solely for its ability to steam veggies. Especially when you can buy a steam appliance that sits on your counter for the times you plan to steam rice, veggies or other grains. The information I found out next took this appliance to a whole new level of cool and relevant.  The bottom line...this convection steam unit can do SO MUCH MORE...

 Because this is a convection steam oven you can also bake cookies and slow roast meats. You can even place a carton of eggs inside and WAH-LAH, hard boiled eggs.

Another great way to utilize this appliance is to cook frozen foods. Frozen foods?? Yep, the appliance adds moisture then bakes the moisture off, leaving you with the perfect crispness for chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, fried shrimp, etc..

Pretty cool, right? I was intrigued and I love the fact that this appliance can literally be used in place of a second oven due to its versatile nature.







If you are familiar with steam cooking and have looked at or own a steam appliances of your own, you will be interested to know this steam oven is bigger than most. The water reservoir that is usually located within the unit to one side, is actually located at the top. 

See the seam right beside the control panel? That's where the water reservoir is housed, leaving the whole cavity of this unit open for use.

Because I design kitchens, I have acquired a deep interest and appreciation for appliances, despite my limited cooking skills.  For me, boiling rice a is a great culinary fete.  Oh gosh... I better stop, I can feel you losing respect for me as we speak :)  In my job I have had to familiarize myself with the various brands and styles of products along with their pros and cons.  Over the last few years I have heard various clients talking about the characteristics of specific appliances and how they use them for various dishes. I now understand cooking is more than just something people do, it's an art. And like any art, one must have the right tools to produce the desired results. Right now everyone is about "right sizing" and I think this appliance is a perfect fit for that mindset. You get all the perks of a convection oven with the bonus of steam capabilities.

Wow, this post is making me hungry! With all this talk of food, not to mention the pictures, it's no wonder my stomach is roaring at me! I Hope you enjoyed this post and if you have any recipes involving steam cooking please share!

All photos are from google search.

KBIS 2012

Sit back and relax, maybe go grab a coffee, this is going to be a long one!

I just got back from the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show a.k.a. KBIS! This years show was in one of my favorite cities - Chicago.  KBIS is always a fun show to attend, full of new trends, innovative products and tons of inspiration. The show was smaller this year , but provided me with all kinds of blog topic ammunition.  Everyone who attends the show will walk way with different impressions, favorites and highlights. But to me, this smaller scale show (as compared to years past)  allowed certain items and trends to shine bright. So, without further adieu let me introduce you to the things that sparked my interest at this years show...

 Tile:

This tile is by Ann Saks.  These tiles are 3-dimensional and gave the space a very cool look. I love how the tiles are varying shades of gray which gives the wall even further depth. 

Close up view of 3-Dimensional tiles. Doesn't it look like the tiles are jumping off the wall?

Look at these funky tiles, which are also from Ann Saks. I loved the bright colors and patterns. 

This pattern is called "Pollen in Orange Gray." No big shock, this was my favorite of all. Two of the hottest colors of the year. Couldn't you see this tile in Tory Burch's home?!

Ann Saks had a lot to offer in terms of cool tile. There is a lot of focus on texture, dimension and pattern. Today tile is no longer just a functional component to a space, it's a form of expression.

Countertops:

As you know from previous posts, I'm a big fan of Cambria. So, this was a must see booth for me at this years show. They have launched a few new colors this year, but it wasn't the new additions that thrilled me, it was the trial slabs that were brought to KBIS to get industry feedback and opinions. These slabs don't even have names, and were only labeled with roman numerals so we could vote on our favorites. They were all nice, but there were two that really spoke to me and they were both in the gold family. Yes, you heard me right... gold countertops!!! They were beautiful! Unfortunately my camera (iphone) did not pick up on their beauty, and the pictures just don't do them justice. But, imagine it, with all the talk of brass lately, it only makes sense that this concept would flutter into countertops, and it did so beautifully.  The gold tones mixed brilliantly with other colors ranging from coppers and browns to beige and grays with the depth that only Cambria can offer to a quartz countertop. Hopefully my favorite slabs earned enough votes to become two of the new slabs introduced this year, so you can see them firsthand or at least in a clear, professionally taken picture :).

Trial Slab II: beige and gold and little bit of copper all mixed together to form this breathtaking countertop. 

Trial Slab I: This slab reminded me of a gold sequined dress. So pretty and elegant with sparkle and depth.  

Appliances:

One of the most surprising "trends" I saw at the show was black appliances. Both Wolf Sub-Zero and Dacor were showing appliances in black. Both said the black appliances were introduced because people were tired of stainless steel and wanted something different. Hmhm.....while the black appliances were pretty, I'm not sure that this is a trend that will take among the masses. A lot of people have just traded in their black appliances for stainless. Plus, in my opinion stainless is like white trim, classic. We may re-visit this topic in later blog posts but this was definitely one of the more surprising finds at this years show.

Plumbing:

 Rock Crystal, Green Onyx and Chinchilla Obsidian inserts for Kallista's Amedee Basin Sets. What a fun way to jazz up your faucets.  

This sink is by Toto and was pretty cool in that you operate the hot and cold by turning the dial on the far right of the sink. When you turn the dial to hot, it lights up red and when you turn it to cold it turns blue. I thought it was pretty snazzy :)

This is Kohler's Numi Toilet. A few posts ago I talked about the Toto Washlet, which was the splurge-a-rific toilet seat that could all but fly to space. Well, the Numi is similar in that it offers a lot of the same features, but this time instead of it being just a seat, it's the whole toilet that can show off its luxurious skills. To begin this toilet has a motion activated lid and seat, advanced bidet functionality, integrated air dryer, deodorizer (air is pulled through a powerful heated seat), feet warming, illuminated panels and music.  That's right... this toilet comes with a remote control that allows you to jam out to your favorite tunes while taking care of business.

Miscellaneous:

This is a USB wall power outlet I came across. It is essentially a traditional outlet with two USB ports built in. In today's world when most of us rely heavily on our mobile devices it can create a traffic jam of sorts in our homes with everyone trying to charge their phones, ipods, ipads, etc...at the same time. This handy outlet configuration allows you to charge your devices while still maintaining your outlet space for other important plug-in related things. Pretty cool, right!?

And Finally, the CELEBS!! We had two celebrity moments while on this trip. On Tuesday night we went to Dupont's Color Splash party where we met David Bromstad. David has several shows on HGTV and actually won Design Star seven years ago.

Here I am with fellow designers Melissa Nagle and Holly Floyd with David Bromstad.

On Wedneday while visiting the Kohler booth at the show, we ran into Monica Pedersen. Monica is from HGTV's Designed to Sell.

Again with fellow designers Holly Floyd and Melissa Nagle with Monica.

Well, there you have it, my week at the KBIS show in a nutshell, OK a big nutshell :). These shows are fun and informative and always bring you back to reality feeling inspired. I hope you enjoyed!

Naked Mirror No More

One of my favorite parts of my job is that with every project I work on I seem to discover a tid bit here and there that will make someone's life (my own included) easier in the future. Trial and error, you know...Anyways, I'm in the process of finishing up another face lift project and through this renovation I discovered a jewel of a company I just had to share. The company is called MirrorMate.

Let's start from the beginning...

This particular project involved two bathrooms that were in need of an update; the master bath and a guest bathroom. The plan of attack for both spaces was to keep the existing cabinetry but install new countertops, sinks, faucets, lighting, mirrors and shower door. So, we went to work selecting all of the components that would bring the space to life. Decision after decision was made, but one main selection still lingered - the mirrors.

The current mirrors were plate glass and spanned from wall to wall.How many of you are familiar with, or actually live in a space with plate glass mirrors over the vanity? Plain, vast, boring mirrors like this:

Or this...

This look is pretty common, but really offers nothing in terms of style to the space.  It was decided that the plate glass mirrors would be removed and we would find framed decorative mirrors to replace them. Problem was, the space was big, and framed decorative mirrors can be expensive.

I wish I could take credit for what happened next, but I can't. It was the homeowners who discovered MirrorMate while perusing the web looking for mirror options for their space. They were excited to tell me they had found a company online that made mirror frames based on the dimensions of one's current plate glass mirror. All you have to do is pick out which mirror frame style and finish you want and give them the information about your existing mirror and they would send you the mirror frame pieces that can be easily installed. Easy as that... Plus, you can order samples of frames you are interested in for free! (All you have to pay is shipping.) They were excited....I was skeptical.... It sounded WAY to good to be true, but the prices were good, so we decided to go ahead and order the samples and go from there.

 The samples came in and the styles and finishes were nice, in fact there were so many good ones it was actually a little challenging to pick just two. It looked like we were going to give MirrorMate a whirl and hope for the best. I was nervous to begin the process of ordering the frames on-line; I was affraid this would be challenging and technical, but I was wrong. It was SOOO easy!  The website literally spelled out exactly what information was needed and how to obtain it. Plus, the week we planned to place our order we received a coupon via e-mail for 20% off the purchase. Sweeet! I ordered the frames on a Monday and they were delivered the following Saturday - lighting fast! AND the installation was a breeze too, just like they advertised. But, the big question still remained: HOW DID THEY LOOK? Well, let's just say I was literally blown away!

Master Bath. Doesn't the chunky, detailed frame add so much to the space?

Close up view of the frame. Look at the detail! Isn't it beautiful?

Here is the Guest Bath. We went with a sleeker, slimmer frame in this space, but the added dimension around the mirror really makes a difference.

Here's a close up of the Guest Bath Frame.

From the beginning of this mirror buying process I admittedly felt like I was always waiting for the other shoe to fall, but it NEVER did. In fact quite the opposite happened, they impressed us more and more with each step of the process. I visit a lot of homes with the plate glass mirrors and I know what kind of difference a frame can make. So, I'm happy to have found a company that can not only deliver a great product but one at a reasonable price. MirrorMate was definitely a great find and a company I will utilize and recommend from now on.

Pinning

I remember years ago my mom would look through decorating magazines and tear out pages. She would take the photos she had torn out, place them in plastic sleeves and insert them into a photo album that she referred to as her "idea book." She had book after book filled with pages just like those shown below.

Example of one of her Idea Books.

I never really understood the point, but years later, I get it. Those photos were inspiration to her. They gave her ideas for the home she had, rooms yet to be decorated, the home she hoped for, etc... She could refer to this collection of photos when the time came to bring one of her own rooms to life. Today our lives are all about technology and sites like Pinterest and Houzz are virtually the updated version of  this concept. If you are already signed up with these sites you know they are quite addictive. It's easy to get lost in the sea of ideas that these sites provide.

Through Pinterest people share things they love. These things range from quotes, recipes, DIY (Do It Yourself projects), fashion ideas, decorating ideas, travel photos, wedding ideas, pets and much more. You can search within the category you're interested in, or you can peruse the home page and see all of these topics (and more) mixed in together. If you see things you like you can "pin" them to your own boards and then refer to them later.

Houzz, is similar to Pinterest in that you can save photos you like, but this site is totally dedicated to the home. You can search for ideas by room (kitchen, bath, bedroom, closet, dining room, etc.) or by style (traditional, contemporary, asian, tropical, modern, eclectic, etc).  Houzz also has a link for discussions where people post about design dilemmas, or ask specific questions, and homeowners and design professionals can pitch in with advice or answers.

Over the past few months I've noticed that a lot of my clients utilize these sites more than ever to gather ideas for the projects they are gearing up for.  They reference their Pinterest and Houzz accounts for everything from paint colors, cabinet door styles and ceiling beam ideas to mirrors, inside cabinetry components and hardware. Many clients come to meetings with all of their "idea books" organized and ready to share. These idea books are helpful to me as a designer, in that most of the time I begin to get a sense of the clients stylistic preferences as I go through these photos. However, as I learned from my Mom a long time ago, these ideas do not need to be copied verbatim, but rather modified so they fit your specific project. So, there comes a point in each meeting where we put the idea books away and talk about the client's project. Sure, we may reference the idea books from time to time but it is important to make a space unique and personalized for each person.

As you add pins and ideas, think about what it is about each and every photo that you love, and chances are you will begin to see a pattern. The truth is, there are an infinite number of ideas and styles available. That being said, if you are considering building a home, remodeling a room or just giving a space a face lift you have to start somewhere, and these sites are a good tool. Utilizing these modern idea books is a good way to get the wheels spinning and hone in on what speaks to you.

So go ahead, Pin away! Collect your photos and ideas, and one day you will create a space that you can add to these sites. What fun it is to sit back and watch as strangers from all over the world re-pin your space. You will have the pleasure of knowing that others are inspired by the looks you have created for you and your life.

If you are interested in seeing my personal Pinterest account, follow me HERE!

Pop Pop Pop

 It's Spring and Color is everywhere. Everything is in bloom and not just outside. Interiors and fashion are brightening up too! Flip through a magazine or walk through your local shopping mall and you will see color is a big spring fashion trend, specifically through denim.

As the trend goes, most are pairing their bright pants or shorts with a more neutral top and shoe, letting the colorful bottoms make the statement. As always, fashion and interiors are very much intertwined. So, interestingly, but not surprisingly, I'm seeing the same trends with interiors. People are pairing neutrals with fun colors, patterns and textures. While the addition of bright colors is fun, it can quickly become color overload if done incorrectly.

I love pink, but this is color overload! The space makes me happy and I love the color combination, but for a kitchen? NO NO NO! This is WAY too big of a commitment, not to mention you may need sunglasses when entering. 

Because colors can be somewhat trendy, a good option is to have a more neutral backdrop and then you can change out accessories as you feel like it throughout the years. A great way to pop in color is through accessories. Introducing bold color through fabrics and wall color can work too; just make sure you choose the color because you have loved it for a long time, not just because it's the "hot color" right now.

The bright pink chairs and green curtains marry so nicely with the neutrals that surround them. While curtains and chairs are  pretty big commitment purchases, they can really set a space apart with a classic look with a bit of funk.  

As I mentioned in January, Pantone dubbed Tangerine Tango as 2012's color of the year. This color is bright and fun and literally EVERYWHERE. In some of the homes I have visited recently, I have found that the orange hue is the color of choice for many, and I can't blame them as I have been looking for the perfect tangerine tango-ish colored item myself. I have seen this color incorporated in a number of ways including rugs, pillows, picture frames, wall color, lamps and decorative plates.

I like this room. The idea of painting the back wall of the built-in bookcases is genius. It's a fun way to incorporate color, but is easily (well, maybe not if you are as good at painting as I am) changeable should your taste in color change.

The photo above is another good example of popping in color in the right way. The accessories used in this room take the room from drab and sterile to cool and crisp.

The Addition of color is a great way to brighten up a space or an outfit throughout the year. Trends come and go and it's only natural for our tastes to change and evolve. Knowing this, play with colors throughout your space, but remember too much of anything is never good. By using pops of color here and there, you can really add some flair to your space without overwhelming it.

All photos are from google search.