Against the Grain No More

As we've talked about several times in the short life of this blog, interior styles and trends truly do seem to come full circle. And, as these trends make their second circle debut, we, as designers and homeowners, wise up and learn how to work with these trends and not against them. So far we've talked about white cabinetry, brass and now we will discuss oak. Until recently, I thought of oak as a ho hum option. While some clients liked the look of oak cabinetry, it has never really interested me. Granted, most of the oak kitchens I have come across look something like this:

Oak cabinetry surrounded by blah countertops, blah flooring, blah appliances and blah backsplash. This look is a hot, outdated MESS!

To most (I was guilty of this mindset too), oak is more a color than a wood species. When people think of oak they think of honey stained cabinets similar to those shown above, that were popular in the 70's and 80's. For years we have been gutting and replacing oak kitchens, because people wanted a more updated look. Wood species such as, cherry, maple, mahogany, painted maple and walnut have been among some of the more popular choices in the last decade. However, oak has recently resurfaced and is actually giving some of these other wood species a run for their money.

As a species, oak has an open grain that takes stain well. The graining is busier than maple, and often has a bit of a '3d' effect that shows though paint. The difference between the oak from the past and the oak we are seeing today is all in the cut. There are several different cuts that can be performed on oak:  plain sawn, quarter sawn and rift sawn, all producing different aesthetic results.

Plain Sawn Oak:

This is the method of cutting we are most familiar with, it is the method used on the cabinets shown above. Plain sawn oak is the most straightforward way to cut rectangular boards from a round log. A series of parallel cuts are made, creating large grain patterns and inconsistency.

The benefit in going in this directions is it's less expensive, because there is less waste created. This look can really work with the right stain/paint color. The graining gives the cabinet depth and interest beyond the color of the wood.

Quarter Sawn Oak:

This method of cutting requires the log to first be cut into quarters and then sets of parallel cuts are performed perpendicular to the trees rings.

Quarter sawn oak has a tighter and more consistent grain pattern. This type of cut is more expensive than plain sawn oak because the yield is not as substantial so more waste is left behind.

Rift Sawn Oak:

This process starts by slicing the veneer at a 15 degree angle to the radius of the log. This produces straight, striped grain appearance. This method yields the least amount of veneer than any other method and is the most expensive.

I couldn't find a rift sawn diagram but the photo above does a great job of comparing the three techniques.

Isn't this beautiful. I love the graining and the color. So sleek and warm.

The photo above showcases rift sawn oak with a horizontal grain. A matching horizontal grain in both quarter sawn and rift sawn oak can significantly add to the price of the cabinetry.The pieces selected to make each door have to be book ends so the grain picks up where it left off from cabinet to cabinet. If at any point a cabinet door should get damaged, successfully replacing a door and having it match is slim to none, therefore all cabinet door fronts would need to be replaced on this run of cabinetry. Expensive. Headache.

I started researching oak cabinetry because I've had several clients interested in going in this direction. The more I dug the more amazed I became that different cutting methods can affect the look of lumber cut from the same tree. My new found knowledge regarding oak is thrilling and embarrassing at the same time. How quickly we discredit something we know so little about, only because it was done poorly in the past. Let's get real, it seems like everything looks better the second time around. Once we open our minds, we can learn from the mistakes of the past and work with the properties of materials instead of against them.

All photos are from google.

A Tanned Cow Spot

I'm back from an amazing week in Jamaica! Feeling tanned, relaxed and happy. There's something about white sandy beaches, clear skies and blue water that is good for the soul. Now, the swim up bar, water lounges and 24/7 at your service attitude doesn't hurt either ;)

During my vacation I planned to totally relax and leave all thoughts of work at home, but somehow thoughts of design followed me. As I enjoyed the views around me I began to see correlations between the beauty that is the beaches of Jamaica and design trends. It occurred to me that God was the original and most skilled designer. Teaching us by example, all the rules and fundamentals that make great spaces. His work can be seen everywhere, but it's hard to miss these examples when you're spending day after day in paradise.


Aren't the colors above beautiful? All the blues, greens, tans and whites, they are cool and warm all at the same time. Interestingly, variations of the colors you see above are quite popular in design right now. As people consider design schemes for their rooms most are looking for colors and textures that inspire relaxation and tranquility.

I was also quite taken with the driftwood on the beach. If I could of packed one of those suckers in my suitcase I would have. How sweet would a piece like the one above look on a dining room table, or on the floor in front of the fireplace. Oh the things I could do with a chunky piece of Jamaican driftwood....


Playing with various textures is very important in design and we could all take a few notes from the natural mixture of textures seen at the beach. Regardless of what beach you are on, there are different textures everywhere you look. The best part is that the textures change hour by hour.  The sky, the clouds, the ocean waters and waves, dry sand, wet sand, glistening sun, driftwood, rocks, plants and shells all come together to create the beautiful views we all enjoy.

Photo by Jordan Foster.

Well, as my tanned fingers type this blog post I'm mentally preparing for my return to the real world tomorrow. And I'm happy to report that I'm excited, as much as I enjoy a break every now and then it's always nice to be back in action!

It's All About The Process

3 day weekends = 4 day work weeks = Ahhhh!!!

Four day work weeks are always fast paced, but add to it the fact that I leave on Sunday for a week in Jamaica.... and this week has been uber super duper oh my gosh I need a drink/massage/nap crazy!

Amongst other things that have been going on this week, I have a big job that started installation yesterday!  I'm excited to watch as this project comes to life, as it has been a fun job for me to work on. This is one of those projects with a lot of depth. Hours of thought, consideration and tweaking have gone into this project as we (myself and the homeowner) have striven to make these cabinets more than just boxes, but functional aesthetic anchors to the space.

This is a new construction project and the homeowner came to me at the end of last year interested in Inspirations Kitchen & Bath Studio doing the cabinetry for the kitchen and the master bath. As we worked on these spaces we eventually were given the opportunity to provide cabinetry for the laundry room, mudroom/desk area, children's baths and all secondary bathrooms. The best part about this project is that every room is different, and the decisions made regarding the design, wood species, cabinet finishes, hardware selections and door styles were not made lightly.  Thankfully, we came upon each of these decisions one at a time so as to avoid making the process overwhelming.

Here's a glimpse into the process of creating beautiful rooms with beautiful cabinetry.

Designs usually start like this - graph paper sketches. Drawings like these are conceptual and a starting point to build on.

From my sketches come 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional drawings. For this project we went through several versions of the designs as we tweaked here and there, really thinking about how the space would be used. We moved several key pieces, specifically the microwave and prep sink a few times until we settled on the location we felt would work the best.

Here is one of the kitchen perspectives. As you can see, it's as if you are in the space, and really gives the client the opportunity to get a feel for what the space will really look like.

Once the design layouts have been confirmed, we start looking at door styles and finishes. This is where the space really starts to get it's personality!

Here is our door gallery.

As I mentioned above, we used several different door styles and finishes for the cabinetry in this home.  Interestingly despite the plethora of door styles we have to look through, we came upon the decisions for the various door styles fairly quickly. It was the finishes that took some time and consideration.

These are just some of the finish samples we have to look through.

All of the rooms have painted cabinetry except for the kitchen and powder room, which are stained. The stained finishes for both spaces were fairly easy decisions, it was the paints that took some time to select. Because Bell Cabinetry is custom, you can pick any color out there and we can match it!

And I mean literally ANY color..............

And finally it's time to choose the cabinet jewelry aka the hardware. This process is very important and requires attention to scale. We go through every room and choose the pieces of hardware that would work best given the decisions we've already made - design, door style and finish. 

Once we have chosen the specific pieces of hardware for each room, I draw the hardware on the cabinet elevations to acquire the hardware count as well as get a visual on what the hardware will look like on each and every door and drawer front. I love, love, love the hardware selections for this project. We are still buttoning up some final decisions but we are tossing around using some really cool pieces!

This may seem like a lot of decisions and detail, and it is. But, these are the elements that make a space unique. And believe it or not, there are even MORE decisions and details that I'm not including - think drawer organizers, spice pullouts, trash/recycling, roll outs, tray dividers, appliance lifts, etc...Yeah, it's a lot, but it's fun. And at the end of the day when you are living in the space that you have poured so much thought into, you will be happy and forever thankful for the time you spent fine tuning these decisions. I know this will be the case for this client.

Confession: As I write this blog, I don't hope my client will be happy, I already know she is. She called me this yesterday, very excited (best calls ever) about the cabinets that had been installed so far (kitchen & laundry)!! I can't wait to see for myself this afternoon!

Here are the cabinets all packed up on Thursday, ready to go! Stay tuned, finished shots coming soon!

All photographs included in this post are my own.

Shake Your Tassels

Graduation is in the air!  Whether you are graduating from high school, and ready to embark on college, or graduating from college  and moving on to, dun dun dun...THE REAL WORLD (ahhh), Congratulations!! I've been there, and I know you are feeling all kinds of emotions, but above all you should feel very proud for getting to this point.

With that being said, I want to put on my Yoda hat and give you a little advice, some words of wisdom if you will. 

Life is very much like a game of dominoes. One move can significantly affect the rest of your life. I know this from experience. Here's a little bit about the story of me, Courtney Foster, Kitchen & Bath Designer.....

I graduated from high school in 2004 and went to college at The University of Georgia. I applied to the University of Georgia with a declared major of pre-pharmacy. I know what you're thinking... YOU, a pharmacist?? But let me just tell you, I was pretty good at chemistry in high school, so I thought why not!? Well, lesson #1, high school is completely different than college (in the best ways possible, but different, nonetheless). I arrived at orientation the summer before my freshman year and promptly changed my major to Interior Design. Today, I can't honestly tell you why I decided to do this, but at the time it just felt right and I'm SO glad I went with that gut feeling. Little did I know this was the first domino that set the path for my entire career.

I enjoyed college, made some great friends and learned a lot over the course of those four years. I was accepted into the Interior Design program and began my first semester of interior design classes my Junior year. Starting this program changed college for me. Suddenly I went from being mildly interested in my classes to truly enjoying what I was learning. And even better, I was surrounded by about 27 people who felt the same way and shared the same passion. Now, don't get me wrong, my classes were challenging and I practically lived at school along with several of my classmates . I put in more all nighters than I care to remember and my junior and senior years in college were extremely stressful. My work was a reflection of me, and I was in the presence of so much talent, I couldn't afford to skimp on my projects.

For the first year in the program we were all taking the same classes, learning the same material and doing the same projects. But our senior year was different. While most of our classes were the same, there were two classes offered that were optional - Advanced CAD and Kitchen & Bath Design. For me, the decision to take both of these classes was a no-brainer. Not trying to sound like Sheldon Cooper (BAZINGA!), but we are in college to learn; why wouldn't you take every class you could get your hands on, in the field that you hoped to get a job in?! Helloooooo obvious!!! Well, thank God I chose this path, because this decision was the next domino that shaped my future.

Fast forward to the end of my senior year, projects were in full swing, resumes were sent out, our senior show was on the horizon and I hear of the opportunity (offered only to those of us who took the Kitchen & Bath class) to go to Chicago and and attend the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS). Hello, another no-brainer, of course I wanted to go! I needed a job after college!  But there were two obstacles.

1. We had to pay our own way to Chicago, including air far, hotel, etc...
2. this trip was right smack at the end of our senior year, during crunch time, not only for finals and final projects but for a big senior show we would put on for our friends and family to see our work.

Who am I kidding, even with these obstacles I still knew I wanted to go. I'm a sucker for cities I've never been to and a little work overload never hurt anyone, right?! So, my grandparents generously offered to sponsor my trip, and BOOM, it was a done deal, I was going to Chicago.

Again, this was one of those domino moves, except this was the MAC DADDY of domino moves for me. This trip completely changed my life.

A handful of us ended up going on the trip, including my good friends, Courtney R & Holly. Upon registering for KBIS we were invited to a slew of parties and events, one of which was the Atlanta Party. The Atlanta party was the day before the KBIS show started and the evening of our arrival to Chicago.

Side note: The day we arrived in Chicago was lucky from the beginning. Somehow our groups ended up going in different directions and I was left to explore Chicago with Courtney R. and Holly. As we were roaming the city, we came upon a theatre and saw that WICKED was playing. We went inside to see how much tickets were, just for the fun of it, and found out that they were actually doing a drawing for people to win FREE tickets to the show. So we entered. And, we won. Not only did we win tickets to Wicked but we won FRONT ROW CENTER TICKETS TO WICKED!

After the show (which was awesome by the way) we headed towards the Atlanta Party. The idea of going to this party sounded a lot better as were planning the trip, but it dawned on us as we were approaching the location that we knew no one. We walk into the location and see the party is upstairs, there were a lot of people and to say we were intimidated was an understatement. After several pep talks among the three of us we decided to go up... and the next domino fell.

So, There we were, standing among all of these Atlanta based designers, knowing no one, feeling completely out of place. And then everything changed... Out of nowhere came, who I now refer to as The Glue of Atlanta. Having heard we were "bulldogs" he instantly started talking to us and found out we had paid our own way to come to this show and that Courtney R. and I were going to be graduating in a few weeks and were looking for a job. One thing led to another and he introduced us to a respected Atlanta based Kitchen & Bath designer, who, little did we know at the time, would soon become our first employer. We didn't get job offers that evening but, not long after graduation we were BOTH hired and started our Kitchen & Bath design careers.

Here we are, taking on Chicago, changing our lives without even knowing it.

This story happened about 4 years ago. Since then I have changed companies (still in the Kitchen & Bath Industry) won the 2011 Calla Award for Large Kitchen and started this design blog. But it all happened because of several key decisions I made along the way.

In the words of Zac Brown, "You only get one chance at life to leave your mark upon it, and when a pony, he comes riding by you better sit your sweet ass on it." Pardon my French (I'm quoting), but this verse is so true.  In today's economy everybody is hungry and looking for opportunities. If you don't pounce on opportunities when they present themselves there will be 10 people waiting to take your place.

Network, network, network. This is easily THE most important advice I can give you. No matter where you are, who you're with or what you're doing, be aware that the key to your future could be right under your nose.

Congrats Class of 2012!!!!!!

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.