Editor’s note: The 2009 Atlanta Symphony Associates Decorators’ Show House & Gardens opens April 18 at the St. Regis Atlanta Hotel & Residences. It’s hard to believe the opening date is already upon us. For eight weeks prior to the show house reveal, we called on kitchen design extraordinaire and Design Galleria principal Matthew Quinn to chronicle the design process of his team as they created a contemporary kitchen from a completely blank canvas – an unfinished space in the new St. Regis Residences. The results are remarkable. Today, in his eighth and final installment, Quinn showcases a few snapshots of the finished kitchen; but, we assure you—the real thing is even more marvelous. Visit the show house through May 10 to see the brilliant, modern space for yourself. We’ll look forward to seeing you there!
The day has finally come for the “big reveal” of our contemporary show house kitchen.
It took four months of hard work to build this space from a shell and we feel like we achieved not only something unique, but something uniquely St. Regis. We are also very excited to show you the traditional and transitional kitchen and bathrooms we put our hearts and minds into creating. Whether your design perspective comes more from a chintz or stainless steel perspective, there is a room in these three residences that you will love. Come with an open mind and a keen eye to explore each and every detail of these residences and this stunning hotel.
Mary Kathryn, Laurie, Patti, Robin, myself and our team look forward to meeting you and giving you the nickel tour or quarter tour, whichever you choose.
April 15th, 2009
Editor’s note: It’s hard to believe that the Decorators’ Show House & Gardens opens in little more than a week. In the weeks leading up to the opening, we asked one of the participating designers, Matthew Quinn, to keep a journal of the process, every step of the way. Today is his seventh installment about how one of his spaces is taking shape. Look for his final installment next week as we anticipate the grand Show House opening on April 17.
I love jigsaw puzzles. This past week’s show house schedule was probably the most elaborate and complicated puzzle I have ever tackled. Designers are moving in incredible rooms of art and antiques amongst a sea of painters, tile installers, electricians and plumbers working on last minute details. Patience, deep breaths and the amazing organizational skills of our Director of Business Development, Dusty Miller, has kept me out of the emergency room this week. Our work is down to perfecting the tiniest of details, which sometimes takes longer than the entire rest of the process. I thought I would share a puzzle with you. Below are several small detail shots in the modern show house kitchen. See if you can assemble these to visualize the entire space, and if not, I will solve it for you next week.
The stainless steel-framed bronze glass hood and framed Gnosis mosaic backsplash
The paneled walls resembling the terrace French doors
Two side-by-side Wolf ovens
The stainless steel countertop and custom granite sink with Kohler Karbon faucet
Check back next week for our final blog in this series, when we unveil the finished kitchen. We’re excited for the grand opening! Purchase tickets to see the Show House in person at
decoratorsshowhouse.com.
April 8th, 2009
Editor’s note: It’s hard to believe that the Decorators’ Show House & Gardens opens in just over two weeks. In the weeks leading up to the opening, we asked one of the participating designers, Matthew Quinn, to keep a journal of the process, every step of the way. Today is his sixth installment about how one of his spaces is taking shape. Look for a new installment every week until April 17 when the Show House opens.
I think I figured out why Design Galleria loves to partake in show houses; we are addicted to the challenge. It is our own “Amazing Race” reality show! Although we have participated in more show houses than any other kitchen and bath design studio in the entire Southeast, this was the ultimate test. Not only did we take on a show house in a high rise while it was under construction—which was a feat in itself—but we also committed to creating 3 kitchens, 3 bars and 7 bathrooms!
If we did not already have 15 Atlanta Symphony Associates Show Houses under our belts, the pictures below would be quite scary. These pictures show the current status of the modern unit kitchen in all of its glory. It is hard to believe that interior designers start moving in their furniture, drapery and art this weekend. With the right combination of hard work, long hours and a little bit of magic, it continuously amazes me how it ALWAYS gets done.
I will let you know next week if I was able to sleep at all this week.
The metal surround of the custom hood could not be templated until the sloped ceiling was finished. The bronze glass hood inserts could not be templated until the metal surround was made. The lights and fan in the hood can’t be installed until the glass inserts are installed.
Since the peninsula has a granite countertop and a stainless steel countertop butting into each other, the granite had to be templated and installed before the stainless could be templated and installed. The appliances are always one of the last items to be installed in a kitchen and require the decorative hardware so the integrated panels can be drilled for them.
April 1st, 2009
Editor’s note: With the Decorators’ Show House & Gardens less than a month away, we asked one of the participating designers, Matthew Quinn, to keep a journal of the process, every step of the way. Today is his fourth installment about how one of his spaces is taking shape. Look for a new installment every week until April 17 when the Show House opens.
I believe every room should contain something memorable. But too much “memorable” can cause visual schizophrenia, so the art of editing becomes the lithium to a harmonious interior. In order of hierarchy, I know I already have gorgeous 10-foot-tall glass doors opening to a huge terrace and southern views over the mansions of Buckhead, along with a unique and memorable ceiling. Creating a handful of secondary and tertiary focal points is all that is needed to bring this space together. And I have to remember that at night, the southern view is mostly dark, so I need to play with lighting to create my own interior “skyline.”
A view of the developing design, plus details of the "stripes" Design Galleria is employing for a strong linear feel
I have already played with the horizontal lines of the space by using “stripes” on the tall paneled wall, so now I want to play with the verticality of the space. Centering a stainless framed hood with bronze glass inserts on the angled part of the ceiling did the trick. Not attaching it to the back wall and lighting it from the inside with LED lights made for an even stronger visual statement. To continue the theme of intersecting planes, I decided that instead of tiling the wall behind the induction cook top, I could hang a backsplash like a piece of art. And art, this backsplash is.
The stunning Gnosis marble-and-limestone mosaic chosen for the backsplash
Made by
Gnosis Tesserae in Lebanon with the tiniest brown and gray marble and limestone tiles, it brings the classicism of the
St. Regis into the modern St. Regis of today. The backsplash coordinates beautifully with the honed Brown Pearl granite countertops by
Walker Zanger. A rectangular section of the stainless steel countertop on the peninsula appears to have been removed and replaced with a granite sink; meanwhile, the “removed” section of stainless steel will become a chef’s table that will be used as an island.
Now we are down to the last few details… I still have to select hardware, pendants lights, barstools and a wall color. See you next week!
March 18th, 2009
Editor’s note: With the Decorators’ Show House & Gardens less than two months away, we asked one of the participating designers, Matthew Quinn, to keep a journal of the process, every step of the way. Today is his second installment about how one of his spaces is taking shape. Look for a new installment every week until April 17 when the Show House opens.
Once a budget has been established, appliance selection is the most important step in designing a kitchen. In this modern show house, I knew I did not want to use a range, as they can appear too bulky. Alternatively, I decided to use a cook top and two ovens, plus a warming drawer, a microwave and an integrated 36”-wide refrigerator/freezer combination.
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Our design concept for the hood wall
The cook top that I chose incorporates the latest and greatest technology: a 36”-wide glass Wolf induction cook top, which represents the cleanest and most efficient cooking sources made today, and I love how the appliance is “trimless,” so it can be recessed perfectly flush into the countertop. When there is room, I try to place two single ovens side-by-side rather than stacking them. This allows me to position the middle oven rack at the elbow height of the homeowner, making oven access safe and comfortable. With this design I was able to install a Wolf warming drawer to the right of the cook top and to the left of the oven. A custom bronze glass hood will be centered on the angled part of the ceiling and lit from within by tiny LED lights. The Sub-Zero 736TC refrigerator integrates beautifully into the tall wall that wraps around the room’s structural column. If integration is what you need, no one does it better than Sub-Zero! A Wolf microwave hides behind a retractable door and the dishwasher and pullout trash are located to the right of a custom corner granite sink.
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Kitchen progress and projected placement of appliances
Sub-Zero and Wolf products are available in a choice of three stainless steel finishes. Before I decide which one to use, I really need to nail down the other finishes in the kitchen. I think it is time to meet with my team of kitchen designers and develop a color scheme. I will let you know how that goes next week!
March 4th, 2009
