Karbon

 

Sometimes, design can be like a bullet train. The process can start out slow and cautious, but once a solid foundation of design decisions has been built, there are soon fewer options for each stop on the ride. Before you know it, the train is moving faster and faster and the decisions become easier. For instance, after getting most of the layout and finishes selected, I could not think of another faucet that would be more perfect for this kitchen than the Kohler Karbon. The way this faucet can be articulated is so cool; it can be configured to be very tall in order to fill huge pots and spray out the corners of the huge granite sink, or it can be folded down very small so as to not block the terrace view. I kind of like pretending it is a microphone, too. 

 

 

Again keeping the view in mind, I knew I wanted three pendants over the peninsula that would be basically translucent during the day and add just the right amount of light and interest at night. Since this design “train” seems to be about horizontal stripes, I chose the Ingo pendant from WAC Lighting because of its long, slender white glass body and horizontally striped etchings. There is not an incredible amount of space between the drinking bar (I call it this because anything other than sipping wine or martinis here would be done in the adjacent casual dining space) and the peninsula and the tall terrace doors, so I really needed a counterstool that had very little visual weight. The almost transparent Kartell Charles Ghost counter stools from Design Within Reach were again an easy decision. The decorative hardware was really all that was left to choose and that is always one of my favorite decisions. There are hundreds of options that could have worked in this modern kitchen, but I knew that only one would be perfect. I decided to custom design the hardware using two of the elements in the space: the stainless steel of the ovens and countertops and the bronze glass of the backlit hood. This piece, called "Marquet," is part of my own hardware collection [Ed note: The Matthew Quinn Collection], and what makes it so versatile is that any material—from stone to horn to wood—can be inserted into this handle’s slot, making it the perfect hardware for anyone’s design “train.”

 

 

I’ll take you behind the scenes of even more of the contemporary show house design next week. Have a great week!