Artisans hand carve the discarded root balls of Chinese firs into magnificent bowls whose sides undulate like petrified flower petals. Transforming reclaimed wood into these creations, each one unique, they produce deep-walled natural sculptures that are equally at home as salad urns, fruit bowls or centerpieces. The bowl arrives filled with luscious VivaTerra organic gourmet gifts: our whole-bean organic fair-trade coffee, Garden of Delights herbal tea, twelve organic hand-made chocolate bon bons, 1/2 pound each of dark chocolate-covered almonds and espresso beans. Simply put, the quintessential organic gourmet gift of the year.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
For your kitchen | VivaTerra Bowl Of Plenty
Artisans hand carve the discarded root balls of Chinese firs into magnificent bowls whose sides undulate like petrified flower petals. Transforming reclaimed wood into these creations, each one unique, they produce deep-walled natural sculptures that are equally at home as salad urns, fruit bowls or centerpieces. The bowl arrives filled with luscious VivaTerra organic gourmet gifts: our whole-bean organic fair-trade coffee, Garden of Delights herbal tea, twelve organic hand-made chocolate bon bons, 1/2 pound each of dark chocolate-covered almonds and espresso beans. Simply put, the quintessential organic gourmet gift of the year.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Green Kitchens: How to Do It; Why It Matters
I came across this great article by Marshall Glickman, read below.
Green Kitchens: How to Do It; Why It Matters
By Marshall Glickman
Flip through the pages of magazines and books that feature elegant homes and you'll mostly see photos of living rooms and studies. The implication is that when we imagine ourselves enjoying our ideal house we see ourselves relaxing on the sofa or reading a book in an armchair. Yet, think about your best memories from home. Odds are you'll remember yourself in the kitchen sitting around the table talking, laughing, savoring a good meal. And think about where you spend most of your time now. According to David Goldbeck's The Smart Kitchen, on average Americans spend 50 percent of their waking hours at home in the kitchen--doing chores, eating, chatting after dinner. For most us, the kitchen is our home within the home. It's both a workplace and a place to relax in, making it the most important--and complicated--room to get right.
If your kitchen is the heart of your home, it should reflect your best self. It should be a place you enjoy and feel good about, knowing it's healthy for you and the environment. In other words, whatever decorating and style decisions you make for your kitchen, why not make it green?
The place to start is with design. While most environmental considerations can be easily accommodated with little effect on the overall look of your kitchen, incorporating them into your blueprints will make it easier to be a good ecocitizen after the contractors leave. Reconsider, for example, the classic work triangle of sink, stove, and fridge. It's actually more helpful to think of your work area in terms of functionBcleanup, food preparation, and storage. Viewed this way, you can minimize the inconvenience of composting and recycling. Instead of having recycling bins in the mudroom or down the hall, you can put a cabinet or small closet with sliding shelves near the sink. And if you put a slide-away top covering your compost container next to where you chop vegetables, collecting compostables will hardly take a thought.
There are only two significant green guidelines that effect the location and layout of your kitchen. The first is heeding the principle to use lots of natural light. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, designs that take advantage of the sun's light can reduce energy use for lighting by at least 50 percent while also creating a more pleasant ambience. Studies show that in workplaces lit mostly by natural light worker productivity and absenteeism improved 15 percent.
Letting in lots of sunlight also makes a good environment for plants. Even if you're not interested in growing herbs for ready-made, fresh seasoning, any greenery in the kitchen is a good idea. Indoor plants clean your air by absorbing pollutants and carbon dioxide through their leaves. This is especially important in the kitchen, since it's typically the smokiest room in the house. Of course, don't totally rely on plants to clear the air; a good over-the-stove ventilation system is an important piece of any healthy kitchen.
The other ecobuilding principle that may effect your structural design is the axiom that "small is beautiful" - the less materials you use, the less pollution you create. While this may initially sound restrictive -- especially if your dream kitchen plans are fueled from years of cooking in a cramped space -- keep in mind that big kitchens can be inconvenient. According to kitchen ergonomic research, if the kitchen work area triangle is too spread out, it becomes uncomfortable: the ideal work triangle should have a total parameter of no more than 22 feet (preferably with no one side less than 4 feet or more than 7 feet). Make your kitchen too large, and you'll want roller skates to go with your latest appliance.
What holds a work triangle in place of course are cabinets and countertops B the biggest composition elements in most kitchens. The style and material choices facing a new kitchen designer can be overwhelming. Thankfully, going the healthy and environmentally sensitive route restricts those choices some B though it is likely to cost a bit more.
Most cabinets and countertops are made with particle board, which contains formaldehyde B a likely carcinogen that can also trigger allergies and chemical sensitivities. Avoid this toxic gas whenever you can, especially in the kitchen where it gets warm and humid, making formaldehyde emissions even more potent. This means standard, off-the-shelf cabinets and countertops are out. What are the alternatives?
The most obvious option is to get or build solid wood cabinets. Less obvious is choosing the right wood. Look for certified lumber that has been harvested in a sustainable manner. Or consider recycled wood recovered from an old house or barn. Handled artistically, old wood can add character and charm to any kitchen (just make sure it's free of lead paint). If you should decide to paint your new cabinets, use nontoxic paints offered by companies such as the Old-Fashioned Milk Paint Company, AFM, or at least a low-emissions variety such as Benjamin Moore's Pristine Eco Spec.
There are a smattering of manufacturers who make cabinets with formaldehyde-free fiberboard out of "alternative" materials such as straw, wheat board, and Medite II, a nonformaldehyde, medium-density fiberboard. If using these alternatives isn't feasible (alas, they do cost more), consider plywood made with phenol formaldehyde rather than with urea formaldehyde; the phenol variety is considered much less hazardous. Plywood should be sealed with a low-emissions shellac such as Ecodesign or Auro's Clear Cembra. If safer plywood also isn't an option (for instance, if your cabinets are part of a kit and you simply cannot afford substitutes), let the new cabinets outgas somewhere outside your home for three months before installing them. While some chemical- and allergy-sensitive designers recommend metal cabinets, that look obviously won't be appropriate for most kitchens outside of Soho.
There are plenty of options for covering your base cabinets while avoiding the usual plastic-laminated countertops, which are bonded with toxic resins. Natural materials such as granite or marble last forever and are inert. Wood, built in a butcher-block style, can also work, as can ceramic tile. Ceramic can be quite reasonably priced and even installed by the average do-it-yourselfer; use only natural or low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) ceramic adhesives and grout.
After building a green kitchen, be sure and outfit it with energy-efficient appliances. After space heating (or cooling), most refrigerators uses more energy than any other appliance. Dedicated environmentalists should consider buying a Sunfrost, Low Keep, or VestFrost. Although these fridges cost roughly twice your average icebox, they use 70 to 80 percent less electricity, paying for themselves in about ten years. If you can't foot the up-front cost, at least stick to a conventional model that is respectably parsimonious with its energy draw. As a rule of thumb, avoid side-by-side models which have lots of extras like automatic ice makers and outside water dispensers.
The greenest dishwasher on the market, an Asko, costs only about 30 percent more than a typical model and rewards its owners with a very quiet dish cycle and roughly half the water use of most models. No matter which brand you get though, don't run the dry cycle, as it's an unnecessary waste of energy. For washing pots or dishes by hand, get a faucet aerator, which maintains good water pressure by adding air into the water stream and has a button that allows quick on-and-off decisions, without losing your temperature setting. There's also foot-pedal-controlled faucets, which make saving water easy without distracting your hands from the task at hand.While creating a green kitchen may take more forethought and a slightly larger initial investment, in the long run it pays in three ways: lower electric bills, less pollution, and a healthier home. Many of us are careful about what we eat. Why not be just as concerned about the room where you prepare and eat that fare?
Green Kitchens: How to Do It; Why It Matters
By Marshall Glickman
Flip through the pages of magazines and books that feature elegant homes and you'll mostly see photos of living rooms and studies. The implication is that when we imagine ourselves enjoying our ideal house we see ourselves relaxing on the sofa or reading a book in an armchair. Yet, think about your best memories from home. Odds are you'll remember yourself in the kitchen sitting around the table talking, laughing, savoring a good meal. And think about where you spend most of your time now. According to David Goldbeck's The Smart Kitchen, on average Americans spend 50 percent of their waking hours at home in the kitchen--doing chores, eating, chatting after dinner. For most us, the kitchen is our home within the home. It's both a workplace and a place to relax in, making it the most important--and complicated--room to get right.
If your kitchen is the heart of your home, it should reflect your best self. It should be a place you enjoy and feel good about, knowing it's healthy for you and the environment. In other words, whatever decorating and style decisions you make for your kitchen, why not make it green?
The place to start is with design. While most environmental considerations can be easily accommodated with little effect on the overall look of your kitchen, incorporating them into your blueprints will make it easier to be a good ecocitizen after the contractors leave. Reconsider, for example, the classic work triangle of sink, stove, and fridge. It's actually more helpful to think of your work area in terms of functionBcleanup, food preparation, and storage. Viewed this way, you can minimize the inconvenience of composting and recycling. Instead of having recycling bins in the mudroom or down the hall, you can put a cabinet or small closet with sliding shelves near the sink. And if you put a slide-away top covering your compost container next to where you chop vegetables, collecting compostables will hardly take a thought.
There are only two significant green guidelines that effect the location and layout of your kitchen. The first is heeding the principle to use lots of natural light. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, designs that take advantage of the sun's light can reduce energy use for lighting by at least 50 percent while also creating a more pleasant ambience. Studies show that in workplaces lit mostly by natural light worker productivity and absenteeism improved 15 percent.
Letting in lots of sunlight also makes a good environment for plants. Even if you're not interested in growing herbs for ready-made, fresh seasoning, any greenery in the kitchen is a good idea. Indoor plants clean your air by absorbing pollutants and carbon dioxide through their leaves. This is especially important in the kitchen, since it's typically the smokiest room in the house. Of course, don't totally rely on plants to clear the air; a good over-the-stove ventilation system is an important piece of any healthy kitchen.
The other ecobuilding principle that may effect your structural design is the axiom that "small is beautiful" - the less materials you use, the less pollution you create. While this may initially sound restrictive -- especially if your dream kitchen plans are fueled from years of cooking in a cramped space -- keep in mind that big kitchens can be inconvenient. According to kitchen ergonomic research, if the kitchen work area triangle is too spread out, it becomes uncomfortable: the ideal work triangle should have a total parameter of no more than 22 feet (preferably with no one side less than 4 feet or more than 7 feet). Make your kitchen too large, and you'll want roller skates to go with your latest appliance.
What holds a work triangle in place of course are cabinets and countertops B the biggest composition elements in most kitchens. The style and material choices facing a new kitchen designer can be overwhelming. Thankfully, going the healthy and environmentally sensitive route restricts those choices some B though it is likely to cost a bit more.
Most cabinets and countertops are made with particle board, which contains formaldehyde B a likely carcinogen that can also trigger allergies and chemical sensitivities. Avoid this toxic gas whenever you can, especially in the kitchen where it gets warm and humid, making formaldehyde emissions even more potent. This means standard, off-the-shelf cabinets and countertops are out. What are the alternatives?
The most obvious option is to get or build solid wood cabinets. Less obvious is choosing the right wood. Look for certified lumber that has been harvested in a sustainable manner. Or consider recycled wood recovered from an old house or barn. Handled artistically, old wood can add character and charm to any kitchen (just make sure it's free of lead paint). If you should decide to paint your new cabinets, use nontoxic paints offered by companies such as the Old-Fashioned Milk Paint Company, AFM, or at least a low-emissions variety such as Benjamin Moore's Pristine Eco Spec.
There are a smattering of manufacturers who make cabinets with formaldehyde-free fiberboard out of "alternative" materials such as straw, wheat board, and Medite II, a nonformaldehyde, medium-density fiberboard. If using these alternatives isn't feasible (alas, they do cost more), consider plywood made with phenol formaldehyde rather than with urea formaldehyde; the phenol variety is considered much less hazardous. Plywood should be sealed with a low-emissions shellac such as Ecodesign or Auro's Clear Cembra. If safer plywood also isn't an option (for instance, if your cabinets are part of a kit and you simply cannot afford substitutes), let the new cabinets outgas somewhere outside your home for three months before installing them. While some chemical- and allergy-sensitive designers recommend metal cabinets, that look obviously won't be appropriate for most kitchens outside of Soho.
There are plenty of options for covering your base cabinets while avoiding the usual plastic-laminated countertops, which are bonded with toxic resins. Natural materials such as granite or marble last forever and are inert. Wood, built in a butcher-block style, can also work, as can ceramic tile. Ceramic can be quite reasonably priced and even installed by the average do-it-yourselfer; use only natural or low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) ceramic adhesives and grout.
After building a green kitchen, be sure and outfit it with energy-efficient appliances. After space heating (or cooling), most refrigerators uses more energy than any other appliance. Dedicated environmentalists should consider buying a Sunfrost, Low Keep, or VestFrost. Although these fridges cost roughly twice your average icebox, they use 70 to 80 percent less electricity, paying for themselves in about ten years. If you can't foot the up-front cost, at least stick to a conventional model that is respectably parsimonious with its energy draw. As a rule of thumb, avoid side-by-side models which have lots of extras like automatic ice makers and outside water dispensers.
The greenest dishwasher on the market, an Asko, costs only about 30 percent more than a typical model and rewards its owners with a very quiet dish cycle and roughly half the water use of most models. No matter which brand you get though, don't run the dry cycle, as it's an unnecessary waste of energy. For washing pots or dishes by hand, get a faucet aerator, which maintains good water pressure by adding air into the water stream and has a button that allows quick on-and-off decisions, without losing your temperature setting. There's also foot-pedal-controlled faucets, which make saving water easy without distracting your hands from the task at hand.While creating a green kitchen may take more forethought and a slightly larger initial investment, in the long run it pays in three ways: lower electric bills, less pollution, and a healthier home. Many of us are careful about what we eat. Why not be just as concerned about the room where you prepare and eat that fare?
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
5 to Love
Five Great Kitchens
By Meghan Hennelly
A comfortable space with lighting and storage, high-performance appliances, functional countertops, attractive flooring and a splash of style—now that’s the recipe for a great kitchen!
But good looks, of course, can take a kitchen only so far. The rest lies in the room’s ability to bring people together, to entertain and to nourish not only our stomachs but also our souls.
In the following pages, we’ll sample five great kitchens in Placer County that have followed this recipe but managed to mix in their own unique ingredients. Utensils are not included.
1. The Retreat:
RosevilleAfter years of entertaining in a stark, white kitchen, Tamra Rager and her husband Doug, an employee of Southern Wine and Spirits, wanted to add a dash of color to their culinary lives. With help from Cyndi L. Pritt, owner of Studio City Kitchens, they created a spacious, earth-toned galley that celebrates their passion for pinot noir.
To give visitors some eye candy, the Roseville couple asked a friend to paint a 10-foot mural of the Napa Valley vineyards in the entryway. For the inside of the kitchen, they chose glass cabinets etched with grapevines, all of which match the green walls and carpet in the family room.
Whether they’re barbecuing for a group of 10 coworkers or cooking dinner for their children, the Ragers need multiple cooking areas for two cooks. They hide their appliances in cabinets to free up space on the beautiful, sandy granite countertops. Their favorite guilty pleasure: a three-tiered island that seats up to 12 guests and features a veggie sink, a hidden cutting board and almost two feet of counter space.
For another splash of color, the couple built a cherrywood hutch and entertainment center in the family room to match the cabinets in the kitchen. Tamra likes to think of her guests “easily flowing from one room to the next room with a wine glass in their hand.”
2. A trip to Tuscany:
Granite BayIndulge. That’s exactly what Barry and Linda Hoffman set out to do when they designed this rustic Tuscan-style kitchen. They wanted to savor the inviting outdoor lifestyle that Placer County provides.
Tucked behind the gates of Los Lagos in Granite Bay, their country kitchen looks and feels like a Tuscan villa, from the copper-painted faux finish meshed with the look of crumbling stone walls to the 40-bottle wine rack and maple wood cabinets. The view from the arched stone entryway lures visitors into three unique eating rooms and even further into a backdrop of waterfalls, rocks and a koi pond.
To make the most efficient use of their space, the Hoffmans recently added two small granite-slab islands with irregular edges. They used a travertine tile that extends down three steps into a sky-lit sunroom and then into the Florida room, where visitors can savor the Delta breeze.
“We like to entertain out here,” says Linda of the screened-in porch. “No bees. No mosquitoes! This is the most stylized room in the house.”The kitchen’s splendor extends to its smallest details: matching maple panels for the appliances, the limbs of a manzanita tree placed in the corner of the sunroom and the word “Indulge” written above the stovetop. Advises Linda: “Indulge in friends. Indulge in food. Indulge in life.”
3. Soft, Contemporary Style on Edgewater Court
This canteen on Edgewater Court introduces visitors to a soft, contemporary style that not only looks clean and refined but also feels welcoming.
That’s a good thing because owners Cheryl and Frank Mascaro use the space to entertain their extended family during holidays and to dine with their teenage son, if not a team of his famished friends.
With the guidance of Cyndi L. Pritt of Studio City Kitchens, the Roseville couple transformed an outdated eatery into a classy cook’s room a year ago using a few simple steps. After knocking out walls to create more space, they chose the latest stainless steel appliances to offset the natural maple cabinets. Just look at what they settled on for the kitchen’s focal point: a stunning, freestanding hood that hangs above a glass cooktop stove.
Cheryl added soft curves to the two-tiered granite-slab island, part of which she cut herself to give the room her own stamp. She also mixed black-diamond tiles in the backsplash and peppered the room with black and red accents. These colors help balance the kitchen’s modern textures.
Along with their desire for color, the Mascaros saw a need for more storage and inserted a buffet area that has self-closing drawers, ample counter space and glass-paned cabinets that show off their finest china.
The family wanted the room to feel truly contemporary, so they installed a movable flat-screen TV.
4. 1880 Stone Canyon,
RosevilleLike many new homeowners, Maria and Bob Shannon couldn’t wait to pick out the colors and textures for their dream kitchen on Stone Canyon Drive. “A lot of homes we walked through used a basic color scheme,” Maria says. “We knew we wanted to do something different, something that you’d look at and say ‘Wow!’”
For an inviting space that would evoke such a response, the Roseville couple and Deanna Moos, a Meritage Homes designer, chose warm earth tones for their primary colors, as seen in the cherry cabinets and tuna-green slab-granite countertops. They added a green tile backsplash with a beige bullnose trim. And for the wow factor: a beautiful, hand-picked medallion tile that draws the eye to the center of the kitchen.
Their cookery must also be durable enough to withstand two young children and accommodate Bob’s elderly mother. The rounded granite island suits the family perfectly: Children and adults congregate around it on busy mornings, while Maria and Bob admit that they sneak downstairs late at night, sit at the island and eat midnight snacks in contented silence.
5. Farmhouse in Loomis
Joan and Dennis McKenna found themselves stuck in a box eight years ago. Their south Sacramento farmhouse had become, well, square.
So they bought a country home whose kitchen drew local, and even national, fame for its striking green cabinets, French-accented sinks, recycled pine floors and clerestories (small windows). Ironically, the home was named Ferme Dijon, or Farm from Dijon.
Life in the Ferme Dijon kitchen is comfortable and simple. It’s where Joan and Dennis hold intimate dinners with their teenage son. And it’s easy to see why: The concrete-topped island lends itself to buffet eating; the bay window gazes upon a busy Monet garden; and the plate rack and open shelves make for easy cleanups.
Plates and racks aside, the space features fine French pieces that create an antique look, including a checkerboard sink, a white-aproned single-bowl sink and Bouvet doorknobs.
Designed by Janice Stone Thomas, owner of Stone Wood Designs, the kitchen arrived on the Placer County scene in 1997, when it served as a model for the homes in Clos du Lac, a cozy Loomis subdivision. That same year, it turned up in Kitchen and Bath Ideas Magazine as a sterling example of country living.
“This kitchen gives back. It receives,” insists Joan. “We can smell the incense from the cedar doors and look at the critters outside. The environment is beautiful, and it makes a difference in the quality of life.”
That’s a good thing because owners Cheryl and Frank Mascaro use the space to entertain their extended family during holidays and to dine with their teenage son, if not a team of his famished friends.
With the guidance of Cyndi L. Pritt of Studio City Kitchens, the Roseville couple transformed an outdated eatery into a classy cook’s room a year ago using a few simple steps. After knocking out walls to create more space, they chose the latest stainless steel appliances to offset the natural maple cabinets. Just look at what they settled on for the kitchen’s focal point: a stunning, freestanding hood that hangs above a glass cooktop stove.
Cheryl added soft curves to the two-tiered granite-slab island, part of which she cut herself to give the room her own stamp. She also mixed black-diamond tiles in the backsplash and peppered the room with black and red accents. These colors help balance the kitchen’s modern textures.
Along with their desire for color, the Mascaros saw a need for more storage and inserted a buffet area that has self-closing drawers, ample counter space and glass-paned cabinets that show off their finest china.
The family wanted the room to feel truly contemporary, so they installed a movable flat-screen TV.
4. 1880 Stone Canyon,
RosevilleLike many new homeowners, Maria and Bob Shannon couldn’t wait to pick out the colors and textures for their dream kitchen on Stone Canyon Drive. “A lot of homes we walked through used a basic color scheme,” Maria says. “We knew we wanted to do something different, something that you’d look at and say ‘Wow!’”
For an inviting space that would evoke such a response, the Roseville couple and Deanna Moos, a Meritage Homes designer, chose warm earth tones for their primary colors, as seen in the cherry cabinets and tuna-green slab-granite countertops. They added a green tile backsplash with a beige bullnose trim. And for the wow factor: a beautiful, hand-picked medallion tile that draws the eye to the center of the kitchen.
Their cookery must also be durable enough to withstand two young children and accommodate Bob’s elderly mother. The rounded granite island suits the family perfectly: Children and adults congregate around it on busy mornings, while Maria and Bob admit that they sneak downstairs late at night, sit at the island and eat midnight snacks in contented silence.
5. Farmhouse in Loomis
Joan and Dennis McKenna found themselves stuck in a box eight years ago. Their south Sacramento farmhouse had become, well, square.
So they bought a country home whose kitchen drew local, and even national, fame for its striking green cabinets, French-accented sinks, recycled pine floors and clerestories (small windows). Ironically, the home was named Ferme Dijon, or Farm from Dijon.
Life in the Ferme Dijon kitchen is comfortable and simple. It’s where Joan and Dennis hold intimate dinners with their teenage son. And it’s easy to see why: The concrete-topped island lends itself to buffet eating; the bay window gazes upon a busy Monet garden; and the plate rack and open shelves make for easy cleanups.
Plates and racks aside, the space features fine French pieces that create an antique look, including a checkerboard sink, a white-aproned single-bowl sink and Bouvet doorknobs.
Designed by Janice Stone Thomas, owner of Stone Wood Designs, the kitchen arrived on the Placer County scene in 1997, when it served as a model for the homes in Clos du Lac, a cozy Loomis subdivision. That same year, it turned up in Kitchen and Bath Ideas Magazine as a sterling example of country living.
“This kitchen gives back. It receives,” insists Joan. “We can smell the incense from the cedar doors and look at the critters outside. The environment is beautiful, and it makes a difference in the quality of life.”
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Simple and Elegant
Stunning kitchen remodel! Unfortunately, I don't have the "before" pictures, but the "after" is breathtaking!
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