Vivid color yet clean and inviting due to the balance of neutral tones and color. Materials: American Loft cabinets (Recycled Paper series), Ice Stone countertops with recycled glass and sea shells, Waterworks large green glass tiles and porcelain floor and shower walls.

Beyond the Kitchen

While Kitchen and Bath is our main focus, most new floor plans involve the adjoining space.Therefore, I often specify finishes beyond those two rooms. In the case of this small downtown condo, after opening the kitchen to the living/dining area, I selected the grass cloth wall covering, the Fortuni-insired hand blown glass light over the dining table and the floor color. Out of range of the photo is the new fireplace finish- a smooth limestone with a steel mantel. Other areas that involved Red Pepper were the entrance hall, the stairwell and a guest bath on the second floor. Soft furnishings are by others.

View from my office

The first snow of 2009 occurred in October and was close to a foot of snow. Boy were we overdue by barely having one good snow before the end of 2010. Yeah snow!

Nice enough kitchen that doesn't work for the way the family lives

A family of five with lots of extended family needed more space but didn’t want the expense of disruption of adding square footage to their home. I responded to the challenge by removing the wall separating the dining and kitchen areas then redesigned the entire layout. The client described the look she was going for as “Mexican Fiesta” and kind of contemporary. In the following photo you can see the red painted open furniture piece we had made to show off their Fiesta Ware- my answer to the fiesta request. I wanted to keep the fixed pieces neutral enough to adapt the new fashions that might come along in the future. Let me know what you think?

(ps. The range wall is blocking the dining room )

This beautiful structure is made of paper Tubes by Japanese architect/artist SHIGERU BAN. I love how the simple use of color as well as the indirect lighting exaggerates the sensuality of his design. Not saying it would be comfortable to sit on but I sure do like how it looks.

The Maroon Bells near Aspen, Colorado is one of the great experiences of the Rocky Mountains, especially in the autumn. As gorgeous as the pictures are it is the whole experience that creates euphoria:  the smell of the leaves and the crisp air contrasted against the warmth of the sun on the skin. Hmmm. No wonder everyone  on the trail is smiling.

So, what does this have to do with design? Everything. Color, light, texture and contrast equals ambience. We can create feelings of comfort and happiness in our homes by using the same elements.

I hope you will continue with me on this new journey of the red Pepperblog. Please share your thoughts by commenting on anything that strikes your fancy.

Happy bathing!

The clients and the designer alike are very satisfied with the outcome.