Barnes House Kitchen

Last year we were lucky enough to have our kitchen published.  The photos had been shopped around for a month or so before they were picked up to be featured in Kitchen Trends magazine.  Of course we were thrilled when they called and told us the kitchen would be in an upcoming issue.  I was even more excited when I saw that it got the front cover and the main feature spread.  That came as a huge surprise.  I mean I was really surprised.  I love my kitchen, but I never imagined it would get the attention it did considering I thought of Kitchen Trends as a publication that catered to McMansion McKitchens or either the Ultra Modern.  But the editor told us it had a certain authenticity and that it was very photogenic.  We were like proud parents! 

We had an architect who worked with us on the house plans.  But, we wanted to control most of the design decisions as the construction progressed (which I’m sure that totally shocks those of you who know us)!   So, the architect drew only the shell of the house addition and we managed the details of each phase.  However, when it came to the kitchen we had the good sense to hire a professional.  We knew the look and feel we wanted.  And of course, I had very specific ideas for the finishes, materials and all other details.  However, designing a kitchen and getting it right is not an easy task.  I knew how to make it look good, but I had no idea where to put the knife drawers, how to get top of the line cabinets or what would be a workable layout in a long and narrow space.   Especially since C was completely non-negotiable about including a kitchen island. 

So what did we do?  C went out and found Atlanta kitchen designer Matthew Rao.  Still to this day, I believe the reason he picked Matthew is because his studio is located across the street from our Atlanta condo.  Thinking back, I would not advise selecting your designer based on the convenience of his office.  But in this case we got very lucky.  Being ‘design’ inclined; I know how … uh… challenging it can be to work with creative people, especially if you have very specific ideas yourself.  Matthew was very upfront with us that his specialty leaned heavily towards contemporary and modern concepts.  But, he had won several ‘kitchen of the year’ honors and being slightly shallow, I can be impressed by awards.  We really connected with him and thought he truly understood our intent to seamlessly mix history and modern.  Not to mentioned that he never got frustrated with us as we questioned every detail and made endless changes.  I still have a garage full of rejected cabinet doors that were delivered every few days until we got the exact shade of gray blue green we wanted.  As you can see from the photographs, Matthew helped us achieve the kitchen we wanted.  If you need a great kitchen or bath designer you can find Matthew at www.raodesignstudio.com.  He does work all over country.



Photo credit:  John Umberger



HGTV Moment!

Last week I got a card with a big smiling photo of a cat on it from my friend DAR.  It had been a year and she was again thanking us for her last year’s birthday present – a new kitchen.

Over the years, a close group of friends have celebrated milestone birthdays with everything from formal dinner parties to European trips. But, for our friend DAR, last year was unique even for us. 

DAR is the connection that weaves us all together. So we all assumed that when she turned ‘39 again’, she would want a festive cocktail party to celebrate with her many friends and family.  But, much to our surprise her request involved far fewer participants.  She gingerly asked us to help ‘fluff up’ her dated kitchen.  Having seen her nightmare of a kitchen we were more than happy to oblige and packed up the tool box and got busy. 

DAR is a social butterfly.  She is…well how can I say this…she is the best friend one could hope to have.  She has great taste and a terrific sense of humor.  She can plan a dinner party or whip up a spinach dip in a heartbeat, but she barely knows the difference between a hammer and a nail!  Being handy around the house is just not her idea of a necessary skill.  That’s what husbands are for.  Problem is she no longer has one of those, so Chuck and I have served as the long distance surrogate for sometime.  Over the phone we have walked her through everything from how to turn off the water line to stop it from spouting all over the kitchen floor to replacing blades on a ceiling fan.  All of which usually result in a handyman being called in to correct the situation.

Her 1920’s condo in the chic Meyers Park neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina suits her just fine.  However, the kitchen did lack … well it lacked everything!  Confused as to what to do and how to get it done, she had put off renovating the kitchen for years.  The little kitchen passed inspection through the many book club luncheons and dinner soirées only due to very low lighting and artful placement of accessories to hide the many accumulating flaws.  But, just like the Roman Empire this ancient room too began to crumble.  The backsplash grout could no longer hold its yellow ceramic tiles in place and they were falling like autumn leaves.  The harvest gold (yes I said harvest gold!) range and dishwasher had passed their prime years ago and the matching sink was slowly sinking into the disintegrating particle board countertop.  Even the broken trash compactor was now serving as a container for cat food. Two of the trio of 1980’s track light cans dangled darkly from their dusty track.  The plaster walls aged with their off white paint added another layer of dreariness. 

Armed with a small budget equal to the cost of a tasteful cocktail party and 3 days to complete the work, we set out to create our own TV style kitchen makeover, complete with a cocktail party reveal! 

Since our little clique does not all live in the same city, much less the same state all the pre-planning was done via email, phone and photographs.  We agreed that the small dark windowless kitchen needed to be brightened up with stainless steel appliances and since its owner had lived in and loved Norway our theme would be Swedish Casual. 

I must admit I did show up a day early and with the much appreciated assistance of my father who happens to live nearby, we were able to run around town and get most of construction materials.  The construction crew consisted of me, Chuck, and our other friend VSS.  [Side note:  understand that VSS is the high level corporate executive type, so I was a little nervous of her and me together in a confined space using power tools.] 

The next morning VSS and I set out to secure some decorative elements, but then decided we should wait until the project got further along before we committed to those details.  So we did the next best thing and bought a case of wine instead!  If nothing else we do know how to prioritize. 

Each day Chuck and I showed up unshaven, in shorts and baseball caps.  VSS arrived casually dressed in jeans, the perfect blouse, and Prada shoes!  If the HGTV camera crew showed up she would have been our Sandra Lee.

JS, the fourth member of our group, was not able to physically participate to no fault of her own.  DAR confused weekend dates and JS had plans she could not change; something to do with a debutante ball, or society wedding – I forget.  But, she did the next best thing.  She wrote a check – something she’s very good at!  Also, we pushed DAR off on her for a few days.  Completely against her will, we forced DAR to move out of the apartment until the project was complete so the final reveal would be a surprise – and to keep her out of our way!  That ended up being the best thing to do, since the kitchen can only hold so many personalities!  It’s just as well that JS could not physically participate.  In that small space I’m sure someone would have lost a hand or at least a couple of fingers.

All three of us worked our #$*& off and managed to finish within three days and still had time to plan and throw a small cocktail party for the big reveal!  Of course on the last day VSS had to call in reinforcements in the form of her house keeper, because we may have completed the kitchen but in the process we had also trashed the rest of the apartment. In the end we had managed to paint the cabinets, replaced the counter tops and backsplash, replaced all the appliances, moved the washer and dryer, changed the wall color, added new hardware, new lighting, and accessorized. 

Take that Vern Yip!

Taste VS. State

There are days when I have no idea what my next blog posting is going to be and today was one of those days, but then something just fell into my lap.  I want this blog to be a design and lifestyle blog.  It’s not about pop or celebrity culture, so bare with me here.  I want to see what Lady Gaga is doing as much as the next guy, but I’m not interested in writing about it.  But, today I’m going to blur the lines a bit.

We all know that C and I are foodies.  The Food Network and Cooking Channel are default stations in our home of endless streaming media and are only surpassed by MSNBC and HGTV.  But, I guess we are ‘old time’ Food Network fans.  It takes us a while to warm up to the new ‘celebrity’ chefs, if we warm up to them at all.  Generally we stick with Ina and Giada.  I can’t handle Rachel Ray and as much as I love Paula Deen, a little of her goes a very long way.  Besides, who needs all those calories?  Any day now I expect her to roll a stick of butter in mayo and panko and deep fry it, if she hasn’t already.  But, of all the old and new food stars the one that pushes me over the edge the most is that Sandra Lee. 

I try not to watch her show, but on rare occasions I stumble across it.  I really could not tell you much about the food.  I suspect it’s generally hit or miss.  I don’t pay attention to the food because I can’t get passed her kitchen decorating schemes and those damn table scapes.  But, it seems she does like her cocktails, so I have to give her points for that!

I know I’m not the first person to blog about this and will certainly not be the last.  Since my opinion of Sandra seems to be a common point of view with much of the world you may be wondering why I am even writing about her.  As I mentioned, I generally do not write about pop culture, but Sandra Lee is headed to a governor's mansion.  Really! 

I was completely floored this morning when C told me she was the girlfriend of the New York Governor elect Andrew Cuomo.  I didn’t believe him and immediately ran to my office and googled ‘Andrew Cuomo girlfriend’ and sure enough guess who pops up.  Amazing!  I should have known this.  Besides being a foodie, we are also political junkies!  How did I miss this little pop culture political nugget, especially since Cuomo was running for the office and in the news long before I moved back from NYC?  She’s going to be the ‘First Lady in Waiting’ for the state of New York.  Unbelievable!

I never thought about it, but I certainly would have pegged her as a card carrying Tea Partier. 

According to the New York Post, ‘Lee, a Food Network host and author who boasts a product line, did say last year she'd bring her creative cuisine to the executive mansion.’ 

"I will cook. And do you know what I'm going to bring when I get to the governor's mansion? Great garnishes," says Lee.

I am not an OMG person, but OMG!  I can tell you that Ina did the Kitchen of the Year at Rockefeller Center last year and she writes for House Beautiful.  And, I generally keep up with what Giada is doing, but I guess I’m going to have to pay more attention to what Sandra is up to now!  I’m just floored I missed this. I have got to start reading more pop culture blogs. I may have to move back to NYC just for the entertainment!

And just to show that the universe works in mysterious ways, before I could even finish writing this blog the day's mail came and in it was my December copy of Town and Country with Ina Garten on the cover.  I don't care who Sandra Lee is sleeping with, she's never going to be on the cover of Town and Country!

I pulled some photos from the Food Network site that best represent both Ina and Sandra.  Taste VS State.  You do the math! 

I have no idea what has been happening while David Patterson has been stumbling around the Governor’s mansion, but I know what will be going on when Sandra moves in.  Below are some of Sandra’s work that I’m sure will be showcased at many of the upcoming NY gubernatorial events. Good luck New York, I'll be thinking about you!

Under no circumstances are these images of Sandra’s ‘work’ supported by A.J. Barnes or any of our associates.  In fact, if any of you support this, then stop reading.  A.J. Barnes is not for you!  We’ll never make you happy!

Storm King

I have to admit these photos are not taken here in the south, but I thought they were quite beautiful and should be shared.  A good friend took them on a recent visit to Storm King in New York State. 

“Widely known as one of the world's outstanding sculpture parks, Storm King Art Center is located approximately one hour north of New York City, in New York's Hudson Valley. Storm King's permanent collection of sculpture, dating from 1945 to the present, includes works by many of the twentieth century's most influential artists, integrated into a pristine, 500-acre landscape of rolling hills, fields, and woodlands.”   

My friend is currently all caught up in the Fall beauty of the Northeast.  I’m not sure whether it’s because she lives in Westport, Connecticut and is possibly moving back south, so she’s soaking in the environment and savoring every moment; or whether she’s channeling Barbara Parkins as Anne Welles.  Remember her from Valley of the Dolls.  She was the very stylish heroine.  I think of the scene where she strolls a tree lined Fall New England street with Lyon Burke and later as she walks through the winter snow in her mink coat.  My friend already has the fur coat and a closet full of Bergdoff shoes, so I think that has got to be the case!

Learn more about Storm King Art Center at www.stormking.org

photo credit: Georgia Christensen

The Home Within Us

Several months ago, I published a posting about conversations my close friend GC and I were having about decorating a Tudor style home she is thinking of purchasing.   In our heads we already had it redecorated in the style of LA designer Rose Tarlow.  For reasons to numerous to list, now it seems that particular house is no longer an option and the latest possibility is a renovated Mediterranean.   I’m told this new choice has good bones, but lacks character.   This caused us to ‘what if” about how to add more style and charm to the house.    GC says it’s currently decorated in an Italian villa mode with layers of ‘Tuscan’ style painted finishes (which really means sponged).  As she says ‘that theme can easily go Mexican restaurant very quickly’! 

GC mentioned she had picked up Bobby McAlpine’s latest book called ‘The Home Within Us.”  Except for the title I’m sure it’s a great book.  I knew a book of his work had been published last spring, but I had forgotten about it and oddly enough, I don’t remember seeing it anywhere.  If I had to pick, I think I would pick Bobby McAlpine as one of my favorite designers.  There for a while I got a little tired of his work being featured in every magazine.  But, with so many of the shelter magazines now out of publication I guess periodical over exposure is not an issue any more.  I certainly didn’t mind seeing his work.  I love it.  I think its more about hoarding something precious.  You know, like acquiring a special possession and you think is so wonderful that you do not want to share it.  I’m so afraid that his look and style will go main stream.  The color palette (which I have been doing for ever, I might add) and his fabric range are already permeating the designer market, as I mentioned in my last posting about the Highpoint Furniture Market.  And I guess people blogging about it doesn’t exactly keep it on the down low! 

Since it came up in a recent conversation, the next time I’m near a book store a copy of the book will be coming home with me.  Until then I thought I would re-look at some of his work. 

This particular home was built by some other friends of mine and was one of the first published houses McAlpine designed.  My friends have since sold the house and taken up penthouse living.   The house was published in Southern Accents in 1999 and shows the early McAlpine philosophy.  The color palette is a little lighter than some of the more current work, but the bits and pieces that thread themselves through all of the McAlpine houses are quite obvious.  In the SA article McAlpine describes the house as ‘timeless’, and as you can see from these photos the design still holds up beautifully.  Trust me; having visited this home, the photos can not capture the full detail and spirit of the design.

As far as GC’s house goes, I think the McAlpine style (with a little Rose Tarlow thrown in for good measure) would be great for her Mediterranean house.  But, I’m not going to put too much thought into this one.  Who knows, next week I may get the call that she’s found the perfect Mid Century Modern and I’ll have to run out and by a bunch of Albert Frey books! 

photo credit:  Michael Mundy

Update!

Sometimes I will write the blog posts several days in advance and schedule them to be published at a later date.  Being the procrastinator I am this advance work can make my life much less hectic!  This was one of those times when I tried to get ahead of the game.  I wrote this post last Friday and scheduled it to release today - Wednesday.  And of course between Friday and Wednesday, GC called and told me the Mediterranean house went under contract!  She’s on the hunt again!

Highpoint Fall Market

Recently I was in Highpoint, NC for the fall furniture market.  While there I spent extra time walking the market to search out the latest home décor and furniture trends.  Overall this market was very similar to the spring market.  The overwhelming and obvious trends are still the whole Industrial Vintage theme and it’s more sophisticated sister, I call Gustavian Chic, which consists of gray and neutral linen upholstery, dark walls and found objects.  Although the furniture in the second trend is certainly more formal, the two trends play well off each other and I’m seeing a lot more redefined Industrial Vintage accessories mixed into the Gustavian Chic theme.  But, buyer beware!  The only noticeable difference between the fall and spring markets was the amount of both of these trends.  Last Spring both trends were most noticeable in the temporary vendor statements.  At this fall market, they had begun to spread into the permanent showrooms and even a few of the widely distributed and moderate vendor collections.  That means it’s only a matter of time before it’s in Target!  But, all the new stores currently focusing on these trends (and there are a lot of them) don’t need to worry yet.  Although it’s making its way through the wholesale market, it is still a few years away from being over saturated. 

For me the sad thing is I like both of these so I hate to see them go main stream.  I’m already irritated because the Swedish gray green finish on my three year old kitchen cabinets is now everywhere!  But, like any trend the good pieces and ideas will surface to the top and have staying power.  The key is to understand what those are.  And, it’s not too early to think about what’s next.  I’m going out on a limb here and predicting the next big thing, even though I did not see one cohesive statement at the market.  I’m calling it Eclectic Salon.  It’s not as formal as the Gustavian Chic theme, but it does have a European vibe.  It is more refined and less accessible than Industrial Vintage, but it also builds off of the found object. The look and the products are more defined and global.  I have a feeling you will be hearing more about this from me!

Below are a few things that caught my attention at the Highpoint Fall Market.