How envious am I of all the designers on the East Coast who headed out to the Brizo show. Their tweets were endless… and only agrivating because I SO wanted to be there. Other than a bunch of kitchen fittings, I’m sure that I don’t have to tell you that the biggest tease was about Jason Wu’s collaboration with Brizo at New York’s Fashion Week 2010. Could I be any more envious?

Just to translate the magnitude of Brizo for non-design types, it’s like the iPhone… super cool, super slick, and so very chic. But when I say that New York City is a buzz with Brizo, I really mean the world, and when I say the world, I really mean the Milky Way Galaxy. The form of the 2010 faucet collection is, to say the least, very organic, vulva even. I mean, who would have thought that I would look at a faucet (above) and think of curves, sex, sensuality, and nature. A facet, after all, has but a couple of functions like dispensing water and pulling the stop of a sink but you’ll never buy another faucet when you have one that is as an ephemeral experience such as the fixtures being pumped out by Brizo.

What surprised me most about the Brizo collection were the faucets that I was personally attracted to. I’ve always been very classical in design with punches and hits of inspiration, but what I found was that I was drawn to the hyper-modern and the modern designs that were geometric. Now, this may not be a shock to some of you, but I’ve always love organic sculpture and, in fact, I produced bio-morphic sculpture during my degree at the School of Art in Winnipeg.

Overall I am impressed by Brizo. I hope to see much more of it, and I hope to enjoy the lucky client to let’s me specify it.

I don’t know why it took me so long to see the amazing Tom Ford’s film A Single Man (novel by Christopher Isherwood), but when I did, it was the house that took my breath way (who cares that it’s being sold for $1.5M, I want it) and that it was complete metaphore for the film. This amazing home features so little by today’s standards, but it’s really about what you have and how you use it. It’s built from redwood, concrete and glass and is invisible.

Shaffer Residence, built 1949, by John Lautner, Architect

Mid-century modern style

527 Whiting Woods Rd., Glendale 91208

Picasa album

Listing

You’ve heard about have seen the reaction videos on YouTube, but have you thought that designers react to association analysis of predictive consumer trends? I a reaction when I read the press release NKBA Reveals 2010 Kitchen & Bath Design Trends yesterday because I’m not sure if it’s based upon American, North American or trends on the east coast, so I am struggling to find the relevance of some of the trends that my association (which I love dearly and it is very close to my heart) claims.

What I thought would be a good idea is to show the difference that a region, or a select market such as the West Coast, can change the way major associations make predictive trends. Here’s my response list:

Kitchens

1. Eco-chic is the new contemporary

Image courtesy Kohler

2. Low-impact woods emerge

I have noticed in the conversations that I have with people, and the posts in the blogosphere, that economical and sustainable kitchens are absolutely key to moving ahead in this world. Flat panel doors in Bamboo, Kieri board, or reclaimed lumber that are clear coated in a semi-gloss low-VOC finish are what I am seeing more and more of. Ply-woods and particle board frames are moving toward formaldehyde free and even Soy and hemp boards are finding their way onto the marketplace. People are asking for them and the industry is responding.

Image courtesy Kohler

3. Flooring that grounds you

For some of us, flooring is the most difficult choice we will ever make. There has been a waive of hardwood in the past couple years, but this year, 2010, will be the year of dark chocolate PlybooStrand and Durapalm. Other flooring options include polished concrete and wide format recycled tiles.

4. Kitchen-tech faucets

With so much changing in the tech industries, our kitchens have taken on the same depth and *poof* here’s Kohler’s Karbon^TMfaucet. Men be warned, more dish washing is inevitable with this hot faucet.

Image courtesy Kohler

5. EnergyStar is in the spotlight

EnergyStar approved appliances are here to stay and improve. Smaller-sized appliances (24″ width and depth) are huge because they keep you eating your food quickly, thereby keeping is fresh, thereby forcing you to be creative and have fun with all the local produce and foods in the shops.

6. All hail the drawer dishwasher

The NKBA has it right here and the drawer dishwasher is HUGE! EPIC even! The coolest part is that for small spaces, the dishwasher can go under the sink gaining you that ever valuable cabinet storage space.

Bathrooms

1. Your future spa awaits you

Bathrooms are going to be sustainable with low-flow faucets, dual-flush toilets and integrated bathroom tech. Small LCD televisions, vanity spaces that are simple and clean will be built in (Dare I say that the laundry will be under the counter and the typical dryer will disappear? Oh I dare. I dare allot.) Colour pallets will mirror kitchens with white, turquoise and greys being predominantly mixed with bamboo and low-impact woods.

2. Colour on colour

Corian surfaces, coloured fixtures, polished chrome fittings, translucency, and reflection. It has become ever more clear that we expect that our cleanliness is synonymous with shiny white, but it white is less predominant. Blacks and greens are strong contenders in the bathing spaces and they are being married with curves and translucent materials. But grey never seems too far behind, again.

Image courtesy Kohler

glam-Appledom

So what does all this mean? All this white with tone-on-tone, natural products, and pops of colour. Well, it’s all a response to the glam-Appledom of white and silvers, the dialed down spending, instant cash-cab culture, viral marketing, and fashion. Here are a few of my favorites from the Louis Vuitton 2010 fall show.

I’ve blogged about this place before, but it’s Cindy Gallops apartment in Chelsea, New York. THIS APARTMENT IS A DREAM! I mean, who doesn’t want a Gucci chain-saw, surrounded by high gloss black, in the old YMCA’s men’s swimming pool and change area!?! Who?!?

I mean, the woman has the Gucci Gator (real, dipped in gold) people!! And her shoes run the length of the apartment.

“Oh yes, it’s big. It’s beautiful. And you’re going to love it” – Miss Coco Peru

Trackback» AWE STRUCK: GALLOPS BLACK APARTMENT BY STEFAN BOUBLIL

Soundtrack» Darling Cait – I’m like a ninja

Normally Freitag bags are made from cut-up truck tarp’s. For this collection they cut up art. The bags are made from banners from the shows at 4 of the great modern art museums. If you aren’t into the messenger bag look, this chic bag may become the sophisticate’s version of the much-loved Freitag bag.

Freitag Makes Arty Bags : TreeHugger.

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