Get a Look Straight Out of the Movies

 If you go see Disney’s new film Old Dogs, staring  John Travolta, Robin Williams, Seth Green, and Matt Dillon, you might fall in love – with the bathroom.

The gorgeous tub behind John Travolta is Matteo Thun’s Lavasca bath from Milan based, luxury plumbing company Rapsel.

Free-standing tubs that become a focal point in well-appointed bathrooms has been a hot trend for a while now. The Lavasca tub is reported to be the lightest bathtub in the world.  Made from titanic resin, this tub weighs less than 100 pounds.  That’s good news if you are considering a second floor bathroom renovation.

The Pulvaie shower also by Rapsel, which I blogged about back in January 2008, is also prominently featured.  To recreate the shower in your own home skip the glass shower enclosure and install a metal ball curtain. I think ShimmerScreen by BCM Architectural offers great choices in both style and finish.

Other items you will want to get this look include the Hansgrohe Axor Citterio Single hole faucet and the Duravit Vero Washbasin.

 

For the walls you’ll want to select the Robern M Series with Vertical Lights and a mosaic tile in your favorite colors.  I’ve selected color 1270 from the Hirsch Glass Corp. Sparkle Glass Mosaic Collection.

When you are ready to take a nice soak in your new tub, you’ll need a hook or coat rack such as this one by Adesso to hang your robe on.

Important Range Recall from Electrolux and Kenmore

900 Electrolux ICON® and Kenmore PRO® gas ranges have been recalled due to carbon monoxide poisoning hazard.

The ranges in this recall were sold between August 2008 and October 2009.  An incorrect part allows more fuel to pass to the range’s oven than can be burned efficiently, causing incomplete combustion and the release of carbon monoxide. This poses a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

To check if your range is part of the recall, locate the serial number on the back of your range or just below the oven door on the right side for the Kenmore PRO. (Note: Not all serial numbers within these ranges are included in the recall.)

If your range matches those in the recall stop using it and immediately contact Electrolux toll-free at (888) 360-8557 or Sears toll-free at (800) 733-2299 to schedule your free repair.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

We give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.

Samsung Over The Range Microwave Recalled

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is voluntarily recalling 43,000 over the range microwave ovens.

On some units, a capacitor may have been inadvertently put in the incorrect location. As a result, there is some possibility that an installation bolt can contact the terminal on the capacitor of the ventilation motor. In these circumstances, if the power cord is connected to an ungrounded outlet, there could be a risk of shock.

The SMH915x models, produced in Malaysia, were sold between January 2009 and July 2009.  If you own one of these recalled appliances  unplug and stop using it immediately. Contact Samsung toll-free at (888) 402-6974 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET 7 days a week to schedule a free repair.

CPSC is interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product.  https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

 

 

Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater

After air heating and cooling, home water heating is the largest in residential energy consumption. Hot water heaters are responsible for about 17% of residential energy use.

The new industry-exclusive GE Hybrid Electric Water Heater is designed to provide the same hot water homeowners are accustomed to, but requires only about half the energy to produce it.

The water heater first uses a heat pump to bring the water up to the temperature of the ambient air. Then the electric water heater takes over, bringing the water up to 140 degrees F. This takes longer than direct heating but it only consumes 550 watts of power. If you need more power for visitor’s showers, then the electric element kicks in providing more hot water with a shorter recovery time.

The GE Hybrid Electric Water Heater is designed for easy installation because it uses the existing water and electrical connections and occupies the same footprint as a traditional tank water heater, making it perfect for new construction or a replacement upgrade.

A 30% federal tax credit may kick in for those qualified, alongside some state side Energy Star savings.

* Consumes up to 62%* less energy than a standard electric water heater
* Results in energy savings of $320 per year*
* Exceeds ENERGY STAR® minimum requirements of 2.0 Energy Factor (EF) with 2.35 EF
* Available  November 2009 in 50 gallon size

24″ Ranges

A 24″ range is a great appliance for a tiny kitchen.  While the choices were once slim, today there are many to choose from. 

Fisher & Paykel smooth top range
This little gem has a sleek glass top and a warming drawer with moisture selector. The self clean cycle makes it great for a busy home.

BlueStar Range with swing door
The versatility of this all-gas range makes it a favorite.  The griddle top is a must for a vacation home.

American Range commercial grade range
This range offers sealed burners with infinite controls and multiple oven settings including convection.  The large glass door makes keeping an eye on food easy.

Vulcan restuarant-style 24″ range
This little powerhouse offers 115,000 total BTU with the oven totalling 35,000 BTU.  Option casters are available too.

Avanti  duel fuel range
If you prefer a duel fuel range, the Avanti is a great choice.  It’s self-cleaning oven reaches temperatures between 120 and 480 degrees.  If you are really tight on space, Avanti also offers 20″ ranges.

Smeg gas range
This beautiful range comes in all gas or a dual fuel model.  Heavy duty continuous grates can handle the largest of pots.  9 cooking modes are available as well as an electronic cooking display. Optional LP conversion kit is also available.

 

Around the Web

As I was strolling the world wide web this past week I found some great items I thought I’d share starting with this incredible white kitchen in a Barn-style home in Sag Harbour from Emma and her great Blog White and Wander.  I love the commercial-style faucet and industrial stainless steel surfaces paired with the clean white shelving filled with glasses and clay pitchers.  Check out her other posts filled with lost of interior goodness.

The Laurel Hedges has a fun post that tells of the little known secret that a powerful exhaust fan in a couple’s bathroom lowers the chance of divorce.  Millie blogs to get away from the men in her life ( she has 5 sons!) and her posts are refreshing and filled with wonderful little gems.

Small kitchens are hard to design because they still have to have all the appliances found in larger kitchens and at least a little storage.  I think Chris Welsh did a fabulous job on this alcove kitchen featured on Alicia B. Designs with her tips on how to maximise small kitchen space.

If you have missed the magazine Domino then you will love the new online magazine, Lonny.  Eddie Ross introduced me to the new publication on his blog.  His beautiful farmhouse has a fabulous spread in the 200 or so page publication.  I love what he and his partner did with their butler’s pantry. Everything is beautifully organized and very accessible.

  

  

Starck By Warendorf

As Miele kitchens re-brands itself and takes on the name of the German town in which the company is based – Warendorf - it is making this change with a new kitchen destined to make a significant impact.

They’ve chosen one of the biggest names in design – Philippe Starck – to develop the first kitchen under the new brand.

Starck has created a kitchen design that represents something of a departure, both emotionally and functionally, from the traditional wall-to-wall arrangement of the fitted kitchen.

He calls the concept “democratic design” because its wide range of individual elements and the ability to combine them in different ways gives it potentially wide appeal to a range of consumers, lifestyles and spaces.

Starck’s first kitchen design concept, Starck by Warendorf, is complemented by functional tables that can be integrated into every Philippe Starck kitchen but may also be used as a standalone concept. It is a modular system made up of kitchen elements and individual pieces that leave all interior design options open.

A key element of the Starck by Warendorf concept is the way it combines living functions with the functions of eating and food preparation.

Starck does this with a number of specific design references. His bookshelf-style elements are intended to combine culture and food in the domestic kitchen. The bar-style counters are a response to the changed dynamic governing meal times.

Starck has banished visible appliances from these kitchen designs. Refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, ovens etc are all concealed behind handleless unit fronts. The accompanying exhaust hoods disappear into the ceiling when not in use.

Showerheads are filled with nasty bacteria

New research suggests that many shower heads are teeming with Mycobacterium avium, a bacteria that can cause lung disease. Should you be worried?

Researchers from the University of Colorado conducted  tests on 45 different shower heads from nine cities in the United States, using genetic testing to reveal bacteria that can’t be detected by the usual method of growing them in a dish.

The type and number of bacteria in shower heads varied from place to place, often corresponding roughly with levels of bacteria in the water supply. However, one type of bacteria, called mycobacteria, appeared in higher numbers inside shower heads. The researchers think these bacteria form a waxy biofilm that’s not easily washed away by water.

The most noteworthy finding was a species called Mycobacterium avium. It’s common, often found in water and soil, and about 20 percent of the swabs gave test results suggesting that Mycobacterium avium could be present. Mycobacterium avium does have the potential to make people ill, although the immune system of a healthy person will almost always keep this germ in check.

“If you are getting a face full of water when you first turn your shower on, that means you are probably getting a particularly high load of Mycobacterium avium, which may not be too healthy,” said lead researcher Norman Pace.

Since most people do not stand facing the shower when they first turn it on  and attempt to swallow the first water that comes out there is no reason to be alarmed.

“[The study] is nothing to freak out about because most germs don’t hurt you,” says Philip M. Tierno Jr., PhD, the director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University Langone Medical Center. People come into contact with 60,000 types or groups of bacteria on a regular basis, says Tierno. “Only one or two percent are pathogenic,” he explains.

If all this talk of bacteria has you worried,  before you rush off to bleach your showerhead know that mycobacteria will slowly grow back. When researchers did try treating one shower head with diluted bleach, they ended up with a greater proportion of some (harmless) bacteria in subsequent tests.

Metal showerheads appear to be less likely than plastic showerheads to grow biofilm, according to the researchers. Tierno recommends taking a steel brush and good cleaning solution to wash out metal showerheads or replacing them once a year or more frequently, like they do in hospitals.

If you are still feeling scared that your immune system will not protect you consider taking cold showers since bacteria thrive in warm, moist environments.

Color Trends for 2010

New color trends presented recently by Sherwin Williams reaquaints designers with the past for inspiration in the near future.

Rooted

Rich, earthy colors associated with African, Aboriginal, and Native American cultures.  Inspiration comes from members of Ethiopian tribes who paint their bodies with green and red pigments sourced from volcanic ash, as well as weeds, grasses, and shells. The deep teal and ash gray of African wildlife and landscapes, as well as the bright designs of the locals’ textiles and beads, also serves a launching point for new designs.

Simplified 

Lines are well-tailored and clear, translucent materials that reveal shape and structure. This is a nod to the Bauhaus style of architecture, with its absence of ornamentation and its harmony between form and function. A current example of this trend is Guggenheim Museum.

Treasured

Elements are weathered and the design is enhance  by organic aging. An example is the Rough Luxe Hotel in the United Kingdom, where the original layers of peeling paint and ancient wallpaper are still visible on the walls. This “less-than-perfect aesthetic” also includes the use of distressed leather, vintage tapestries, found objects, and patina.

Refreshed

Bright, energized floral colors that evoke optimism and exuberance.  “Flower power” of 1960s vintage, with a hippie spirit makes a return. Lemonade yellow, crisp green, and vivacious violet are among the colors that play into this theme.  These vibrant colors comes partly as a response to the challenging times and a need for something positive to balance out the stress many are currently facing.