A Designer's Thoughts
Design ideas and inspiration, and trouble shooting areas that could affect any remodel and other pertanent thoughts.
KBIS 2025: Day One Highlights
Today marks the first day of the annual Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas! There are noticeably more designers and trades represented this year, and it feels like we've finally fully rebounded from the COVID 2020 shutdown.
The theme this year is undeniably glamorous. Door hardware is treated like jewelry, toilets inspire couture fashion, tile hangs down like chandeliers, and faucets are curated with mementos from their inspiring time periods.
Here are Alisa’s top 5 favorite discoveries from today, in the order we encountered them:
2. Delta Faucet's Versacurl Detangling Shower Tool
Delta has taken hand showers to the next level. The new Versacurl allows luscious locks to be rinsed and detangled with ease! While designed for humans, dogs may enjoy it too. It features three easily interchangeable comb attachments without sacrificing California's water standards or rinse-ability. This fantastic concept is still in development, but we're really looking forward to its release! Here is an article about it as it hasn’t had a live release yet: Versacurl Development Process
1. Brizo's New & Expanded Collections
Brizo returns to romanticism in bathing with modern functionality, elegant styling, and universal design features with the Beauclere Bath Collection. Their Frank Lloyd Wright Collection is also back, now with customization options for kitchens and baths - truly a hidden gem waiting for our next Mid-Century Modern remodel!
3. Kohler's SpaViva Hand-Shower
Kohler's SpaViva elevates the home spa experience with interchangeable attachments including body massagers with rotating spheres, a body brush, body scrubber, and facial brush—all integrated with gentle micro-bubbles for the ultimate massage experience.
4. Ruvati's Workstation and Laundry Sinks
Ruvati's latest innovation incorporates a barista-style glass/bottle washer into their Ibiza Workstation Sink, preventing water from escaping across the kitchen countertop and onto the floor. Additionally, their new accessories for the Alto Laundry Sink include a washboard for delicates. Time really is cyclical, bringing practical elements from the past into the present.
5. James Martin Vanities
James Martin Vanities has become one of our new favorites for being both beautiful and functional. We recently specified their Laurent Collection white oak vanity for an Albany home. The features are impressive, including a tilt-out drawer with a removable tray at the sink, an electric docking station for styling tools with USB charging, and an easy-to-clean drawer bottom for when products accidentally leak.
Tonight, Alisa’s traveling companion Stacey from Steele and Stone Fabrication, journeyed back in time at the Mob Museum. Guest Speaker Tonesa Welch, the "1st Lady of BMF", conveyed her experience from startign as a 19-year-old crime boss's eye-candy, to rising into her own boss in the cocaine market. Concluding with her current work, assisting the community of incarcerated families, and her repentance for the lives lost during her previous 20 years.
Following this fun excursion, we were admitted into the basement Speakeasy...
P.S. Alisa’s mobster name is Alisa "The Godmother" Hofmann, and she’s "known on the streets as the friend of the friend"!
Sustainability Q&A
“What happens when the next owner remodels in 20-plus years and this countertop ends up in the landfill, or can this product be recycled at that point?”
Read More5 Questions To Ask Yourself About A Trendy Remodel
Who isn’t attracted to the latest design trends and color pallets on Pintrest, Houzz, magazines, or on screen? But when it comes to remodeling your own kitchen and bath, most homeowners are afraid of today's trends becoming obnoxious or a …
Read MoreEnvision Your Remodel Before Demolition
Now at Design Set Match, we can also provide a 360° panorama of our Schematic Designs, that homeowners can access online (anonymously) at their leisure from their computers or other devices, share with their friends and family, and simply daydream with a realistic vision ahead of them.
Read More7 Easy Principles of Universal Design for Every home.
7 Easy Principles Of Universal Design For Every Home. Did you miss Design Set Match chatting with Art Tile on Ask a Designer about Universal Design? We've saved it just for you!
Read MoreFeatured Project: Oakland Montclaire Contemporary Guest Bath
Design “risks” are easier to make in a guest bathroom as they are not used in its entirety on a regular basis. By “floating” the vanity cabinet we were able to open the space and light it from below which gives the illusion of expanding the room as the Crossville Porcelain tile continues beyond.
Oakland Montclaire Contemporary Guest Bath
Cabinetry designed with open storage for extra towels, baskets for toilet tissue and a space to sit down for skin care routines is reminiscent of being in a spa, an experience from which everyone leaves refreshed. Cabinet hardware like these 26 Series bar pulls by Sugatsune come in various lengths and can double as hand towels to prevent cluttered walls and dripping across the room.
Oakland Montclaire Contemporary Guest Bath
Oakland Montclaire Contemporary Guest Bath
Often I am asked about designing master bathrooms with vessel sinks which we discuss in detail the pros and cons and how it may not be the best design for everyday use. However, this guest bathroom with the Kohler Bateau vessel sink coupled with the Kohler Stillness wall-mounted faucet on a mirror adds a touch of something special for guests to enjoy.
Oakland Montclaire Contemporary Guest Bath
Featured Project: Bungalow Bathroom Gains New Accessibility (This week on Houzz)
Everything Including the Kitchen Faucet
I'm sure you've heard the old saying, "everything including the kitchen sink" as a metaphor for packing too much. But in this instance, Grohe has packed almost everything you can imagine into the kitchen sink faucet and its a good thing!
GROHE Blue®
Chilled & Sparkling
Ultimate Refreshment.
In the world of kitchen remodeling, clutter is the enemy. Everyone wants a magic wand for making it impossible for them to put it all back when they move back in. But at the kitchen sink, we tend to add more during the remodel. First there is a faucet, followed by an air gap (required by code to prevent dirty sink water from back-flowing into the fresh water lines), and the aminity items that improve our way of functioning, air-touch disposer switch, soap dispenser and filtered water/instant-hot water dispenser. And on top of all that, we want our sparkling water small appliance like the "Sodastream" sitting on the counter too.
The Grohe Blue series now has a Chilled & Sparkling option. Not only can you have filtered water at the same tap, but you can make your own italian sodas too! When I asked the representative a few weeks ago I found out that they are beta-testing an instant-hot water feature in Europe (I'm holding out for this version). Its nice that this is on display and functioning at the Jack London Kitchen and Bath Gallery showroom where I have my office, I can have chilled and sparkling water anytime I like!
"Just a Toilet"
Over the past 14 years I've helped Bay Area homeowners select the right faucets and fixtures for their bathroom remodels, the majority of the time they tell me "this will be easy, it's just a toilet". And then they walk into the showroom to start their comparison and see the options in rows upon row.
Sure, you're basic toilet needs to function in one way, remove our biological waste as fast as possible so that we leave no trace of our unmentionable left overs from our digestive systems. The options come in in a mirage of ways and asking questions is the best way to narrow them down. How tall are you? How difficult is it for you to sit and stand? What is your consciousness of water usage? How much water are you trying to save? Who cleans the bathroom? Are their small children in your home who's aim is yet to be perfected? And so many more.
What about personal hygiene? This is where the bidet comes in. The French invention designed for bathing our lower private parts without taking a full bath. Who really wants to take off all their clothes past their ankles to sit on cold porcelain backwards so that they can splash soap and water on themselves? And who really wants to dedicate another almost 3' of space to a non-storage fixture to sit right beside the toilet that they don't want to think about in the first place? Thankfully Toto, a Japanese company, and others have designed the bidet seat or Washlet (they have even made one for travel, now thats smart!). Simply use the toilet as usual and push a button to enjoy a warm cleansing rinse without the extra work of undressing or a cold seat!
Homeowners I work with who choose this option are typically retired and are planning to live in their home as long as possible or they have an aging parent moving in who has trouble reaching after using the toilet. Others have experienced them on their travels across the world and have found that they are a relaxing part of using the restroom. For this reason it is my practice to design an electrical outlet near the toilet for a bidet seat, even if it may be a future amenity.
Now tech enthusiasts and moms of young children will love the next phase in the bidet evolution. It's the Toto Neorest. This toilet is simple, has clean lines, no extra nooks and cranny's so it's easy wipe down to keep clean. It's as close to Jetsons age as I have seen for homes. The lid opens upon walking up to it, it's seat is warmed. It will even flush and quietly close the seat and lid when you walk away! Oh, did I mention its virtually "self-cleaning"? With ewater technology they electrolyze a mist of water which the system sends into the bowl to disinfect after each use and after an 8 hour period of stillness.
Feeling refreshed isn't reserved for shower and bath-time anymore!
ps. If you would like to test one out for your self, come by the Jack London Kitchen and Bath Gallery showroom in Oakland!
Apple's Home Kit
Home automation gets easier with Apple's upcoming release of their "Home Kit"!
If you're anything like my husband, you have already watched the keynote address for the World Wide Developer's Conference (WWDC) at Moscone Center in San Francisco. If so, this is old news. But for most of us not so "with-it" tech people this is is still very exciting!
In the fall of 2014, Apple will be releasing its iOS 8 operating system for their mobile devices. While there are currently some deadbolts like the August Smart Lock and thermostats like ecobee's Smart SI with special apps, this will include home automation that can open even your garage door simply by using Siri! Along with Home Kit, Apple is trying to establish a standard for home automation devices. Having a unified standard will allow more manufacturers bring products to market quickly and ensure cross-compatibility with other devices.
Latch-key kids can now forget their keys and still get home safely, actually they don't even need keys anymore!