For many reasons – including aesthetics and financial – LED lighting has become increasingly popular.
LED stands for light-emitting diode, which is a technology that produces light differently than an incandescent light bulb. Incandescent bulbs contain a metal filament, glowing and producing light when heated up. LEDs, on the other hand, use semi-conductors, expending a fraction of the energy to produce the same amount of light. In fact, compared with incandescent bulbs, LED lights can reduce electricity consumption up to 85 percent.
A Cape Cod Kitchen
While more expensive, LEDs are much more cost-effective. Although a100-lumen Edison bulb costs approximately $1 while a 100-lumen LED is roughly $25, an LED light will last 75 times longer which means you would have to purchase 75 Edison bulbs in the period of time an LED light would last.
While LED lights come in many shapes and sizes – including standard bulbs and continuous light strips – LED bulb wattages are measured differently than incandescent bulbs. For example, a 14-watt LED is equivalent to a 100-watt incandescent bulb. This represents a substantial savings – nearly 85%.
With the proper engineering and coatings, LED lights produce a whiter light comparable to incandescent lighting, without the artificial blue light emitted by fluorescent lights. Using the innovative combination of various colored LEDs, beautiful and dramatic color changing effects can be produced from a single light source. In fact, LEDs can produce nearly any color of light – creating fabulous glows in bookcases, under cabinets or in display areas. Their ability to accentuate the richness of fabrics and finishes brings a whole new dimension to interior design.
A morning bright tone-on-tone Bathroom
Because of its energy savings and vast color spectrum, LED technology has also revolutionized both television and theatrical lighting, as it eliminates heat loads and maintenance costs.
I am very fond of using LED lights in interiors because the accessibility of hundreds of colors is as simple as sliding a few levers. Subtle changes in lighting hues can make a dramatic difference in an interior, adding interest, dimension and depth. There is no question in my mind that LED lighting is the future – so now is the time for us all to embrace it!
Christopher Peacock Kitchen
Deciding how to go about redecorating or renovating your kitchen — knowing where to start, what should be left intact and what should be redone — can be overwhelming at best!
In my mind, unless you are simply repainting or changing out the flooring, everything — especially the cabinetry — needs to go. Everything!
If you do plan to simply paint or stain your cabinets, you should know the number one favored finish or color for kitchen cabinets in America is white, with medium- and dark-stained cabinets ranking low on the list. So if you’re happy with the placement of your appliances— and assuming they are in good condition— then merely repainting your cabinets and walls (which might include adding a colorful wall covering) and installing new flooring, is a great, cost-effective way to infuse a fresh new look to your kitchen.
In 99 percent or more cases, however, by the time you decide it’s time to update your kitchen, it becomes apparent the most sensible decision is to rip it all out and start afresh.
If that’s the direction you choose, then don’t try to cut expenses by keeping the same footprint. Spend the extra money to move things around to get it right. Keep in mind a qualified interior design professional can provide you with a comprehensive, functional design plan. Though not necessary, if you choose to hire a certified kitchen designer (CDK), I recommend you not retain one who is affiliated with a specific manufacturer or vendor, as he or she may not act in your best interest. Keep in mind your interior design professional should work closely with your kitchen designer from the onset of the remodel.
- Here are some tips for a smooth remodel and a productive working relationship with your Designer(s): Not only should you review a space plan for your new kitchen, but if possible find a place where you can tape out the floor to get a feel for the new layout.
- Request cabinet elevations and/or a rendering of each of the walls where cabinets will be installed. Next, identify exactly what will be stored in both the upper and lower cabinets to ensure adequate storage space. Consider all of the newest and up-to-date ways to store dishes and kitchen equipment.
- Don’t be fooled by pretty drawings or renderings!
- The kitchen is the area of your home where function rules. Decor should work around the room’s functionality without question.
- Consider what type and amount of lighting you need. Be careful not to place recessed cans too close to the cabinetry, which can render a harsh effect.
- Explore and understand the three types of cabinet door installations: European, overlay and flush. European requires no face frame, so it’s the least expensive. The hinges on overlay and flush mount doors are installed on a face frame, which ensure a more durable installation. Never use softwood, as the hinges can fall from the frame in a short amount of time. And carefully research the varying types of hinges and drawer glides.
- Lastly, be careful to consider the many available options such as underlying drawer glides, trash drawers with recycling compartments, matching cabinet fronts at appliances, under cabinet lighting, toe kick internal vacuums, space saver cabinetry inserts and so much more.
Cabinetry is key and really sets the tone for the whole feel of your kitchen. For the finest in kitchen cabinetry, I suggest using Christopher Peacock, with showrooms in Greenwich, CT; San Francisco; Chicago; New York City; Boston; Atlanta and Dallas (www.peacockcabinetry.com). Another great, quality option is Kitchen Cabinetry by Heritage (www.heritage cab.com)
If you consider using a custom cabinetmaker, be sure to visit some of his/her recent installations. You’ll be glad you did!
- Christopher Peacock Kitchen
As we look ahead to 2012 and anticipate the future, I embrace the new, while
having a fondness and reverence for the best of the past in the world of
interior design.
We like pairing the old with the new as an effective design tactic.
Juxtaposing one design element with another – as well as allowing each to
act in harmony with each other – is often referred to as New Traditionalism.
The term is not original. Instead, it has become a modern description of
Transitional Design – a place somewhere in between traditional and
contemporary.
While it can reap beautiful results, this “ying and yang” approach to design
is rather complex, and not a discipline that should be approached by the
novice designer. In fact, many professionals often find themselves
unsuccessful in their execution of this type of design – either because they
try too hard or suddenly find themselves in very deep, unchartered waters.
Yet in most cases, failure on this front of New Traditionalism happens for
just one reason.
New Traditionalism, or “transitional” design, is not accomplished by
randomly combining traditional elements with more modern or contemporary
furniture. Nor is it created by incorporating contemporary fabrics or
finishes with more traditional casegood pieces. And, its success is
certainly not dependent upon simply applying hot new colors with their more
conservative counterparts.
In fact, there is no formula or rulebook for a transitional design look.
Wonderful, inspiring and artful ‘transitory’ interior design is comprised of
one simple thing: a composition.
Indeed, a successful new traditional interior is fully reliant on the
artist. As an example, existing New Traditional interiors that our firm
worked on fifteen or more years ago, appear just as current today as the day
they were completed. Their contemporary elements have not gone out of date,
but instead have withstood the test of time. This is because they were
designed as a complete art composition – with distinctive contemporary or
modern aspects, which were enhanced by a traditional framework. When
designing interiors, successfully using artistic elements from our past and
combining them with contemporary nuances can produce a kind of cosmic
energy, as well as a compelling tribute to the past.
It’s not a challenge for the inexperienced. But if done with an artful eye
and panache, a new traditional interior will endure for years – even decades
- and aptly capture the old and the new.
As the final segment of this three part post, “The Revolutionary Design Vision…”, I had intended to give credit to the many dedicated individuals that helped make our vision a reality, not to mention to give special thanks to the Owner and Developer of the project for having given us the opportunity to preserve “Authenticity and Permanence“. However, in the midst of having written this final segment, the following was posted online which says it all:
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Part II: ….
The second is our Italian Family. Serefino Menzietti, is a gentleman I have worked with now for more than twenty years. He was a comptroller of a design client of mine, who eventually came to work for us. It was he who introduced both me and my partner Sharon, to a family that he knew that lived in the northeastern part of Italy in a small town near Verona. They were exceptional carvers, stone cutters, and sculptors. They were extraordinary, and in all senses, authentic.
We began to import much of their work, which eventuated with our having imported more than ten million dollars in stone, fabricated in Italy from that four generation Veronese family. In fact, it this family — the great-grandfather, grandfather, father and son, and their small group of junior apprentices that made each and every stone element — the carved arches, stone fireplaces and inlays, carved medallions and more for The Grand Del Mar Resort. In addition, they provided all of the stone slab and stone tile materials for both the interior of the public areas, guest rooms, Villas and Addison Restaurant
Hand Carved Marble Column
And most amazing? First, each column in the Resort (more than seventy) is a one complete vertical piece; they are not two halves that have been put together, and second, the medallions in the Lobby, Rotunda, Capella and the inlaid tiles at the Chapel are all hand carved and assembled. They were not created by computer. By hand, yes, by hand! Cut one piece at a time, by this four generation family. They and our design staff worked together to create objects that represented authenticity, grace, and most importantly, permanence.
And third, are our Hand-painted designs. While working on this project, I made a personal commitment to use artistic details and techniques that represent what is seen in architecture and buildings throughout Europe. One of those techniques incorporated hand painted designs on the walls and ceilings throughout the Public Areas, and in each of the Guest Rooms and Suites. However, the thought of using the over-popularized hand painted stencil designs on the walls and ceilings, was a concern. I wanted the work to be genuine, not look like a dime-a-dozen.
To this end, I did an extensive amount of research to locate authentic European hand painted designs that represented much of the wonderful hand painting seen in well known landmarks like the Chapel of Saint Theresa in Venice; or ceilings in the buildings found at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.I was more than fortunate, to locate a company that had access and the rights to a motif library that contained many of the designs I was looking for. And karmically, the company was less than fifty miles away from The Grand Del Mar! Throughout the three year project, ultimately we used more than thirty-eight different designs from their collection — for each of which I painstakingly created a custom color palette. Toward the end of the project, I had created more than fifty-five different colors that were used in the many hand painted borders on the walls and ceilings.
JL: Do you think that the hand painting at The Grand Del Mar, in addition to all else, perfectly symbolized your commitment to permanence and authenticity?
WS: Yes. I was determined that the hand painting at The Grand Del Mar be authentic and honest. But for all my design work at The Grand del Mar and elsewhere, I have adhered to the “measure twice, cut once” idea.
Hand Stenciling over Venetian Plaster
What this means for me is that I must conceptualize it, measure it, and see it in my head, knowing it fits, long before I ever suggest the idea to the client. To design with permanence and authenticity as goals, I work at creating design paths, and from those, the overall design identity of the project. My discipline is more of a calling than a job. I orchestrate the unheard, yet still deeply felt, design melodies as I go.
END OF ARTICLE:
NEXT WEEK….See some additional follow-on comments I had, following speaking with noted Journalist, Susan Kime in her interview with me recently (Kime’s article above)
