What is a Cerused Finish?

Dating back to the 16th century, ceruse was a white lead derivative used as a cosmetic by luminaries such as Queen Elizabeth I. Highly toxic on human skin, it found favor with woodworkers, who used the lead-white and wax to fill the porous open grain of oak planks to deter insects and rot. After a while it became a fashionable way to lighten up and enhance the look of wood.

Also known as “limed oak,” the finish was popular throughout the Art Deco era and employed by notable midcentury modern pioneers including Parisian Jean-Michel Franck and Viennese-born Paul T. Frankl. A version of the technique, with a whitened grain contrasting against a black stain, was widely imitated in the 1950s.

A cerused finish on cabinetry is created by using a wire brush across the surface to expose the natural grain of the wood. The base color and a glaze coat are applied to accentuate the unique patterns within the grain. Cerused cabinets have a weathered appearance.

This finish is most popular on Oak and Ash because of their open grain structure but I have seen it done on Alder and Walnut.

Today, cabinet makers are raising the grain on extra thick slab veneered doors. Paired with streamline hardware , a more modern look is obtained. This look is also popular with industrial accents to invoke an urban chic interior.

Colored pigments are also popular and as the demand for “driftwood” finishes starts to wain, expect to see more colors options available.

A word of caution, overuse of this finish can be distracting and knowing how to make it flow with the rest of your home’s decor is very important. Also be aware that I had seen slab doors where half the door takes the color one way and as the grain changes, the other half soaks it up another way. When working with a lighter cerused finish, always order a sample door, don’t work from a small color chip.

From inspiration and to see samples come see me in the showroom. 3415 Radio Rd., Suite 102, Naples, FL 34104

June 4, 2014

Shape The Future of Black

Do you have what it takes to Shape the Future of design? DuPont Corian has established an international design competition that has been launched across the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

Participants are invited to conceive an interior design solution (such as furnishing, tables, seating, vanities, vertical cladding, etc…) for one of the following with the new DeepColour blacks:

• home environment (kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom, etc…)

• public/commercial spaces (hotels, hospitals and medical facilities, shops, restaurants, bars, yachts, offices, airport and train stations, museums, banks, shopping centers, theaters etc…)

The contest excludes flooring and ceiling applications, lighting equipment, accessories and small objects. Entry deadline is June 15th, 2014.

The result is to give architects, designers and fabricators the confidence to experiment with the material through all manner of volumetric or surface treatments. “The newness of this technology and the depth of these colors offers designers something to play with that they haven’t had before,” says Mark Woodman, lead design consultant for Corian.

Consider the work of the Giles Miller Studio. I saw their amazing tiles at the London Design Festival last fall.

When the LDF needed a feature desk for the V&A entrance , the organizers approached Giles Miller for a solution that was the opposite of “off-the-shelf.” In response, Miller developed a system of intricately patterned, machine-cut panels that could be arranged volumetrically. The triangular panels, each uniquely grooved with a different surface treatment, were laid out in opposite directions, creating a dazzling effect of light and shadow.

Miller, who typically works with metals and other reflective materials was new to Corian, yet he was able to achieve the same, polished metal effect using only DeepColor solid surface. “Before we made the final desk, we laid the tiles out on the floor of our studio and saw the effect of the reflection,” recalls Miller. “We were blown away by the ability to make intricate profiles and have them all reflect light.”

For those who dare to use Corian as more than just sheet goods, you may have encountered “stretch marks” as you manipulated and formed the surface. DeepColor, however, now eliminates those unsightly lines and other imperfections, such as scratches, a constant issue with darker surfaces.

The new collection of solid surfaces is currently available in four dark, lustrous hues—Anthracite, Nocturne, Night Sky and Black Quartz. Still under wraps in DuPont’s labs, an extended palette of colors is about to be added to Corian family of colors.

May 31, 2014

Lighting on My Mind

Table lamp ideas for kitchens | KitchAnn Style

As a Kitchen and Bath Specialist I don’t usually specify furniture or soft goods such as upholstery so I was a little worried when I saw BlogTour NY was scheduled to visit the Donghia showroom in the D&D Building that I’d struggle to come up with something to write about this sponsor.

My worries were quickly put to rest as I sipped Prosecco and was introduced to the new spring product offering. I quickly fell in love with the Murano lighting and wall coverings.

It seems like designers are always looking for great chandeliers to hang over kitchen islands now that open floor plans are preferred and higher ceilings are in more demand from homeowners. But what about table lamps in the kitchen?

Table Lamps in the Kitchen

Table lamps are great accessories in the kitchen and are too often overlooked. They provide great task lighting as well as soft ambient light when dimmed for parties or quiet mornings.

Whether you want to use a pair or a single lamp paired with a vase, picture frame or other accessory of your choosing, lamps can fit most any design theme.

Some planning is needed to locate outlets for the lamps in each designated spot. Lamp chords will also most likely need to be shortened by your electrician or lamp shop.

Lamps make a kitchen feel more like a room and less like a food laboratory.

What do you think? I think they are a better alternative to Swiss cheese ceilings with too many recessed can lights.

The Margot Lamp in satin sepia was my favorite piece from the new spring collection shown in the Donghia showroom (see first picture). The Murano glass is most alluring. For a shorter lamp, I really love the clean design of the Clara lamp.

About Donghia

Donghia, Inc. produces furniture, textiles, lighting and accessories sold exclusively to interior designers and architects through Donghia’s 12 showrooms across the United States and in over fifty representative showrooms around the world. With a forty-year history at the forefront of the luxury home furnishings industry, Donghia represents American design at its best.

Donghia Associates was founded in 1972 by Angelo Donghia and focused in the areas of residential, contract and hospitality design. In 1978 Donghia Furniture was established to produce fine upholstery and casepieces and Mr. Donghia continued the growth of his companies, expanding his network of showrooms and products across the United States.

Since his passing in 1985 Donghia was owned and operated as a private company. In 2005, the company was purchased by the Rubelli Group, a leading designer and manufacturer of textiles from Venice, Italy.

(Donghia is a sponsor for BlogTour NYC May 2014, but the views and opinions expressed on this blog are mine, and I will be honest in what I share. You, the reader, are my top priority and it is my goal to make sure you can trust the content and integrity of this blog.)

May 29, 2014

DXV from American Standard

Screen Shot DXV | Kitchen Studio of Naples

One of the paradoxes of a recession is that luxury markets are booming… …and the people who buy those products are doing better than ever before. So, while it may not be politically correct to speak of luxury during times of recovery, the reality is that the industry is of strategic importance to American competitiveness, driving the revival of artisanal craftsmanship and saving jobs. In order to keep luxury goods as a ‘dream investment’, one needs to offer unique experiences and build an emotional connection with emerging consumers. American Standard has introduced DXV (which stands for Decade XV as American Standard is now in it’s 15th decade of operations) to help re-launch the 140 year-plus old brand into the luxury arena. American Standard is successful in encouraging consumers to reimagine the brand by seeing everything that’s old as new again with their DXV portfolio organized around the four most influential design movements since their founding: CLASSIC, 1890–1920; GOLDEN ERA, 1920–1950; MODERN, 1950–1990 and CONTEMPORARY, 1990–Today.

“DXV fixtures and fittings do not merely reproduce styles from each era; rather they are inspired by historically significant designs, re-interpreting them in light of today’s aesthetic and performance demands.”

To help communicate this theme, American Standard tapped into the creative power of the design community and commissioned six outstanding designer/bloggers to develop vignettes that tell a story and offer distinct creative interpretations of the design movements. The six designers selected for the project include: Corey Klassen CKD, Marilyn Russell, Allied ASID, Mary Douglas Drysdale, Susan Serra CKD, Cheryl Kees Clendenon and Meredith Heron.

Luxury appears to have come full circle, as consumers have become more demanding on the provenance and manufacture of products – authenticity is particularly important to younger consumers, who are more conscientious and certainly more vocal through social media. Here, DXV may have an advantage, given the brand’s vision to create an online and print community for designers, architects, and creative individuals to discuss their experience with the products in the real world.

“We want to democratize luxury by making it part of a conversation and engaging the community with this space,” Jay Gould, DXV CEO

I’d like to revisit the DXV showroom in the Flatiron District. Our first BlogTour event was a cocktail party hosted by Hearst Publishing and Newell Turner, Editor in Chief of House Beautiful. The event was fabulous – and crowded – and I spent the evening mostly talking to designers in attendance. The DXV showroom is gorgeous so I suggest if you are in the area to check it out. The space is not staffed and is accessible by appointment only (send requests to dxvappt@dxv.com). DXV has been a great sponsor of BlogTour NYC and has put together a little competition between the bloggers. We’ve been tasked to create Pinterest boards showing NY’s architecture, design and icon culture. The prize is an iPad mini which I really need because so many apps for designers are only available on iOS. Please help a blogger out and like or repin a few of your favorites. The contest ends May 30th. Thanks!

KitchAnn Style

What is a Cerused Finish?

Shape The Future of Black

DXV from American Standard

“DXV fixtures and fittings do not merely reproduce styles from each era; rather they are inspired by historically significant designs, re-interpreting them in light of today’s aesthetic and performance demands.”

“We want to democratize luxury by making it part of a conversation and engaging the community with this space,” Jay Gould, DXV CEO