Ultra minimalism, solid materials and full functionality are all evident here in the Latis Bathroom Collection. Set to debut globally this December by designer Thomas Coward of Omvivo, the collection features luxury dual-function bathtubs, sleek trestle vanities and unique basins. All made from earthly elements of natural stone and timber.

Latis, whose name was cleverly inspired by the Celtic Goddess of Water, includes a range of bathroom furniture designed for all lifestyles. Their back-to-basics approach is apparent throughout the collection with simple lines and flexible design. Efficient, uniform and elegant, the simplistic pieces are reminiscent of Old World with a contemporary twist.

The sculptured natural stone basins are offered in rectangular and round shapes and come in various finishes. They sit atop oak tables with your choice of stone or wooden lower shelves. The deep rectangular stand-alone tub is sleek with clean and simple lines. The bathtub is undercut at one end to allow for the optional wooden open-shelf unit – convenient for a dish of pretty bath soap or an owl collection.

Omvivo also offers lighting, accessories and other lines featuring basins and wash planes. With the highest quality materials, attention to detail and traditional craftsmanship, the Australian company offers you the uncomplicated bathroom.

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If you want a truly unique landscape wall, then you’ll love straw bale walls – a style that oozes with the charm of yesteryear and offers a remarkable amount of design flexibility. Made from bales of hay, the straw bale wall offers a rich texture and adobe-like sculptural facade. It’s easy to shape, mold, and design, giving you complete artistic control. Rounded edges, sweeping curves, open windows and built-in benches are but a few ideas you can use to create your wall.

Why Build a Landscape Wall?

Landscape walls add detail and depth and serve as privacy barriers. They can be simple or elaborate and made from almost any type of building material, including stone, brick and wood. Design possibilities are limited only by one’s imagination and budget. The storybook Carmel-meets-Hobbit straw bale landscape wall featured above is a perfect example of the various possibilities available today.

Darling garden shed built from straw bale

The Beauty of Straw Bale

Straw is organic, abundant, renewable and sustainable. It’s affordable and easy to work with. Once covered with earthen or cement-lime plasters, the wall is fireproof and it’s a natural when it comes to blocking out street noise. The architectural beauty of straw bale easily blends with any style of home.

Other creative uses for straw bale include home construction and sheds. The insulating performance on a straw bale home is between R35 and R50, which is about two to three times the insulation of a frame and wall home. Because the straw doubles as structure and insulation, the cost of materials is significantly lower. They’ve been building straw bale homes for hundreds of years because of the insulation aspects and natural beauty.

The landscape wall featured below was built with straw bale. Notice the deep window sills – that’s creative flexibility!

Landscape Wall Height

The walls can be as short as 3 feet tall and used to create a meandering wall or accent in the garden. Any wall over 3 feet will need buttress walls to support the landscaping wall from blowing over in high winds. A common height for a straw bale privacy wall is 6 feet, 8 inches. Because the material is flexible, you can effortlessly curve the wall around existing trees, shrubs and structures.

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The average homeowner’s lifestyle is hectic with fleeting moments of family time. It makes sense that the one room where everyone wants to congregate at the end of the day is the soothing, aroma-filled kitchen. Baptized the “hub” of the household, the kitchen is the one place where people hang out even if the chef is on strike. Over the years, this magnetic room has been covertly coaxing the living room furniture closer to the kitchen, inch by inch, and finally – a trend is born. Homeowners are furnishing their kitchens to accommodate family and guests in what’s now called the live-in kitchen.

Actually, the trend was born much earlier than you think. Over a hundred years ago, the kitchen and living room took up one room and stories were told around the hearth. The trend is back, but in a 21st century kind of way. The comfort of the new kitchen promotes relaxation. It’s a place where American families can talk about their day, solve problems, plan futures, do homework, watch TV, Google points of contention to outsmart each other in debate, and sometimes even cook.

Today’s kitchen remodeling includes comfort elements like an overstuffed sofa to kick back and enjoy that cup of java and newspaper in style. Or, a side table and rocking chair for reading that juicy novel and sipping hot tea. The focus is on lifestyle and creating a space where you can cook, help the kids with their homework, catch the seven o’clock news, return phone calls and never miss a beat or a prized conversation.

At the core of our socio-domestic fabric is cooking, entertaining and conversation, and the new live-in kitchen reflects those ideals. The live-in kitchen is a practical solution that incorporates comfort with function and turns an average kitchen into an ideal setting for living and entertaining.

Photo Credit: KitchenIdeas, TrendsIdeas, & HGTV

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The French spend plenty of time in their kitchens, as they take cooking and eating very seriously. The French kitchen must be comfortable and contain the proper food prep areas to throw together classic bistro dishes like coq au vin and croque monsieur, not to mention ample counter space for rolling dough for those tartes aux pommes. The French country kitchen design is also rich with beauty and rustic Old World charm. Once you’ve got the basics down, you’ll be able to create the look and atmosphere of a true French country kitchen.

L’essentiels

Cabinets

French wooden cabinets feature simple detailing, though some can be found with more ornate designs. The wood or paint is often distressed, giving it a weathered look. Some under-counter cupboards are left wide open with gorgeous French fabric curtains running along the front. You’ll commonly find some overhead cupboards left open for showing off your plate ware, and a combination of wood or glass cabinet doors throughout. Handles are simple porcelain, wooden or metal knobs.

Countertops

Limestone, slate, granite, and even polished colored concrete all look beautiful in French country kitchens.

Floors

Terra cotta, natural stone and brick are very common flooring choices. They’re durable and provide texture. Another great option is black-and-white checkerboard floor tiles.

Kitchen Islands

Kitchen islands are either mobile or built-in. They can be painted a different color than the cabinets and feature a different counter surface, such as dark wood. Kitchen islands can also be more or less ornate than the rest of the kitchen.

Appliances

Freestanding gas ranges with stainless steel fronts are the most common. Other types are freestanding gas ranges in matte black, dark green or grey with decorative antiqued brass details for a more ornate look. Refrigerators and other appliances are stainless steel or camouflaged to look like the cabinetry. Bistro ovens made of brick or stone are also very common.

Backsplashes

Tile looks best, especially if slightly irregular for a handmade appearance. Earth tones give the kitchen a more rustic look. The backsplash behind your oven can be simple or ornate like the picture shown above.

Color Scheme

Cupboards look beautiful in hues of yellow from buttery-cream to golden sunflower, hues of green from olive or sage to deep fir green, and pale to medium blues in the distressed style. Walls can be pale mint green, warm yellow, creamy white, soft grey, and earthy terracotta, or you can color-wash and glaze multiple mellow earthy tones for a real Old World glow.

Other items worth considering:

• Semi-ornate stove surround or range hood
• Shiny brass pots and pans hanging from a rack above the kitchen island
• Shabby-chic crystal chandelier over the kitchen table
• Display a vase or two of lavender

Whether you want a sophisticated, rustic or simple French country kitchen, you’ll enjoy it for years to come. Now that you know the basics, you can begin collecting ideas for your kitchen remodel and when your kitchen project is all done, be prepared to hear your friends say,

“Oui, votre cuisine de campagne française est trés belle!”

Bon appétit!

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Whether your taste is urban chic or shabby chic these 7 innovative tiles will appeal to any style and elegantly adorn any kitchen floor installation.

The Vanity collection from Marazzi is made of porcelain yet offers the look of natural stone with rich, warm tones of earthy clay and old world character. Traces of metallic veining that brush the surface produce a subtle luminosity.  With its multiple facets and matching mosaic accent the design possibilities are endless. The Vanity collection also offers a frost and black version that would look spectacular in a modern kitchen.

Crossville produces an amazing collection of luxurious natural limestone tile including the Bella Via Seagrass shown above. The Bella Via line includes complimenting mosaics in 1 x 1 sheets, hexagon tiles in 2 x 2 sheets and trim pieces that serve up infinite design possibilities.

Another beautiful tile from Crossville, the Color Blox Too series adds a visual layer of texture in warm hues that would look fantastic in contemporary, traditional and Zen kitchens. The porcelain tiles feature 8 colors in solids or stripes that you can mix and match or alternate the striped patterns direction to make an elegant and unique floor. The complimenting collections from Color Blox and Color Blox Mosaics gives you even more creative prospects.

Hastings Tile offers this warm and earthy ceramic tile that will create a rich textured look and add depth and character to any kitchen. Inspired by nature the Matouche Eleph line comes in 24 x 24 and colors include Ivory, brown, black and gold.

From Hastings Tile, the Porcelain Fabric Look series offers various textures and colors that imitate woven tweed, leather basket weave, and linen. This exquisite collection will produce an elegant appearance with its rich texture and interesting patterns. It’s available in various sizes and colors.

The Plate Series by Hastings offers a polished concrete look mixed with raw metal – the results are high sheen with deep vivid colors that make a remarkable visual impact. The tiles are available in 3 colors and come in 24 x 24.

From Cerim Ceramiche, the Zebrano from The Wood Collection offers an exotic themed porcelain tile that emulates Africa’s zebrawood, a wood prized for its rich textural stripes and deep amber tones. Its lustrous glaze creates a striking appearance will add a sleek sophistication to any kitchen. It’s available in various sizes and 5 colors; Bianco, Crema, Perla, Torba and Beige.

These amazing collections offer a dynamic approach to flooring coupled with a timeless appeal. They’re provocative, rich, artistic and chic!

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A spectacular kitchen encompasses all elements: a sensible layout, high-quality appliances, workable counter space, accessibility, functional cabinetry, effective lighting, and durable flooring for easy upkeep. When you add a backsplash, it pulls all those elements together and creates a sense of unity. Great chefs understand that every part of the kitchen needs to meet their needs in a highly efficient way, and that includes the backsplash. You want your kitchen to be beautiful but you also want it to be workable. Let’s look at the things you should consider when planning your kitchen backsplash.

What’s the Point?

The function of the backsplash is to protect the walls around the stove and sink area from water splashes, cooking splatters, grease, grime and stains. The backsplash also has the fashion means to enhance the overall look of the kitchen.

Materials

Among the most common materials used to build backsplashes are ceramic tile, stainless steel, natural stone, engineered stone and stamped metal. Though these are the most popular products, don’t let that limit you from other possibilities.

Of the materials listed above, there are two that really stand out in popularity – ceramic tile and stainless steel. When choosing your material, think about cleaning and staining.

• Ceramic tile is easy to clean and durable. Plus, there are eons of textures, accents and colors to choose from to turn your walls into a masterpiece focal point. The downside is that it’s prone to crack and the grout can stain – think about tomato-red spaghetti sauce boiling and erupting all over the stove and backsplash.
• Stainless steel is used in restaurants for a reason – it’s functional. Steel is popular in homes because it’s useful and sleek, easy to clean and maintain, and blends well with other stainless steal appliances, thereby giving the room an elegant appeal. Plus, it doesn’t crack, stain or corrode. You can find stainless steel in various finishes, such as matte or satin, and it’s available in diamond, checkerboard and diagonal patterns. The downside is scratches are hard to remove.

Color Design & Accents

The material and design you choose should complement other features of your kitchen, like the styles and shades of your cabinets, walls, flooring and countertops. Rather than spending money on samples only to find they look atrocious with your existing elements, take a sample of your floor, a small drawer from your cabinets and a swatch of paint from your walls to a home improvement or specialty store.

Play Around with Backsplash Designs

To help you visualize, use paper to create a mock-up design. Buy colored paper and cut out the shapes and dimensions of the tile you’re considering. Lightly tape them to the wall behind the stove and then shuffle the faux tiles around until you find the perfect design. Turn the tile 45 degrees to create a diagonal design to add visual interest.

Once you install the real kitchen backsplash, don’t forget to show it off by installing under-cabinet lighting – this will also serve as task lighting for cooking.

Accessorize

Use a rail system and shelves to hold bowls, utensils and a basket strainer. Attach hooks, spice racks or knife holders.

A Last Resort

If you need to live with your existing backsplash due to budgeting, you can hand-paint the tiles for a creative and unique look. Your existing tiles need to have a satin glaze and your paint should be glossy oil-based. I did this in my kitchen and it created a retro look that went well with my black-and-white-checked floor from the 30s.

Your backsplash is like the icing on the cake. Take your time planning, shop at specialty stores for reliable advice and a bigger and better selection, use the colored paper technique to help you visualize, and most of all – have fun with it.

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As an alternative to stucco, wallpaper and paint, you can turn to clay earth plaster to create a truly unique design. All-natural clay plaster adds warmth, architectural interest and textured beauty to your wall surfaces. It’s suitable for any home style, be it Spanish, Tudor or modern.  Clay plaster walls are also a natural substitute for air conditioning and heating; the material keeps your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Best of all – it’s so easy to apply, you can do it yourself.

Unlike cement, gypsum, lime and acrylic plasters, clay plaster is environmentally friendly and anti-allergic. There are no VOCs or toxic properties. It’s a non-dusting, fade-resistant, non-flammable, and mold-resistant material that absorbs odors, noise, and keeps the utility bills down.

One great eco-friendly company that produces clay plaster is American Clay Natural Earth Plasters. Their material is 100% manufactured in the U.S.A. and they only use natural clays and recycled aggregates. You can mix color with the clay or apply its natural color and paint over it. They offer 43 color choices, as well as numerous custom colors.

Finishes include Loma, which gives you a huge range of surfacing possibilities like added shredded straw or colored glass chips; Porcelina, a finish that lends the appearance of honed marble; and Marittimo, a crushed shell aggregate that provides speckle and depth. All three finishes can be hand-troweled or sprayed on.

American Clay also offers Enjarre, a spray-on clay that you texture after one or two coats. You can apply it over drywall, plasterboard, masonry and CMU blocks to achieve a nice, even, rich surface. The product is 100% VOC-free and comes in eight colors.

American Clay is consumer-friendly; they offer a video on how to mix and apply their clay, as well as hands-on creativity workshops held by dealers around the country. To help make your color decision easier, they offer all 43 hues on a color wheel for a small fee, or you can order two-pound and five-pound samples of pre-colored plaster to try it out first.

Clay plaster is easy to repair and can be applied to brick, board, plaster undercoat, plaster board or gypsum. You can create smooth or rough textures for one-of-a-kind walls, and because of its long drying time, the clay is easily reworked if you’re not happy with your trowel patterns. Clay plaster provides long-lasting durability and a look that says wow.

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There are basic aspects of a successful modern bathroom remodel. Once you understand these key elements, you can shape and mold your bathroom to suit your lifestyle. Let’s get started.

The Underlying Theme

As an example of the modern bathroom and the various elements involved, you’ll find (below) two almost identical bathrooms. Both utilize the basic modern theme but with completely different materials.

Designed by Kanner architects.

Layout

Unlike a traditional bathroom that can be pieced together as budget permits, a modern bathroom remodel needs to be thoroughly planned from the ground up. It should have an open space concept with all dysfunctional walls removed. Typical built-in bathtubs are replaced by standalone tubs or custom built-in tubs. Wall-to-wall oak cabinetry is replaced by sleek, highly efficient wall-mounted or standalone cabinetry. Get the bones right first and everything else will follow.

Flooring

Depending on the sub-style, flooring can range from slate to high-gloss laminate. Futuristic bathrooms look stunning in brightly colored ceramic tile, as well as shiny stark white vinyl. Urban bathrooms are beautiful with natural, highly buffed concrete or tile in soft, neutral tones. Asian or Zen bathrooms look gorgeous with cool gray stone or warm, burnt-brown clay.

Cabinetry & Storage

Modern bathroom cabinetry comes in a vast array of choices for all sub-styles. Usually hardware-free and modular, the cabinetry is sleek, uniform and elegant with clean lines and simple design. Common materials include stainless steel, lacquered wood, and veneer or laminated covered wood. Storage is integrated and minimal.

Vanity

From Rapsel – Vision washbasin

Vanities are the jewel of the bathroom; they tie the entire room together in balanced harmony and they’re the most used piece in the bathroom. Whether you’re drying your hair, brushing your teeth, or applying your makeup, this is your centerpiece. As you can see from the above lit fashionable sink & vanity combo, the sky is the limit when it comes to modern vanities. They come in all shapes, sizes, materials and colors. Vanities should be sleek and elegant and always remain clutter-free.

Bathtubs & Showers

Bathroom Collections from Ceramica Flaminia – new Plate collection

Tubs are typically clean-cut and contemporary. They often feature whirlpool jets for added luxury. Today’s modern bathroom contains standalone pieces, such as shower towers or open showers. Multiple showerheads, handheld features and top-of-the-line fixtures are a must.

Toilets & Sinks

La Fontana bathroom by ArtCeram

Wall sinks, sculptured wall toilets and bidets are the hottest trend – they take up minimal space and provide easy upkeep. Visually, they make the space much larger. They’re innovative, efficient, sharp and ultra-contemporary.

Fixtures

High-end fixtures go with modern bathrooms like peanut butter goes with jelly. If you shortchange your fixtures, your entire bathroom will be a fraud. Gold finishes are taboo; only use stainless steel or chrome. The ideal fixtures will be trendy, sophisticated, utilitarian, artful and crisp.

Designing a modern bathroom starts with basic elements. From there, you can add recessed lighting for unobtrusive ambience and accessorize with mirrors and specialty lighting over the vanity. You can hang a towel warmer or a flat screen TV. It’s your bathroom – make it your favorite room in the house.

Resources:

Bathroom Collections from Ceramica Flaminia – new Plate collection

Contemporary bathroom from ArtCeram – the new La Fontana bathroom

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Here are five quick, easy and inexpensive ways to create a warm and inviting kitchen:

Candles and Garden Cuttings

You don’t need flowers to create a masterpiece arrangement. Leafy branches from bushes, rosemary or crepe myrtle are excellent cuttings for an arrangement. Add ferns and drape ivy over the vase for an extra touch of intrigue. Start collecting unique vases of varying sizes and change the size and arrangement each week to keep your kitchen looking fresh. Candles always add warmth – place them around the kitchen for splashes of color. Scented candles like cranberry or cinnamon keep your kitchen smelling yummy.

Plants and Lights

Potted plants will create interest and easily warm up the kitchen. Good plant choices are Braided Ficus tree, Palm, dwarf Lemon tree, or Dracaena. Buy a basic clay pot with texture and paint it deep, warm colors. Drape clear bistro lights throughout the larger plants and trees for maximum coziness.

Mirrors

Hang a mirror in your kitchen. The reflective surface of a mirror will make the kitchen appear larger and add more natural light during the day. At night, the mirror will sparkle and dazzle as it catches reflections of candlelight and soft glows. You can go to garage sales, flea markets or the Salvation Army, even if you have a decent budget. It’s fun to create your own signature item and you’re also doing your part to recycle. Find a mirror with a large, wooden frame so you can paint it the color of your choice. Lowes sells little tiny cans of custom paint. If your kitchen is Shabby Chic, you may want to give the frame a cool, distressed look.

Warm Wall Color

Sometimes, all it takes to add a warm and cozy feel is to update the wall color. Warm colors like pumpkin-spice, caramel apple, toasted wheat, creamy avocado, Dijon mustard, orangey-red persimmon and other colors with yellow undertones will add beautiful warmth instantly.

Wine Rack

Whether it’s a built-in or standalone wine rack, the bottles will add texture and color. The Bali wine rack shown here features wavy lines coupled with a rich, warm red color.

It doesn’t take much to create a warm and cozy kitchen and as you can see by these quick and easy tips, it’s fun and inexpensive. Let’s face it, our friends and family will always want to hang out in the kitchen, so we might as well give in and cozy it up a bit.

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The winner, Holger Schubert from Los Angeles, CA, planned his garage with true passion for Maseratis. His goal? To “honor this car as a piece of art.” Through a 1,200-square-foot minimalist design, he surrounded the car with a living area complete with skylight, contemporary furniture, small kitchen, bathroom and a slide-away TV. It’s all about the experience of pulling a Maserati into the garage. And then walking five feet to plop down in front of the flat screen. Men do love their lives.

Holger went one step further and built a ramp inside the garage. It lifts the front end of the car 6 inches so that he can roll out in reverse without pumping fumes into the space.

Click here to check out the lift in action.

Here are a few other designs that, wondrous as they may be, did not make the final cut.

Forget Maserati –this one’s fit for the BatMobile.

And this design incorporates solar power into the design. These panels could produce more than the family’s share of home energy. Plus, there’s grass on the roof.

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