Inlaid Wood Love

Italian inlaid wood tea caddy from 1st Dibs. Only $1850? I'll take it!

I think inlaid wood is incredibly beautiful. You might even say exquisite. There are so many intricate patterns you can create on the floor, in a door, in a box, I could go on but it's starting to sound like a Dr Seuss book. One usually finds it it a traditional setting where it is a stunning surprise.

A large honeycomb pattern is here in this foyer using different tones of wood to make the pattern stand out. From Traditional Home.

Think you can only find inlay in a historical home? Not so! Stephanie Stokes (my kitchen idol) took the pattern of her family crest and had it inlaid into the small kitchen floor. Stunning.

If you don't have the resources for hiring a professional to do your marquetry work, this is actually a stained pattern made to look like inlaid wood. Incredibly gorgeous and I love the Greek key pattern on each side. Designed by Brown Davis Interiors.

Here is designer, Juan Montoya modeling for us next to a kicky inlaid wood door. It almost looks like parkay flooring but much prettier as it is framed out so nicely on this door.

I wish I could see the top of this table better but it has an inlaid pattern inset on it. I like the informal look of this as well. Gorgeous foyer by James Michael Howard.

I think I'm most drawn in by the craftsmanship that it must take to create these pieces. The craft of marquetry is quite rare I'm sure so it makes them even more valuable and special. I just recently selected an inlaid wood box for a client to use as a cocktail table (with legs made) and a glass top and it is going to look amazing. Have a fantastic Thursday because guess what! Tomorrow is Friday!


Alicia B.

Discoveries in a Small Kitchen in NYC

Chris Welsh, the designer, had to deal with this alcove kitchen. he used light colors and maximized the light he had with that one window.

That title kinda sounds like a romance novel possibly involving an interior designer. Oh well, I'm keeping it. As you all know, I have a mini kitchen. Seriously, everything is lined up on one wall and the tiles stretch literally less than a foot until it hits the parkay flooring which indicates the transition to the living room. I thought I'd share a few tips for maximizing your space here.

1: Efficiency. Everything must have a place. I have very little counter space so every little inch is precious. To maximize your cabinets, don't feel bad about stacking things more than you normally would. Get cute canisters, too, for silverware or large spoons and spatulas.

In this kitchen by Chad Eisner featured in House Beautiful, he used seeded glass in many of the cabinets which makes them feel lighter. I love the look of open rack shelves in kitchens but in a practical sense, I don't think it works so this is a great alternative.

This is one of my fave kitchens on the planet. It's small but look how well each space is used. Canisters for utensils, little cook book nooks, and custom cabinets. By Stephanie Stokes

2: Wall space. A good place to store things is on the wall. Use this space for a potrack, a magnetic knife strip, or a bulletin board.

These sleek racks are from Pottery Barn. I have my own little rattan spice rack but these are nice and don't take up a lot of space. HERE.

Living Etc. Vintage canisters and a handy wall mounted pot rack.

3: Junk Drawer=NO. I had to forget about having the all purpose junk drawer (the thought scares me anyway) for anything that didn't have a space. Everything MUST have a home so make a bulletin board like I mentioned above. You can tack up invitations, reminders, lists (yay, lists!) or just notes you like that make your day a little brighter.



Here is a cool DIY bulletin board you can make with old corks and a vintage frame. Plus, it has a kitchen vibe. From Apartment Therapy HERE.



4: Color. I think you have two options here based on your space. If you have a narrow galley style kitchen you can paint it but make sure everything is the same color. If you have a monochromatic room, it makes it look bigger no matter what color you paint it (almost). I have a one walled kitchen so I painted everything a very pale yellow to bring light into the room.

Living etc. Sunny yellow kitchen. Make sure you don't use the wrong yellow though. Results could be shaky.

5: Mirrors. I don't LOVE mirrors as paneling but I've noticed a few designers using mirrors in kitchens to give the illusion of a bigger room. Here you can see it in the inset on the cabinets or the backsplash as in the one above by Stephanie Stokes


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By Jonathan Berger.

You and I can have great kitchens and be gourmet cooks too even if we have small kitchens! If you have a large one, make sure it works and it isn't just a massive waste of space. Thoughts? Do you have any tips from your kitchen you'd like to share?

Alicia B.

Kitchens Galore.

Designing a kitchen can sometimes be the most challenging room to design. They are so personal to the individual that every one is different. I think we might have moved on from the avocado appliances (although I've been seeing a lot of soft greens) by now but what are the trends in kitchens? In my research I found a LOT of things--and like I said, I think that kitchens are SUPER personal and individual. See below some of my favorite picks.....

From Living etc, this kitchen has an industrial feel with metal cabinets and a sleek shiny subway tiled wall. Not really my favorite.

In this tiny Stephanie Stokes kitchen, customization of cabinets are very important. No space is wasted. She customized the floor too, which is beautiful. Also, she used green marble for the counter tops here.

Here is the ever popular farmhouse style kitchen with white marble, white wainscoting, and industrial holophane pendant designed by R. Roman Hudson. Personally I love this look--the pitchers on the open shelves are just adorable.

If you don't have a farmhouse style house, this house in the south shows you can still have a calming, simple kitchen (by Ken Pursley). Wood paneling can sometimes be intimidating, but this looks so soft and has a gorgeous contrast with the white marble countertops and backsplash of the stove.

I grew up in a house in which everything was behind a cabinet door, so the trend of open shelves was a new one to me. I have taken a liking to it though and it's nice to display your nice dishes etc. Ken Pursley again.

From House Beautiful, this designer used Jurassic Green Granite. Go green?

This reminds me of what a french farmhouse kitchen might look like. Hillary Hayne uses this wire in place of glass in the rustic cabinets. LOVE THIS.

A fun color like this blue and a fun chandelier is nice for a small kitchen to take the focus off the fact that it's such a small space. From Domino.

I really love this idea of adding this custom copper grill inside the frame of the cabinets. There is a physical barrier but not a visual one. WOW. By Sandra Bird.

Custom storage spaces created by kitchen genius Christopher Peacock.

Christopher Peacock is pretty much the authority on kitchens. This one is crisp and bright and clearly made for someone who likes to cook. How many stoves are there--four??

In my adoration for farmhouse kitchens, I love the farmhouse style sink which is deep and clean white! From House Beautiful.

Again, I am really leaning towards a french farmhouse sort of look if I had my choice. It looks easy to work in, and if you make a mess it is easy to clean up. What is your favorite new kitchen trend OR lasting style!?

Alicia B.