Site Visit Beverly Hills

Various Instagram captured room details from our Beverly Hills residence project, site visit last week.  With construction in the finishing stages we're very pleased with the way this one is coming together.

https://www.instagram.com/robertbaileyinteriors/

Creed

RBI concept sketch for kitchen

As I approach my 35^th year of being a professional interior designer, I am struck not by how much has changed, but rather by how much has remained true.  Ultimately an honest authentic approach to design prevails for me.   Our design point of view is formed by our clients desires and informed by our core design values.  Interior design that is driven by an elegant expression of function, that does not care for trend or the latest colour.  I believe the  enduring choices we make, will only increase in worth as time goes by.  

This year we've been designing a number of projects which will not come to fruition, long before fashion choices will have moved on. We'll share more of our thinking + processes here on the blog and on our new Facebook page, as they (+ we)  progress.

"Modernism means freedom-freedom to mix, to choose, to change, to embrace the new but hold fast to what is good."   Edward J Wormley 1907-1995.

Lightness Of Being

For our kitchen renovation in a mid-century west coat home, the objective was to create a bright joyful place, that is quite literally the centre of this family home.  The room is bordered on all sides by other rooms and natural light is limited.  Light reflective surfaces and an array of lighting sources  make the redesigned space fresh and a pleasure to inhabit.  

We evolved the functional layout and took the space from darkness to light.  Flooring is a large format porcelain tile from StoneTile.  Custom cabinets are high gloss white lacquer and quarter sawn natural walnut. Appliances: Ovens, hood fan and dishwasher from Miele, integrated Sub Zero and wine cooler,  island gas range top by Viking. Plumbing fittings, Dornbracht.  Surface lighting from Prandina.

Furniture: Adjustable height Miunn stools in walnut from Lapalma, Knoll Saarinen marble top dining table, Eames wire base chairs from the Herman Miller collection.

Project management Harrier Construction, Millwork 5M Enterprises.

Capital Investment

Great organizations know that people are their most important asset and are committed to the creation of a strong workplace culture.  Our client Deans Knight Capital, understands the importance of investing in an environment and culture that communicates their values and supports their people.  One of the great workplace amenities found in the new DKC office we designed is certainly the full service kitchen space.  The space acts much as a kitchen would in a residence.  It is the heart of the office and a gathering place for staff and clients alike. Centre of the hospitality suite the kitchen is open to reception, the staff lounge, and adjacent meeting rooms.

Finishes for the custom millwork kitchen continue the material vocabulary found throughout the office; honed marble flooring, cabinets in horizontal quarter cut walnut and back painted glass, with quartz counter tops. Appliances include,  Gaggenau integrated refrigerator/freezer, Sub-Zero integrated refrigerator drawers and wine chiller, Miele speed oven, coffee maker, and professional series dishwashers.  Plumbing fittings, Dornbracht.     

Inside The Box

Having ample well organized storage creates a kind of freedom from chaos, simplifying the acts of living.  In a newer project we optimized the kitchen footprint to include full height pantries, and under counter drawers for maximum functionality.  But what really sets these cabinets apart is how the insides are treated.  We specified quarter cut white oak with a transparent grey wash, for the interiors of the custom chalk lacquer millwork.  The unexpected material lining, speaks of craftsmanship and equal visual consideration for both the closed and open positions. 

"Out of clutter, find simplicity.  From discord find harmony.  In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."  Albert Einstein

Household Arts

There's a hundred years of history behind the French company La Cornue.  These craftsman connoisseurs remain committed to excellence, with the handmade production of their extraordinary cuisine arts cookers.  Built for longevity of noble materials, the cookers are at home in modern or traditional environments.  

We have the privilege to design in a variety of styles, and the same design principles apply to all our work.  Form and materials to last over time, for of our client's pleasure, and enjoyment of use.

The CornuFe' 110 is the star of a restrained classic kitchen we designed, part of a completely renovated heritage home.  Shaker style white lacquer cabinets with polished chrome hardware. Counters Okite on the work benches, polished grey marble island top. Back splash brushed stainless steel 1 by 2 inch off set tile, Ican. Integrated refrigerator and freezer columns, Thermador.  Faucets Victorian series, by Jado.  Polished chrome pendants, from Circa Lighting.  

CornuFe' 110

Material Matters

The application of natural marble material to interior surfaces gives a strong sense of permanence, and each application is as individual as the stone it was quarried from.  The inner beauty of marble is a continual source of wonder.  Once cut from the earth each veneer is a one of a kind 'work of art'.        

When specifying stone we tend to opt for more sober selections, after all it's a (very) long term decision (could be a lifetime).  In addition it is imperative for us to individually select the slabs for every project, and equally, to engage the services of an expert fabricator/installer.  If you're building for keeps, god really should be in the details.

Sequence cut marble slabs, as seen in the warehouse of Bordigon Marble and Granite, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Translation

The language of design, is decidedly not spoken by everyone.  When we're presenting a design concept to clients one of the most effective means of crossing this language barrier is to prepare a sketch rendering.  This tried and true visual tool, conveys our intentions while also helping us determine them (through the drawing process).  Saving both time and design loops for all concerned.  

Renovating a residence for a new client, required moving the kitchen to a different location in the home.  This sketch with collage elements enabled us to get consensus, moving the detailed construction drawings forward with confidence, that we were all on the same page.  

Design after all is a visual discourse.

Opposites Attract

Renovating this traditional home, entailed gutting all three floors, reconfiguring rooms and refreshing the interior to better suit a contemporary lifestyle. From the outset our clients asked us to only respect the classic detailing, to a point.  Kitchen, bathrooms, and millwork were to be modern, and not mimic a bygone time.  With this direction we selected to unify the home's shell throughout with modest details, quietly reflecting it's origins and designed crisp modern cabinetry in counterpoint.  

These photos were taken during our substantial completion walk through (there's still stuff to be done).   Wide plank European oak flooring is used throughout.  In the custom lacquer kitchen all appliances are by Miele.  A frame-less Spark fireplace insert is surrounded by book matched callacata marble for the sitting room feature wall.

This elegant marriage of past and present  is now a relaxed back drop for a young family to create their own life and times.

Beautiful Machine

In his seminal work 'Towards a new Architecture (1923)',  Le Corbusier coined the phrase "a house is a machine for living". It was the dawn of design responding to the machine age.  His purist rules for a new design morality were based on function, and simplified form without ornamentation.  Almost a century later, Le Corbusier's words seem very appropriate in describing this kitchen, in a recent project of ours. Clean lines and simple details  speak of function and machine,  but luxurious and sophisticated materials say beauty and style. New modernism that's accessible, ergonomic and easy on the eyes........ plus it's a convertible.

Classic White

Certainly one of the most enduring colours for a kitchen is white. It just always looks fresh and timeless, virtually in any style. These images are from a condominium project in which we demolished everything and started over. The all white kitchen complete with the dining island is set against picturesque Marinaside views. I'd never consider myself a minimalist, but this elegant glass kitchen does not need decoration; it's inherent in the rich material. The polished glass surface becomes kinetic, reflecting all that comes in contact with it.