photo by Matt Bisanz I.M. Pei's East Wing of the National Gallery of Art opened in 1978 after a four year construction. I happened upon it for the first time in 1979, when I was in eighth grade. Actually, it was a planned excursion. I was in DC on a school trip and I ducked away from the group to explore the museums along the Mall at my own pace. My how times have changed. Can you imagine an eighth grader pulling a stunt like that now? Anyhow, I'd read an article in National Geographic abo... Read Full Story

I spend time shopping with clients from time to time, it's one of the services I provide. Buying decent furniture can be daunting for someone who knows what he's doing, but to someone who's never done it before it can be overwhelming. I can usually tell ahead of time what will and won't work in a given space, and I tend to know exactly where to go to find what's needed. I don't like indecision and I'll never walk into a furniture showroom with a client cold. With me, it never a matter of... Read Full Story

What does this hair style, Image from InStyle have to do with this kitchen faucet? Hint: it's all in the handle. This is the Venuto by Brizo and it's another home run hit by the team from Indianapolis. The Venuto is a series kitchen faucets and accessories from the great minds at Brizo. The Venuto accomplishes the difficult task of being thoroughly modern without being cold. It's smart too, two of Brizo's newest advances are tucked inside neatly. The Venuto uses Brizo's Smart... Read Full Story

When Brizo faucets had me in New York last September, I was granted a rare glimpse into the world of the fixtures they have in development. I took a vow of silence of course and I've been dying to start talking about some of the stuff they are working on. One collection in particular left me giddy in anticipation. I know, I know, it's a faucet; but I'm serious about the giddiness. The Virage is now in production and will start shipping in January, 2010. You saw it here first gang. Rar... Read Full Story

All this talk of tables and chairs this week has left me more or less obsessed with wooden furniture again. That's certainly not a bad thing. As proof, just take a look at this dining room. Wow. That's the Pasadena dining table and the Pasadena series of chairs from Thos. Moser. Those chairs are downright lyrical, don't you think? Here they are again, notice how well coordinated they are. They share essential themes but they are each distinctly beautiful. Those chairs were named Be... Read Full Story

What do the historic Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg, FL, The country of Portugal, And this kitchen table have in common? Here's a hint that's little more than a shameless plug. The Palladium Theater is home to the St. Petersburg Opera Company and the practice facility of the Florida Orchestra. It's also a starving arts organization that needs every scrap of support it can muster, as do all community arts organizations. Please help to keep the Palladium and whatever communit... Read Full Story

Some time last winter I followed a series of links back to a site called Moggit. Moggit is the home of the Mogg Blog, a design site with something extra. That extra is common sense and and unwillingness to parrot back the gushing and glad handing that all too often passes for a design press. And yee-haw! I knew I was home as soon as I landed on that site, let me tell you. I love 'em, they can be catty without being cruel and that's a fine line to walk. I know that first hand, I trip over it... Read Full Story

I ran a post on Sunday about a kitchen with a table in it. Well, there was a reason for that. I'm working on a design right now that has a real dining table in the center of it instead of an island. There is plenty of space in the room to take care of all of my appliances and work zones on the perimeter. Ordinarily, I'd propose a large island for the center of the room just 'cause that's what I do. But really, there's no need for one and I like the idea of building a kitchen around a table. ... Read Full Story

To say that New York and Seattle-based Henrybuilt builds kitchens would be to underestimate their mission. Henrybuilt builds cabinetry with a level of passion and commitment to craft that I don't think anyone else approaches. Henrybuilt kitchens, wardrobes, offices, baths, tables and seating are painstakingly engineered and manufactured to last a lifetime, several lifetimes in fact. Each Henrybuilt project is an original production and anything they produce is worth every penny that it costs.... Read Full Story

Actually, it's been around for a little while but I'm using it in a renovation I have under construction right now and I am pretty hyped up about the stuff. LEDs have come a long way in a very short period of time. I don't think they're quite ready for prime time yet, but they are getting there fast. Check out this restaurant: This room's lit with LEDs entirely and it's probably using a tenth of the electricity required for the same level of light using incandescent bulbs. There are LED re... Read Full Story