What a fitting celebration for friends to gather and enjoy an evening learning from Ric Orlando, celebrated chef of New World Bistro Bar.


The evening began with refreshing margaritas and continued with a powerfully flavored array of Mexican street foods including:


• The best Guacamole north of the border
• Ceviche “Mixto”…not as frightening to prepare as I thought
• “Green” Chicken Tacos, the new slider
• Jicama Slaw: Jicama is a crunchy, slightly sweet root veggie native to Central America that tastes like a cross between a water chestnut and an apple. It makes amazing slaw.
• Queso Fresco
• Perfectly Mexican Black Beans
• Yellow Rice


Ric explained that since these foods are powerfully flavored with acidity, spice and herbal notes, skip the big red wines and gravitate towards those bright whites like NY Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Soave and Albarino. Of course beer, margaritas or sangria are perfect to enjoy with these dishes as well.

Special thanks to Ric, Lisa, Scott and CC’s special event planner Michele and designer Mary for organizing such a memorable evening!

For some details, as well as additional pictures, of the Grimmett’s magnificent home, visit the portfolio section of our website:
http://www.ccabinet.com/portfolio/nature-reclaimed/



Enjoy these final weeks of summer,
Ray

Senior Designer Amy Van Wie had recently finished a multi-room project for the Kuhn’s when she, and our special events coordinator Michele Weiser, thought it would be a great idea to ask Shannon and Jim if they would be willing to host a cooking event in their spectacular kitchen. The rest, as they say, is history.

Evan Levey greeted everyone and turned the evening over to Jaime who was amazing. Funny, entertaining, informative, organized…an absolute perfect instructor chef! Friends gathered around the island to watch, learn and enjoy!

The menu was a celebration of summer:

• Edamame Dumplings with a Riesling Broth
• Diver Seared Scallops with a Fennel, Arugula, Orange Salad with Cauliflower Puree
• Seasoned Filet Mignon, Heirloom Tomatoes with a Pebre Sauce, and Fingerling Potato Hash with Veal Glaze

Last night NKBA, The National Kitchen and Bath Association, hosted their 2013 New York Tri-State Awards and one of our senior designers, Amy Van Wie, won two! One was for Best New Kitchen up to 300 SF and the other was for Best New Kitchen over 300 SF. All of us at CCW are so thrilled for Amy and I just wanted to share some of the beautiful images of these projects below.

Laura

Best New Kitchen up to 300 SF

Best New Kitchen over 300 SF

This year I am trying a new recipe I found in the Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Guide. It originates from the world-renowned Blackberry Farm in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains. The Wild Mushroom and Root Vegetable Gratin calls for Brebis, a creamy sheep’s milk cheese made on the Farm. I am planning to substitute goat’s milk cheese which should provide a similar consistency. Check out the recipe here:

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/wild-mushroom-vegetable-gratin.html

From all of us here at CCW, Happy Thanksgiving!

Laura

• Open Floor Plan: Most folks want a feeling of space with 77% responding that their kitchens will be open to other rooms with 61% incorporating an island
• Still Loving Stainless: 65% are incorporating stainless steel appliances
• Dream Appliances: #1 dream appliance…you guessed it: a chef’s stove
• Stone Counters Rock: Granite and quartz still reign supreme
• Backsplash: Tile is the top choice followed by glass as a distant second
• Flooring: Hardwood and tile are neck and neck as the two top choices
• Under 45: Go contemporary or modern with the over 55 set opting for traditional…no surprise there!

Laura

Natural Light

Add a feel of cheerful richness into your kitchen with sunlight. Your space will be brighter than ever before. By working through design elements, you can incorporate new windows, skylights or French doors into the kitchen area.

Butler’s Pantry

Fuse old-world elegance and new-world practicality by creating a butler’s pantry. This small area between your kitchen and dining room is great for prepping tableware and food courses.

Custom Cabinetry

Forget store bought and have the kitchen fitted with cabinetry. No kitchen is the exactly the same, so the space will be customized based on your needs. Your room will not only be designed to handle daily functions, but will also look stunning through the years!

Marble

For an elegant and subtle look, marble is a beautiful addition in the kitchen. The material can be used in various areas, including backsplashes and countertops.

Lounge Life

When you design the kitchen to also act as a great room, you have a space that’s truly welcoming. Create an inviting space by incorporating a fireplace, multimedia entertainment system and/or cozy seating area.

Multiple Work Stations

Work where you want by creating multiple work stations throughout the kitchen to extend its versatility and flow. Each area would be fitted with separate sinks, counters and storage.

Walk-in Pantry

Outfitted to house nonperishable food, extra serving pieces, and miscellaneous odds and ends, having a large walk-in pantry is the perfect home luxury.

One of a Kind

Every kitchen should have a distinctive element. Whether it’s a handcrafted stone countertop, Portuguese-tile backsplash or an antique hanging light fixture, incorporate at least one captivating object in your kitchen.

Bathroom designers and suppliers are producing more diverse products. The industry is constantly improving and refining the manufacturing processes and materials without forgoing style. Every fixture has endured some change for the modern bathroom. Wooden bathroom furniture can now withstand the steam-filled rigors of daily life. By pre-treating the furniture with a moisture resistant coating, you enhance the performance and durability of the product. Manufacturers have been using higher quality materials, such as acrylic and resin, for tubs and showers that retain heat. These products are also easier to clean and are stain/scratch resistant. Lastly, improved technology provides better control of water temperature flow rate for faucets and shower heads.

With 60% of water usage taking place in the bathroom, it’s important for manufacturers to discover ways to reduce the home’s impact on the environment, and also your utility bill. To reduce water consumption, dual flush toilets and ceramic disc technology hare two great developments. Also cabinet manufacturers, including Wood-Mode, have become industry leaders in developing greener products and processes for the home.

The modern bathroom isn’t financially out of reach as you may think. You can certainly find the special products you desire to design a space without forgoing reliability and durability.

Restoration Hardware Tufted Bench

Sometimes you need to add another level of luxury into a space. The tufted bench from Restoration Hardware is the perfect answer. Designed as comfortable seating or footrest, the bench has a button-tufted top. There’s a wonderful selection of customizable colors and fabrics. We love this bench placed at the foot of the bed.

Yankee Candle Midsummers Night

With its intoxicating and masculine blend of musk, patchouli, sage and mahogany cologne, relax in your bedroom with this unique scent. We think you’ll love it so much, that you should go ahead and pick up the large Housewarmer Jar Candle which provides 110 to 150 hours of true fragrance enjoyment.

Swiss Dot Duvet Cover in Charcoal

This woven slate-on-slate pattern is simply a unique material to cover the top of your bed. The Swiss Dot Duvet Cover bring subtle texture to the bed in lightweight cotton voile. When the weather turns cool, layer chunky knits or bold stripes on top of the delicate dots. You can find this duvet at West Elm.

Built In Storage

Storage is a common problem for most homeowners, but with effective and clever built-ins, organization is a no-brainer. Because built-ins are custom-made for each space, they maximize every square inch of your home. Turn your empty, unused space into drawers, shelves, or even entertainment centers. Essentially, built-in storage units can add hundreds of square feet to your home without the need for renovations. We recommend a wall unit style option with a built in headboard!

Kitchen Island

When space allows, having an island in the kitchen is essential. Not only is it the social center of your space, but also an area to prep food, eat, serve or complete tasks. Islands can also provide additional storage and functionality for maneuvering within zones in the kitchen.

Diverse Cabinetry

Cabinets play an important role in the kitchen for storing dishware, pots, pans, appliances and more. However, you don’t want your kitchen to have only top and bottom closed cabinetry. Add some flavor to the heart of your home with glass door cabinets and open shelves. These features are great for showcasing your favorite items in the kitchen.

A Hook

Every kitchen should have a hook that ties the room together and pulls you in. This could be a backsplash, an ornate oven hood or even a fancy chandelier over the island.

Friends and Family

No kitchen is complete without the people who matter most. Whether you invite your neighbors over for a glass of wine or enjoy a delicious meal with your family, it’s because of them we build memories that last a lifetime!

The Hinrichsens, a family of four and a pet dog named Cleo, were in need of a kitchen renovation. The kitchen in their old farmhouse had become a bit claustrophobic and was far too modern for their vintage home. The previous remodel had been completed 10-15 years prior. With experience in historical preservation and a love of antique style homes, Anna was thrilled to work with the family to design their dream kitchen.

When renovating older homes, you have to work within a certain frame of dimensions. In this particular project, the ceilings were very low at 88”H and the structural beams on the ceiling were 6”H. This would mean that the wall cabinets could only be 28”H. We decided to create an “unfitted” kitchen with three different door styles and finishes. The island and the refrigerator area would each look like pieces of furniture that were added to the kitchen over time. The island looks like an old loved and used Shaker table, while the refrigerator and pantry look like an old built-in closet or cupboard. For the main kitchen wall and base cabinets, Anna recommended a soft white washed finish called Vintage Country Linen to make the space feel larger and more airy. The inset cabinetry door style, Madison Raised, was selected to match the detail of the wainscot panel already underneath each window. Each piece of hardware – from the exposed barrel hinges, to the cup pulls that look like they had once been painted but time and use had worn most of it off, to the HL hinges and entry door handles on the refrigerator – were carefully selected to help recreate a vintage look in the kitchen, with a blend of American country that the Hinrichsens desired.

Since the ceiling height came to 88″, it would be difficult to find an integrated built-in refrigerator that accepts custom door panels. Fortunately, we discovered the French door Liebherr refrigerator. The pantry was matched to the refrigerator exactly, which meant a custom overall height, special sized drawers, and an oversized upper door. We used a custom 6”W beadboard on the side of the unit which would have been common on an old built-in cabinet from the 1800s. We then repeated the 6”W beadboard on the backsplash of the L-shaped kitchen to add continuity.

The clients knew that they needed a large family-sized microwave in the kitchen, so it became a challenge to find a location that would make sense functionally and aesthetically in the space. The solution was to create a hutch next to the new windows. The microwave was located in the center of the kitchen so it could be easily accessed, and mounted at the perfect height to be easily used.

To complete the vintage look, Anna included many details that would compliment the kitchen. She noticed the original ceiling beams had a small bead on the bottom of each side of the beam and used that as the main repeated detail throughout the kitchen. It was incorporated around the frame of each inset door and drawer, the bead board backsplash, and the bead along the bottom of the crown moulding mounting board at the tops of the wall cabinets. The main kitchen counters were topped with a gorgeous waxed soapstone highlighted by the large white farm sink and the cross handled gooseneck faucet.

Lastly, every kitchen needs a stunning focal point…in this kitchen, a large walnut edge grain butcherblock island countertop! The worn edges of the distressed black island cabinets pick up on the rich wood color, making the table style island the centerpiece that a farmhouse kitchen deserves.

Anna, this may be one of my favorite kitchens you have designed. The level of craftsmanship, detail and creativity in this renovation is just spectacular! Go Anna!

-Laura