My eyes caught a kitchen hood that seems to be made for me. I like it in its yellow orange color. Find more unusual range hoods designed by Barriviera Cappe on Appliancist.

+ photos: Barriviera Cappe

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Sunset magazine is a West Coast lifestyle magazine that I enjoyed reading every time I went to California. I love it so much that I became a subscriber a few months ago. The Sunset gardens are open to the public. The gardens are located at their headquarters in Northern California. I marked it down for my next trip to San Francisco since they are less than 1 hour from there. In fact, I like to go to their Celebration Weekend next year.

If you are lucky to live in a warmer climate, it is not too late to get inspired by these grouping of pots. They would make a statement on your front door. Every time you do a grouping, you must repeat elements. You can vary the heights and shape of the pots but it is usually best to keep your containers all in the same color, same finish.

If you wish to learn the art of pot planting, read:

+ Learn how create a wow factor with a triple decker composition.
+ An easy lesson on selecting pots and flowers that harmonize with the rest of your garden
+ Benefits from experience. Sunset tells you which are the 12 dwarf lavenders that they prefer from all the ones they test in their own garden.
+ Explore fall favorite hues. I love these aqua glass containers.

Putting plants in containers can allow you to rotate the plants that you put inside to create seasonal arrangements. If you are new to gardening, watch this 1-minute video that show you how to plant a container.

PHOTO CREDITS:
+ By Thomas J. Story for Sunset magazine

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This afternoon I visited Beacon Hill, an old British style, upscale neighborhood in Boston. This is one of the are where the houses are the most expensive in Boston. One think I noticed as we walked around is how, even though the houses have no landing, many front doors felt inviting and elegant.

I paid attention to find their secret. It is simple. They all display flower pots, have a stunning door knocker, hardware and street numbers. They are illuminated by a beautiful light. And more importantly, the homeowners have painted the door a contrasting color. Looking at the lack of space of these houses, it is clear that having little space is no excuse to make a statement.

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You may have noticed a change to the main navigation bar of At Home with Kim Vallee. There is now a Live section where you will find my tweets and live blogging posts.

What will be these live blogging posts?

It will be made of several things. But mainly, there will be quick links. For a while now, I have been searching at a way to add to the curated experience I am trying to provide you. I wish for great pictures on all my posts here. What do I do when I only wish to provide you a quick info? Until now, I relied on Twitter. But 140 characters is not always enough to deliver the message.  I will use Kim Vallee Live to bring this type of information.

Another usage of Kim Vallee’s Live is when I will attend a conference. You will not have long to wait since I will be at the Social Gaming Summit 2009 that will occur June 23rd, 2009. All day, I will rely what is going on at the session through Kim Vallee Live.

Integrating  Layout

I also wish to point out that my second blog, On the Web with Kim Vallee now shares the theme structure than At Home. Like I said in Live, I am integrating my brand. Each component has its own personality.

Blog Out Loud event  in Los Angeles

One last thing. If you are in the Los Angeles this week, register for the first Blog Out Loud event. It should be a great event for bloggers and aspiring bloggers in the creative sphere. Check out what I have to say about the Blog Out Loud event on On the Web.

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I am not into coral as a design element but seeing the coral-inspired lamps of David Trubridge may change my mind. Another example of how you can produce something very modern inspired by nature.

Made of pine plywood, the lamp’s outer shell is pieced together from individual pieces which are attached to one another. David Trubridge was influenced by the ice crystals he saw in Antarctica and the similar patterns found in underwater corals. The pendant is shipped in a flat-pack box. Do not worry, the instructions are meant to be easy to follow. It is a repetitive process that you do with a nice cup of tea.

The shown Oval Pendant is called Kina. Snowflake is oval like Kina but made with 6-digit snowflake pieces. The drop or cocoon pendant hanging lamp is called Koura is oval as Kina but is made Coral/Floral is the name of the globe pendant.

SOURCING:
+ David Trubridge Design
+ Coral Pendant 24-inch diameter €419, 31-inch diameter €559 at Le Souk

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I went to IKEA Friday night. I took pictures of 3 inspiring pictures. The cheapest price of an IKEA kitchen means that you can indulge in a remarkable ceramic wall and countertop surface.

This is the perfect island if you like to entertain. I wish I got the space for it.

The best of the crop goes to this long kitchen. If you have the space, the expandable BJURSTA dining table, which opens up to 260 cm (102 inches) costs only $299 CAD. This leaves you more room on your budget to buy the chairs.

If you are looking for island, models like this red and white costs between $450 to $600 CAD at IKEA. Although I am not too keen on shiny kitchen cabinets I enjoy the overall kitchen layout. AKURUM is IKEA kitchen cabinet series. I especially like the pattern wall. Put an acrylic clear panel in front of the wallpaper for easy cleaning.

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I secretly crave for a craft room at home. Until we decide to settle in a new home, it will stay a dream. In the meantime, I am taking notes on how others design their craft space.

Vancouver designer Kelly Deck converted a good size spare room into a craft room using affordable, widely available furniture and accessories. The only indulgence was the Cole & Son’s Cow Parsley wallpaper available through Kravet Fabrics in Canada.

The stoneware ASKER containers hung on a long ASKER suspension rail have multiple uses. I am sorry for the lack of product details. They did not specify in the Canadian House & Home magazine the names of the products they used.

One thing that I would change is the storage unit. When you factor in the cost of all the cardboard boxes, that unit is not a bargain. A more practical option would be a base cabinet with drawers in order to neatly lay down scrapbooking paper and wrapping paper. Something like the BRAVAD base cabinet with extra wide drawers seems perfect for the tasks I got in mind.

SOURCING:
+ ASKER container 5-inch $4.99 CAD, 6-inch $7.99 USD
+ ASKER suspension rail 47 1/4 inches $9.99 CAD, 23 1/2 inches $5.99 CAD
+ BRAVAD base cabinet $795 CAD
+ Lights, table, cabinets, storage unit at IKEA
+ Area rug at Pottery Barn
+ Cole & Son’s Cow Parsley wallpaper
+ Via March 2009 Canadian House & Home – photography by Janis Nicolay

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The best way to reduce the cost of a kitchen renovation is to go with store-bought cabinets. The IKEA kitchens are getting better and better every year. They are cheaper than custom build cabinets.

At IDS 09, IKEA showcased a style I affectionate: the full wall cabinets. I like this kitchen design because it delivers the sleek modern without sacrificing on storage.

A wonderful trick is to mix kitchen series. Here, they combines IKEA’s Nexus oak-veneer with the glossy white Abstrakt cabinets. Through the layout and the selection of materials for the backsplash and countertops, you can provide a look that seems custom-made.

The March 2009 of Canadian House & Home is about sleek organizing your house. One area where families need organization is certainly the kitchen. This year winner of the Kitchen Makeover contest can testify about it. They won an IKEA kitchen coupled with the expertise of senior design editor Erin Feasby.

One design element that is worth stealing is the backsplash. They alternate matte and glossy glass tiles to create a sophisticated texture.

+ Images from March 2009 issue of Canadian House & Home were photographed by Mark Burstyn

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+ What a clever concept! Nicola from Bern imagined a coat hook that transforms as a coat hanger. The multi-hook design solves the problem of not have enough space to properly hang the coats of your guests when you are having a big party. Via MoCo Loco

+ I applaud when people come up with clever (the word of the day) business card idea. Why not recycle this idea for the table numbers or the menu of a garden party? With some embellishments, the concept will transfer well for an English tea party. See more DIY table number ideas. Via Design Crush.

+ Read the Top Ten Kitchen Layout Mistakes on HGTV.ca. One that I wish to discuss further is the Don’t install a sink in a breakfast bar. Family members often sit at the breakfast bar with their laptops to talk to you. Water and computers do not form a good mix.

+ I do not talk about fashion on AHWKV but I felt under the spells. I spotted the fall/winter 2009 collection of Eley Kishimoto on Wee Bird, a UK blog that I adore. This is the work of a team of designer Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto. I enjoy their playful yet stylish style. Their Spring 2009 is also gorgeously creative.

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Through their form, function and aesthetics, packaging influences consumption. These are cute food packaging. Design-oriented bottles also make our life easy when we entertain. I found those marvels on Lovely Package, a blog dedicated to the very best package design has to offer.

The Arla bottles of milk were designed to fit the lifestyle of younger Swedish people on the go. I imagine how great grouping those milk bottles will look on the buffet table of a baby shower. Neumeister designed them in collaboration with PriPac Design & Communication.

The pixel look of the milk boxes will suit a robot kid party or vintage arcade video games. It also remind me of stitching. Why not display those at a knitting party?

SOURCING:
+ Via Arla Bottle Milk
+ Via Milk Collection

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Located in London, UK, Black+Blum is an anglo-Swiss partnership that joined forces in 1998. I think they made cool stuff.

I shopped at the boutique of Musée d’art contemporain in Montreal. I found at the contemporary art museum art boutique many of the brands and products I talked on AHWKV.

As a bonus, it does not cost a lot to out a smile on the face of the recipients with any of the Black+Blum products. For people who needs gifts for upcoming birthdays or hostess gifts, keep Black + Blum in mind.

I bought the fruit loop bowl ($40) for my sister in law. The salad plant ($30) set was really popular this year. When it does not store upright the leafy salad servers, the flowerpot can be used for mixing plus serving your salad dressing. Both are made of melamine.

I bought for Jerome and I the cutest couple clothe hangers, Mr & Mrs Hangup. You can infuse a mood with the way you place the screws. $30

As I researched this post, I spotted Spudski, the cutest potato masher I ever seen. It is based on the old fashioned ski pole. I wish I saw it before. I want one for the ski cottage. $14.80

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I am finally uncluttering my house. My husband and I are proud that we donate and recycle twice the stuff than we throw away. I am completing my Spring cleaning that was put on hold due to my ACL surgery.

My husband put on boxes most of our DVDs to free space on our living room bookshelves. Before buying new decorative items, I see if I cannot reorganize the stuff I still like. I will then add a few accessories. But the major changes will wait until the makeover of the floor.

Which brings me to the importance of buying stuff for the long run. After all, it is the most ecological solution. Everyday, I used the Braun coffee grounder that I bought when I started university. I displayed on my bookcase a beautiful vase that an ex-boyfriend bought me one Christmas; I shown him the vase enthusiastically while we were shopping.

10 Commandments of Good Design

Dieter Rams is one of the most influential industrial designers of the late 20th century. He wrote his 10 commandments of good design:

1. Good design is innovative.
2. Good design makes a product useful.
3. Good design is aesthetic.
4. Good design helps us to understand a product.
5. Good design is unobtrusive.
6. Good design is honest.
7. Good design is durable.
8. Good design is consequent to the last detail.
9. Good design is concerned with the environment.
10. Good design is as little design as possible.

He preached for a Back to purity, back to simplicity style.

Tomorrow is my husband’s birthday and we are having a party at home. The unclutter of the house and the party planning keep me quite busy. It explains why I am less active on my blog this week. I scheduled good articles for next week; I think they are worth the wait.

MORE READING:
+ Dieter Rams at Design Museum
+ Ten Commandments of Good Design
+ 606 Universal Shelving System By Vitsoe At Moss
+ Images: Dieter Rams, 606 Universal Shelving system by Vitso, 4 record player by Braun – rights reserved

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