Why are kitchens layouts so Mid-Century?

Have you ever wondered why and who decided that all the washing of the dishes is going to be at the same location as where you wash and peel your vegetables, which is usually the same location as your garbage disposal, which is usually the same location as your garbage can (under the sink) ? I'm sure it made sense 50 years ago or so, but why do we continue with old traditions that do not work any more?

Is there a reason why the layout cannot reflect the way we prep, clean and cook in the 21st century? NO! Let's move forward with our lives! Let's make our environments work for us, not the other way around!

It makes sense to separate the 'prep' area from the 'clean up' area.  The clean up area can have the large sink, and dishwasher.  The garbage can should be in a 'pull out' by the clean up area NOT under the sink.  The pull out garbage unit should have TWO bins, one for regular garbage and a second one for recycling.

The 'prep' area should have it's own sink such as the Crevasse  from Kohler.   This has been my favorite sink (and an under appreciated one)since it came out a couple years ago.  You can scrape your scraps right off the cutting board into the narrow sink drain which is compatible with all garbage disposal styles.  Plus you can either center that sink on an island allowing access for two people across from another, or, you can pull that sink closer to you towards the edge of the counter.  You can also straddle the sink with the cutting board and toss your scraps off on the side into the sink.  All sorts of options! One push of a button and 'whoosh!' water flows down the angled sink, bring all the scraps into the garbage disposal.  Now that's progress!

Plus, I'm sure you Seattle-ites know that I didn't forget the composting garbage bin!  This type of garbage should be located by the 'prep' area NOT at the main sink.  Check out this model whose lid opens and the entire unit slides forward as the door is opened.  No more food marks on the lid!  As you know, the tops are important in order to contain the small of these bins.  The inner container has a built-in handle for easy removal.  All of these composting bins are necessarily small, because you just do not want to have that much food rotting in your house.

Now don't get me started on refrigeration!

Contact me (206) 517-4424 if you have questions or more solutions! Ciao!

Sustainability & Interior Design Articles

I've been writing a monthly column about sustainable interior design called "Green Talk"  for around two years.  The main audience has been interior designers, but I now realize that the content may be of interest to any and all of my clients and customers.  From now on I will post the article on this blog for your reading pleasure.  For past articles I have posted links to /publications-press/  The following is the February issue of

GREEN TALK

Take care of Nature or Nature will take care of you.

Alicia Silva, Allied ASID, LEED AP, used to say that polluting our environment is like "peeing in the swimming pool." Even if you were not the person who peed in the swimming pool, you are part of humanity that has to swim in it. As our world gets smaller, we are increasingly aware that we are all connected. When one person pees in the pool, we all have to swim in it. From the scarcity of certain shellfish to controversies on oil drilling and our dependency on oil, to social conflict half way around the world, we share our joys and pains with the rest of the world, and they with us. Our "green" movement has to encompass more than just us, be bigger than the Northwest, and cover more territory than the United States. It really HAS to be a global movement.

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece
of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by
the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's
death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and
therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for
thee." 

– John Donne

Color & Light Therapy - Frequencies that Heal

As we go into the Fall and Winter months, many of us actually FEEL the change in our bodies and psyche as we exchange the sun for the 'dead mouse' grey skies and the increasingly dark days.  Do I sound depressed? (Where are my anti depressants!!)  For those affected by SAD (seasonal affective disorder), winter in the Northwest can be challenging.  There are 'natural' solutions that are not surprisingly related to the causes of our depression. (Darn, no drugs this time!)

The quick explanation is that different colors have different frequencies.  All color require light to be perceived.  Different colors of light have different frequencies (these are measured in Kelvins and called color frequencies.)  Our bodies are made up of frequencies (See The Body Electric by Robert Becker.)  As we leave the summer months, the color of light changes and the amount of light is reduced, leaving us with 'frequency withdrawals.' l Luckily, we can recreate these lost frequencies through  the use of color and light in our surroundings.  Many people are aware of the 'blue' light that can be purchased, put on on a timer and is meant to mimic daylight.  The trick is, you have to sit in the light (or carry it around with you)  for a period of time for it to really have an affect.  The other option is to add color into your environment.  The largest amount of surface that we are surrounded by are our walls.  Seeing/feeling color frequencies can help ward off the Northwest blues.  Select color(s) that not only stave off the depression, but ones that you will enjoy year round.  (Call me for color consultations.)  Use eggshell finish for the walls, semi gloss for the trim.  Make sure to purchase low to zero VOC paint to keep this venture healthy.  And for goodness sake, read that stack of books you have been staring at, and call me in the Spring.

Is God Green? Is Sustainability the next religion?

As you read this article, I will be in the process of embarking on a religious pilgrimage in northern Spain.  Although I have not been particularly religious in the past, family health issues, my obsession with water conservation and my recent research into frequencies has led me to more questions than answers.  Thus, it was with divine timing that I was made aware of the new book ‘Dark Green Religion: Nature Spirituality and the Planetary Future’ by Bron Raymond Taylor.  As I wait for the delivery of this book (available only on line) I’ve been scouting the reviews:

Taylor ‘clarifies a belief system which many people adhere to, and in doing so provides an ethical framework for making decisions, especially about the environment and about our relationship to it.’  Dark green religion is defined as ‘the belief that nature is sacred, has intrinsic value, and deserves reverent care.’  ‘DGR may be a new phrase, but Taylor shows that it is an ancient force that has been rumbling in the depths of human consciousness for centuries.’  ‘The real possibility of DGR becoming a dominant force of world change is considered in the book’s final pages.’

When I return from my pilgrimage, I will write my own review of this book. Who knows, when I return, I may still be a regular ‘tree hugger’, but I will certainly be an ‘enlightened’ one.