Kitchen drawers and all that stuff

Without doubt, drawers are coming into their own in kitchens. Cupboards are becoming the has-been's of kitchen design.  Clever drawer organizers are now available to accommodate the new array of drawer contents. Drawer componentry now comes in soft close, knee-pressure, or standard. What further proof do we need? Cupboards are 'persona non gratia'.

Whether it be tiered and deep pantry drawers

...or ingenious corner drawers

Well organized cutlery drawers....

Drawers with wide handles

or drawers with recessed handles.

even drawers with no handles.

Vertical drawers

and horizontal drawers

Drawers for gadget junkies

And gorgeous drawers for minimalists.

At Denise O'Regan Design - Sydney we pride ourselves on competitive prices AND brilliant advice

http://www.internationaldesign.com.au

And gorgeous drawers for minimalists.At Denise O'Regan Design - Sydney we pride ourselves on competitive prices AND brilliant advicehttp://www.internationaldesign.com.au

Where the wild things are design-wise

Nothing brings me greater pleasure as an interior designer, than to witness genius at work, and to see the grandest of products emerge virtually from the young brains of specialty designers who push the boundaries so far the rest of us would fall into the abyss.

It is no secret that one of our favourite product designers is the multi-talented Lee Broom of London. Lee has crossed the impossibly crazy gulf between product design, fashion design, and interior design of both residential and commercial property to come out the other side as a recognized and multi-awarded ambassador for UK design.

He has achieved the seemingly impossible at incredible speed, and in his haste, has cut a swathe through the design industry in Europe and taken the bar-world by storm with his edgy, brilliant, and cleverly illuminated commercial interiors. 

If for a nano second you dispute my claim, then look at his amazing club chair set with LED lights. I would defy anyone to name another product more scene-stealing, more jaw-droppingly beautiful, more definingly modern, yet more up-cycled vintage.

Lee combines all the insanity of creative manipulation, with impossible concepts, and a driven imagination. Without stating the bleeding obvious, he clearly has the fire burning in his belly as strongly now as he did when he first burst on to our radars 10 years ago.

His exquisite body of products are available through his Bond St studio in London, or in Australia through Considered This? Interior Agencies of Sydney. Denise O'Regan Design are also proud specifyers of the Lee Broom product range in Sydney.

http://www.leebroom.com
http://consideredthis.com.au
http://www.internationaldesign.com.au

SPLASH with your kitchen splashback

Out with the old and in with the new. 

Out with the new, and back with the old. 

The circle slowly turns as trends do their cyclic thing, coming and going as each generation believes they have discovered something uniquely them..... and then often finds that the trend is merely being 'rebirthed'.

Splashbacks are no exception as we slowly discover the trend back to mosaic tiles. 

Despite this trend, mosaics are still not my first preference, but ultimately the market will dictate what the market wants. 

As kitchen designers, we are merely a conduit between our client, market trends, product suitability to a given project, tradesmen, and the final budget.

Far be it from us to claim any trend as unsuitable or 'done to death'.

I will declare my belief in the hygiene and suitability of glass for the purpose of protecting walls from hot greasy spitting and splashing though. In part, due to having lived through the era of tiled splashbacks, and seeing how unobliging tile grout is when it comes to cleaning. Nothing is more unsightly and distasteful than splattered greasy tile grout on a wall behind a cooktop, placing it 'up there' as one of my pet hates in kitchens.

I have seen homeowners stoop to slavishly daubing tile whitener onto the gridlike pattern of mosaic tiles in order to breathe fresh life into them. Sure it brightens them up for a while, but we all know they were unclean and grubby before the process started, and that knowledge somehow takes the polish off the end result. 

Far better a gleaming, bright glass splashback, (or a glistening stainless steel version) which is clearly either clean or dirty. It can be bright or clear, it can be patterned or simply plain. No matter, it will only need some gentle elbow grease to remove all signs of your cooking adventures, and in doing so, show all your guests what a wonderfully clean kitchen you have.

The proof is in the splashback.

Increasingly there are beautiful options available for extending the creative aesthetics, with organic grassy wallpapers set behind glass, and artful designs that add a dimensional appeal we previously never thought possible.

BUT....like everyone, my mind can be changed, my resolve weakened, and my desires skewed when confronted with something quite exceptional...even...God forbid, if it be tiles for a splashback. Dont get too excited. These beautiful tiles dont come on a 'beer budget' but take a look at the true beauty of tiny tiles,of a quality that is indisputable and installed by a craftsman of the highest order. This Bisazza splashback is a thing of rare beauty. A sight to behold, and a refreshing example of skill, quality, imagination, and design that creates a united and cohesive kitchen that drips with class.

At Denise O'Regan Design in Sydney, we pride ourselves on the clever re-modelling of your kitchen, thoughtful consideration of your options, maintaining budget without sacrificing aesthetics, and on understanding the unique function and dynamic of each individual clients home.

http://www.internationaldesign.com.au

denise@internationaldesign.com.au

Kitchen renovations arent all 'beer & skittles'

Shedding some new light on kitchen renovations.

The momentous decision to upgrade, update, overhaul or makeover a kitchen is both daunting and challenging to the homeowner, but for those of us in the industry, every kitchen project we undertake, is somehow a pleasurable and passionate experience. We thrive on it, and we feel liberated by the experience. The final results of course, give us the greatest rewards.

Updating by comparison to new-builds, requires a new set of parameters for each occasion. No two existing kitchens are the same, and the updates and alterations are certainly as individual as the clients we aim to please. All will have differing challenges, differing requirements, and of course all will have different budgets.&

Some clients are gadget junkies, some loathe cooking (believe it or not), some require a clear-bench policy, and others love the metallic tangle of exposed pots and utensils. Some love bright colours, and some adore black. Thankfully, the world is not populated with clones of each other, or dealing with the public would be frankly, exceedingly dull.

Since the Global Financial Crisis, the average kitchen budget has dropped immensely. This has made the industry leaner certainly, and like everyone else as a company we have tightened belts and reigned-in spending. On the up-side, it has taught us to be more creative with kitchen design, and more liberal in our design thinking.

We have always enouraged more liberal thinking from clients, but what we have found is that a natural progression of the tougher times, is the almost mandatory need for clients to weigh-up otions more keenly. Whereas a client once insisted on granite, they will now be just as feverishly requesting we put forward other products for consideration.Clients who would not see past polyurethane cupboard doors, and would not for a moment consider laminate doors, are browsing all the wonderfully different surfaces available for doors, including perspex and glass.

This shift in consideration is refreshing and one of the real joys of our changing economic times. Necessity is the mother of invention...FACT. We still want our new kitchen sooner rather than later, and we still want to be over-joyed with the results, but the budget is now more restrictive so where can we cut costs? As kitchen designers and installers, we are so often reminded that a $1,000.00 saving on the re-fit, could mean a new kitchen appliance. A $500.00 saving on flooring could mean that wonderful steel cupboard componentry that you have coveted for some time. Even a $200.00 saving on a sink, can make the difference between the mixer of your dreams, or a generic tap of little appeal.

So in essence we promote creativity, encourage jumping outside the box to consider everything available, and proudly insist on keeping vast ranges of hard surface sampling on hand, in order for you to make informed choices that do not result in a 'project' kitchen that does nothing to enhance or rarify your property.

AtDenise O'Regan Design (Sydney)  we look beyond the everyday in every conceivable service we offer, whether it be lighting, flooring, design, appliances, window treatments, componentry, furniture, wallpaper, rugs, or art. That is simply because....

WE DELIGHT IN THE SMILE ON OUR CLIENTS FACES UPON COMPLETION!

denise@internationaldesign.com.au

This Weeks Architectural Light of Note - European Elegance

Perfect for dining illumination. 

The 3 halogen bulbs generate a warm and ambient light, shining up AND down through the 3 upper glass panels.Designed to be hung 300mm from the bench, this lamp emits impressive light reflections.

Box Pendant light is 90cm x 5cm x 8cm  

Nickel Satin or Chrome

100 watt maximum: 3 x R7S 118mm bulbs

Equipped with a T5 fluorescent lamp, the Box 120 has a bright and natural light, shining up AND down through 2 glass panels. Also designed to be hung 300mm above the bench, this makes it an ideal light for non-glare workplace illumination.

Box Pendant light is 120 long x 5cm high x 6cm deep

Nickel Satin or Chrome

54 watt maximum: 1 x T5 1149mm bulb (diameter 16mm)

Equipped with 8 x G4 fluorescent bulbs, the Box Rise & Fall has a bright and natural light, shining up AND down through in 8 small glows.

1 metre long Box Rise & Fall Pendant Light (height adjustable) making it an ideal light for non-glare workplace and residential.

Nickel Satin or Chrome

25 watt maximum x 12V: 8 x GY  6.35  

Adjustable drop between 1300 and 2300

  

All distributed in Australia by Considered This? Interior Agencies of Sydney

info@consideredthis.com.au   0414 636 870