October 2008

Going for Gold: Arclinea San Diego, a flagship showroom for the contemporary luxury kitchen collections designed and coordinated by Antonio Citterio, has won the gold in Qualified Remodeler magazine’s QM Master Design Awards. The firm’s design for a 1950s California ranch in Mission Hills features a completely stainless steel galley kitch - en. Arclinea also received the Grand Award in Remodeling magazine’s 2008 Remodeling Design Awards; only eight such prizes were granted nationwide. The firm was recognized for its bold, contemporary kitchen design for a historic Sherman Heights Victorian.

“We’re quite honored to see our local projects recognized for design excellence by two such respected industry publications,” says Lisa Wilson-Wirth, president and owner of Arclinea San Diego, “especially since both remodels illustrate approaches for incorporating modern design and modern materials into an older home.” For project photos and more on the firm’s services, visit www.arclineasandiego.com.

The Blossoming of Bamboo: A lush tropical grass, bamboo is easily grown without the use of pesticides and fertilizers, allowing its natural fibers to mature and flourish uninterrupted. Unlike hardwoods such as teak and mahogany, which can take up to 100 years to replenish, bamboo can be cut without killing the entire plant and takes only about five years to fully grow back. A 100 percent renewable resource, bamboo has blossomed into one of the most preferred materials for the home, in flooring, towels, sheets and more. Now you can also add a bamboo vessel to your bathroom. Stone Forest has put its own spin on bamboo with the Moso and Quattro Bamboo vessels, lightweight and water-resistant sinks crafted from the laminated exterior of a bamboo shoot. For more, visit European Bath, Kitchen, Tile & Stone, Solana Beach, 858-792- 1542, or check out Stone Forest’s Web site at www.stoneforest.com.

Hilltop Homes: Cielo, the hillside village in Rancho Santa Fe, has released a new enclave of ocean-view custom home sites called Montagna at Cielo. The collection of 112 estate and single-family sites is at the pinnacle of the Tuscantheme master-planned community, lo - cated as high as 1,400 feet above sea level and framed by ocean views that span from Coronado to San Clemente Island.

The estate and single-family home sites at Montagna range from approximately half an acre to more than 2 acres, with pad sizes spanning 9,000 square feet to 20,000 or more. Current prices range from the high $500,000s to more than $1 million. Recreational amenities include the residents-only Club Cielo, an 8,000-square-foot facility featuring multiple entertainment areas with a catering kitchen; fully equipped fitness center; aerobic studio; shower and locker rooms; competitive-size swimming pool and spa; children’s pool and play area; and two tennis courts. Cielo Park also offers residents 1.5 acres that include a basketball court, sand volleyball court, children’s climbing wall, picnic pavilion and play field. Of the 1,740 acres that make up Cielo, more than 60 percent is dedicated open space. For private tours and sales information, phone 858-756-1001 or visit www.cielorsf.com.

Bang on a Drum: Bang & Olufsen, the worldwide manufacturer of exclusive, high-end audio and video products, unveiled a new state-of-the-art showroom on Girard Avenue in La Jolla. The 3,650- square-foot showroom features the full Bang & Olufsen product line, including its new video technology, Automatic Color Management, which automatically adjusts aging plasma phosphors and enhances picture quality throughout the life of the screen. The site also show - cases the company’s BeoLiving concept, which includes customized audio and video products that can connect lighting, draperies and various environmentalcontrol modules to suit each customer’s lifestyle with the touch of just one remote control. To maximize the BeoLiving experience at the showroom, the company has incorporated a BeoLiving room, a sleek, modern space surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass walls. 7722 Girard Avenue, La Jolla, 858-454-6020; www.bang-olufsen.dk.

A New Skin: Four oceanfront suites at the Hotel Metropole on Catalina Island have received a contemporary facelift supplied by San Diego designer Deniece Duscheone, of the architecture and design firm S.K.I.N. Recognized for her recent redesign of the U.S. Grant Hotel, Duscheone applied similar magic to the suites, which range in size from 500 to 600 square feet. She used a palette of brown, taupe and aqua against a white background. Her custom-designed nightstands and dressers, which have white raffia-covered drawers and use environmentally friendly wood in an ebonized finish, create a sleek yet organic feel. She paired custom leather beds with Philippe Starck’s Louis Ghost Chair and a white lacquer–and–nickel desk from Williams-Sonoma Home. Fabrics are from Jim Thompson, Nobilis and Bergamo.

The Hotel Metropole was founded in 1888 in the heart of Avalon, Catalina’s quaint harbor town. Today, it remains dedicated to bringing back a glamorous aura to the island, which once attracted Hollywood elites including Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Judy Garland and How - ard Hughes.

Duscheone has been commissioned to redesign the interiors throughout the historic hotel; this fall, she will begin renovating the lobby and 52 other rooms. LEED-certified since 2004, she approaches each project with the goal of creating luxurious, high-end sustainable design. At the Metropole, she used water-based paints, bamboo flooring, eco-friendly glue, Greenguard leathers and low-voltage lighting throughout the suites.

Duscheone’s work can be viewed online at skin-design.net. For more on Hotel Metropole, visit www.hotel-metropole.com.

Reaching the Summit: Summit Services, an Escondido- based landscape design/build company, won six awards at the 2008 Landscape Contractors Association Beautification Awards Ceremony. Judged by a panel of 10 of San Diego’s top registered landscape architects, the awards highlight the best contractors in the landscape field. Summit Services took home first place in the categories of Large California-Friendly Land Construction, Medium Landscape Renovation, Small Design Build Construction and Small Residential Maintenance and second place in Estate Design Build Construction and Large Design Build Construction. 760-737-7630; www.summit-services.com.

Bath of Distinction: Leslie Cohen of Leslie Cohen Design received second place in the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s 2008 Design Competition for her design of a “Zen relaxation bath.” The same bathroom garnered a first-place award in the San Diego chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers’ 2008 Design Excellence Awards.

Using harmonious natural materials, clean lines and tangible textures, Cohen created a peaceful sanctuary. A door of frosted reed glass opens into a room of floating hemlock cabinets mixed with rugged colorful slate, striking glass tile and golden Venetian plaster walls. Clean straight lines in the cabinets, counters, hardware and tile balance artful curves in mirrors. Cool colors of slate blue, mirror and glass contrast warm woods, gold walls and slate. Terrazzo-like quartz counters are an unexpected twist. For more information, contact Leslie Cohen Design at 760-753-5247 or visit online at www.lesliecohendesign.com.

Kitchen and Baths Revamped: Our annual kitchen and bath issue wouldn’t be complete without a rundown of the latest products and design trends:

Dornbracht has come up with a solution for simplifying the daunting process of creating a top-notch kitchen. Developed with the input of professional chefs, Kitchen Zones is the company’s new collection of faucets grouped together to help maximize the efficiency of the home kitchen according to three basic work zones. For the Preparation Zone, the Dornbracht Profi mixer is suggested for its wide reach to fill pots and pans and its gentle aerated spray for rinsing fruits and vegetables. The Cleaning Zone features the Profi spray and built-in liquid soap dispenser to remove grease and baked-on food. And for cooks with grand culinary visions but tiny galley kitchens, the Universal Zone offers a pivoting faucet, hand spray and soap dispenser. Through Design Studio West, La Jolla, 858-454-9133; www.dornbracht.com.

If you’ve been longing for a handlefree kitchen, take a look at Alno’s Alnoart Pro, a handleless kitchen with real-wood aluminum molded frames and high-gloss lacquered glass doors in a bevy of subdued, natural hues such as magnolia white or cappuccino. Take your kitchen to another level by incorporating Alno’s Libero Collection of unit systems. Screen is a wall unit equipped with a 17-inch flat screen on the back of a mirrored or glass door. The illuminated units can create a bridge to the living area in open-plan spaces. With the corner tower featuring carousel shelves, you’ll find enough space to store your food. Alno San Di - ego, Miramar, 858-578-2566, or online at www.alnosandiego.com.

Of course, every remodel is worth considering the eco-friendly options that can be incorporated. Julien’s elegant Classic Undermount Collection is composed of 100 percent recycled and re - cyclable stainless-steel kitchen sinks. According to a recent study, the average person spends up to five hours a week at the kitchen sink. From the amateur chef to the professional who favors takeout or quick-fix meals, the sink is the one kitchen installation almost every homeowner uses. Julien took this into account when designing one of its most popular styles. The Undermount sinks offer ecoconscious designs featuring clean lines and smooth, rounded corners, as well as integral tilt-out drawers for maximum functionality. Through Standards of Excellence, Point Loma, 619-298-3647; www.standardsofexcellence.com.

Illusion is key to designing small spaces, and Stone Forest makes the en-deavor even more alluring with its SYNC series of flat, floating sinks and countertops. Featuring futuristic grid drains and a palette of precious stones like carrera marble or multicolor onyx, these products make the bathroom appear spacious, while still allowing it to function efficiently.

European manufacturers Sonia and Laufen take their own approach with ceramic sinks. Sonia’s SX1 series features a semi-pedestal and sink (the sink can be wall-mounted by itself). The sinks from Laufen’s Ilbagnoalessi Dot series boast sharp, geometric edges for a trough effect. Architectural in design, these sinks create fluidity and drama in the bath space. Avaliable through International Bath & Tile, Kearny Mesa, 858-268-3723; www.ibtsdiego.com.

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