New Appliances Offerings as Scholtes Launches in the U.S.



Kitchen with appliance by Scholtès,



As of October 4th, designers and homeowners in North America have a new entry level luxury appliance line to choose from. Scholtès, a European line from Indesit, has entered the market and is looking to go head to head with Kitchen Aid, Bosch and other appliances that already do battle for the high end remodeling client.



I have to say at first glance the line has very good appeal, certainly not fussy, it has clean simple lines with a very interesting bar pull handle that is sure to catch your eye. It is a nearly full line, with a couple of apparent exceptions: the microwave and full size refrigeration. Yes we have to talk about it, almost every kitchen gets a microwave, but more important is a freezer. That said, I think what they do offer in refrigeration has the potential to become extremely popular, as in time it proves to be reliable and appeals to clients looking for something a little less expensive than SubZero for under counter fridge drawers.

 

It’s simple enough that if someone wants to use the majority of the line for it’s attractive styling, they can easily panel a refrigerator from another line, and specify a GE Monogram microwave to round out the kitchen.

What they do have are gas and electric cook tops, dishwasher, built-in oven, hoods, dishwashers, and an array of refrigeration options including well priced 2 zone 36” wide refrigerated drawers, and smartly designed single and dual temperature zone wine storage that fits perfectly into tall storage cabinets . I expect we'll be trying these out very soon at MCK+B.

The line has been designed in Imperial sizes, so there is no problem swapping new appliances into an existing kitchen. The logo is prominent on each appliance, but not intrusive as I find Liebherr who has their logo embossed in 1” high letters on some of their models. Side note to Viking, I personally think their appliances can carry the bulky nameplate they label with, and it’s actually a selling feature at this point!

I want to welcome Scholtès to the marketplace and suggest you check out their European website for a glimpse at what we hope is to come.

The Buzz About the Archtiectural Digest Home Design Show 2011

As I came into the showroom this morning and the @$%&!!!  Sunday morning  time of 8:30am... I was immediately bombarded by the sound of saws...it's nearly show-time in NY,and it's getting exciting. The 2011 Architectural Digest Home Design Show begins this Thursday March 17th, auspiciously sharing it's debut with another New York favorite, Saint Patrick's Day...when the everyone becomes Irish for a day.

MCK+B will be back to show after a couple of years away, and the preparation for the arrival of our show displays is well under way. We will be showing a Rutt Contemporary Kitchen with fully automated doors and drawers, all on electronic touch censors, full of great ideas for the Baby Boomers and mindful of the latest in Aging in Place Technology. The appliances are supplied courtesy of Sub Zero/Wolf and the counter top is natural stone.

 My friend and colleague Susan Serra will be  debuting her own line of cabinetry called Bornholm Kitchen. A unique line of Scandinavian inspired cabinetry. Having heard so much about it I can say I am very excited to see and touch the material for the first time! I wish her the very best of luck.

And blowing into town with great excitement will be several members of the Blogger19, a diverse group of designers/writers/ advisers who travel, investigate, and blog about changes, innovations, and everything design/home related. Among us that I know of will be Andie Day, Paul Ananter, Susan Serra, Cheryl Kees Clendenon and Saxon Henry.



If you are in New York between the 17th-20th, make sure to stop in at Pier 94 at 55th Street and the West Side Highway to see the latest and greatest in design innovation. Nominal admission gain you access to the show for the entire four days and includes admission to the Artist Project -New York exhibit at Pier 92, and there will be events sponsored all weekend by manufacturers. MCK+B is proudly attending the DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS) event on opening night. Come join the fun and learn something new. For the industry there are designated portals for registering with free admission, please contact me if you are intrested and qualify.

Social Media Gets Personal to a NYC Kitchen Designer

Part of this journey in business today is understanding that staying "current" isn't enough, you have to try to be ten steps ahead of what is current and throw out constraints of old narrowly defined roles, they just don't apply anymore. I will never again just be a Kitchen Designer thanks to Facebook, Twitter, blogging, LinkedIn, Slideshare, etc. Along with my co-Bloggers and Twitterparts, I am a writer, an advisor, a researcher, and a student of life, and on my best day: a conduit for what's about to be the latest thing, and when possible the eyes and ears to tell interested followers what pratfalls to avoid. It's up to all of us individually to to share all this with our audience in a fun colorful way, or lose you.

Staying completely "on topic" isn't always easy, the personal stuff does leak in, after all these outlets make it so easy to link posts. It's important to be careful if your goal is driving business not to play out life's drama in a self-indulgent way. When things are working the right way some of these associations do leave the web and become "business personal" and vice versa. As for the recent online debates over how intimate Twitters and status updates should become, I think it's okay to take some personal causes to your followers...but treat it like selling Girl Scout Cookies at work, it's not a condition of the relationship. If you are on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn you're inviting people to "write on your wall". In truth, I rarely write on anyone's wall unless you are a close friend.

For the record: I personally cringed when LinkedIn asked me to add my marital status to my profile.

When I entered this arena, a complete novice, not totally sure what it would do or what I would say; I was friended in some stroke of luck by Paul Anater, a Kitchen Designer from St. Petersburg, Florida. Paul's has incredible style and smooth delivery, he shares of his personal as well as his business story in a way that is engaging and thought provoking. He's an example of being in control of one's own self-growth and at the same time been a magnanimous rallier of the troops. Paul, with Charlie Kondek and Brizo was instrumental in assembling a group of writers/designers this past winter at an opportunity Brizo created to reveal the latest designs and futuristic technology they are bringing to life. We bonded as a group and became the Blogger19, there is a bustling fan page on Facebook, and if you want to keep up on the latest in Home Design it's a great place to check out. The energy of Paul and the other members has defined the network as an intimate useful open resource for all of us as we each develop our own niche on the social networking map.

Paul is one of those people whose hand is out to help and involve others in the good stuff he has going on, he has infectious energy and enthusiasm. In addition to the many other roles, he is a trainer now for Google and is at KBIS this week demonstrating their design program: SketchUp, he's is a great example of what we are here to drive and I encourage you to explore and follow Paul's Blog. Wishing Paul and the rest of the Blogger19, as well as Brizo a great week at KBIS 2010.