Kitchens and Thanksgiving

The kitchen , there is no better place while preparing Thanksgiving special turkey  dish and sharing your favorite cocktail or glass of wine with the love ones and friends. The Kitchen is the heart of the home, and today’s kitchens are more styled than ever. The combination of pleasing aesthetic with function creates a better flowing ambiance and with unique features that seamlessly integrate function and style. Innovative storage solutions are allowing homeowners to customize their kitchens in new ways while keeping favorite kitchen tools and ingredients at their fingertips. Modular kitchen units are definitely a must for storage, with so many options now for your cabinetry and appliances.  With fully integrated refrigerator, dishwasher and stove are all part of the new luxury in kitchen storage. Basically all the major appliances are built-in and are flush with the surrounding cabinetry. Some come with under the counter refrigerators for beverages to create more space in the kitchen. These items can be custom paneled to blend right in with your cabinetry and are great for storing produce. More efficient storage also means more entertainment in this friend and family hub of the home. Wine bars are becoming a popular feature that can easily fit among the kitchen pantry and other storage. There are some amazing systems that have such smart, condensed storage. The lighting as well has developed where now you can have some interesting lights under and inside the cabinets and blend in harmony with the ambience light, with remote wireless sensors controls.  

It is all year around the center place for family and friends, but now more then ever the kitchen is the Queen of the house. This magic house epicenter should be appropriately designed so that those fabulous dishes keep coming testing somehow better and better.

posted by Alberto Isoni

Making your home more comfortable

It’s October, and the days are getting shorter and the temperature begins to drop. Your home might fell drafty and somehow cold, you are uncomfortable and the heating system it does not work properly. Here we go again, every winter you wish this problem would be resolved, but nothing gets done. In the sense that even with the heat on, either it get too hot and then drops down cold again and up again.

Well if you want to have that fix, I would suggest you get on with one of the program where they come in and they test the whole house performance to find out what’s is not working properly, and after a complete analysis process, they will analyze the data and then make specific recommendations. I did participate in some of this retrofits and its incredible the improvements that can be accomplished. Usually it encompasses improvements in making your home more energy efficient, make the house more comfortable and with better indoor air quality.

You are probably aware of some of the rebates and tax credit programs offered by Federal, State and Utility organizations. The company who comes to your house and does the evaluation collects data during a comprehensive energy assessment, and verifies how the systems were working. Then they analyze and formulate the best solutions for you, the home owner; detailing the specific areas of work involved and the estimate annual savings in energy and utilities bills. Bottom line is that your house after the retrofit not only becomes more comfortable it also will save you money with the utility bills since now is more efficient, and you contribute in reducing the environmental carbon footprint.

Posted by: Alberto Isoni

Redesigning the home office

We are already in mid September, that means summer is over and we are back to full work schedule, which kindle inspiration for the study or home-office. I can not empathize enough of the beauty and comfort of having a nice size in-house study or home office, regardless of how many hours you spend in that room. A well designed office with computer and gadgets of your choice available at your fingertips it’s more then a treat for you and the love ones. The leading commercial firms such as Knoll, Herman Miller, Steelcase and others they already tested and created some fantastic innovative solutions, and why not apply some of those for a stylish yet comfortable working station at home.

Starting with the desk, there are some fun options that in addition to their functionality, with a touch of a button the desk gets taller or shorter so you can adjust it according to your height or if sometimes you prefer working standing up. The seating we already said many times in the past that the more ergonomic and adjustable to your needs the better. Your neck, back and all your body will be thankful forever. Then adding a few “guests” seats even as folding alternative it will add functionality and creativity to your home office. The lighting. Having natural light if possible is a great option, but with a combination of task lamp and lighting that with a touch instantly adjusts office lighting to create the right balance or offset the bright day light or the brightness of the computer screen makes the work transition environment flawless. Additionally there are window screens that have the double function of making the office stylish and also instrumental in blocking sunlight that can causes unwanted glare on computer screens. It helps that most screens are flat now which take less physical and visual space. Nowadays the multipurpose media screen is a must in the home office beside the functionality of be able to interact around data and information it connect you to the other world and adds a fun factor. If you like to add a green factor décor to your home office, there are some products outhere which are complete with built-in irrigation system so there are self-sustainable and can thrive without much attention while you enjoy the benefit of fresh oxygen.

Keep the décor to minimal with shelving and cabinets after all we are living in the digital age.

Posted by Alberto Isoni

Design layouts that work well

For the lucky ones that have a nice size outdoor space with the layout of what I like to call it “the magic three”- nice size working kitchen that opens into a livingroom and into a garden or patio - this configuration is a bless one especially if you are in a climate zone where you can truly enjoy the outdoor environment. It could be layout as one space after the other (Kitchen, Livingroom and Outdoor) or as a triangle were Kitchen and Livingroom are next to each other and the outdoor is accessed from any of the two rooms.

Imagine, you can step out directly into your patio, terrace or garden in the morning just to have breakfast, or to read your favorite magazine or the book that has been capturing recently your attention. Or for an aperitif before lunch, or just to admire the stars at night and let you mind wonder, and maybe inspires you for the next whatever thing you are interested in doing, and after an amused sight you go back inside and realize how pleased you are that you have such a nice living atmosphere well designed and configured, and how glad you are that you hire a professional designer to help you clinched all together. The one that made it possible by understanding you wishes, needs, preferences and lifestyle and managed to capture them and blend them as one with the right balance of style, function and personality.  Now everyday you truly enjoy the multiple living spaces that have been created and smoothly integrated within the magic three. In top of that, how well the details have worked out, including some of the object that you already had and you though you could not employ. Nowadays when you invite friends over to entertain you noticed how well the configuration works, contributing to the right flow and guests enjoyment. Now if you do not have and outdoor area, you can still work with that professional designer to help you create the outdoor feeling even inside your home or condo, with appropriate plants and with the right accessories the unexpected can be created and achieved.

Posted by Alberto Isoni.

Sustainable Landscaping

If you are doing a remodeling in your home and or patio/garden, before you throw all that stuff away, think of sustainable landscaping. If you thing that somehow you are not going to use it and recycle it, then share with your friends and neighbors, they might have a good use of it for their garden or patio.

You or they might from the excess timber or an old bed make a garden bench. Be able to create what’s missing out of what you already have in your landscape, create beds for the garden, use old vases and pots to add a particular plant or flower to the garden collection, or with that excess building materials such as wood, bricks, fencing etc. create a charming yet functional landscape adding that touch which feels personalized for your outdoor enjoyment, as if it was an extension of you home living. At the same time by recycling it feel good, because either by giving or using the excess for your garden you are contributing to send less stuff to the burden landfills which adds to soil, air and water pollution. The textures and shapes of materials you use in your garden are keys to your design. Learn how to choose the right landscape or hire a professional to help you create a hydrozoning landscape with bed layer, and with a good low flow water dripping system you minimize the water consumption and makes the garden more enjoyable with minimal and easy maintenance.

Posted by Alberto Isoni

Gardens, roof landscapes and patios

It’s summer and if you like to enjoy the outdoors, it’s nice to have a patio, garden or roof garden. The choices are several and very interesting and regardless of which one you prefer, some principle are the same and it might interest you the fact that beside of contributing color, aroma and aesthetic to the garden landscape, you can create one that is environmentally sustainable  and that conserves water and resources.

To chose and decide what style would best work for your situation you can work with a professional landscape designer or start some investigation on your own.  Some green environmental landscape entities made partially easier for us,  for example the well know roof top of the California Academy Museum studied several species of plants before deciding which ones would best work for their project to plant on the roof, and you can find the list on their website. Other organizations such as plants.usda.gov, iscc.ca.gov and stopwaste.org have very good categorizations and several detailed resources.  So you can create a garden with seasonal landscape with different aromas and colors, with plants that survive with minimal water and care, with native California plants species and by hydrozoning-grouping them by water needs you save water, conserve resources and have a more efficient outdoor ambiance.  I like that, when you can achieve aesthetic,  function and best environment practices all in one.

Below is the image of the famous roofgarden of the California Academy Museum in San Francisco.

Posted by Alberto Isoni

One Rincon Hill, Aberto Isoni provides design services to their residents.

Alberto Isoni, is providing to One Rincon Hill residents full range of interior design services with innovative ideas that improves their home living lifestyle. SavyStudio offers fresh modern and contemporary designs that are aesthetically clean and stunning. We believe that design must be both beautiful and functional. We listen carefully to the requests of our clients, and with our expertise we develop an inclusive design that fits their unparalleled view and condominium lifestyle. 

Color, paint with better interior air quality

When it comes to decorate and remodel our homes interior, we tend to choose paint mostly for the color combination and esthetics, but now we know for fact that within the paints or finishes lays the “VOC” (volatile organic compounds).Maybe is a little less fun to talk about it and more technical, but why not to have a healthy indoor air environment quality? The fact is that Indoor paints and finishes release low-level emissions into the air for years after initial paint or finish application is completed. The sources of these emissions as we said are volatile organic compounds (“VOC”), which are carbon compounds that react to atmospheric photochemical reactions causing them to vaporize at normal room temperatures. Now recently with the progressive environmental green movement, has led to the development of low or zero-VOC paints and finishes. These new paints are just as durable and cost-effective as their previous versions, but now are less harmful to indoor occupants. The intent is to reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating and/or silent but harmful to the occupants. Paints, coatings, composite wood, adhesives and sealants used on the interior should comply with VOC content limits established in Green Seal Standard. Afterall Studies have shown that individuals can spend as much as 90% of their time indoors whatever at home or office. Are you still thinking about it? Posted by Alberto Isoni.

Designing the Interior of Your Home. By Alberto Isoni.

Planning to redecorate our house, it’s the thing we say to yourself when moving to a new home or if we are already living in it for a few months or years. But always wait until…later to start designing or decorating the interior of the house. Perhaps it’s just part of human nature to put off the inevitable. I think all of us procrastinate to a certain degree when the task seems overwhelming. When it comes to our home, there are a lot of rationalizations about why we put off, or even avoid, the planning process. So rather than put a plan in place, we take addition steps. Some of us might do research so that we feel productive. While it’s easy to gather information, it’s hard to organize it if we don’t know what we want those drawings, images and information to accomplish. The good news is that there are things we do know. And there are concepts that are valid regardless of the house market value, career, or mood. Concepts like make a list of what is most important to you, create a budget that you are comfortable with and starting with a section of the house or with one room. There are decisions that can be made now (and changed later), related to time horizon, style and available funds to invest. So start small. Break it down. What do you already know? What are your goals? What is one of your goals? What steps have you already taken? Does interest you the sustainability green approach? Are you opened to alternative green solutions? While not a plan, these are pieces that can support one. Planning is easier once you know why you are doing it. At SavyStudio, we are here to help in any way we can---whole house planning, interior design, space planning, and color consultation. Rather than planning to get started, start to plan. Posted by Alberto Isoni.

Time to rearrange the closet

Spring is coming soon and is a perfect time to rediscover and have fun in rearranging your closet. One of the areas that clients always want improve in their homes is the closet, we can’t have enough space, the more the better. Your closet reflects your lifestyle and the seasons in the form of shirts, jackets, dresses, shoes, belts and so forth. In the past the closet was a traditionally rigid and unorganized storage space which was used to accumulate clothes and a variety of miscellaneous stuff. Now new closet concepts and custom walk-in closets are flexible in their composition so that they are able to accommodate the taste and needs of each person's personality and lifestyle. These closets come with a variety of internal organization systems that can help you to organize that corner of your life. Just like fashion, these closets are in constant evolution, continually changing to meet your daily needs. With a variety of choices in innovative applications, beautiful exterior finishes and flexible internal systems, these closets give you total freedom. Also what I like is that you can choose how to arrange your closet internally, with horizontal or vertical elements of varying heights and widths, sliding drawers, shelves, hooks, and even internal lighting that smoothly illuminates when you need it. Whether you prefer to arrange your clothing by color or season, these closets allow you to hang and rearrange the various elements as you please. For those who want a more technical closet in their bedroom, there is a more modern version which implements some of the latest technology. These stylish closets are designed with the option to insert a flat screen on the door panel and preset cable openings create a passageway to the electrical outlet. These closets represent an element of function and form that can give your bedroom character, originality and style, making what's in your closet work for you. Posted by Alberto Isoni.

The book is dead! By Alberto Isoni.

 

The book and consequently book-shelves are dead! With I Pads, Kindles, Droids and others that means game over? At least that is what some people thought, with the evolution of technology and the assumption that digital tablets and flat screens would take over, leaving no desire for beloved paper books and book-shelves. In contradiction to this thought a new concept in interior design has been taking over recently as a revolution, where the book has become the subject of interior projects big and small. Static wall libraries and outdated wood shelving have been replaced by new and original forms and shapes that possess multi-functionality. No more shelving with single use or dominating wood libraries, the new trend is for wall units that are diverse, versatile and that add a touch of originality, personality and beauty to modern interior spaces. Sometimes the library itself is an element that functions as a divider between different spaces. This is innovative for interiors both residential and commercial. Shelving mimics sculptures; colorful bookcases accent a room, and high-tech details created to add functionality, all working to redefine interior spaces. Even a seemingly simple element such as the shelf becomes important. Floor to ceiling, L or T shaped shelves units can be mounted to the wall individually, or composed in endless configurations. Utilizing a combination of materials such as glass, metal, veneer wood finishes and water base lacquer finishes, these shelves are able to fit into any space. There are endless possibility with wall units and library systems which are adaptable for every need, giving you the freedom and flexibility needed to create a beautiful interior space or composition both functional and pleasing. Posted by Alberto Isoni.

The perception and the mystery of color. By Alberto Isoni.

Red, Yellow, Blue and Fuchsia. Each is an anchor of four different ambiances and with an accent of grey or muted color creates beautiful areas that emanate wellbeing. Colors, according to ancient theories and more recent scientific studies, have a significant influence on our mood and behavior. Trends and personal taste play a mutual role in helping you to decide which tint to choose for walls, floor and furniture, making color selection enjoyable and fun. Red represents energy, passion, and celebration. It symbolizes life and warmth and is a perfect color to stimulate your senses. Red evokes the feeling of contentment that being with friends brings and it exudes the joy of life. Energetic and passionate red can beautifully dominate a room. Combined with a refined accent of a grey or muted color, whether a sofa, armchair or pillow, red is an elegant color for a living area, where you can receive your friends. Yellow is full of strength and communicates cheerful intensity. It has the power to brighten your mood and breathe freshness into a room. Nothing is better than to use this color for decorating a sunny kitchen. Yellow, corresponding with a touch of a muted color can create a minimal sophistication, through the fusion of an accent wall and grey oak finishes. Turquoise, which is a fusion between relaxing blues and greens, favors the physical and psychological wellbeing and becomes an appropriate touch for those corners of the house where you like to relax and stretch out among the things that you love. Juxtaposing turquoise against an aluminum and grey oak madia or wall unit could create an incredibly serene den or other leisure space within your home. Fuchsia, with an exuberant mix of red and tranquil blue, is the new night color, in balance with the joy of life and of relaxation. Posted by Alberto Isoni.