Sneak Peek at London Design Festival Design Finds

 

Espresso Cups and Saucers from the Flora + Fauna Pop Up Shop at the London Design Festival


I have a passionate love affair with coffee that goes beyond addiction. I bestow upon the beverage the sort of respect and reverence reserved for all things sacred so when I discovered these functional objects d'art that serve up coffee with the kind of ceremony and appreciation that mirrors my own coffee experience, I had to share with the world. These espresso cups making their debut at the London Design Festival starting September 14th.

 

Matching cups from the Flora + Fauna Pop Up Shop at the London Design Festival

You can find them at the Flora + Fauna pop up shop, one of many that will dot the urban landscape of London during the 10 day event.  Flora + Fauna is the brainchild of Designers / Makers, an Agency for contemporary design within the UK.  The pop up shop is the physical incarnation of an online store that offers unique limited edition works by UK Designers. I adore these geometric two-toned terracotta planters for a kitchen herb garden. They have a sculptural quality that turns potted plants into organic artwork.

 

Geometric Glazed Terracotta Pot Set by UK Designer NICK FRASER featured at the Flora + Fauna Pop Up Shop during the London Design Festival

I'll be  at the London Design Festival, bringing you interviews and images with global tastemakers and trendsetters that you won't find in mainstream media, so keep checking with me daily. Here are some of my other favorite finds at the Flora + Fauna Pop Up Shop.

Check out these adorable handcrafted pillows, Birds, Beasts & Botanicals are decorative themes making big debuts at the London Design Festival.

Columbia Road Flower Market Cushion atFlora + Fauna Pop Up Shop the London Design Festival

Each day leading up to my departure, I will be posting London Design Finds that highlight the many creative and original works of design at the event.

 

Garden Birds Tea Towel by BeetRoot Press at Flora + Fauna Pop Up Shop @ London Design Festival

The New Southern Home—A Modern Interpretation of Traditional Living Space

 

[caption id="attachment_1669" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

Don't let its whitewashed traditional facade fool you,  The New Southern Home breaks with tradition in layout and design for new and unexpected solutions to smarter living. Orlando Custom Builder Nathan Cross of NWC Construction built it as the 2013 official show home for the Southeast Building Conference (SEBC) held recently in Orlando. The board and batten exterior and metal roof  are rooted in Florida Vernacular style but with the latest green building practices and universal design principles. There is no waste here­ in terms of space and water and energy consumption, even the view of the Conway Chain of Lakes is maximized on this infield lot in Belle Isle.

[caption id="attachment_1679" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

Cross designed and built the 4,000 square foot, four-bedroom, three and a half-bath pool home home in less than four months.  The design inspiration came from a seaside chapel that caught the eye of David Pillsbury , Principal Designer at Keesee and Associates, part of the team that created The New Southern Show Home.

 

After the throngs of visitors from SEBC had departed, I took the grand tour with Cross as he narrated every green detail and design element that gives the New Southern Home its signature look and earned it a long list of  Green Building designations. An all-white kitchen as pristine and stylish as those in reality cooking show competitions greets me upon arrival.

[caption id="attachment_1637" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

Cross is quick to quash any misconceptions that an all-white kitchen comes cheap. "White is not cheaper in the kitchen because it's labor intensive. You have to sand cabinets down and smooth with surface fillers to get that perfect surface for painting. It's similar to auto body work," explains Cross.

[caption id="attachment_1640" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

The  15-foot kitchen island has a drop down bar for casual seating and more traditional dining at a table just five feet away. One of the interesting surprises in the layout  is that the kitchen is closed to the family room. Instead, it opens to  a dining area with a custom-crafted live edge table made by Winter Park, Florida furniture maker, Hog Eat Hog.

[caption id="attachment_1825" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

The table along with more rustic touches such as the farmhouse sink and textured white subway tile by Dunn cue the kitchen's  transitional style, a theme carried throughout the home. Modern touches that balance the duality of the look include glass panel cabinetry with sleek geometric hardware,  shaker style cabinets with a thin rail, sleek countertops made of EcoStone,  a recycled material that looks like quartz, and stainless steel Electrolux appliances.

[caption id="attachment_1638" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

LED can lighting in the ceiling and LED lights under and above the cabinets cut down on energy consumption.  No VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) UltraCraft cabinets and no VOC paint from Sherwin Williams ' Emerald Line preserve indoor air quality.

An arts and crafts style staircase, an elevator and a guest half bath  form the home's center mass bridging the kitchen and living room.

[caption id="attachment_1644" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

In the half bath housed in the staircase,  decorative porcelain tile by Dunn mimics the look of textured wallpaper.

[caption id="attachment_1647" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

The showstopper in the living room is the huge stone wall. "We put a stone wall with a soffit for 2-inch LED lights to wash that wall so the light layout is different because we have a lot of windows in that area. The soffit also allows for the crown moulding and base  to run continuous across  the stone wall. We also furred out the wall to make the interior shutters flush with the stone wall. The wood floors resemble recycled barn floors but are actually engineered wood by Bella Cera," says Cross.

[caption id="attachment_1642" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

 The living room opens to a flex space with two glass doors. "The flex space could be a library, a pool room, even a formal dining room because it's big enough to accomodate a  12-person table and hutch," says Cross.

[caption id="attachment_1681" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

Unobstructed alfresco views to the pool from the flex space are possible with a Fold and Slide glass wall and door system that opens to seamlessly link the kitchen and outdoor living area.

[caption id="attachment_1676" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

The home has two master bedrooms to accomodate multigenerational living or to allow for "aging in place" giving homeowners the choice to live upstairs when the kids are younger and downstairs when the kids are grown and out of the house.

[caption id="attachment_1682" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

The downstairs master bedroom is the showpiece of the New Southern Home. With its cathedral beamed ceiling, Thomas Edison lights and sliding barn door, it emulates that seaside chapel Cross and the design team so loves. A Velux skylight infuses natural light powered by solar panels that can open and close the shades and window.  “This is where we spent the money in the house as opposed to the kitchen.” Cross is referring to features such as the master closet barn doors hand-made of cypress.

[caption id="attachment_1667" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

The doors took four days to craft and each weighs 150 pounds.

One of the more puzzling design decisions to me was the drawerless and closet-free bathrooms, until I discovered it made perfect sense. Cross designed the home's  bathrooms to purposely omit pull out drawers and linen closets.  In the Tommy Bahama style master bath,  wall-to-wall louver panel cabinets in light maple have rollouts, an appliance garage and his and her hampers for storage. “I’m not a fan of linen closets so I built linen storage into cabinets. Traditional linen closets are space wasters. They take up at least 10 inches of wall space. I wanted to keep the square footage down and preserve the seamless look of the louver panels,” explains Cross.

[caption id="attachment_1650" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

"The sinks are half in and half out,  they don't  sit up like a bowl sink or down like an undermount sink, explains Cross. One of the most talked about features in the master bath is the toilet behind a clear glass wall that connects with the shower. “I did this for aesthetic purposes. I wanted glass to showcase the stone walls in the shower and toilet area.” A wireless speaker system in the master bath and throughout the home, lets users play music in three distinct zones from their smart device or computer. "All fixtures and toilets in the home carry the green water wise seal for low flow and water conservation," explains Cross.

[caption id="attachment_1649" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

A second master bedroom upstairs emulates the amenities and ease of a Las Vegas upscale hotel room. It orients streetside with a balcony that opens to views of Lake Conway. The room’s dual direction blinds by Norman open at half blind from the top or bottom to let natural light in.  Hotel-room style amenities in the second master bathroom include a coffee station and a charging station.

[caption id="attachment_1656" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC
Photo courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1658" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC
Photo courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

The second master bath houses the shower and greek-style soaking tub by Kohler  in a shared space known as  a "wet area."  "We have a water stream fixture flowing into it. When you are space confined, it’s a good way to multitask so you don’t need separate areas for the shower and tub. We have the handheld shower next to the tub so you can be in the shower and use the handheld," explains Cross. 

[caption id="attachment_1683" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC
Photo courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

Upstairs, a multipurpose room brings the family together with a wet bar that can function as a family-friendly beverage center.

[caption id="attachment_1654" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

The third bedroom opens to a view of the pool for less morning sunlight while the fourth bedroom sits at the front for a large dose of sunshine.

[caption id="attachment_1660" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1662" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC
Photo courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

The third bathroom’s bubble tile and Moxie showerhead give it a youthful vibe that matches the teen or tween bedrooms.

[caption id="attachment_1665" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

Outside, a raised pool also departs from the norm. "You don’t see a lot of raised pools but  I like them for entertaining  because they provide pool seating all the way around the pool and the raised perimeter keeps the leaves out of the pool without a lanai," says Cross.

[caption id="attachment_1674" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

The pavers by Encore are made of recycled granite countertop pieces and are an eco-cool feature and great conversation starter. “ We laid the pavers polished side down to reveal the chalky stone side. If you want an added shine, you can seal them. It’s a new product that is double the cost of traditional stone pavers,” explains Cross.

[caption id="attachment_1672" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC photo by Uneek Luxury Real Estate Tours, courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

The pavers  join a long list of green features in the home including pre-manufactured and pre-painted trim, a dehumidifier system ensures indoor air quality, tankless water heater, engineered recycled wood framing and Florida friendly landscaping.

[caption id="attachment_1668" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The New Southern Home built for the 2013 SEBC
Photo courtesy of NWC Construction[/caption]

You wouldn't expect a home priced at $649,000  to come with its own elevator but that is one of the perks of purchasing an SEBC show home. Many product suppliers and manufacturers donated or supplied at cost materials, fixtures, appliances and features as "building partners" in the SEBC show home. "If we built this same home for a customer, it would be  priced $750,000  but we did get contributions because it was a show home," says Cross.

 

 

The Press and Pour Sommelier

One of my favorite social spots is a wine bar with a do-it-yourself dispensing system that lets me leisurely sample wines at will. No need for a waiter or a sommelier, you just simply press and pour. Now, I can create the same experience at home with the "Virtual Sommelier"  a wine dispensing system by Dacor.  The product caught my attention because it's a game changer for the home wine cellar- the next "must-have" product for those looking to amp up the vino experience.  Dacor's Discovery Wine Station is an automated, temperature-controlled, four bottle dispensing and preservation system for the consumer. No more wasting half-finished bottles, you can now open, sample, sip and preserve without the pressure of finishing off the bottle or the guilt of wasting it.  You don't need to be a oenophile to appreciate the wine station's practical attributes, but at a cost of $5,299  the return on investment relates to its "value" in your lifestyle.

[caption id="attachment_2267" align="aligncenter" width="194"] Dacor Discovery WineStation[/caption]

Perhaps temperature-controlled wine storage is all you need. True Professional Series recently introduced a dual-zone  wine storage system with two independent zones so you can chill your whites colder than your reds. "Consumers are still putting wine cellars in their home, but not everyone has the space or money to invest in that," explains Steve Proctor, Director of Sales.



The dual-wine zone can hold up to 45 bottles and comes with True's patented TriLumina LED lighting. "You can change the light from white to amber to create some ambiance." True also has a single zone wine storage center that can stack together with the dual zone. "This gives you three distinct zones for sparkling, whites and reds," says Proctor.



For those who don't have the budget or space for a full-on wine cellar, temperature controlled wine storage offers a space-saving solution. Or, perhaps you just want your wine within easy reach in the kitchen or near the outdoor grill.



Check out the latest wine storage products with designer looks and LED lighting effects that free up space for your temperature-controlled wine collection. True and Dacor are just a few of the manufacturers recognizing that people want their vino within reach and chilled to perfection.



Manufacturers like to call these amenities "point of use storage" as outdoor spaces, basements, wet bars, and wine cellars continue to evolve as social spaces to sip and savor the good life.   Cheers!