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A L L A B O U T H O M E m a g a z i n e c ove rs B ro o k l y n , S t a te n I s l a n d , N ew J e rs ey

T h e P r a c t i c a l M a g a z i n e : I d e a s & R e s o u r c e s F o r Yo u r H o m e f u rn i tu re

Better Than Stone

i n te ri o r d e s i g n

e l e c t ro n i c s & a p p l i a n c e s

A Ceiling For An Aesthete

h o m e i m p rove m e n t

Translation From The Japanese

A WellAppointed Kitchen

The Best Quality Sofa-Beds

www.sapapa.com

1 888 AMINACH 718 332 5012

2 2 5 2 E a s t 17 t h S t re e t , B ro o k l y n , N Y 112 2 9 july 2010

complimentary

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New Jersey IN STYLE DESIGN CENTER: 3689 Rt. 9 North, Old Bridge, NJ 732-970-1616 www.instylefurniture.net

The Best Furniture Showrooms In New York And New Jersey

New York ROYAL INTERIORS: 1840 McDonald Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 718-998-8876 www.instylefurniture.net

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From Classic To Modern: Always New! Always The Best!

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contents

ALL ABOUT HOME magazine is created to meet the needs of consumers eager to acquire, remodel, and decorate their homes and fill them with state-of-theart equipment in the name of maximum efficiency.

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novelties parade Novelties From All Around The World

All About Home magazine July 2010

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focus on color Earth Tones

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fashion in finishings Better Than Stone

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showcase of ideas A Seiling For An Aesthete

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high-tech living A Well-Appointed Kitchen

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entourage detailed Fashion Lighting Published 11 times a year

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home in style Translation From The Japanese

copyright Š2010 by All About Home.

All rights reserved

nature in & out

Free distribution in Brooklyn, Staten Island, New Jersey

Garden Paths

direct mail to businesses

marketplace

Printed in the U.S.A. All requests for permissions and reprints must be made in writing. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

The publisher accepts no liability for any material supplied by advertisers (including text, representation and illustrations) and advertisements printed.

ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

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years of Italian design

WE CELEBRATE, YOU GET THE GIFT: OUR SPECIAL PRICE ON 2010 COLLECTION. Since 1959 we've been designing and creating living areas able to express beauty and harmony with a high added value: comfort designed & made in Italy. At our Centro Stile we never stop searching for evolving ideas that are bound to turn a room into your ideal and personal space. Like the new collection we are now presenting at very special prices. Come and uncover it.

CASA DOMANI 1950 McDonald Ave. Brooklyn, NY Tel: 718-627-0763 www.furnitureNY.com

since 1988

3000 Coney Island Ave. Brooklyn, NY Tel: 718-743-4330 www.furniturenewyork.com

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novelties parade

blossoming light Some objects are so beautiful you want to buy them immediately. The Blossom Chandelier—created by designer Tord Boontje and the BOONTJE and SWAROVSKI companies, belongs among such objects.

The chandelier is a true work of art. Pink and clear SWAROVSKY crystals combined with tiny lights imbue the piece with simply unbelievable splendor. It looks like the flowering branch of a Japanese cherry—gorgeous, delicate, otherworldly—a stunning creation.

a coffeemaker for an aesthete The futuristic design of the new Cellini Lever Switch Red Maranello coffeemaker by the Italian company LA PAVONI will turn your kitchen into a space module.

This avant-garde, egg-shaped, bright red device combines all the latest features: pump pressure gauge, temperature gauge, equipment for making all kinds of coffee beverages, a stainlesssteel boiler, a thermostat, and other bells and whistles. For instance, the unique design of the Cellini's predecessor—a model called Europiccola— has earned it a place in New York's Museum of Modern Art.

relaxing like royalty If you are a confirmed couch-potato, may we suggest a three-in-one combo consisting of a sumptuous leather loveseat with a TV screen and a revolving coffee table attached—an offering from designer Jane Worthington and the Swiss company deSede. The loveseat, featuring elegant rounded forms and metal legs, is available in a choice of colors. Undoubtedly, this triptych will occupy a central place in your home.

let's sit on the grass This mysterious Terra armchair created by the Italian company NUCLEO reminds us of emerald Ireland and its hills, populated by fairies and leprechauns. The chair is made of shaped cardboard sections filled with soil where you plant grass seed. When the grass grows, the result is this kind of fantasy setting, capable of giving pleasure to both the Little People and the lovers of unusual design solutions. The makers assure us that their armchair can seat not just fairies but regular human beings as well.

a gift for an avid reader If you can't stop reading, your interior probably needs a Book Worm bookshelf by the Italian designer Ron Arad and the KARTELL Company. Actually, the shelf is called Book Worm not because it is meant for people who constantly burrow into books but because its shape really does resemble that of a worm. A wonderful synthesis of technology and poetry, science and feeling, this piece of furniture reflects a certain aesthetic magnetism.

ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

flying in your sleep and floating awake A suspended bed has been created by the American BERNSTEIN DESIGN Company. Without legs or headboard, it floats in the air. But don't worry—you won't get seasick—the bed is motionless. Suspended from the ceiling on cables, it is also stabilized by cables from below. If you actually want to create the effect of a swing or hammock in your bedroom, you can easily loosen the lower cables.

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M AG I C F U R N I T U R E H O U S E NEW FURNITURE COLLECTION BY FOR HOME AND OFFICE

718-513-4502 2733 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY (between Ave. X and Ave. Y)

Style & Quality

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novelties parade

another butterfly chair The unusual bent-plywood Miles chair, created by the American company SOLV STUDIO, resembles a moth or a butterfly—the same fanciful bends and sharp angles, the same apparent fragility. It seems that any minute it will flutter its wings and fly into the sky. In reality, its fragility is an illusion, since the Miles chair is constructed of bent hardwood slats on a steel frame. Even so, it looks sweet, airy, and somehow sunny, bringing to mind hours of summer R&R in the country. This novelty will look good on a deck or a terrace, and it should certainly be conducive to relaxation.

a daikin innovation Allergy sufferers and others who appreciate the value of clean air can take heart. With the MC707 Air Purifier, DAIKIN has brought its formidable innovative tradition to bear on this growing market segment. The new DAIKIN unit removes 99.6 percent of allergens (including mites and pollen), eliminates 99.99 percent of bacteria, and breaks down 95 percent of odors. The MC707 introduces two impor tant improvements: the eight-layer filtering system, which now includes a new bio-antibody filter, and—a Daikin exclusive—the Flash Streamer.

winter beauty Today's weather being what it is, those of us who love winter sorely miss the pure beauty of a landscape—or cityscape—covered by new-fallen snow.

If you suffer from a lack of that white laciness, turn your eyes to this Snow Table, designed in Japan and manufactured by the Swiss company NOVA68.

The modular table consists of lacquered plywood snowflakes and a transparent glass top. It will remind you of the dance of snowflakes in the sky seen through a window.

landing lights The German company KiSS! offers a glowing toilet seat Galaktika. The illumination is smoothly, automatically turned on when the seat is lowered and softly fades once the seat returns to its initial position. The company claims that, at full brightness, Galaktika is capable of lighting up the entire bathroom. LED lights that operate on four AA batteries are embedded in the transparent plastic of the seat. The batteries should last a regular household for about a month.

a magic ironing board It is amazing how inventive home appliance manufacturers can be in making chores easier for a homemaker. The German company EUROFLEX has come up with a revolutionary active ironing system—EuroFlex IB 10 Vapor—which allows you to iron your laundry without having a hot iron come into contact with the fabric. The heated surface of the EuroFlex board helps iron both sides of a garment simultaneously, provides suction to suck humidity away from your laundry and hold the garments in place, and has a blowing function that allows you to iron awkward or delicate items on a cushion of air.

ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

something for the bride Your girlfriend will soon love to do the things she used to be afraid even to think of. And who wouldn't, with such a glamorous handyman's—oops, handywoman's—tool set? Although it looks like a toy or a makeup kit, it is actually a real tool set with all the components in perfect working order. Besides the tools, the manufacturers include a bottle of engine oil, a few of the most commonly used fuses, some bolts, and hooks and wire for picture hanging. The tool kits are sold by the British internetshop Tickled Ltd.

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EUROPEAN FURNITURE living rooms • dining rooms • bedrooms • wall units • lighting • accessories

1949 Coney Island Ave. Brooklyn, NY www.eurofurnitureonline.com

718-998-0489

www.eurofurnitureonline.net

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a lovely place to relax The world-renowned JACUZZI Company now offers its customers a Jacuzzi home theater. The unique LaScala system is meant for people with sophisticated tastes who appreciate the pleasures of R&R. This is no longer just a bathtub but an entire miniature swimming pool, with a forty-two-inch LCD panel and state-of-the-art audio-video system and a DVD player. Final touches are added by a floating remote and under water lighting along the tub's perimeter.

handy and healthy SHARP's (USA) is offering the AX-700S Superheated Steam Oven. This new device offers the health benefits of steam cooking over roasting, grilling, or even baking. Superheated steam helps reduce the fat in many kinds of meat and poultry—without compromising the flavor, crispness, or appearance. A unique combination of conventional heat with steam superheated to 550 degrees Fahrenheit makes this healthy way of cooking possible. Twenty preprogrammed food settings in four different categories virtually guarantee cooking success.

cooking for your health DG 4000 Navitronic TouchControl — a steam cooker manufactured by MIELE — automatically prepares an entire menu of dishes. TouchControl is extremely easy to operate: simply call up the “Menu cooking” option and add dish components to a composite program. It is virtually impossible to operate the system incorrectly, since the controls will work only when the instructions make good logical sense — gently prompting the user to move to the next stage.

easy energy The YoGen charger is a small device which uses a pull chord to produce clean energy for charging mobile devices. The company showed off their clever green device at CES. To use the yogen charger, the user simply plugs in their mobile device and begin pulling the small cord attached to one end. The pulling motion produces energy which is transferred to the device, charging it up without batteries or cords.

space-age acoustics JBL's Creature II three-piece speaker system produces high-quality stereo sound for movies, music, and gaming experiences. This is a plug-and-play system, compatible with all Macs and PCs—both desktops and notebooks— as well as MP3 players and Walkmans.

JBL Creature II offers consumers cool design and exceptional sound, proving that excellence does not have to come in an expensive package. The system includes two desktop speakers and a subwoofer. Elements magnetically shielded to provide the greatest protection against image distortion on a computer monitor.

ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

eco espresso maker Conventional espresso machines consume a lot of energy, even when they are in 'off' mode. British designer Patrick Hunt has designed an eco espresso maker for presso, in which coffee is made through a controlled blend of pressure and temperature. The machine is manually powered and only a small amount of energy is used to boil a kettle. Made from polished aluminium, the espresso maker can also be recycled at the end of its life.

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Sofa-Beds BROOKLYN 1916 McDonald Avenue

718-336-5016

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focus on color Nellie Vingardt

earth

tones Today a restrained, neutral and natural palette, full of earth tones or the colors of seawater, sand, stones, grass, and trees came to replace traditional bright colors. There were several reasons for this change: first, there was a conscious striving for naturalness; and second, a multitude of textures that would simply disappear against a bright background came into use in interiors. One of the most popular color of last years is olive–a soft, warm, greenish-yellow color. It is excellent both at playing “first fiddle,” and as a good neighbor to other colors–coppery pink, gold, rust, dark green, or even violet. The intensity of the color varies from light, watery hue to deep khaki.

The objects shown on these two pages illustrate the ways contemporary designers use this fashionable color trend in their projects.

A Link Sideboard by Poliform, designer Carlo Colombo

A Bedboss Bed by Alivar, designer Bruno Rainaldi

A Lupa Rug by JAB, A Chair by Baker

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focus on color A Colorline Sink by Villeroy&Boch

A Pasadena Sofa by Calligaris

A Chair by Molteni&C

A Dresser by Misura Emme

A Rockford Cabinet For Appliances by Parlani

A Essence Teapot by Philips

An Aero Vanity by Antonio Lupi

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fashions in finishings John Brandon

better than

stone

The human race has been using natural stone as a building and finishing material ever since we moved out of caves and began to make our own habitats. Until recently, the shortcomings of natural stone were not enough to outweigh its main advantages—the beauty and uniqueness of every single slab. Nor could practical and economic considerations force lovers of unique interiors and of natural materials to defect to the side of man-made materials. With the appearance of gres porcellanato, otherwise known as ceramic granite, the situation has radically changed.

T

he material developed in Italy thirty years ago as a substitute for natural granite was initially intended as an economical alternative to the real thing. Only somebody with great imagination and poor vision, however, could mistake this primitive imitation for actual stone. But the man-made material turned out to possess a multitude of remarkable qualities. Made of all-natural components–clay, sand, pigments, mineral filler–fused together under extreme pressure and heat, it was similar to natural granite in many ways–and in some ways it was better.

Artificial stone was harder and more durable, and could be polished and buffed just like the real thing. Its edges could be finished (chipped, ground, cut, what have you) with the same techniques used on natural stone, but it could also be manufactured as tile, which–just like ordinary ceramic tile–could easily be applied to both horizontal and vertical surfaces.

The new material was practically impermeable to water; it emitted no background radiation; it was highly resistant to wear and chemical erosion; it withstood heat, cold, and even abrupt changes in temperature. In other words, tile with the commercial ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

Marble imitation AXOLUTE by ABK Group

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Metall imitation METALLICA

by Tau Ceramica

Collection Slate by SACIS ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

qualities of stone turned out to be such an effective and popular a material that production quickly escalated. Spain soon joined Italy among the world leaders in gres porcellanato production. In less than a decade, embankments, bridges, buildings, and pavements constructed of man-made stone began shaping the contemporary urban look, whatever the location. There was only one drawback: attempts to faithfully recreate the natural patterns of granite, marble, onyx, and slate were not particularly successful. The material tended to repeat a preset color and pattern over and over with a depressing regularity that emphasized its artificiality. high-tech breakthrough Today, a rotational technique creates random patterns that allow manufacturers to forget about mirror-image tiles, and new forming technologies enable them to give up attempts to replicate cracks, pits, and chipped spots on smooth surfaces and instead begin creating surprisingly accurate copies of the natural surface textures. The problem of reproducing the rough surface of unfinished stone was solved in the same manner. Eventually it became possible to imitate quarry-stone masonry as well as rough-hewn wood and parquet.

Spanish and Italian manufacturers have been the most successful in producing decorative porcelain stone, and they continue to constantly experiment with the material. For instance, in manufacturing the Geos Mixage series (producer Ceramiche Marca Corona), the initial raw materials are fused with a super-durable, glassy substance. The resulting product comes out as hard as diamond, not only on the surface but all the way through. None of the materials found in nature can withstand even a small portion of the kind of stresses that are successfully borne by these "stone ceramics."

Since the manufacturing techniques used to fashion gres porcellanato and ceramic tile are very similar, and since the same companies produce both materials, new trends in artificial stone manufacture are appearing with lightning speed.

Would you like mosaics? You may have any kind you wish.

Would you like an almost exact reproduction of antique originals fashioned from rough bits of rock? How about floors and walls decorated with a simulated inlay of semiprecious stones? (The latest series even include decorative elements of onyx and jasper.) Joint-free or large-format tile? No problem! A material suitable for both walls and the floor? Be my guest! In the last several years, many manufacturers have been giving a lot of attention to smelted "porcelain stone."

For instance, the Peronda Company offered the lovers of classical floor and wall materials products called Museum and Gallery, respectively, that are covered with a thick top layer of glassy glaze. Manufacturers Keraben and Gayafores offer the all-purpose series Luxor and Tibet. Because their replication of the texture and color of polished marble is so accurate and realistic, some of the new materials are called "man-made" or "cultured" (or even "high-tech") marble.

Most smelted artificial stone is manufactured without joints. Because it is seamless, large-scale monolithic surfaces are easy to create. The similarity of texture makes it

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Royal Marble, Inc. Since

1985.

VISIONS OF INSPIRATION FINE LINES OF: • Ceramics • Stones (granite, marble, onics, limestone, travertine, river stone, gemstones, pebbles...)

• Mosaics • Terra Cotta • Glass • Slubs for counter-tops & vanity tops

We are not only Showroom— we are MANUFACTURER! And we have a special department Royal Marble Installers!

Royal Marble, Inc. 718-998-1222 1542 McDonald Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11230

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Granit imitation by Peronda

Parquet floor imitation Classica by Aparici

possible for walls and floor to flow into each other. In this way, floor decor is organically continued on vertical surfaces, or mosaic murals or ornamentation can "slide" down onto the horizontal plane. To expand decorative possibilities, artificial-stone collections are complemented with various additional elements, such as insets and friezes. designer toys The triumphant progress of this new material culminated in carefully thought-out designer series that completely dispense with the strict notion of size–the universality characteristic of the majority of the latest collections is absolute, and there is no longer any distinction between floor and wall materials. What makes these series especially interesting is the possibility of combining tiles of various styles and textures to expand the horizons of creativity for the masters who work with these materials. Designer collections usually present base, decorative, shaped, and technological elements in every possible format and a wide range of sizes. The base "stone-ceramic" tile can be complemented with mosaic tile of the same size, which may range from one- or two- to even half-inch fragments. an adventure story Artificial aventurine was actually "cooked up" from ground glass and copper dust as far back as sixteenth-century Venice. It is said that the names of both this semiprecious stone and its copy are derived from the word "adventure," since quite a few attempts to make artificial aventurine according to a well-known recipe ended in failure. If the raw materials that go to make gres porcellanato are "spiced" with aventurine, however, the resulting material will sparkle as though with embedded granules of ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

pyrite, rutile, and mica. A well-known manufacturer Bisazza has recently offered lovers of unconventional interiors their own version of wall and floor covering. The quality of the new material is every bit as good as that of porcelain stone, but it has a different look. This agglomerate is made from smalt (vitreous sand), colored glass, and aventurine in varying proportions. For instance, the Logos series–whose devil-may-care bright color combinations were created by Alessandro Mendini, once a long-time designer for Swatch–lacks the "adventurous" sparkle, whereas the Metron collection sparkles like labradorite (a natural silicate) in the sun. Of indubitable interest to lovers of all things natural, the Canyon series imitates granite, basalt, or marble with great precision. A list of the new material's merits, however, does not end with its sparkle or the beauty of its color combinations. This agglomerate can be used for applications in which, until now, artificial stone has been as useless as its naturally occurring counterpart. The glassy material is noted for its malleability, and it can be used to create complex flowing lines. When the back of a sheet of this material is heated to 65 degrees Celsius with a blowtorch; the sheet becomes soft enough to bend around the base surface and attach the same way as regular tile or gres porcellanato. There are, of course, certain limitations: The radius of surface curvature must be at least a meter, and the work really must be done by qualified professionals. And if the high cost of this newest item gets you down, just think about what a scope it provides for a designer! walkabout In home interiors, this new, practical, and extremely durable material is becoming more and more familiar, grad-

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WITH OUR HELP, YOU CAN TURN YOUR DREAM INTO REALITY, AND CREATE A UNIQUE INTERIOR DESIGN REFLECTING YOUR PERSONALITY. All Items Are In Stock And Ready For Delivery.

You Will Find A Lot Of Interesting Ideas: From The Simplest Ones To The Most Complicated Solutions, From Classic - To The Newest Trends.

Master dealer: Kohler, Robern, Toto, Maax, Neptune, Lada, Aquatic & St. Thomas Shower Rooms Sinks Bathroom Cabinets Bathtubs Vanities Toilets Bidet Faucets

Ceramic & Porcelain Tile Marble & Granite Shower Doors Interior Doors Saunas & Steamrooms Whirlpool Baths Shower Panels

2162 Bath Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11214 (Corner of Bay Pkwy. & Bath Ave.)

Bathroom Accessories Hardwood Flooring Kitchens: Italian, German & American.

Tel: 718-372-4444 Fax: 718-372-6768 www.UniversalCeramicTiles.com

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fashions in finishings

Fashion gres porcellanato tile by Garogres

ually crowding out natural stone, ceramic tile, and even wood. This is understandable, since "porcelain stone" lasts immeasurably longer than traditional materials and needs practically no care.

Gres porcellanato is in demand in

landscaping as well. More and more often, a cobblestone pavement or a yellow brick path or a set of rustic wooden steps shown in the pages of one or another interior design magazine turns out to be actually fashioned of ceramic stone. Whether the style is

rustic, Mediterranean, or antique (series Indian Slate by Plaza Porcelanico, Augusta by Natucer, Esplendor by Ceramica Mayor, Le strade del vino by RHS, Provenza by Gres de Vails, Mitologica by Peronda, Petra by Keraben) the material looks excellent not only in the back yard or courtyard, on the patio or in a winter garden, but in the kitchen or the living room as well. One of the most actively utilized combinations in creating individual variations on the theme of joining the kitchen to the dining room or the living room is the use of gres porcellanato in conjunction with other floor coverings–massive boards or parquet, for instance. The "high-risk" zones–the floor around the stove, sink, and counters–are covered with gres porcellanato, and the "guest space" with wood.

The profusion of textures, colors, and formats of "stone ceramics" allows users to find interesting solutions for any interior.

When you choose gres porcellanato, you can forget ever needing to replace the floor in the kitchen, on the veranda, in the living room–or anywhere else, for that matter. For a great many of us this is a rosy prospect indeed.

Designer series feature multiformatted floor and wall tile made of ceramic granite–gres porcellanato.

Collection Mai Uguali, CIR

Collection Spacci di cava, SAICIS

ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

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showcase of ideas Annette Goldberg

a

ceiling an

for

aesthete

Designers of the twenty-first century can wield an extensive palette of expressive means to create a special, one-of-a-kind look for any home interior. One can only marvel at their fantasy, boldness, and mastery with which they creatively rethink the forms and methods of past periods. More and more often now, they focus their attention on the ceiling with its potential to become a striking and theatrical part of any interior.

1

1. A glowing ceiling of frosted glass set in a wooden frame, often part of the decor in a bar, over a dance floor, or over the card tables in a casino, turns out to be perfectly appropriate over a dining-room table as well. Suspended construction conceals any flaws in the ceiling’s surface, provides alternative lighting, and gives additional emphasis to the dining area.

2. This ceiling is striking not only for its original relief pattern but also for the organic way the pinhole lights and a ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

2

stained-glass panel fit into it. The latter changes its colors like a chameleon. In daylight, it reflects silvery pinkish hues; but when the lamps are turned on, it shines with a blue glow. The apparent metal framework is an illusion – the entire piece is constructed of silver-painted wood, making it light and easy to assemble. The total effect is that of a vivid, decorative accent that ties all the elements of the dining room and living room interiors into a seamless composition.

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showcase of ideas

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3 3. However spacious a home, it is always desirable to use the space more effectively, to enlarge it visually. Stretch ceilings made of PVC membrane are ideal for this purpose. Once you have chosen just the right color for interior, you can visually “lift� the ceiling anywhere from two feet to infinity.

4

4. When an interior is based on classical style, a decorated ceiling becomes an appropriate design element. The artwork of the ceiling supports the overall design theme, determines the center of the composition, and emphasizes the luxury of classical decor.

5. The complicated and distinctive relief pattern of this ceiling, featuring an illuminated circle of hand-painted sky, is both functional and pleasing.

The suspended construction helps partition the space, hides air ducts and speakers, and (just like a real skylight) creates the effect of airiness for the living area.

5

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6. The construction of this suspended ceiling enables the designer to use the contrast between straight-laced traditionalism and aggressive modernity to good advantage. In conjunction with columns and pilasters, the caisson ceiling imparts an impressive look to the room.

At the whim of a “pencil line” drawn across the blueprint, a part of the ceiling that is paneled with drywall crosses paths with the caisson part. The contrast between smooth and textured surfaces, between the flowing curve and the austerity of the caissons, creates a fresh and buoyant effect.

7. A modern house demands bold architectural approaches.

The unusual shape and color of the partial stretch ceiling helps correct the room’s proportions and turns this element into a colorful decorative statement. The combination of a stretch ceiling with pinpoint lights creates a remarkable optical effect.

This pairing utilizes the latest scientific and technological advances — super-durable PVC membrane and fiber-optic technology. Light guides concealed behind the stretch ceiling illumine the crystals of the chandeliers, making them shine like the stars.

7

8. Without sinking to plagiarism, the designer created his own variation on the classical approach. Here the complex modeling of hexagonal beams imitates caissons, painted in the style of Gustav Klimt.

Built-in candelabra augment this original composition.

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high-tech living Mark Grossman

a

well-appointed

kitchen

Equipping a kitchen with built-in appliances is a serious business — after all, you will have to live with it for a good ten years or more. It is a good idea for anyone planning to remodel to find out how a fully integrated kitchen should be set up.

A

major difference between builtin appliances and freestanding units lies in the superior construction of the built-ins. Compared to freestanding appliances, built-ins feature better ventilation systems and substantial insulation. These extend the appliances’ useful life, minimize temperature fluctuations, and protect the countertops and cabinets from high-temperature damage.

Specially engineered to fit into standard kitchen cabinetry, built-in appliances are quite compact and thus open up more possibilities for designers to realize their ideas in terms of aaesthetics, practicality, ergonomics, and comfort—even when dealing with ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

kitchens that don’t have much square footage. For instance, in an L-shaped layout, a built-in cooktop with an oven below would fit nicely into the corner while a conventional stove would not.

It is also better and more logical to place ovens, coffeemakers, and steam cookers at eye level — which makes it easier to watch the cooking in progress and handle scalding cookware. Conventional appliances provide no such conveniences.

Another advantage of built-in appliances is their standard dimensions, which correspond to the equally standard sizes of cabinets, islands, and other fixtures. For instance, range hoods manufactured for use in an integrated kitchen have precisely the

Modern refrigerators—such as those made by Whirlpool—are furnished with the “smart” technology called the “sixth sense.” Sensors inside the refrigerator constantly pass data on temperature fluctuations to the control panel, which then determines when to increase the power output of the cooling system and when to let it drop down to an optimal level.

same dimensions as the cooktops over which they are mounted. This standardization of sizes allows the consumer to replace any worn or obsolete kitchen appliance with something newer and more state of the art with

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ICS (Intelligent Control System) technology in dishwashers (for instance, those manufactured by De Dietrich) is also based on the use of sensors. These detect the load level and degree of dirtiness and adjust the wash cycle automatically, giving an optimal final result.

The new Miele Capsule Coffee System satisfies an inveterate java lover’s every desire: it serves nine different varieties of coffee — from mild Volluto to the astringent Arpeggio and Capriccio, prepared any way you like it — regular, espresso, latte, cappuccino. The user can choose the size of his or her portion and even create an individual setting. Two display panels with self-explanatory graphic symbols and textual prompts will help you master the many possibilities of a contemporary coffeemaker in record time.

ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

great ease. There is the one thing you must remember, however, in planning the kitchen of your dreams: European standard sizes are different from American.

In addition, all the elements of an integrated kitchen fit together with maximum precision so that the countertop ties the sink, the cabinets, the shelves, and all the multifunctional appliances into a seamless whole.

There are no gaps between the fixtures to accumulate grease or trash and breed insects.

In terms of design, only a few years ago designers tended to hide appliances behind furniture fronts, but now they’ve come around to the opposite point of view and believe the gleaming, efficient appliances are precisely the elements that give a kitchen its hightech look. Besides the refrigerator, cooking modules, sink, and dishwasher (each in its appointed niche), gleaming smaller appliances clad in aluminum, stainless steel, and highimpact plastic stretch from one end of the counter to the other—immediately accessible for use and a testament to the user’s sense of style. To hide all this gleaming utility makes sense only for those who prefer a classical or retro style. shopping strategies Once you have decided to remodel your kitchen, where do you begin—with the cabinetry or with the appliances?

Answer: back and forth — start with the appliances (but don’t buy any) to get a good idea of the kinds of cabinets you will need to accommodate the appliances you want. A good place to begin is a store that specializes in home appliances. Such a retailer is likely to have a wider assortment of goods and more products that come straight from the warehouse, instead of needing to order them through manufacturers’ catalogs. There you can handle the appliances, see them in action, size them up, and decide which ones you like. You can also consult a sales associate who will supply exhaustive information about all the most recent products and acquaint you with the price ranges of the appliances

you are interested in.

After conducting your technological reconnaissance and making a list of the appliances you want, it is time for a visit to the cabinetmakers (if you are considering a custom-made kitchen) or to a kitchen showroom, where a staff designer can review your preferences and the specifics of your space and then assemble a kitchen out of standard modules that will come very close to looking as though it was made just for you. By the time you start selecting cabinetry, you and your family will already know what you want — the colors, the materials, the style, and what kinds of appliances you plan to buy.

In choosing the company to install your kitchen, you need to consider not only the price, the schedule, and the company’s ability to satisfy your aaaesthetic requirements but also several other important aspects. Are the cabinetry people trying to saddle you with appliances of some brand they’re pushing instead of the ones you took a liking to? Are they coming down on the costs of the cabinetry while at the same time inflating the prices of the built-in appliances? Are they prepared to furnish you with a written guarantee that covers the installation of both the cabinetry and the appliances? Who will be responsible if there are repair costs during the first year after the project is completed? Who will service the appliances once they are installed, and how much will that cost? You should resolve to work with someone who will provide you not only with a pretty design sketch but with intelligible answers to all your questions as well.

It’s always a good idea to get two — or even three — estimates for the work.

And if you begin to feel that a dealer is being less than straightforward or that you just don’t feel comfortable with him, go elsewhere before you open the door to a frustrating experience.

It is, of course, much more convenient to go to the same place for both the cabinetry and the built-in appliances. That way you will save time, energy, and (possibly) money. If you are satisfied with a firm’s cabinetry, however, but their equipment does not suit you for some reason, go back to

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Bontempi Cucine

the appliance center where you first made your selections.

Any reputable dealer will agree to work in tandem with the cabinetry people. The store will supply the “technological stuffing” for your kitchen, along with the specialists to install and connect the appliances, and will issue its own service warranty along with the manufacturer’s warranties to cover the products you purchase. As a rule, an appliance store is also able to furnish routine maintenance service for your equipment. Remember: installing and connecting these appliances should be handled only by professional technicians. No other approach will guarantee the safety of your family and the smooth operation of expensive equipment. high-tech stuffing Deciding which kinds of the kitchen appliances will serve better as built-ins, and which as free-standing units requires some serious thinking. A lot will depend on the size of the space, on how often you plan to cook, and, of course, on how much you can afford. Basically, all kitchen appliances — including washers and dryers — are now available as built-in models. Traditionally, electric ovens and cooktop panels have been the most popular. These appliances can be purchased as combined sets (with the components placed one above the other and sharing a control panel, usually located on the front of the oven) or separately (with each component having its own control panel and capable of being mounted independent of the other). If you decide to purchase an electric oven – cooktop combo

35

Model Driada by Strato

with the two components from different price ranges, keep in mind that your oven must be the “smarter” one. Otherwise — since these are activated through a special connector hooked up to the oven — you will not be able to use all the additional functions of the heat surface (infrared

Nolte Kuchen ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

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Pedini Cucine

cooking and baking sensors, induction, and the like). For a house provided with gas service, an economical gas range and electrical oven combo may be the optimal solution. On the other hand, you are not obliged to limit yourself to a single cooktop. Today, the makers of kitchen appliances offer a whole range of modular heat surfaces with various functions and of various types (deep fr yers, electric grills, glass-ceramic smoothtops, gas-on-glass panels, woks), united by a common design and ready to be installed into your countertop. These compact modules look rather like domino pieces, which is why they are frequently called by that name. In addition to domino cooktops, manufacturers offer all sorts of small kitchen appliances for your culinary activities (food processors, slicers, electronic scales, and so on). Note also that, when installing a contemporary cooktop, it is possible to install some drawers underneath as well, which provide a very convenient place to keep various cooking utensils. A cooktop and a refrigerator, however, do not make a good “marriage,” so it is best to separate them at the outset. If these appliances are placed next to each other, the side of the refrigerator can make handling large-diameter cookpots an awkward business. For general efficiency, it can be useful to remember the old guideline that the ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

stove, refrigerator, and sink should be placed on different sides of a triangle.

Today, buyers rarely limit themselves to the standard set of oven, cooktop, range hood, dishwasher, microwave, and refrigerator. Some supplement it with domino modules, some with a wine fridge, some with a deepfreeze, some with a built-in coffee maker, steamcooker, or deepfryer. The list goes on and on, depending on the owners’ culinar y preferences, their incomes, and the size of the kitchen spaces. Obviously, the bigger the kitchen, the more equipment it can hold. On the other hand, lack of a laundry room may impel a homeowner to have a washer and a dryer installed among the kitchen cabinets and countertops. There is no need to worry that the washer and dryer will bother you with noise or vibration during the work cycle. These new appliances are generally quieter to begin with. In addition, they are tightly fastened to the cabinetry, which absorbs all vibrations.

Creating a technically and ergonomically correct floor plan for your integrated kitchen is a task for a professional designer, but it can be a useful first step for you to sit at home with a piece of paper and a pencil and sketch the kitchen of your dreams. Of course, you may miss a few details, but this can help your designer get a clear idea of what you want.

The distinctive features of a glass ceramic sensor cooktop (or cooking surface or hob) are — using a Siemens product as an example — hereby displayed: infrared cooking sensor for each of the two rear elements, a frying sensor facility for the enlarged right cooking zone, a choice of nine temperature settings, QuickStart heating elements, one dual element and one with an additional oval cooking zone, a touchpad that indicates the setting when an element is on, and a residual heat indicator for each element.

“Sixth sense” technology is also utilized in constructing the most recent generation of range hoods — in this case, another product from Whirlpool. Three kinds of sensors are employed: humidity sensor, temperature sensor, and infrared sensor. An “intelligent” range hood automatically adjusts time of operation and use of energy, as well as its operational mode — depending on what kind of food is being prepared, environmental conditions, and the size and type of the cooktop — to deliver an optimal performance.

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entourage detailed Nonna Bergman

fashion

lighting

Lighting systems have definitely evolved from being purely functional to be regarded as the thing of beauty that greatly sets the mood in your home.

Interior lighting plays a significant role in defining the ambience of your home and adding a touch of drama to perfectly set the stage for your interior decors.

Chandeliers by Schonbek Elevator by Quasar

Geometrix by Schonbek In order to effectively produce a cohesive or pulled-together look and effect, all the different lighting elements should be able to work together in order to create harmony.

Harmony should never be misconstrued as monotony or uniformity of the designs of your lighting systems. Some really popular designers mix and match lighting fixtures according to various tasks but can still expertly pulled or a coordinated look. Make sure that your lighting systems should flow in various directions. This can be achieved by adjusting the height of the light fixtures and blending subdued and muted lights with some bright lights.

Tecnotem Redentor ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

A Lamp by Casa Bella Collection

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entourage detailed

Possoni

Filma

Salih Mekhihi

La Murrina

Valenti Fausting

Mechini

W

orld fashion is established in megalopolises, where people experience very little "communing with nature." It should be no surprise, then, that a gravitation toward natural motifs has become a dominant trend in design in general, and in lighting design in particular.

"You can't eat this pear, although it's hanging right there." It seems that this old children's riddle (the answer, of course, is "a light bulb") is precisely what inspires contemporar y lighting designers. Like conspirators, they are all ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

Tredici Design

creating objects that make you want either to eat them (the objects, that is) or smell them.

At the latest international specialized exhibitions—such as Abitare il Tempo in Verona, Maison & Object in Paris, International Lighting Expo in New York and Shanghai, Expomovel in Porto, and others—lighting fixtures based on the shapes of trees or fancifully entwined branches hung with leaves, flowers, and fruit graced the stands of the most prominent companies. Foremost among them were the Italians whose floristic collections, grown in the fertile soil of

high technology, gladdened the hearts of visitors—tired from the long winter of minimalism—like the first spring flowers.

Compared to other styles, the floristic trend is easily the most elegant and sumptuous. Using a traditional array of materials—crystal, glass, metal, small light bulbs—contemporar y designers create fantastical fixtures.

A tangled roll of thin wires becomes the eternally wind-blown tumbleweed–or possibly a shrub with a multitude of steel shoots (designer Salih Mekhici).

Writhing steel forms resemble tree

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Brand en Egmond

Beby

Kalmar

Passeri International

GSL

Possoni

Lyra

roots–or trees with fantastical sinewy crowns (designers William Brand and Annet van Egmond). Glass filaments on long stems of chrome steel become dandelion puff balls waiting for the wind to blow them to pieces. (Valenti). Bunches of elegant, graceful orchids are made of Murano glass, glowing with all the colors of the rainbow (La Murrina, Fausting, Diluce, Mechini). Glass balls, flowerets, and teardrops are strung together or separately, entwined or floating in freefall.

Time-tested materials like steel, steel wire, brass, and bronze are still widely

used in lighting design; but today they are transformed by various treatments.

For instance, a chandelier with wroughtmetal branches and leaves will impress not only by the laciness of its openwork but also by its antique look—the result of a process of artificial aging. Patinaforming treatment, toning, amalgamation—these are but a few of the processes available to the manufacturers today.

It doesn't take an expert to appreciate quality in execution and design. The value as objets d'art of many of these models is obvious. Some of these lighting fixtures can even be compared to

jewelry—a comparison fully justified by the production technology used to make them, which in many cases is closely related to goldsmith work.

If you want to add festive touches, elegance, and romance to the atmosphere of your interior, choose your lighting fixtures from the floristic collection. Thanks to talented designers, thorough and masterly handwork, and remarkable materials, such fixtures often become the key ornaments of an interior–shining diamonds that draw the eyes of everyone sensitive to beauty.

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home in style

translation the

from

japanese

Careful scrutiny reveals that our contemporary lifestyle has absorbed a great many Japanese elements: sushi and sashimi, martial arts, ikebana, and everywhere Japanese technology — from audio and video players to automobiles. A culture that so remarkably combines centuries-old traditions with advanced industrial technology is tantalizingly fascinating. And so, in our homes we may also want to decorate a room or two in the Japanese style.

W

hat makes Japanese interior so relevant today? The jaded countries of the Old and New Worlds — heirs to the culture of the antiquity — are hard to impress with a profusion of architectural ornamentation. But they can be impressed by the absence of decorative extravagance and by a display of special delicacy and refinement. By virtue of its island isolation, Japan embodies a special aspect of cultural evolution. Not only the language but also the aesthetic preferences, tone scale, and color palette of the Japanese differ quite radically from those of the Western world. The same obser vation can be made about Japanese architecture — the spatial logic of a Japanese home is of a nature alien to ours.

A traditional inlayed bureau.

ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

The room has sliding doors (fusuma), tatami mats on the floor, a brazier (hibachi) for the tea ceremony (cha-no-yu), a tansu step-chest, and floor lanterns.

biography of a style The term “Japanese style” is, of course, a conventional one. In the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, the first brave souls to visit Japan and, more important, return to the West (they were, in point of fact, Portuguese missionaries) brought souvenirs from

the unknown land. Most frequently, those were silk kimonos, fans, weaponr y, netsuke figurines, lacquered boxes, and folding screens (the list does not seem to have changed much over the past 500 years, does it?). Obviously, there was little cultural expansion to speak of.

The Japanese, by the by, behaved

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home in style

Tree branches in the foyer remind you that while there you are still “outside” the home.

more than cautiously toward the newcomers, striving for neither trade nor cultural exchange and sending neither their ambassadors nor their merchants abroad. So the initiative belongs, in this case, to the Europeans. The next upsurge of interest in the Land of the Rising Sun began in the late nineteenth century and continued into the twentieth. During this period, a reexamination of cultural values and a search for new sources of inspiration led artists and architects, weary of the heaviness of Victorian ideas to look once again to the East.

Japanese motifs can be found in the paintings of Whistler, Monet and the other French Impressionists, Modigliani, Van Gogh, Picasso, and many others. It was also, probably, the first time that the elements of a Japanese interior began making their way into the European daily home life, often in the form of paintings on folding screens. Japanese engravings

43

A spare set of objects: low table, unique stools, and a futon decorated with calligraphy on the cover.

became popular in Europe, and Japanese items used in interior design were no longer mere souvenirs. The first translations of classic Japanese literature began to appear. Finally, although they scarcely copied Japanese buildings, the pioneers of modern architecture and design— Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Frank Lloyd Wright, the architects of the Vienna Secessionist movement, Le Corbusier, and others—were familiar with the major principles of arranging an interior “a la” Japanese and applied them enthusiastically.

In the early seventeenth century, with Japanese architecture in its prime, the main principles of constructing and decorating a home were formed. A comparatively flourishing national economy allowed the erection of for tified palaces, samurai residences, and even multistoried castles.

Having finally become centralized, imperial rule asserted itself in archi-

tecture as well. In 1606, the castle Himeji-Jo was built, and in 1626 the famous castle Nijou-Jo in Kyoto. Needless to say, in the 400 years that have gone by since, Japanese architecture has known periods of both renaissance and decadence, but let us take to heart the advice of Matsuo Basho, a great poet of medieval Japan: Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise men of old, but seek what they sought. space as discipline Harmonious, comfor table, and invariably elegant space was one of the components of “what the wise men of old sought.” What radically sets a traditional Japanese interior apart from a European space and what constitutes its distinctive philosophy is the principle of imbalance, of mutability. The interior of a Japanese dwelling can easily and rapidly be transformed. The essence of the prinALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

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of all creation when surrounded by a natural landscape.

This unique approach to the construction of living space has been enthusiastically adopted by contemporary architects.

The construction techniques, still in use today, must also be mentioned. A post-and-beam structure was — quickly and without the aid of nails — put together from wood, which has always been the essential building material. The floor and ceiling rested not on the walls, but on a framework. This simple and rational tectonic system gave the building seismic resistance. An additional building material — and a strange one to Europeans — was paper. Dwellings made of wood and paper were simultaneously light and strong and able to withstand heavy rains and snowfalls.

This type of construction points the way toward standardization, for producing the components necessary for assembling a house on the basis of a single module. The idea of erecting buildings of wood and paper has never been adopted in Europe and America, but it was highly influential in creating the interiors of contemporary homes.

Dark natural tones have been characteristic of the walls of Japanese houses since ancient times. As a rule, a small window under the ceiling faces northeast. The rooms are in semidarkness, since the outer paper-covered walls (shoji) admit the light only sparingly. The Japanese find bright daylight distracting because it inhibits understanding and appreciating all the beauty of the interior. In wintertime, the outer walls would be closed by the sliding wooden partitions (amado). The wood remained unpainted, both inside and outside. Knots, cracks, and fibrous texture created a natural decorative effect. Tatami mats, which covered all the floors — the state apartments, the private quarters, and the service quarters — served as modules for the interior layout of the premises.

The interior space of a Japanese house is in sympathy with the laws of nature, organiciple of the timeless and the transient lies in the cally extending the surrounding landscape and, union of traditional values with the mood of the at times, blending with it. For this reason, the moment. That principle is reflected in the interior in wall decor often features trees, birds, small the way the fixed shell of the building is combined waterfalls, which allow the house to be interwith movable screens that allow the almost instant preted as a fragment of nature. When the outer transformation of spacious halls for official cerewall slides open, the real hills, trees, and — monies into secluded private quarters. This of course — the eternal Mount Fuji immedimutability, nevertheless, does not constiately become part of the room. When we tute a goal in itself. The beauty of the spathink about the antecedents of the glass tial decisions made by a medieval Japanese walls and sliding doors found in contemarchitect lies precisely in their strict organiporar y houses, their origin in the zation. The airy spaces, framed by a rigid Japanese fusuma becomes obvious. wooden shell, are carefully thought out and Fusuma is a sliding interior partition This lantern calculated according to the overall compositakes the form made of a double-heavy-paper screen in a tion of the building. of a pagoda. wooden frame. These partitions run in Also worth mentioning is another radical differtracks laid in the floor and in the ceiling joists. ence between a Japanese house and a European, that is, The idea of sliding walls was conceived in the specific conthe absence of an overt compositional center for the interiditions of the Japanese need to conserve space, but it or. This allows the inhabitants to imagine themselves as proved to be highly relevant in the cramped spaces of conthe centers, much as they imagine themselves the centers temporary urban apartments.

The widespread use of calligraphy in Japanese interior design is evident from the decor of this bedroom.

ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

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Japanese motifs are “sounded” in the kitchen through the presence of special textures in the decor: those of bamboo, straw mats, wooden grates.

Another element of the Japanese interior that has been incorporated into our lifestyle is the folding screen or byobu (also spelled beoube), which can both transform itself and influence the space around it. Among house furnishings, a folding screen represents an even more mobile type of temporary partition than a sliding panel. The soft twilight that fills the house harmonizes beautifully with the painted fusumi and byobu. Their gold leaf imparts a light glimmer, reflecting natural lighting. The color scheme of a Japanese dwelling is composed with the expectation that there will be no direct sunlight (and accordingly no shadows), a condition made possible by the translucent, semiopaque walls and the wide roof overhang.

A folding screen consists of several panels (there can be two, three, or more). The panels can be positioned at various angles to one another. Each panel consists of a bamboo or wood frame covered on both sides with cloth or paper (early screens used plain cloth; later, paper or silk woven into brocade came into use). The screens of the classic period were decorated with landscape paintings, calligraphy, lines of poetry, or other motifs against the background of a design with birds and flowers, all done in ink.

The screens therefore became collections of paintings and graphic art. The proportions of each folding screen were always based on the proportions of the house in which it ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

The ceiling decor, bamboo pole, plaited basket, and wooden tub for ablutions make this bathroom uniquely Japanese.

stood. In that almost-empty space, its decorative paintings and drawings become an integral part of the interior design.

Actually, byobu — an endlessly multifunctional object — had its origin in China, but later became an integral part of every Japanese interior. From a European perspective, a sliding fusuma partition can barely be considered a wall, and a folding screen is even less of a wall than that. For this reason, Western decorators tend to assign a minor role to folding screens as interior partitions. The overall space remains whole and undivided, with the folding screen temporarily separating a specific part of it for a specific purpose (for entertainment, reception, work, sleep).

As noted earlier, a Japanese interior, unlike a European one, is intentionally imbalanced — depending on various factors, certain elements of decor are in place while others are in storage. Japanese aesthetics dictate that “anything excessive is abominable.” It is understandable that the Japanese, deprived of huge tracts of land, grew accustomed to managing with a minimum number of things — only one vase, or one folding screen, or a scroll with a single example of calligraphy. If a small table is brought into a room, something else is carried out. Let us remember that the islands of Japan have always been subject to natural catastrophes — earthquakes, tsunami, typhoons — which may in part explain the Japanese tradition of minimalism.

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nature in & out Jannet Korol

garden

paths Garden paths are important elements in any outdoor area that belongs to your home.

True, their major function is to take you from one spot to another, but this is certainly not their only purpose. Garden paths also promote harmony within a landscape design and underscore the stylistic unity of house and garden. Once you have decided on the layout of your path or paths, your need to think also about how you want them to look.

Faux saw-cuts made of ceramics give a rhythmic pattern to an inner courtyard.

This picturesque installation, made of sawed-off logs, is at once a path and a staircase. It gives the house stability and emphasizes its country style.

A path laid out with saw-cuts helps make a garden look poetic and mysterious—a bit like fairyland.

An elegant wooden bridge, thrown over a swimming pool, happily unites the two decks.

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nature in & out By giving your imagination full rein and making an extra effort you can turn the same pebbles into an artful mosaic.

Decorative circular plots paved with ordinary pebbles create an original look.

So as not to break up the lawn visually, the tiles of this garden path were laid out in a “triple dotted line.�

Embedded in whitemarble chips, the natural stone slabs of this path splendidly set off the surrounding greenery.

Interspersing some lawn grass among the paving stones accentuates the pattern of the paving and enlivens the appearance of the path.

Paving blocks are an excellent material for paths and circular compositions.

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These paths, laid out like the spokes of a wheel or a sunburst, are paved with beautifully textured sandstone. The grass growing between the slabs does not spoil the effect. On the contrary, it makes the composition picturesque and natural looking.

This mosaic path made from cut pieces of varicolored marble embedded in cement creates a cheerful, dressy look.

Formed concrete tiles are among the most popular paving materials available, being inexpensive and available in a wide choice of forms and colors.

The unusual form of this brick path is the key element in the interesting layout of this tiny garden.

Vivid paving tile clearly separates the “resting area� from the rest of the garden and creates a cheerful, optimistic feeling.

The asymmetry of the paving design, the presence of grass between the stones, and the varicolored combinations of the paving blocks help create eye-pleasing compositions.

ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

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718-998-2263

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RESIL ENTERPRISE Тел. 718-621-0465 www.nydesignceilings.com

Full Cycle of interior Design and Construction. Commercial or Residential. Modern or Classic. Impeccable Quality. Quick Installation and Reasonable Pricing.

www.greenwindowinc.com

2 6 9 2 C o n e y I s l a n d Av e . ,

Brooklyn,

NY

112 3 5

oday ent!

T l l ! Ca Appointm e t a Estimr FREE E E FR et You to G

European Windows Tilt & Turn Skylights Double Hungs Casements Sliders Awnings Patio and Entry Doors Wood and Laminated Floors 718-646-6161

4/15/10 10:40 PM

Serge Sokoloff, member of I.A.T.S.E. and I.I.D.A. 718-344-3316 1180 Coney Island Ave., Brooklyn, NY sokoloffglobal@hotmail.com

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shopping guide

furniture & accessories

50 Brighton 11th Street, Brooklyn, NY

doors, windows

AMINACH

718-934-4700

AED EUROPEAN DOORS

2252 East 17th St., Brooklyn, NY

DISCO BATH

1998 Coney Island Ave., Brooklyn, NY

888-AMINACH, 718-332-5012

8664 18th Ave., Brooklyn, NY

718-336-5080

CASA DOMANI

718-621-9800

DOORS COLLECTION

3000 Coney Island Ave., Brooklyn, NY

626 Midland Ave., Staten Island, NY

1826 Bath Ave., Brooklyn, NY

718-743-4330

718-987-5300

718-872-7480

EUROPEAN FURNITURE

EURO-TEK FLOORING

SOLO PORTE

1949 Coney Island Ave., Brooklyn, NY

1912 McDonald Ave., Brooklyn, NY

2232 McDonald Ave., Brooklyn, NY

718-998-0489

718-339-5068

718-676-1035

IN STYLE DESIGN CENTER

GELANI BATH AND KITCHEN

90 West Houston St., New York, NY

3689 Rt. 9 North, Old Bridge, NJ

116-20 Queens Blvd., Queens, NY

212-260-3900

732-970-1616

718-263-9030

486 Washington St., Boston, MA

INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE

KITCHENART & COMFORT

617-240-0019

1950 McDonald Ave., Brooklyn, NY

2615 East 17th Street, Brooklyn, NY

718-627-0763

718-934-7100

floor & wall covering

ROYAL INTERIORS

L&I HOME IN STYLE

DESIGNER TILE PLUS

1840 McDonald Ave., Brooklyn, NY

7509 New Utrecht Ave., Brooklyn, NY

50 Brighton 11th Street, Brooklyn, NY

718-998-8876

718-232-2934

718-934-4700

WIEDER

MANOR HOUSE CABINETRY (DOM)

DISCO BATH

1916 McDonald Ave., Brooklyn, NY

586 Route 17 North, Paramus, NJ

8664 18th Ave., Brooklyn, NY

718-336-5016

201-447-9090

718-621-9800

UNIVERSAL CERAMIC TILES

626 Midland Ave., Staten Island, NY

furniture manufacturing

2162 Bath Ave., Brooklyn, NY

718-987-5300

ALEX YORK FURNITURE

718-372-4444

EURO-TEK FLOORING 1912 McDonald Ave., Brooklyn, NY

718-499-5349, 917-326-1675 J&L INTERIORS

interior design and decorating

718-339-5068

126 13th Street, Brooklyn, NY

JANNA’S DECOR

GELANI BATH AND KITCHEN

718-790-3838

406 Brighton Beach Ave., Brooklyn, NY

116-20 Queens Blvd., Queens, NY

718-332-4054

718-263-9030

kitchens & accessories

M & R FANTASY VERTICAL BLINDS

L&I HOME IN STYLE

GELANI BATH AND KITCHEN

5923 20th Ave., Brooklyn, NY

7509 New Utrecht Ave., Brooklyn, NY

116-20 Queens Blvd., Queens, NY

718-837-8088, 888-834-7534

718-232-2934

718-263-9030

MASTERS OF INTERIORS

UNIVERSAL CERAMIC TILES

MANOR HOUSE CABINETRY (DOM)

DESIGN STUDIO BY ALEX TESTER

2162 Bath Ave., Brooklyn, NY

586 Route 17 North, Paramus, NJ

917-497-1479

718-372-4444

201-447-9090

SOKOLOFF ART DECORATION 718-344-3316

electronics

baths & accessories

T-J HOME DECORATORS

TECHSTUDIO NEW YORK

DECORPLANET.COM

1944 86th Street, Brooklyn, NY

1404 Ave. Z, Brooklyn, NY

1530e McDonald Ave., Brooklyn, NY

718-837-2929

718-758-4894, 917-991-9389

10182 Bustleton Ave., Philadelphia, PA

construction & remodeling services

sauna

www.decorplanet.com

BESTMAKER

ALGO CONSTRUCTION

DESIGNER TILE PLUS

917-971-1366, 347-992-5017

917-549-7393

800-504-9974, 718-627-2860

ALL ABOUT HOME / July 2010

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Attention, Owners/General Managers of Home-Related Businesses!

Take a look at the facts and do not miss the Opportunity to advertise in ALL ABOUT HOME: 1.

Target Audience All About Home is a specialized publication and an essential tool for new homeowners who are concerned with getting furniture and decor, choosing appliances and electronics, as well as those people who are planning home improvement, renovation, interior design or remodeling.

2. Highly Effective Advertisement All About Home magazine educates its readers, turning them into your prospective customers: they are ready to buy what you are selling. Your ad in All About Home is a natural part of this practice-oriented publication.

3. Free Distribution All About Home magazine is free for public. Distribution areas are carefully selected on the basis of active construction and middle to high income population.

All About Home magazine is sent via mail to real estate agencies and professionals such as architects, designers, builders, contractors and developers.

4. Long Shelf Life All About Home magazine has an extended shelf life due to valuable consumer reporting on the latest home-related products, cutting edge of interior design trends, useful expert advice, complete business directory and outstanding reproduction quality.

5. Real Exposure All About Home magazine readership is already about 1.0 million people.

It covers Brooklyn, Staten Island and New Jersey. All About Home magazine provides advertisers with the opportunity to get leads outside their business locations. Readership is constantly being increased from issue to issue by rotation of distribution locations and direct mail addressees.

6. Great Marketing Value All About Home magazine has many charter advertisers. They get the greatest value for their marketing dollars. They build long-term relationships that, in turn, are converted into name recognition and customer loyalty leading to repeat and referral sales.

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Tel: (718) 872-7480 1826 Bath Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11214 www.doorscollection.com