Materials
European laminates. This bathroom's curved cabinet has high-pressure laminate fronts that show just how far laminate has come in the past few years. The Italians have been laminate masters since the 1950s — companies like Arpa, Abet and Laminati are some of my favorites. Today's laminates mimic textured faux woods, have 3-D effects and come in a range of colors and metallic surfaces. Unfortunately, not all of these products are easy to find if you're not working with a design professional. I'd suggest getting samples from companies online and then taking them to a cabinetmaker who's open to working with these products.
Laminated glass. Laminated glass is made of various flat products sandwiched between two sheets of glass; it has a high-end, pressed look. Colored glass works beautifully with this application, too. Mirror can be used as a backing for an opaque, reflective insert in a closet door. You can try playing with frosted glass, Starphire glass or different fabric inlays.
Features a neutral palette w/ the cabinet edges painted hot pink for an occasional & unexpected pop of color when the drawers are opened. Framed photos of friends and family are displayed on an L-shaped open shelf. Decorative artist John Harragan was tapped to create a unique finish for the walls. He spent 4 days layering paint and plaster and added silver leaf on top for a special finishing touch.
Playful hues accent pale walls. They coated the soft wood floors w/ a rubberized epoxy commonly used in automotive shops and aircraft hangars. The ease of application and industrial-strength finish of this self-leveling product appealed to them—‘We knew it would hold up well to the claws of our two pups.’ She painted a salvaged fireplace mantel teal and resurfaced an art room sink. The butcher block countertops bring the warmth of wood to the white kitchen. Sink: Habitat for Humanity ReStore; countertops: Numerär, Ikea; teal mantel paint: custom, Duron Paints; wall paint: Silver Dust, Valspar color matched by Duron Paints; range: Bosch
Salvaged-wood style in Portland. Bryan and Jen Danger converted the two-car garage of their house in Oregon into their live-work studio. Their space is dominated by an industrial-style kitchen where salvaged wood, mostly Douglas fir, was used to trim the cabinets and drawer fronts. The countertops are poured concrete, and floors are oriented strand board, usu. used for subflooring but finished for this project
Bone has an ancient feel to it. The handmade quality of the individual tesserae, their elegant sheen and the subtle variety in hues make any application stunning. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a producer for good sheets of bone mosaic. If you have a great source, please share it below!
Q