Written by:  Patricia Danzig

 Creativity with Food in the Kitchen:

Once upon a time, I had a wedding cake business.  I only ran the business for one summer, however,  I loved having it as the outlet for my creativity. There were so many opportunities to be creative with a medium that I love: FOOD.  There are countless ways to express yourself in the kitchen using food.  Some of them are very simple and easy and can be accomplished within minutes such as these cupcakes for a child’s birthday party:

Written by:  Patricia Danzig

Morale- mo·rale

Function:  Noun

1) emotional or mental condition with respect to cheerfulness, confidence, zeal, etc., esp. in the face of opposition, hardship, etc. 

So much comes into play when considering morale.  It is something that can change from day to day or hour to hour.  Morale is most commonly thought in reference to “the morale of the troops.” This certainly fits in with our theme this month revolving around patriotic words, however, the definition definitely does not end here.  We all face hardship and opposition in the many aspects of our lives: physical challenges like sports, mental ones with tests at school, and any time we find ourselves pushing harder than normal.  I do believe “whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger” and find it necessary to expose myself to those areas which make me uncomfortable.

What helps improve morale is inspiration.  I would like to share the following quotes and photos as some of the ways my morale is lifted:

"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. “
Pablo Picasso

Written by:  Patricia Danzig

Monument- mon·u·ment

Function:  Noun

1)  something erected in memory of a person, event, etc., as a building, pillar, or statue: the Washington Monument. 

2)  any building, megalith, etc., surviving from a past age, and regarded as of historical or archaeological importance. 

There have been so many contributions to our great country by so many men and women who have dedicated their lives to making it such a wonderful place to live.  The memory of them lives on when an architect builds a monument to them and some of the worlds best have participated in contributing to this.

The creation of a monument involves art, history, architecture, and politics and government.  The story of the creation of the Jefferson Memorial involved  President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, an architect who died in the midst of design, city ordinances and National Mall planning, World War II protests, and design conflict.  The final design incorporated the architectural style of Thomas Jefferson, thus adding to the powerful  tribute of a monument's focus on the man and his works. 

Shown below are some of our nations spectacular monuments. 

 The Lincoln Memorial:

 The Jefferson Memorial:

Some monuments are a memory of a war, like the Pacific National Monument:

Written by:  Patricia Danzig

Mother: (grandmother):

Grandmother-  grand·moth·er

Function:  Noun

1)  the mother of one's father or mother. 

2) a female ancestor. 

I’m writing about my grandmother because quite frankly my mother was never into design.  She’d be the first person to tell you that.

My father’s mother, however, was quite glamorous.  She reminds me of the showhouse we just completed for the Atlanta Symphony. 

 Written by:  Patricia Danzig

Spring

Living in Atlanta certainly has its benefits.  Mother Nature always throws up a couple of teaser days of Spring in the middle of Winter.  This past Sunday was a perfect example of that and it seems like all of Atlanta got out to participate in the action.  Whether it’s jogging in the park, riding bikes on the trails, hiking the mountains, or a romantic picnic in the park, the city embraced the wonderfully warm and sunny gift we received before more bitter cold was thrown our way.

Springtime always makes me think of the projects around my house that need my attention.  Should I clean out the closets?  Reorganize the kitchen?  Move furniture around?  I definitely need more artwork around my house and the finishing touch for every room in which I never seem to find the time.  Perhaps throwing a spring party would force me into finalizing all those small projects and get my house ready.

It’s amazing how one day of warmth can change my entire outlook on life.

Written by: Patricia Danzig

Beau-

Function: Noun

Ah, February, the month of love and lovers. And what if you are not lucky to participate in the annual ritual of Valentine’s Day? Then I guess you dream about what and who your next beau will be. In this world of instant oatmeal and drive-thrus and internet dating, im’ing, and texting, I guess we start to think that a beau should be instant as well but it simply doesn’t happen that way. It’s a long drawn out process of learning to trust the other person with your heart. Hoping that you’ve picked the right person. That you have tons in common. That you have the same values. That you’re attracted to each other. Sometimes it amazes me that we find someone at all. But we do, and I have to think my beau is right around the corner. Or just one more IM away. J

Charlie. He’s already stolen my heart.

Written by:  Mary Kathryn Timoney

Stay-cation

While the kitchen has always been a gathering place, serving multiple purposes, it is becoming even more so today. With people having "stay-cations" and spending more time in the comfort of their own homes, today’s kitchen is being defined as "a living space in which we happen to cook". It’s not just a place for preparing meals as it may have been at its inception.

It may be the space where we gather during food preparation to discuss the events of our day. With the introduction of island seating, it is for many of us a place to enjoy a casual meal. At other times, it’s the area where drinks are made and served pre-party for the cocktail hour. Oftentimes, it serves as an office of sorts, where bills are paid and homework is done. It doesn’t seem to matter the size of our kitchen, it becomes the hub of the home, serving multiple purposes. Haven’t we all found ourselves saying "everyone always ends up in my kitchen"?

Being in the throes of the holidays, family and friend gatherings are frequent and frequently on our minds. When it comes to kitchen design, what can be more inspiring than family? Whether it is our biological family or our “chosen” family of friends, the kitchen as a gathering space is always addressed and embraced in the design process.

As mentioned in Patricia Danzig’s wonderful blog, cooking as inspiration is a great foundation for kitchen design.  With that, the flow of the kitchen and how we operate in the space as individuals follows. Traffic flow, width of aisles, location of appliances, prep zones, and clean up areas are all influenced by who will be using the kitchen. Whether the kitchen is used and enjoyed by one or many, it is important to take this into account when planning your cooking/living space. 

If you’re the sort of cook who wants your cooking and prep area to be uninterrupted by others, it’s smart to place the refrigerator or perhaps a beverage center in a place that can be accessed by other family members without having to cross your path.  So many of our clients love a “breakfast bar” located adjacent to the breakfast table, where people can help themselves to refreshments and the small  appliances associated with breakfast, while not entering the cooking and prep “zones” of the kitchen.  We see this illustrated in the photo below, with a built-in Miele coffee system, microwave oven, and refrigerator drawers, all conveniently located next to the breakfast area.

Kitchen Design by Mary Kathryn Timoney. 2008 Kitchen of the Year Winner, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine.

Finally, if given the space, isn’t it nice to allow for a place for you guests to sit and visit with you while preparing a meal or during the drudgery of the clean up afterward?  Afterall, everyone is going to end up in your kitchen!

Alliance Theater Christmas House- Design Galleria 

 Photography- Kevin Rose

Cooking: Inspiration in designing a kitchen

A great deal of kitchen design involves aesthetics and architecture: How the kitchen will look, the symmetry, how it fits into the existing space, designing an incredible ceiling, or placing the windows and doors.  Another element of designing a kitchen is purely functional.  I love to cook.  I installed speakers in the ceiling of my kitchen so I could crank up the tunes and spend countless hours getting lost in the art form of cooking and baking.  Time just seems to disappear for me when I am in my kitchen.

The food a client enjoys making will impact the design of a kitchen significantly.  Truly, I find that a galley kitchen is the easiest layout in which to cook.  Most floorplans I receive are large. Subsequently I try to create a “Galley Kitchen” concept by breaking the areas into designated work spaces.  It’s quite different from the old triangle approach, however when a kitchen is rather large I find this to be a creative alternative.

If I know someone does a considerable amount of baking, I find it makes sense place two walls ovens side by side at arms reach.  If a client is concerned about conserving energy, an induction cooktop could be a viable option. A cook who has collected many “tools of the trade” may enjoy a custom drawer insert to hold each tool in its place.

I’m simply inspired by the process of cooking and the steps that it takes to follow a recipe. I think that because I enjoy cooking to such a degree it allows me to better understand my client’s needs. As a result it makes me a better kitchen designer who is able to implement functional solutions to my client’s needs. 

All images from company Thanksgiving cooking contest.

Bombastic - Bom-bas-tic

Function: Adjective

1) (of speech, writing, etc.) high-sounding; high-flown; inflated; pretentious.

Image- 2,000 Dale Chihuly hand blown glass flowers adorn the ceiling

Indeed it is grandiose but as a guest you feel a sense of wonder at how impressive it is. As a 5 star hotel, The Bellagio is the epitome of luxury. Yes it’s over the top but in Vegas it is the standard that sets precedence.