Celebrated Designers Create New Vignettes at Kohler
Kohler Design Center in Wisconsin unveils six new designer kitchen and bath vignettes.
Sheila Kim-Jamet -- Interior Design, 1/23/2007 12:53:00 PM
Kitchen and bath giant Kohler pulled all the stops this year in introducing its new designer rooms. Whereas in previous years, Kohler commissioned vignettes by one or two designers at a time, including such talents as Clodagh and Barbara Barry, the company has this time announced an impressive roster of six: Jamie Drake, Blustin Heath Design (the team of Nikki Blustin and Oliver Heath), Harry Heissmann, Eric Cohler, Alison Spear, and Tristan Butterfield. To view images of their creations, click on our slide show.
Jamie Drake
Called Cabochon, this Interior Design Hall of Famer's powder room is inspired by the word, which means gem or bead cut in convex form and polished. Like most of Drake's other work, the vignette exudes glamour and luxury, while highlighting color. The centerpiece of the room is Kohler's Moxie, a wall-mounted cast-iron lavatory, specified by Drake in orange; mounted just above it is the company's Purist faucet in a gold finish. Etched stainless steel and glass beads cascade down the sides of the lavatory. "Like the bubbles in a crystal flute of fine champagne, Cabochon carries a delightful motif of floating circles," explains the Drake Design Associates principal. Reinforcing this notion, the designer selected a custom wall covering of abalone shells in lacquer panels. Drake's own Swag chair, upholstered in black, orange, grey, and taupe stripes, and a pair of sconces with yellow-silk shades, round out the mix.
Blustin Heath Design
Firm partners Nikki Blustin and Oliver Heath created the Woodland Sanctuary, a serene bath setting that incorporates natural and recycled materials. "We were very conscious of highlighting the process of moving from one's busy daily life into a personal tranquil space," says Blustin of the vignette. "Each space can be opened up or closed off by sliding screens that allow the individual to control the intimacy and configuration of the room." At the back-most part of the room, one such section that can be curtained off for more privacy features a platform constructed of timber from renewable sources, surrounding Kohler's Escale tub. Even the towels hanging nearby are eco-friendly, as they're made from bamboo fibers. Outside the platform area, Ann Sacks pebble tiling creates a sensation underfoot. For the walls, the designers specified translucent Eco Resin panels with embedded reeds in some areas, while using Ann Sacks limestone tiles for others, as well as wenge wood to complement the Escale vanity, which was also used in the vignette.
Harry Heissmann
The seaside inspired Heissmann's A Shell Collector's Bathroom vignette. For the Iron Works Historic bath and Dolce Vita vessels lavatory, for instance, the designer specified a pink finish to recall the smooth underside of a conch shell aperture. Other intriguing finishes include a sleek onyx terrazzo wall, which stands adjacent to pebble walls and flooring to provide contrast. "A room's definition comes from the unexpected things found in it—like a rough, pebbled floor next to smooth walls," explains Heissmann, who is a designer at the New York firm of Albert Hadley. "You have to keep it interesting to make it inviting." A custom shell-adorned mirror hangs above the lavatory, which features a beaded curtain that likens the vanity to a vintage couture gown. Additional sea-inspired objects and arts were provided by the designer.
Eric Cohler
Spa Tower, created by Eric Cohler, features an actual 14-foot-tall castle-like tower that forms a luxurious shower space. This classical yet modern feature is clad in Ann Sacks custom mosaic tiles in horizontal stripes of grey and off-white. "It keeps the eye grounded and draws the eye towards the powder room behind the shower," says Cohler. "These two design elements combined create motion in both vertical and horizontal directions." Inside the tower, Kohler Forte multifunction handshower and MasterShower body sprays ensure a truly spa-like experience. The company's DTV digital showering system allows the user to also customize and preset everything from water temperature to sequence of spray pattern. Behind the shower, the powder room is decidedly softer in feel, with linen fabric lining the walls. Cohler custom designed the vanity to provide storage space underneath, and paired it with a mirrored cabinet with an elegant brushed nickel frame.
Alison Spear
Dubbed Couture Kitchen, Alison Spear's vignette is a study of the petite kitchen for the urban working woman who's run out of space. "This room visually demonstrates how a space can be used differently than intended and turns this particular kitchen into a fun and playful space where you never know what you might find behind a cabinet door or inside a drawer," says Spear. Part of the whimsy comes from mirrors that front the cabinet doors. While they create a "dressing room" effect, they also make the space appear larger. Additional mirror elements come in the form of a tiled reflective backsplash and a brushed metal tile floor. Spear injected some color and softness into an otherwise metallic space by specifying the cabinetry and drawers in a spruce green hue and selecting a Carrara marble countertop; a matching-green drop leaf table sits in the center of the space.
Tristan Butterfield
Old-world charm is reinterpreted in A Private Retreat, by Tristan Butterfield. Replete with elegant moldings and lush fabrics, the room is inspired by the 18th century. Butterfield explains, "Even a room that is based on designs of the past can have a relevant place in contemporary design when color is used." His color palette mainly consists of pale pink, with some reds, creams, and browns. For instance, the floor is constructed of Ann Sacks English saddle-brown marble tile, which was cut in a starburst pattern as opposed to basic square or rectangular, and a deep red damask from Butterfield's own fabric collection drapes the tub area. A playful twist, the pink-painted, ornate faux fireplace is filled with stacked log pieces.
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