The Scandinavian design aesthetic continues to take the world by storm, from the cozy comfort of hygge to the inspiring minimalism of the trend itself. Design experts at Modern Dining Tables, as well as Niki Brantmark, blogger at My Scandinavian Home and author of “Lagom, The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life,” understand this aesthetic well, and how it plays into improves a room’s design and decor, particularly dining areas. With minimal furniture, soft color palettes and harmonious shapes and materials, the Scandinavian style is an excellent choice to soothe your dining room.
BACK TO BASICS
Wooden furniture and surfaces are the most common among the style, portraying a sense of simple elegance that is nature-based. Some of these surfaces and finishes include light grey marble or wood counters and kitchen equipment like wooden chopping boards, says Brantmark. This choice brings warmth into the home, as well as any other plant life added to the room that naturally revives the space.
To complement the natural wood touches, a soft color palette is also needed in order to create a “sleek, clean, organized look,” according to Brantmark. Designers at Modern Dining Tables also suggest more refined colors, such as mixing natural wood or darker metallics with white or rose gold. Alternatively, also suggested are black accent pieces, in order to give life to the room by making a modern contrast and letting the natural wood shine.
MINIMALISM AND ORGANIZATION
In order to fully commit to this style in your dining space, the layout of a Scandinavian kitchen often portrays a sense of minimalism, both in style and organization. To keep the look clean and streamlined, Brantmark suggests both open and closed storage options in the form of kitchen cabinets and drawers. “You need to be able to hide the clutter but ensure items you need regularly are at hand,” she adds.
Other ways to convey this sense of sophisticated simplicity can be shown in the furniture and lighting pieces displayed. Suggested by Modern Dining Tables, industrial-style lighting fixtures are highlighted examples, as “metal is never out of fashion” and gracefully complements other aspects of the aesthetic. In regards to furniture, large tables with simplistic, matching chairs work well in these spaces, as they are warm and inviting and further allow for a informal place for people to gather and socialize.
“I love that this look is calm and fresh yet has a balanced, warm and inviting feel about it too,” Brantmark remarks. “Kitchens are known as the ‘engine room’ of the house. It’s where people gather socially so it’s important people are drawn to the area and feel comfortable.
Photography by Niki Brantmark
Design by Tina Lekeberg
After choosing the perfect dining table, preparing an unforgettable meal, and gathering your guests, don’t forget to select a set of dinnerware that will showcase your style.
The way we display our food has become a delicate form of art, from intricately drizzled sauces to the dishes on which they are served. Cristina Vezzini and Stan Chen are making elegance easy with their stunning dinnerware collection. Vezzini & Chen is a combination of hand-carved ceramics and hand-blown glass, which gives each piece a unique touch.
Vezzini, originally from Italy, and Chen, who is from Taiwan, met while attending The Royal College of Art and continued working together after graduation in their London studio. Although the two specialize in different materials and techniques, Chen being the skilled glassblower and Vezzini focusing on handcrafted ceramics, the team is a cohesive unit, which shines through in their work.
It is unlikely that you’ll find another set like Vezzini & Chen’s because each and every piece is handmade and carefully constructed by the duo. Their broad range of inspiration also adds an exclusive aspect to each set. Inspiration from nature, such as fire and water elements, comes through in their designs and pairs nicely with the natural materials that they mold.
Vezzini & Chen’s Hexa Plates and Hexa Bowls are inspired by the idea of looking through water, and the layered, multi-faceted image that appears on the other side. The bowls and plates are available in four signature textures.
Just a glimpse of Vezzin & Chen’s work include these other remarkable collections. The Hexa Wine Glasses are also available in four textures, but each individual glass is as unique as a snowflake.The Horizon Wine Glasses are delicate, hand engraved, and unforgettable. Buyers will certainly want a set of their own, but the hand-carved ceramic plates are part of a limited edition for the Spring Restaurant in London.
Light, geometry, texture, and repetition are also a large part of Vezzini’s designs, which contrasts Chen’s smooth, flawless glass creations nicely. The two designers use these inspirations to work together and bring their pieces to life. Vezzini & Chen’s dinnerware collections will stand out on any table!
Photos courtesy of Vezzini & Chen
Handcrafted in America since 1945, True Residential’s commitment to American-made products goes all the way back to its beginnings as a commercial refrigeration company in St. Louis.
In today’s world, where design is specialized and unique for every home, particularly in the kitchen, the brand remains vital to the industry.
A team of designers at True Residential spoke with Unique Homes about the brand’s influence on kitchen design, both in the home and commercial spaces.
How has the appliance industry changed since True Residential began, from the early 1950s to now?
When True started in 1945, they were only selling commercial refrigeration. Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, commercial-style equipment in the home became popularized. That trend has continued to grow. Today, people have more apps and technology at their fingertips than ever before to help them cook like the pros, therefore, they’re seeking for more commercial-style equipment
True Residential has stayed true to its commercial roots providing a unique, commercially styled product that also performs like one. We are always demanding more from our appliances. True has always been at the forefront of increasing efficiency without sacrificing performance or quality. We’re proud to be an original Energy Star partner.
Kitchen design by Vanessa Deleon.
what is the brand's top priority with regard to design?
Providing a premium commercial-style refrigerator, both inside and out. We try to be on the forefront of trends like custom colors and various product configurations to provide truly unique options for designers, builders, specifiers, and clients.
This year we unveiled four additions to the Build Your True collection — a system that allows consumers and/or designers to choose from a variety of our products and customize them in one of our custom color and hardware finishes. To cater to the color-happy trend, we added an eye-catching cobalt blue joined by matte white and matte black finishes to round out our roster of stunning custom finishes.
what do professionals and chefs look for in appliances?
Chefs look for function above all else. We have had numerous professional chefs choose our appliances, Wylie Dufresne among them. The 42-inch fridge alone offers 24.44 cubic feet of stylish, stainless refrigeration. This detail offers chefs ample space for food storage in a hygienic environment designed to keep items fresh.
True’s cascade airflow — a system exclusive to the brand — provides consistent temperatures throughout the unit. We also outfit each refrigeration unit with incredibly sturdy drawers, offering chefs the commercial strength they rely on at work — in their own personal kitchens.
In terms of organization and style, our refrigeration units come with streamlined handles, TruLumina lighting, steel-encapsulated glass shelves, and 36 color combinations for designers and homeowners to choose from.
And while all the appliances we offer are energy efficient and designed with function and form in mind, we have the highest-performing, most energy-efficient Clear Ice Machine available on the market today.
The 7,500-square-foot designer space features more than 135 premium Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove products and illustrates product innovation with unique culinary experiences
Now on display in the heart of the Miami Design District, Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove open their newest showroom, which showcases premium refrigeration, wine preservation, cooking equipment, and luxury dishwashing.
At the center of the showroom is a 780-square-foot demonstration kitchen with 20 active appliances, allowing guests to test out the products’ features and functionalities. The showroom will host an ongoing calendar of programming spearheaded by showroom manager Barbara Barnes and culinary experiences led by executive chef Alex Diaz.
The showroom’s arrival highlights the growing sophistication of the culinary scene in South Florida, providing the company with an immersive experience center to serve the Florida, Caribbean and Latin American design communities, and will welcome consumers, designers, distributors and culinary talent. The Miami showroom is one of 60 exclusive showrooms across the globe in preeminent hubs for luxury design including Manhattan, Costa Mesa, London, Hong Kong and Cannes.
“We are so pleased to open our newest showroom in Miami, and to bring such a broad range of products to this important market. We chose the Miami Design District as the location because of the neighborhood’s commitment to supporting great design, architecture and culinary experiences,” said president and CEO of Sub-Zero Group, Inc. Jim Bakke. “We were able to imagine and build a space that allows us to welcome, educate and host groups and individuals who want to experience the quality and innovation of our products.”
A third-generation, family-owned company, Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove appliances have been continuously designed, tested and manufactured using premium grade materials in Madison, Wisconsin for more than 70 years. Developed with and for the design community, the products offer limitless design possibilities and are engineered to last more than 20 years. As a result, Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove products are widely known for superior craftsmanship, reliability and longevity. With the opening of the Miami showroom, the company now has 35 dedicated showrooms in the U.S. and 60 worldwide.
Photos courtesy of Sub-Zero Group, Inc.