August 24th, 2011
The Styleture editorial team loves kitchens; and we’d be lying if we said we didn’t have a special place in our hearts for kitchens with islands. A well-designed kitchen island can greatly enhance storage, display, seating and all-around functionality of your kitchen, and look incredible while doing so. If you have your cooking range set up island style, then you also have the added benefit of featuring an island range hood in your kitchen. Chosen carefully, a quality, design-forward range hood can not only serve to keep the air in your kitchen and entire house steam, smoke and smell free, but it can also serve as an eye-catching focal point. As always, we’ve done our research on the best and most beautiful island range hoods out there, and we’d like to share with you five of our favorites:
Zephyr 36” Napoli Island Range Hood
The Zephyr 36” Napoli Island Range Hood
This range hood is part of Zephyr’s Next Generation Europa line. Napoli is a classic island range hood design. Strong with upwardly-angled walls, Napoli makes an impression in any kitchen. Upgraded with Zephyr’s DCBL Suppression System, Bloom HD LED bulbs and the unique Quick-Lock installation system, Napoli is as easy to install as it is to look at. A technological achievement, Napoli is a cut above the rest. Read the rest of this entry »
August 22nd, 2011
It’s true – the world of fanciful product design extends to the ice cube tray, and there may be no more an interesting way to freshen up that Silver Bullet cocktail than with a couple of bullet shaped ice cubes in your glass. The black, silicone, Bullet AK-47 Ice Cube Tray is a spitting replica of a magazine for the famed Kalashnikov assault rifle and it makes ice cubes shaped like the bullets that it spits out. Simply fill the tray with water, then “load” your glass for the ultimate gangsta drink. The Bullet AK-47 Ice Cube Tray is undoubtedly the ultimate way to make your party go off with a bang and at price point of around $15, it makes a great design-forward gift, too. Perhaps the following drink recipe will further entice you to want this nifty little tray with the cool design:
The AK-47 Bullet Ice Cube Tray
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August 8th, 2011
Zephyr's IMKDC (Inspire My Kitchen Design Contest)
Back in June, we told you about the IMKDC (Inspire My Kitchen Design Contest), brought to you by our favorite range hood innovator, Zephyr. The contest, in its second year, brings together culinary aficionados, and awards homeowners and professional designers with prizes for incorporating a Zephyr range hood into their kitchen. Even better, it enters those of you who participate, simply by voting or making comments on your favorite kitchen entries, into the IMKDC monthly prize give-a-way. The prizes include the Element Portable Grill by Fuego and the Beats Pro from the Beats by Dre line of headsets; both products are from the vivid imagination of Zephyr Arc Collection designer Robert Brunner.
The Element Portable Grill
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August 5th, 2011
Just because you can’t afford to stay in a luxury hotel, doesn’t mean you can’t swing by and drink in one. Some of the best hotels in the world are also known for having some of the most design-forward and inviting bars in the world. And while we love sports bars and dive bars almost any night of the week (or every night of the week, really), every once in a while we get the urge to get dolled up in our Sears Collection threads and see what kind of trouble we can get into amongst the socialites, jet-setters and glitterati of the world. The following is a round up of the 5 Most Design-Forward & Inviting Hotel Bars in the World:
5) Connaught Bar at the Connaught, London
The Connaught Bar at the Connaught, London
If black marble, exotic leathers and glimmering silver accents don’t turn you on, then what does? Brazen in its opulence, this elegant parlor bar takes luxury drinking to a whole new level while catering to well-heeled clientele that include famous entertainers, politicians and sports figures. Sip a Julep laced with herbal Fernet-Branca, while taking in the sex-appeal oozing atmosphere. (the-connaught.co.uk) Read the rest of this entry »
January 25th, 2011
The crack editorial team at Styleture has a penchant for gravitating towards stories revolving around bar, pub and tavern style. You may have enjoyed our recent post – Books & Bars: L.A.’s Thirst for Literature. Don’t worry, we’re in control of our imbibing and there’s not a DUI among us. So we’re going to continue with this crowd-pleasing trend…
Rusty and leaky faucets, toilets that don’t flush and lighting so dark you’re not sure what you just stepped in may be acceptable, and even stylistically required, in a dirty dive bar whose most lavish feature is a broken pinball machine or PBR on tap. To Mr. T’s Bowl (Los Angeles), the Subway Inn (New York), and all the other dive bar classics across the nation, we salute your repellent, yet strangely inviting aesthetic.
But to any bar owners hoping to woo a mid to upscale clientele, who have not put forth any effort into creating a brilliant bath environment that is pleasant in sight, sound and smell – not to mention functionality – please beware. You’re losing style points fast in the mind of patrons, most of whom are Yelpers, and will not hesitate to ruthlessly – and often poetically – destroy your establishment under their pen name. Bottom line, the bathroom in your bar may be one of your establishment’s most important features and finding the best products to make it a comfortable, and even sexy environment, is imperative.
Here are our picks of some of the hottest products for the hip and modern bar bath on the market:
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January 4th, 2011
When you think of Los Angeles, books and literature are probably not the first things that come to mind. Possibly sun, beaches, earthquakes, riots and even screenplays enter your imagination, but certainly not bound hardcover classics that create an atmosphere of intellectualism and sophistication. Maybe not even pulpy paperbacks that sell for a shiny quarter at Goodwill.
So perhaps it comes as a surprise that there is currently a trendy movement occurring in Los Angeles that has seen the marriage of books and bars. That’s right – drinking establishments that have lined their walls, and shelves, with everything from hardbound classics and modern novellas to law encyclopedias and philosophical tomes. Actually, alcohol and the written word have a close correlation and long history; among the famous writers who were heavy drinkers include Hunter S. Thompson, Tennessee Williams, Charles Bukowski, William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway.
As for the current trend of styling everything from dingy dives to stellar speakeasies with books, well, it may be just that – a trend. But while it’s around it’s worth ordering a cocktail and soaking up the chill library-esque atmosphere that some of these L.A. bars are working hard to recreate:
The Wellesbourne
The Wellesbourne in West Los Angeles
Picture brass reading lamps, a bar menu printed on textured paper, oversized bookshelves jammed with books and guest checks issued in miniature novels, and you get an idea of the detail that went into designing this literary bar. With a cozy fireplace and plenty of comfy seating, you can easily while the night away until last call. 10929 W Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90064 (West L.A)
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December 13th, 2010
Robb Report 2010 Holiday Host Guide
So Christmas is less than two weeks away and you still have no idea what you’re doing for your holiday party? Well, stop your panicking, sweep up your stress-induced lost hair off the ground, and let Robb Report’s Holiday Host Guide hold your hand through the often jolly-less annual tradition that is last minute holiday party planning.
Robb Report is one of the leading tastemakers when it comes to luxury products and lifestyle. This year’s interactive Holiday Host Guide application, available for the iPad, provides numerous tools and tips for turning your little holiday get-together into a five-star affair. The application is a complete resource for selecting the right food, drinks and glassware for the occasion. If you’re like me and always forget that recipe for your favorite holiday cocktail or would like to offer your guests an assortment of cocktails that they’ve never tasted before, the user-friendly “My Bar” feature is just what you need. The feature allows hosts to entertain guests with a wide array of cocktail recipes, ranging from holiday drinks to classic cocktails and includes instructional videos from expert mixologists.
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