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.

Best by Broan 51″ Island Chimney Range Hood

The Best by Broan 51" Island Chimney Range Hood

Broan has been in the kitchen ventilation business since 1932. This classic style island hood features a powerful yet quiet internal 1000 CFM blower with HVI certified performance. Four halogen lamps provide brilliant cooktop lighting. Heat Sentry detects excessive heat and adjusts speed to high automatically. Quick-release, stainless steel/aluminum mesh filters are dishwasher-safe. All that and it comes in three attractive metal finishes and optional trim finishes including: chrome, brushed stainless, or polished brass.

Cavaliere Euro 48″ Island Mounted Range Hood

The Cavaliere Euro 48" Island Mounted Range Hood

Your kitchen never looked so good with this stainless Cavaliere as its center piece. Ideal for a kitchen remodel, it features a telescopic chimney that fits up to a 9-foot ceiling, a 900 CFM Centrifugal blower, four 35W, dimmable halogen lights (dimmable), and a touch sensitive keypad with blue LED lights. It also has a 30-hour cleaning reminder and a delayed power auto shut off (programmable 1-15 minutes). And did we mention how good it looks?

Vent-A-Hood 42″ 550 CFM Island Mounted Range Hood

The Vent-A-Hood 42" 550 CFM Island Mounted Range Hood

Undeniably stunning in its design, this Vent-A-Hood has a patented speed control system that allows the blower to be turned to half speed for light cooking, but automatically returns to high speed when heat rise is detected. Featuring a 550 CFM motor with a dual blower, added to the range hood are halogen lights to keep you safe in low light times. The Vent-A-Hood ‘Magic Lung’ blower is a patented way to remove bad smells and smoke from a home quickly and quietly. No matter the speed, the ‘Magic Lung’ will be quiet even at higher speeds.

Viking 36″ Island Chimney Range Hood

The Viking 36" Island Chimney Range Hood

This Viking is one nifty stainless steel range hood. With the help of a heat sensor, you can cook without a care as its ventilator automatically increases power if temperatures reach uncomfortable levels. Dimmer-controlled halogen lights create a warm ambiance and custom lighting design in the kitchen, allowing you to enjoy better visibility and a picturesque display.

Judging by the range hoods above, we’re clearly in a unique time where design and technology have coalesced to bring us hoods that are a significant cut above anything that was developed prior.

The AK-47 Bullet Ice Cube Tray

Silver Bullet Cocktail Ingredients

1/2 oz Scotch whiskey
2 oz gin
Two slices lemon for twist and garnish

Preparation

Pour the scotch over ice in a cocktail glass. Stir to coat the ice. Pour out the Scotch. Add gin and strain into a high ball glass. Finish with a twist of lemon and lemon slice for garnish.

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

The Element Portable Grill is his thoughtful take on the age-old culinary amenity, perfect for tailgating, grilling on the beach or in the backyard. Sleek in black powder coated steel with an 8,000 btu/hr stainless steel burner and push button ignition, you can be sure this grill is giving larger patio-hogging BBQ grills a run for their money. With a 159-square inch enamel coated cast-iron grill grate that reaches a sizzling 650-degrees, the Element Portable Grill can handily accommodate burgers and chops for eight; meaning you can count on no-nonsense functionally from this design-forward workhorse. When you’re done cooking up a storm, the 15 pound grill packs neatly into itself with its aluminum locking legs folding into an easy-to-carry handle. You can bring it in the house, toss its removable residue tray in the dishwasher, and it’s good-to-go for next time.

The Beats by Dre line of headsets

The Beats by Dre line of headsets, in collaboration with music impresario Dr. Dre, is the embodiment of Brunner and Dre’s high standards of excellence when it comes to design, quality and functionality. Aesthetically, the headphones are at once austere and luxurious in their black rubber, bold red accents and sculpted metal bezels; certainly not lost is the cool, clean design sensibility Brunner once brought to Apple Computer. Even the packaging is design-forward, compartmentalized and opening up ceremoniously with flaps and folds. Acoustically, Beats by Dre features noise-canceling technology, produces rich base and clear treble, offering you the thrill of hearing tiny details you’ve never heard before; in songs you thought you knew inside out. As Dre himself puts it, “With Beats people hear and listen to the music the way they should: the way I do.” Zephyr’s prize give-a-way – the Beats Pro – is a professional quality headphone designed for sound engineers, DJs, musicians, and hard core music lovers who prefer a clean yet forceful sound. Built from strong yet lightweight aluminum for rugged use on-the-go, it features flip up ear cups and dual input/output cable ports that enable you to share mixes by daisy-chaining headphones.

Participating in IMKDC for a chance to win an Element Portable Grill by Fuego or a Beats Pro from the Beats by Dre line of headsets is easy: simply visit http://www.inspiremykitchen.com/prizes-participants and register an account using your email. Once you receive notice of your account activation, vote for your favorite kitchens. Although you can only vote once per each individual kitchen, you can vote for as many kitchens as you like. Every time you vote, you become eligible in that month’s give-a-way.

Our entire editorial team at Styleture is entered. Now it’s your turn!

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)

4) Redwood Room at Clift, San Francisco

The Redwood Room at Clift, San Francisco

It comes as no surprise that someone would build a bar in Northern California made from the abundant redwood; that it would turn out as stunning as it did here is what’s hard to believe. Copious amounts of redwood paneling and a vast bar stretching across the room make a striking first impression. As the night wears on, it’s impossible not to slip into a state of relaxation in this dark haunt. Ironically, a “green” clientele flocks to this swanky joint to take in the hip digital art and a modernish towering wall of booze bottles. Buck the trendsetters and go old-school by ordering a Pisco Sour – a drink that was extremely popular in San Francisco in the mid-1800’s. (clifthotel.com)

3) Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles

The Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles

No, we’re not talking about the Valley boy-magnet, Bar Marmont, situated next door; we actually mean the hotel proper. A vast patio, designed in the Old Hollywood style and lush with well-groomed greenery, is easily the best place in the city to have a drink. The place was good enough for Jim Morrison to jump from a room window so it’s definitely good enough for you. While you’re here, drink a Hollywood with vodka, black raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice. (chateaumarmont.com)

2) Grotto Bar at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, Maui

The Grotto Bar at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, Maui

So in this particular instance, you need a key card to access the bar. But if you were ever going to splurge on a luxury hotel, this would be the one at which to do it. Grotto Bar – a bonafide swim-up bar – is designed as a dim cave enclosed by dual waterfalls. This is a decidedly adult venue that is perfect for sipping cocktails, flirting and slipping that cute guy or girl that aforementioned key card. Enjoy an ice-cold Piña Colada while you’re here. (maui.hyatt.com)

1) Rock Bar at Ayana Resort & Spa, Bali

The Rock Bar at Ayana Resort & Spa, Bali

If for no other reason than the fact that you have to ride a special cable car down a dramatic cliff face to get to this brilliantly engineered bar perched just 46 feet above the Indian Ocean, this is the coolest and most design-forward hotel bar in the world. Once you have arrived, it only gets better as bartenders pour imaginative cocktails and DJs crank out the beats from a booth made from carved stone. Drink a Sex on the Beach here and if that doesn’t do the trick, try a Screaming Orgasm. (ayanaresort.com/rockbarbali/wp/)

Life is usually pretty boring. That’s why we at Styleture have taken the time to put together this list of the most exotic and design-forward hotel bars in the world. Don’t let our efforts go to waste. Book your flight and go!

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:

Brooklyn Faucet by Watermark Designs

The Brooklyn Faucet by Watermark proves the theory that when in doubt about design, go industrial. This beauty not only displays great functionality and a cool aesthetic, but also boasts a truly historic design that celebrates the working class roots of one of the most authentic and respected neighborhoods in the United States. The faucet levers for hot and cold, designed to resemble mid-century gate valves, highlight this distinguished set.

Sydney Smart Toilet by Caroma

The Sydney Smart 305 1-Piece Water Closet by Caroma features industry leading Smart Technology. With two buttons for flushing – one for solid, the other for liquid – the Sydney Smart 305 is not only large, comfortable and modern in design, but it’s also one of the lowest consumption High Efficiency Toilets on the market. With this piece, fussy patrons (are there any other kind?) might complain about your selection of tequila, but never your toilet.

Naugatuck Pendant by Hudson Valley Lighting

The Naugatuck Pendant by Hudson Valley Lighting creates the ultimate in sexy, downlight ambiance for the bar bath environment. Featuring an eye-catching metal shade and a solid brass body, it also creates an attractive visual for the room. Shining just enough warm light for a patron to check their do in the mirror, without completely killing their buzz, the Naugatuck is a winner on all counts.

Patrons are particular about their bars and the bathroom environments they offer. All it takes is one bad bathroom experience for them to write an otherwise worthwhile establishment off forever. Products like the ones above not only elevate the design and functionality of a bar bath to new levels, but they also promote customer retention.

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)

Hyperion Tavern

Hyperion Tavern in Silverlake

If this place confuses you when you arrive because it looks like a house, that’s probably because it is sandwiched between two houses and may have actually been a house at one point. Regardless, its dive-y sensibility coupled with its elegant law library makes it one of the most interesting, and odd, bars in L.A. 1941 Hyperion Ave Los Angeles, CA 90027 (Silverlake)

Library Bar

Library Bar in Downtown LA

Downtown L.A.’s fast-growing nightlife scene has seen the opening of numerous upscale bars, but this is certainly the first one to not only capitalize on the literary trend, but also suggest it in its name. Intimate spacing, plush stools and a classic-rock rockin’ jukebox add just enough kick to this library bar. 630 W 6th St Ste 116-A Los Angeles, CA 90017 (Downtown)

XIV

XIV in West Hollywood

When you combine the talents of renowned chef Michael Mina and designer Philippe Starck, the result is a culinary and visual experience so stellar that it changes the landscape of nightlife on the Sunset Strip. Add to that the custom, decorative book collection created specifically for XIV by Juniper Books and you end up with an environment that truly exudes a stylish literary sophistication. 8117 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90046 (West Hollywood)

Unlike drinking and cars, books and bars make a perfect combination and the opportunity to visit a drinking establishment that has a literary atmosphere can be a fun way to spend the evening.

(Hint: If you don’t live in L.A., there’s a good chance that the “Books & Bars” trend has made its way to a city near you)

Please feel free to share in the comments any book friendly bars you’ve come across in Los Angeles or elsewhere!

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.

You can also learn how to plan from the experts. The guide includes a “Chef as Host” function where some of America’s finest chefs offer their take on hosting parties at the home and their overall philosophy when it comes to hospitality. The app also comes with a party planning list service for managing all aspects of the planning process. It even allows you to purchases items featured in the guide at the touch of a button straight from your iPad. Other features include Holiday Wine 101, Hangover Cures and A Fun Guide to Manners.

The Robb Report Holiday Host Guide application is available for download for $2.99 from the iTunes Store.

Nothing spices up a dinner party like stylish serving pieces. Start out right by adding a bit of contemporary sophistication to your cheese spread with these designer utensils.

Soft/ Hard Cheese Knives: These specialty blades are by Crate and Barrel. The holes in the narrow blade keep soft cheese like brie from sticking, while the wide blade easily cuts through hard cheeses like cheddar and Gruyere. The handles are hand-molded for balance and control. Perfect for the gourmet cheese of course.

Soft Hard Knives

Danish Modern Cheese Board and Butcher Knife: Bring a little mid-century modern to your next dinner party with this adorable cheese display on www.etsy.com. The words “fromage” and “cheese” are on each side, making it the perfect serving accessory for crackers, breads, fruits and of course cheese! It sits on four pegs upon the table and is in excellent vintage collection.

Danish Cheese Board & Butcher Knife

Cut the Cheese Knife Set: An ingenious set of knives, each to cut a different type of cheese. Designed by Roni Kabessa, this knife set contains four labeled knives including “Crumbly Knife” at 5 x 2 for cheeses like Feta and Gorgonzola; “Hard Knife” at 5 x 1 for cheeses like Parmesan and Asiago; “Medium Knife” at 5 x 1.5 which has prongs for slicing and picking up semi-soft cheeses like Havarti, Gouda and Mozarella; and “Soft Knife” which has a narrow blade for cleanly slicing pieces of Jack, Brie or Jarlsberg.

Cut The Cheese Knife Set

Forma Knives: The Forma Knives by designer Denis Santachiara in collaboration with Academia Barilla come in various sizes and shapes for cutting different types of cheeses.

Forma Knife

The Cinque Stelle I Coltelli Collection for Serafino Zani: This pure and organic knife collection was designed by Ettore Sottsass and is called Cinque Stelle I Coltelli (five stars and knives). It was designed for Serafino Zani in Italy. These products are handmade in a small studio by artisans.

Ettore Sottsass Knife Set