Summer is almost here and with that comes the move from
indoor to outdoor living. Having just returned from a relaxing few days on the Big island of Hawaii, and with the approach of summer this
issue of Style Trends is inspired by the natural lifestyle celebrated by the onset of warm weather. From cooking in fully outfitted gourmet backyard
kitchens, to bathing in pebble clad outdoor showers, outdoor areas in the home are being designed to take advantage of all of the great benefits that
nature has to offer.
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Outdoor Living
As I was strolling through the Waikoloa resort area on the Big Island I was taken by a new
development being built near the oceanfront. The Kolea development is an ultra luxe condo project being developed by the the luxury division of
building giant, Centex Homes. The first thing you notice as you walk around the grounds is that each unit has both indoor as well as outdoor living
areas. The division between the inside and outside is acheived through the use of large mahogany & glass pocket doors that slide to full conceal any
evidence of a wall between the two areas. The outdoor kitchens are fitted with pro style appliances such as Viking outdoor refridgerators, built-in
stainless steel BBQs, a prep sink, and what I consider to be a great idea - an outdoor exhaust hood over the BBQ. Gone is the smoke that billows back
into the home as you barbecue. The combination of the pro applainces, Koa wood cabinets and the stunning mahogany pocket doors serve as a great
example of how a well designed outdoor kitchen can be as gracious and functional as an indoor kitchen.
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Pebble Collection
One of the trends that I noticed while walking around the island was the addition of outdoor
showers off of master bathrooms on many of the Islands new developments. I toured a $7M home that had three of these such
outdoor showers, one off of each bath. The outdoor shower off the master suite was clad in a local volcanic stone. The others
were clad in a flat stone similar to our new Style Pebble Collection. The Pebble Collection is made up of pebbles & flat stones are hand sorted
for flatness, thickness and then individually pieced together. They have a wonderful organic feel to them, remeniscent of the pattern found in river
rock fireplaces of the Arts & Crafts period, only with a modern twist. The Standing Stone collection (shown above) is produced using a series of flat
stones cut flat on one edge, then applied to a mesh backing. The installed product is stunning. We have seen the standing stones installed in a
variety of different applications. We are particularly fond the stones as the backdrop for an outdoor shower. They exude a clean and natural feeling,
ideal for recreating a spa like outdoor shower of your very own.
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Our Newest Showroom is now open In Lafayette, CA
You can now visit our newest location at 3327 Mt Diablo Blvd, in the hamlet of Lafayette,
located in Northern California. We have a select number of innovative products and fixtures on display for your viewing. In addition, we will be
holding a grand opening celebration on Tuesday, June 13th, from 4:30-6:00PM. We invite you to attend if you will be in the area.
Please just RSVP to info@sbkinc.com .
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Style Trends the Weblog
We are happy to announce that Style Trends is now online as a part of our new weblog. The
Style Trends weblog looks at new and cutting edge products that we come across in our travels as we search for the best in new products for the
kitchen and bath. We welcome your thoughts and ideas on our various postings as your input is critcial to continueing our commitment to bringing you
the best in new design for the home.
One last thing, our shipping promotion is ends May 30th! Shop now to save on
shipping through the end of day Tuesday.
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