The kitchen is, by far, the most important room in your house. It's the “hub” of most family interaction and entertainment. The design of your kitchen should reflect your unique lifestyle and attain that ever-important “˜triangle' of convenience. Being the heart and soul of the home, we tend to spend more money on our kitchen to keep it both beautiful and functional. More than ever, people are renovating or upgrading their existing kitchens for a variety of reasons: to update; add value; or in preparation to sell. Any realtor will tell you it is the kitchen where buyers look for quality and want what is current.
Stainless steel and granite are words on the wish list for today, but those too will become outdated. What does the future hold? Marwan Rizek of Cameo Kitchens & Fine Cabinetry is about to unveil the latest innovations in kitchen design, and gave West of the City a sneak peek (this kitchen was still a closely held secret at press time!
Cameos' “Kitchen of the Future” is to be unveiled and open to the public in late September. Anticipation is at a fever pitch as the curtain is about to drop and display how design and technology can come together and result in an ultramodern creation. Should we be talking automobiles, this kitchen would not only be in the same league as the Ferrari, but in fact encompasses cabinet doors that open to the side with an alike butterfly effect!
This kitchen masterpiece has utilized innovative design, advanced craftsmanship and incorporated revolutionary electronics. With nine months in the making, Rizek was there every step of the way.
A collaborative effort, designer Ariel Muller, in particular, worked his brilliance into shaping the triangular flow of this exquisite kitchen. There was concerted effort in the planning of the high gloss finished horizontal grain walnut veneer and MDF cabinetry that open and close with a simple touch. Utilizing the sophisticated technology of Blum hardware, hinges and slides have set new benchmarks that allow for a perfect soft close motion. It really is all in the details in this exquisite kitchen.
It's only in recent years that so much emphasis has been put on the backsplash, as new trends of kitchen design put a higher importance on it. There are endless innovative ideas, styles and themes to boost the design appeal of the backsplash area. But this “kitchen of the future” has without doubt raised the bar with its “Interactive Video Backsplash.”
“This truly is a unique concept and it's very much a prototype for an idea that we had,” explains Rizek.
Essentially the nine-foot “Interactive Video Backsplash” is a demonstration of the latest in display technology coupled with a complete home control system. Imagine a backsplash that can be any image or video that you choose (select from a standard tile backsplash, a video of ocean waves, collage of your family photos, or a mixture of all of the above). The backsplash also has the ability to display live TV, DVD/Blu-Ray, computer or any other source material. The backsplash can also be a touch-screen interface allowing you to interact with the various systems in your home including control of music, lighting, security, HVAC, window blinds and security cameras. You can even see who is at the front door while you're making dinner.
User friendly, a typical video could display a recipe as you cook, or you can set your backsplash as a portrait of family photographs slowly transitioning from one scene to the next. Another example would be to set an area of the screen for email, facebook and Skype. When you are not cooking, the images can be changed to suit the mood. Imagine the possibilities while entertaining! What an inventive manner to share your last holiday over dinner with friends.
“We have always catered to people who appreciate quality,” Rizek is eager to explain. “And you don't have to be rich to have a Cameo custom kitchen. You will always get the same quality cabinetry and customer service regardless of price range. But, this particular new-wave kitchen is about seeing the possibilities for the future. It is marketed for the exclusive. We showcase it so people can see the possibilities. Like the Ferrari…it doesn't mean you have to buy it.”
Committed to the environment, all cabinets are formaldehyde free, and the materials FSC approved and CARB2 rated by California's emissions standard. The gorgeous floors and countertop are white marble and the bar illuminates from within its stunning semi-precious agate stone. LED Lighting is recessed in all cabinetry.
Tomorrow's kitchens may be radically different from the ones we have now. They need to be space-saving, sophisticated, and more than anything, be kind to the environment. It's not always easy. Kitchens are going through a high-tech makeover and energy may very well dictate our choice of design, materials and product.
In the world of Rizek, the evolving economy only propels him to advance and move forward. Ahead of the times, Cameo has taken that leap into the future. They took all key elements and created a dream come true. A solid believer in change he says, “You need to evolve to stay ahead of the game.” Rizek wanted to do something out of the box, and he did.