Ourso Designs: 2016

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

2016 Recap: Top 5 Best Articles from Ourso Designs

Here are the top 5 most popular articles from 2016!

1. How to Pull it Off: Mismatching Upper & Lower Cabinets
2. Curbless Showers: Practical & Beautiful
3. Upper Cabinet Alternatives
4. Window Treatments: Trending Now
5. Exterior Lighting: Enhancing Architectural Detail & Providing Safety

1. How to Pull it Off: Mismatching Upper & Lower Cabinets

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2. Curbless Showers: Practical & Beautiful

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3. Upper Cabinet Alternatives

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4. Window Treatments: Trending Now

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5. Exterior Lighting: Enhancing Architectural Detail & Providing Safety

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2016 Recap: Best Trends of the Year

2017 is rapidly approaching, which means new trends, new colors and totally fresh start for design. Let's look back over the year at our top trends, in order we have:

Decorative Slab Backsplash with Intricate Edges (March)
Simple Box Hoods (February)
High Gloss Ceilings (September)
Horticulture Inspired Fabrics & Wallpapers (October)
Ceiling Medallions (May)
Colored Cabinets (April)
Integrated Cabinet Hardware (May)
Tile Meets Wood (July)
Wood Veneer Paneling (August)
Black Matte Fixtures (November)
Black Painted Exteriors (January)

1. Decorative Slab Backsplash with Intricate Edges (March)

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2. Simple Box Hoods (February)

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3. High Gloss Ceilings (September)

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4. Horticulture Inspired Fabrics & Wallpapers (October)

Click here to view article.

5. Ceiling Medallions (May)

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6. Colored Cabinets (April)

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7. Integrated Cabinet Hardware (May)

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8. Tile Meets Wood (July)

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9. Wood Veneer Paneling (August)

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10. Matte Black Fixtures (November)

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11. Black Painted Exterior

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History Lesson: LEM Piston Stool

"Shin and Tomoko Azumi have brought innovation to a range of products. Named Product of the Year at the FX International Interior Design Awards in the year of its release, the often copied LEM Piston Stool reveals a rigorous and original rethinking of the form and function of seating. The sculptural seat not only swivels but also adjusts easily from counter height to bar height with a lever that activates a gas cylinder. While utility strongly determines its form, this unique stool also has a visual lightness that creates the illusion of freedom from gravity."

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Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Mismatching Upper & Lower Cabinets: How to pull it off!

We know a lot of you out there affected by the flood are trying to save your upper cabinets. We know it's not always possible, but for the folks who can we'd like to give you a few pointers on how to pull that look together.

1. Paint the existing upper cabinets white.

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2. Have the new lower cabinets match very closely with the uppers or design them to have an intentional juxtaposition. Not just in color, but in design.

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3. Paint the wall color very close to the upper cabinet color.

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4. Use tall floor-to-ceiling stacked cabinets to ground the room.

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5. For upper cabinets that never touched the ceiling, fur it out to give the look of tall uppers. Add special moldings to soffits to make them look like an extended part of the cabinetry. Keep in mind that keeping your soffit/fur down the same color as the upper cabinets helps to draw the eye up and can make your kitchen look taller.

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6. Forgo upper cabinets completely, for a streamlined, minimal look or to display dishes, trays, heirlooms and collectibles.

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History Lesson: Drop Chair

"Arne Jacobsen designed the Drop Chair (1958) for his masterpiece, the legendary SAS Royal Hotel (now the Radisson Blu) in Copenhagen. It was originally manufactured along with Jacobsen’s Swan™ and Egg™ Collections but in very limited quantities. In hibernation for more than 50 years, Drop has finally returned. This compact chair with rare heritage is as fresh and vibrant today as it was back then. Constructed of strong ABS plastic with nylon reinforcement, the seat embraces the occupant while still allowing freedom of movement, resulting in a surprising level of comfort. Minimal tubular steel legs provide stability without stealing too much attention from the sculptural seat."

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Trend Alert: Black Matte Fixtures

Nothing against stainless steel, but its days as the default finish for modern kitchens are numbered. Enter matte black: Smooth, slick and awesomely onyx, the finish has the austerity of metallic steel, but with a little less shine and a little more warmth.

Kitchen Plumbing Fixtures: