Gallery - East Van Transitional

I showed this kitchen as a work in progress last year, and finally made it back for some "finished" pictures. The doors are laminate (yes, the same stuff we used to use for countertops!), the counters are Caesarstone Quartz Surfacing, the floor is Marmoleum and the backsplash is ... glass!

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Vote for The Death Star!!!

A while back you may remember the kitchen I did that featured the "Death Star", a really funky looking extractor fan. Zephyr, the folks that created that fan, are holding a design competition, and I've entered. To have a look at the kitchen, and hopefully vote for it, have a look here.

I thank you for your support.

Pizza Envy

Add this one to my "extreme want" list.

The Artisan Fire Pizza by Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet is the ultimate addition to your outdoor kitchen. Designed for the cook with a serious pizza need, it heats to an incredible 800F for a true Napolitano style pizza. It features a modest 30"W x 30"D x 20"H footprint, and can operate on both propane and natural gas.

From the Kalamazoo website:

We built the Artisan Fire Pizza Oven to deliver a better, more unique cooking and entertaining experience. There is a certain romance built into this oven. Your family and friends will be all over you to watch the flames at the back and the cheese bubble as you are baking your pizza.

It retails for around $7000 USD and will be available this spring. Ain't it pretty?

I know our water is soft, but this is ridiculous ...

Italian manufacturer CALYX has an amazing line of modern looking tubs and shower enclosures, but it was their Sophie line that really caught my eye. In addition to having the beautiful clean line so typical of Italian design, these tubs are made with a material that, once warmed by water, will conform to the contours of your body. The material has the added benefit of being a terrific insulator, keeping your relaxing bath warmer longer.

NIM: Cool New Home Wallpaper for DIY Room Decor

A return to New Idea Mondays!

Today, a decorating idea for those looking for something more creative than wallpaper. The idea is simple: peel and stick designs go onto the wall before you paint, and are removed once the painting is finished revealing a negative image of the stickers.

My favorite idea for this project? Let the kids go at it as shown in the picture here.

Gotta Spend a Little to Save a Little

Sub-Zero and Wolf have just announced a new rebate programme!

Between now and September 30, 2010, if you buy 6 Sub-Zero or Wold appliances you can receive up to $250 per appliance back. Or buy 3 appliances and get $1000 back. A nice little incentive for some top notch appliances.

There's more involved, so check out the link to see how it works.

Light at the Speed of Sound

Rewiring a room for new lights is one of the bigger challenges of any remodel. If you want to add a speaker system into the ceiling you can add another level of complexity. So what if you want to accomplish this without breaking any drywall. Impossible?

Klipsch lighting has a terrific option for this scenario ... the Lightspeaker. Designed to fit into any pre-exisiting 5 or 6 inch recessed light fixture with an Edison receptacle (standard light bulb folks!) the Lightspeaker uses LED lighting technology for low energy consumption.

The sound is transmitted to the speakers using a 2.4 GHz wireless system, with a transmission radius of about 50 ft. The starter kit (about $650) comes with 2 speakers, the transmitter and a remote control.

Anatolia's Gate

So now that the Olympics are over (Paralympics nothwithstanding) it means that my beloved Whitecaps are back at it. Last Saturday they had a pre-season tilt against Seattle Sounders FC and their ugly green uniforms. The game (which ended in a respectable 0-0 draw) took place at 4:00 in the afternoon which presented us with an opportunity to take in dinner after the game, and since we were over in South Burnaby, Anatolia's Gate was conveniently nearby.

I discovered Anatolia's Gate completely by accident looking for a sushi place I never actually ended up finding. Anatolia's is a family run restaurant featuring an excellent selection of Turkish specialties ... everything from cold spreads and dips to kebabs, curries and pide's (stuffed pita). Everything is baked in the brick oven which is situated front and centre in the restaurant. Walk in their front door, take a deep sniff, and you'll know you're in for a treat.

The star of the menu is the bread. Called lavash, it is best described as a rugby ball in bread form. Deliscious and piping hot from their brick oven, the lavash is torn and dipped into babaganhush or wrapped around lamb shish ... to name a few options. I could easily finish off one of these ... at a Whitecaps game perhaps ...

I've been 3 times so far and have yet to order anything other than the platters. They give you the best variety of dishes, and a crazy amount of food. I promise, you won't leave hungry. Especially once you finish off your baklavah for dessert! But if by chance you do have room for more, they offer many of the cold starters for take-out.

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Anatolia's Gate

7084 Kingsway (near Middlegate)

Burnaby, BC

(604) 525-2519