With the sponsors and products set, designer Jonas Carnemark, CKD, CR owner of Bethesda, Maryland-based companies Carnemark and Konst, has finalized the design of the Concept Kitchen @ Design & Construction Week™ and is currently in pre-construction mode. This 340-square-foot state-of-the-art kitchen will feature innovations in appliances, cabinetry, flooring, plumbing and hardware – all provided by sponsors. This year’s sponsors are Thermador, Caesarstone, Fabuwood, Brizo, Mohawk & Daltile and Berenson Hardware.
Over the last few months, as “new ingredients” have been added or changed to the lineup of products, Jonas has taken great care to accommodate those products or color options the sponsors wish to feature. “This is no different than designing for a family,” notes Jonas. “As different members see the design, new ideas occur to them, and it is my job to integrate those into the design.”
Throughout the design process, he has also taken this opportunity to nurture the next generation of designers. “I serve on the Architecture and Technology Advisory Board at Montgomery College and have taken on a few interns. The DCW Concept Kitchen project was an excellent forum to teach young designers the process of how design flows from one variation to the next.”
Livability Integration
The other aspect Jonas wants to be sure to feature in the DCW Concept Kitchen is livability. “Universal Design is often the term used,” notes Jonas, “but it is really about ‘livability’, which I define as designing common sense into any space.”
While many people only think of aging boomers needing Universal Design, in Jonas’ opinion, it is about designing spaces for all ages – from grandkids to grandparents. For example, in a kitchen, Jonas integrates livability by adding a kid-height area, which also offers an appropriate height for wheelchairs. “It is important for us to not only design a kitchen for the client, but for the client’s extended family – and this often includes multiple generations.”
Jonas believes that a significant aspect to any kitchen design is media and sound, which is driven by his love of music and his observation that more people are using media throughout the home, particularly in the kitchen. Laptops and tablets are often used at the kitchen table or breakfast bar, and often for listening to music or for staying connected while accessing a recipe or YouTube video to assist in preparing the meal.
“Integrating media is just part of a good kitchen design, and so much of what I think about is how I can make it easier for my clients to tap into entertainment while in the kitchen,” says Jonas. “It is a personal goal of mine to bridge the gap between luxury and utility. I want to give my clients something that is really nice yet easy to use.”
You can bet there will be many livability elements, including media, integrated into the 2015 Concept Kitchen @ Design & Construction Week™, which will be located at the Las Vegas Convention Center Central Concourse.
Are you registered for the Builders’ Show? Guarantee that you’ll get to see the state-of-the-art Concept Kitchen at the 2015 Design and Construction Week™ by registering for the 2015 NAHB International Builders’ Show®.