Chris Madden on Kitchens - A Brief Chat
Chris Madden, author, TV host, columnist, recently shared some brief insights with KBP.com for creating an inviting, warm environment for the kitchen and bath.
About Chris Madden:
With her best-selling design books, her weekly prime-time show on HGTV and her extraordinarily successful furniture line, Chris Madden is a trusted and accessible design authority for millions of Americans. Introduced by Oprah Winfrey as "my favorite designer" and by Katie Couric as "designer extraordinaire," Madden's mission is to make decoration and design fulfilling, unintimidating, and fun for her many fans.
Interiors by Design with Chris Casson Madden, her weekly HGTV show, is now in its 8th season and is a favorite of more than 80 million households here and abroad that subscribe to Home and Garden Television. Her weekly newspaper column for Scripps Howard News Service reaches more than 380 newspapers and is syndicated through United Features. She frequently lectures throughout the country on the subject of design, has been profiled in the New York Times, Fortune magazine, the Daily News, Time magazine, the Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, Self, Design Times, House & Garden magazine, and has been featured in dozens of newspapers across the country.
1. Your book, "Kitchens", is nearly 10 years old. To what do you attribute its enduring presence in the bookstores?
I still adore each one of the kitchens in my book to this day. I shot a variety of great looking kitchens in a wide range of styles - country, modern, high tech and low tech. Large page format, great color photography. And not just inspirational, but at the same time, informational.
2. What are some of the specific attributes of the kitchens in your book which are still relevant years later?
A good layout is as important in 2002 as it was in 1993. Great fixtures and appliances that work for you are as important now as they were in 93. Storage is equally important.
3. You have written other books on finding one's personal style, notably "A Room of Her Own" and "Chris Madden's Guide to Personalizing Your Home." How would you translate these concepts to kitchen and bath design?
Giving a room a sense of your own personal loves - whether it be collections or great black and white photographs, is one of my mantras. It works well not just in the kitchen and bath, but in all rooms in the home.
4. In your book, "Getaways" you feature hideaways, whether they be a weekend retreat, a bedroom, a secret garden, or other place to have a feeling of escape. What elements can be brought into the kitchen or bath to achieve this feeling in our everyday lives?
An antique mirror in the bathroom, a cozy slipper chair in the kitchen, there are lots of ways to inject a feeling of "getaway" into those rooms.
For Kitchens: Copper pots hung instead of a curtain, herbs or bulb jars on a window, a collection of vintage cookbooks, an old school blackboard for shopping lists.
For Baths: Vintage but clean baskets filled with terry towels, brushes, etc.
5. What affect has 9/11 had on the way we choose to live in our homes?
I think that sad day has only increased the need to make our homes a place of sanctuary, of retreat, of haven, and a place for celebrating the "everyday occurences" with family and friends.
6. Many of our clients do not understand the important role that kitchens and baths play in nourishing one's body and soul. How can we get this message across to our clients in an effort to further enrich their lives?
The kitchen to me is the nerve center of the home where the entire family gathers. Therefore, add cozy chairs, banquettes, soft mood lighting on dimmers along with task lighting and fresh herbs and flowers. The bathroom - just as important, is a place for personal respite. So make it work for all its occupants with spa accoutrements such as candles, sea salts, portable jacuzzis and hotel-style robes.
7. As designers, should we be concerned with keeping true to theme design, e.g. period, contemporary, etc.? Or, to create a mix?
It's ok to mix it up, but keep it well edited. Some like a totally modern, or rustic, or serene look. Really listen to your clients' wants.
8. Can personalizing go too far?
I think it has to have a sense of proportion to the rest of the rooms. You don't want to overwhelm the space with your collections. Change it with the seasons and always look at each room with a "fresh eye", especially after having been away from those rooms.
9. Please tell our audience what is coming up for Chris Madden.
A new book "The Great American Living Room" - in spring 2003. New additions to my furniture collection for Basset and to my collections of pillows, throws, and rugs for Mohawk. Five to six new licensing partnerships to be introduced in the next four to six weeks. And, you can always catch me on HGTV - Monday nights on "Interiors by Design."
Chris Madden has authored the following books:
Best-seller: "A Room of Her Own: Women's Personal Spaces" (Clarkson Potter, 1997)
"Getaways" (Clarkson Potter, 2000)
"Chris Madden's Guide to Personalizing Your Home" (Clarkson Potter, 1997)
"Kitchens" (Clarkson Potter, 1993)
"Bathrooms" (Clarkson Potter, 1996)
"Bedrooms" (Clarkson Potter, 2001)
Chris and Kevin Madden live in Westchester County, New York with their two sons, Patrick and Nick, and their two West Highland Terriers, Winnie and Lola.
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