We turn to the fantastic periodical Period Living once again for a stunning restoration of a Victorian terrace home in Dublin.
The article “Triumphant Return” tells the story of Matt Whitby, a Dubliner who purchased a Victorian terrace in 2007. Over the course of 7 years, Whitby painstakingly restored the period property, taking disjointed rooms and converting them into a flowing space and a functional home.
The charming sitting room of a restored Victorian terrace in Dublin. (Pardon the fold!)
The Victorian home had been split into multiple studio apartments (flats, for our British friends!), hampering the natural flow of the structure. Matt Whitby’s goal was to modernize and re-incorporate the Victorian terrace home, and based on the photos taken by photojournalist Philip Lauterbach, Whitby has achieved great success.
Whitby was careful to modernize where appropriate, but also to restore as many of the period Victorian features of the home as possible. Whitby restored many of the original windows, mouldings and floorboards. He installed an open-plan kitchen which opens into a quaint rear garden.
The resulting home space is a wonderful mix of modern and classic Victorian, set in muted tones of blue, gray and white.
“I’m so happy with how the house has turned out,” Whitby expressed to writer Penny Crawford-Collins. We are too, Matt – congratulations!
Thanks to “Period Living”, writer Penny Crawford-Collins and photographer Philip Lauterbach for this outstanding piece. You can order the September 2014 issue (which features this article) or a subscription to Period Living by clicking this link.
If you’re not constantly drawing inspiration from others in your field, then you’re not really growing. Peter Salerno believes that wholeheartedly, and he’s not afraid to let the world know who inspires him.
A new favorite artist of Peter Salerno’s is English-based interior designer Charlotte Crosland, whose work was featured in the September 2014 issue of Beautiful Kitchens, the UK’s best-selling kitchen magazine.
Charlotte provides us with some fantastic insights in the article, ranging from the importance of usable space to color palettes, from flooring to lighting. Here are 3 wonderful tips from the piece:
Proportions are important in a kitchen, especially when it comes to the size of the island in proportion to the room.
Avoid over-cluttering. Charlotte’s advice? “[D]on’t be scared of leaving things out in your kitchen.”
There are major benefits to an “open-plan” kitchen. Accessibility, an inviting feel, and the space in which to move freely are vital to a functional kitchen.
Special thanks to Charlotte Crosland and Beautiful Kitchens magazine for publishing this valuable piece. The September 2014 issue of Beautiful Kitchens is available on newstands and for digital download.
“Period Living” Features Georgian Home Restoration
For those of you unfamiliar with Period Living, there’s a reason for its standing as ‘Britain’s best-selling period homes magazine’. From homes to gardens, decoration to restoration, Period Living is a staple publication for lovers of classic British design.
Peter Salerno quickly fell in love with the September 2014 issue of Period Living during his recent trip to the UK. One piece in particular caught his eye: an article titled “Echoes of Memories”, profiling two people’s journey to restore a classic Georgian home in Derbyshire.
Peter loved the article so much, we had no choice but to share its main photograph (credit Lu Jeffery), lifted directly from its pages:
Excuse the fold: a gorgeous Georgian kitchen, restored by readers of “Period Living”. (Photo credit Lu Jeffery, Period Living)
Partners Sue Swain and Steve Ford painstakingly restored the Georgian home, called “the house with 14 windows” by locals. Author Heather Dixon and photographer Lu Jeffery create a wonderful portrait of Swain and Ford’s home, full of beautiful rustic decor and cheerful blue hues.
The home is dated to the 18th century, and according to the article several elements “are believed to be dated back to Medieval times”.
The best part of this gorgeous British design restoration? The work was done by readers of Period Living, proving the talents of its readers.
“I love the fact that everything comes with its own story that means something to the family,” the article explains. It’s those kinds of personal touches that Peter Salerno cherishes in his own designs, which helps explain this property’s magnetic appeal to him.
Peter Salerno Gives Design Photo Advice In NKBA Article
The NKBA recently turned to award-winning master designer Peter Salerno (of Peter Salerno Inc.) for advice in their latest article on the NKBA Connect Blog.
Outstanding photography helped Peter Salerno Inc. win 2014 NKBA Best Small Kitchen. (Credit Peter Rymwid)
The blog article, entitled “Give Your Best ‘Shot’ At Being a Design Competition Winner”, focuses on the importance of outstanding professional photography when submitting a design project for awards consideration. Peter Salerno was interviewed as a trusted expert on the topic, as he is the NKBA’s most awarded kitchen and bath designer of the last decade.
Peter Salerno Inc’s 2014 Best Bath award winner. (Credit Peter Rymwid)
Peter’s advice? He tells fellow designers to “invest money in good photography and hire a professional to take the pictures”. For his own company’s work, Peter Salerno utilizes the services of award-winning photographer Peter Rymwid.
More beautiful design photography from Peter Salerno Inc. and Peter Rymwid.
For the full article text, Peter Salerno’s advice and 2015 NKBA Design Competition information, click here to visit the NKBA Connect Blog article.
In a year full of awards, recognition and new frontiers for his business (Peter Salerno Inc.), Peter Salerno has yet another thing to be proud of: he’s now been profiled on Wikipedia.
Peter Salerno is now featured on Wikipedia. (Photo Credit Anthony Michael Salerno)
In an article first appearing in July 2014, Peter Salerno’s life and career are documented by the site. A direct quote from the Wikipedia page (accessed July 27, 2014):
Peter’s work has appeared in multiple interior design publications focused on kitchen and bath design. He is an HGTV Featured Kitchen and Bath Designers, and has received several United States national design awards, including the 2014 Best Small Kitchen and 2012 Best Large Kitchen awards from the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).
Congratulations to Peter Salerno and the Peter Salerno Inc. family on this recognition!
Anthony Salerno Talks Peter Salerno, TopBrewer, AMS Knifeworks & More
Our ongoing series of official interviews with the staff of Peter Salerno Inc. continues this month with Anthony Michael Salerno, sales coordinator and design associate for the company. As Peter Salerno Inc. has grown into the most awarded national design firm in the United States since 2003 (by the NKBA), the demand for new sales and designs has skyrocketed. Anthony’s job has become more demanding – and rewarding – than ever.
Of course, Anthony Salerno’s roots to the company have existed since birth – Anthony is the son of master designer Peter Salerno, and the grandson of master cabinetry and woodwork designer Rosolino Salerno. As the third generation of Salernos running the family business in America, Anthony offers a unique perspective on the growth of Peter Salerno Inc.
We sat down with Anthony to discuss Peter Salerno Inc., his passion for knife and sword crafting, his knowledge of TopBrewer and La Cornue, and the music playlist that helps him get through the workday.
Meet Anthony Salerno, sales coordinator and design associate at Peter Salerno Inc.
Interview with Anthony Salerno of Peter Salerno Inc.
1. You’ve visited your father’s design office and showroom since you were a child. What’s your fondest memory of your dad’s office from childhood?
Anthony Michael Salerno (AMS): My earliest memory was actually at my grandfathers cabinet shop before my father opened up Peter Salerno Inc. My cousins and I would go to the shop on Christmas Eve when they would have a big party during lunch. Tables would be rigged up across the shop with benches, customers would come with accordions and guitars to eat and play music while homemade wine was being served out of gallon jugs. When everyone at the party had a few glasses of wine in them and weren’t paying attention my cousins and I would sneak into the back shop and run around all the machinery, hide inside cabinets, and see who could sweep a path through the sawdust the quickest. To this day the smell of saw dust still makes me nostalgic.
2. What is your current role at Peter Salerno Inc.?
AMS: Currently I design and handle sales. I also handle La Cornue and TopBrewer sales. I’m our office’s TopBrewer expert, so I field any calls about it and show clients how the machine works and how to use it. More recently I’ve been working on new cabinet styles, moldings, and finishes exclusive to our company with my father.
3. We’ve visited your offices, and know how hard you work. What’s the toughest part of your job that people may not realize?
AMS: I’ve found a lot of people don’t realize the initial work that goes into their design. Being a totally custom company, when somebody hands us a plan, we draw out the walls and then start from scratch with the design. You have to imagine yourself walking through the space and seeing how you can interact with it. It’s like getting a piece of paper and having to create a puzzle from it, first you think of the design and style and sketch it out, then you carve out all the puzzle pieces and make sure they fit.
4. What’s the one thing that gets you excited to go to the office, even on days you’re dragging?
AMS: Knowing that I’ll be creating something that will end up in someone’s home. When you start the process with a client it’s a blank canvas and you know nothing about each other, through the design process you get to know your clients and put pieces of their personality and inspirations into the design. It starts with a meeting and a couple of free-hand sketches, then moves to 2-D rectangles on the floorplan, then gains detail and beauty with 2-D elevations, becomes real with hand-drawn 3-D renderings, and finally is brought to life when it’s in a clients home. For a lot of people it’s a very important and personal process, it’s always great to be a part of that.
5. You often listen to music while you work. What are a few great songs that are on your work playlist now?
AMS: My playlist will change throughout the day depending on what I’m working on. I like to start the day at 7 am with the Elvis Duran Show and get a couple of laughs in. Once 10 am hits I usually switch to “The Edge” radio out of Texas (thanks to iheartradio), I listen to some of their alternative rock for another hour to hour and a half and then it usually progresses into metal/symphonic metal and it’s all about Nightwish, Blind Guardian, and Sonata Artica powering me through the afternoon. On high-stress days it may switch to Andrea Bocelli and some classical orchestras. Being a classically trained musician my taste is very vast so there’s usually some variation from day-to-day.
6. Outside of Peter Salerno Inc., you’re also the owner of a custom knifework studio (AMS Knifeworks). How does what your father taught you about design lend itself to your custom knife design work?
AMS: I’ve always loved designing knives, swords, and jewelry – I even picked up a minor in it while at college. For me the design isn’t enough, I need to create functional pieces of art with my hands. We don’t have a shop behind the building like my grandfather had, so I created my own metal shop at home. I take the two necessities of design I learned from my father and apply it to my knives, beauty and functionality. That along with having an extensive knowledge of finishes, woods, and their properties gives me an edge when creating a new piece. Knowing all the different kitchen styles definitely helps when I’m making chefs’ knives as well, I may have one for someone with a very traditional kitchen, and I may have one for a very contemporary kitchen.
7. What’s on the horizon for Peter Salerno Inc. that has you particularly excited?
AMS: With new appliances, new door styles & moldings, and new finishes, it’s a really exciting time to be designing. With the release of Houzz and Pinterest, there has been an influx of people who want to break out of the box with the designs for their home. Breaking out of the box is what we do best (and what we geared our showroom towards) so it’s a very exciting time to be a part of a company that doesn’t believe in boxes and is constantly pushing the limits of design.
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