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French Design Inspirations: The Best in Bordeaux Red Wines

September 2013Peter Salerno Inc.

What good is a French-inspired kitchen without great French wine? (Credit: Maison Creative, Jean-Pierre Forget)

What good is having a beautiful, French-inspired kitchen or wine cellar if you don’t have the perfect wines to enjoy in it? During Peter Salerno’s recent trip to France, he spent a majority of his time in the world-renowned region of Bordeaux, drawing inspiration from its breathtaking designs – and its equally breathtaking wines.

Thanks to some great referential articles from knowledgeable sources (plus our staff’s own base of knowledge – based on our love for fine wines, of course), we can bring you the best in Bordeaux red wines. These wines won’t just leave a refreshing, complex taste on your palate, they won’t leave a dent in your finances either. (Did you know that some Bordeaux-based red wines can run well over $1,000 per bottle? While they may be worth the money, there’s definitely other ways to enjoy the best of Bordeaux.)

This fantastic article from IntoWine shares their best Bordeaux reds “for the money” from the recent (and well respected) 2010 vintage. If you haven’t tried the 2010 Château Gruaud Larose, and you have $97 to invest, this is about the finest bottle you can find in its price range. If a more modest price range is what you’re seeking, IntoWine rates Château de Chantegrive ($23) as a bit above the rest.

If you’d like to take a step back into highly respected vintages from a bit less recently, the 1982 and 2004 growing seasons in Bordeaux are regarded as especially good (although the 1982 will run you a far steeper cost). The Château Latour 1982 is considered one of the finest; if price is no object, the $1,500 per bottle price point is well worth your investment. For a far more modest asking price, the 2004 vintage of Château Cos d’Estournel Saint-Estephe ($90) has a smooth, beautiful blend of currants and dark stone fruits.

Of course, the bottle of wine you buy is nowhere near as important as the loved ones with whom you share it. Talk to your trusted, award-winning kitchen design experts at Peter Salerno Inc. to create your dream French kitchen and wine cellar, and start sharing memories with great friends and great wines in a beautiful, customized space.

French Kitchen Design Inspirations: Vence (Alpes-Maritimes)

September 2013Peter Salerno Inc.

Another beautiful French kitchen, in the town of Vence. (Credit: Maison Creative Hors Serie 2, 2013.)

Peter Salerno’s travels for design inspiration throughout France takes us today to the town of Vence, located in the far southeast of France, in the Alpes-Maritimes department of the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region. The Alpes-Maritimes department directly borders Monaco and Italy to the east and has some of the most beautiful and varied topography in all of France. As its name suggests, the region is characterized mainly by the maritime Alps – but it’s also one of the few French departments to feature a Mediterranean coastline.

The most well-recognized cities in the area are Nice and Cannes; Vence is the 12th-largest town in the Alpes-Maritimes department. Located in the hills between Nice and Antibes, Vence features many awe-inspiring, existing medieval elements – for example, the town’s historic village features a fountain originally built in 1578 and an oak planted in 1538. Other aspects of Vence architecture are even older; portions of the external wall were built in the 3rd century and the town’s cathedral was erected in the 4th century.

Design in Vence is based on open flow between rooms and the usage of beautiful, easy-to-use Vence stone, located not only in the town’s walls but in many of its rustic, gorgeous country homes. In the kitchen above, featured in the outstanding publication Maison Creative (Hors Serie 2, 2013), you can see the implementation of the flat, beautiful Vence stone and the open floor plan. The result is a bright, spacious kitchen that makes full use of the sunny climes of the Alpes-Maritimes region; Nice sees almost 1.5 times as much sun per year as the rest of France.

A white wood-burning fireplace and large windows adorn the kitchen walls, and the long slab dining table ensures there will be plenty of room for good food, great wine, and cherished guests.

For more information on this kitchen and others like it, pick up a copy of Maison Creative Hors-Serie No. 2. And as always, for more information about the award-winning kitchen, bath, and custom cabinetry/woodworking designs of Peter Salerno and his staff, visit Peter Salerno Inc.’s official website or their showroom at 511 Goffle Road, Wyckoff, NJ, USA.

French Kitchen Design Inspirations: Oise (Picardie)

September 2013Peter Salerno Inc.

A beautiful painted French kitchen in Oise, Picardie region. (Photo Credit: Frederic-Leon Ducout, 2013 Morgane Production. In Maison Creative. Click to enlarge.)

One of the most beautiful kitchen designs Peter Salerno discovered on his trip to France is a custom blue and white painted kitchen in Oise, a department of the Picardie region of northern France. Located about 19 miles north of Paris, Oise is a beautiful region made up primarily of hills and plateaus, as well as forests and plains, which evoke all the charm and beauty of the French countryside.

With the natural landscape and terrain of the Picardie region in mind, the designer of this kitchen (Sylvie Bisserie, whom you can read more about here) created a light, vibrant kitchen space filled with blues and whites accented with copper kitchenware, utensils and appliances. As the publication Maison Creative explains (translated from French):

“In the kitchen, created entirely by a custom cabinetmaker and painted with light and bright colors, Sylvie chose glazed tiles blue and white tiles that give the space cheer… decorating with rustic utensils and copper kitchen appliances to respond with the red soil creates a beautiful harmony.”

The kitchen space is said to convey “authenticity and conviviality”, an apt description of a lovely space that brought Peter Salerno fresh inspiration to his classic painted kitchen designs.

Fall 2013 Feature: New French Design Inspirations

September 2013November 2013Peter Salerno Inc.

A recent trip to France inspired Peter Salerno with some remarkable kitchens. (Photo Credit: Maison Creative, Jean-Pierre Forget)

There are so many reasons to visit France: the stunning landscapes, beautiful architecture, and cutting-edge cuisine (to just name a few). For Peter Salerno, there’s also the chance to visit our friends and trusted business partners at La Cornue, spend time at some of the best vineyards in the world, and – most importantly – get inspired.

“It’s important to see the world and all its unique, beautiful designs,” Peter Salerno recently said in an office interview. “Taking this trip to France was an amazing opportunity to see how a country so renowned for its cuisine was designing its kitchens. And I have to tell you, some of what I saw was just stunning. I have so much new inspiration to draw from for our clients.”

In this special Fall 2013 featured set of articles, we’ll be sharing with you some of Peter Salerno’s stunning design inspirations from his recent trip to France. If you’re a fan of French interior design – and kitchen design specifically – then this is can’t miss series of articles.

(Special thanks in advance to Maison Creative and Home Cuisines & Bains, two of the leading periodical authorities on French kitchen and bath design, for some of the photos that appear in forthcoming articles.)

For more on Peter Salerno’s award-winning kitchen and bath designs, please visit the official Peter Salerno Inc. website.