Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2017 - 97

HANDS ON IN THE STUDIO

Interactive features also appear throughout the
Inspiration Studio. iPads in each area provide
product and material information.The appliances
are live, and Abt representatives demonstrate
their operation.
"One of the main features of our kitchens is that
in each one of the vignettes, you have the opportunity to learn hands on how several of the pieces
work," said Hood. Vignettes have live faucets,
dishwashers, cooktops, ranges and ovens. "This
gives the customer a chance to interact with the
appliance the way they would in their own home."
Hood has noticed that among the products
on display, visitor favorites include French-style
ranges, push- or knock-open dishwashers, floating
ovens, push-to-open oven doors and a downdraft
hood that looks more like a piece of art.
The studio's actual artwork collection provides
its own tale of inspiration. The giclée prints were
created for the studio by the artists at Have Dreams,
a Chicago-area nonprofit serving young people
impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
and coordinated through the For Autistic Kids
Foundation, which the Abt family established to
raise awareness and funds for children with ASD.
"The large, colorful prints create great energy in
the space, and people have already started to buy
them," said di Giulio.
CHALLENGES ALONG THE ROAD TO INSPIRATION

The enormity of the space challenged de Giulio
as much as its lack of natural light, which put a
focus on proper illumination needed to generate an overall feeling of openness. To handle the
situation, he developed lighting techniques and
designed custom fixtures for the entire project.
Concepts included offset backsplashes with lineal
lighting, under-hood as well as under- and over-

ABOVE De Giulio's goal to in-

spire visitors to reimagine what
a kitchen can be is apparent
in the Viking vignette's antique
table console with German
silver and silicon bronze detail.

BELOW Because of a lack of

natural light in the atrium's
loft, de Giulio improvised new
lighting techniques and created
distinctive fixtures for the studio.

SOURCES
DESIGNER: Mick De Giulio,

de Giulio Kitchen Design
PHOTOGRAPHER: Dave
Burk Photography
CHILDREN'S ARTWORK:

Have Dreams;

DECORATIVE LIGHTING: de

Giulio Kitchen Design

cabinet lighting and troughs in the ceiling to hide high-intensity spotlights
throughout. He also specified the position and axis, proportion, dimension
and installation method for all of the decorative lighting elements.
Additionally, de Giulio designed many new fixtures for the space, such as
sconces and I-beam fixtures, and these were handcrafted in the de Giulio
metals shop. For the general lighting plan, he partnered with Anne Kustner
Lighting to provide special attention to the light direction and quality in
creating the overall ambiance.
However, perhaps a tougher challenge came from the need for the Inspiration Studio to remain relevant for years to come. Finding a solution required
de Giulio to peer into the future.
"My goal was 10 years or more,"he said,"so I thought a lot about what the
future of kitchen design could be like."
He focused on making material choices that would have staying power
and relevancy. Additionally, since appliances change frequently, flexibility in
making product updates was key.
"Already we are making changes to products, and great care will be taken
to make sure nothing is lost in the design," added de Giulio.
Abt has not only seen customers and designers returning, but visitors have
come from throughout the country to find inspiration in the new studio.
"The response has been overwhelming,"said de Giulio."People are excited
to see something new and fresh.They are telling others that it's a must-see if
they are considering a project. All of this was Bob Abt's goal."
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Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2017

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