Designhounds: NYC #truetofood experience
What do you get when you take 13 different designers from all across North America, and gather them to explore the latest in luxury appliances and rediscover everything they thought they knew about culinary? The FULL Signature Kitchen Suite’s #truetofood experience that’s what!! When I received the news that I had been selected to be a part of this amazing team of Designhounds I could not have been more psyched … like seriously! My tour experience was unforgettable, as we did ALL of the things, and I genuinely can not thank Designhounds, Modenus, and Signature Kitchen Suites enough. Let me tell you!! We were booked and busy from sun up to sun down and it was a blast. Starting from the very first line of our beautifully organized itinerary, arriving at the Beekman Hotel. Upon the extremely helpful and knowledgeable staff swiftly assisted me with my luggage all while revealing the historic background of such an astonishing building. The moody details featuring tons of antiques (which is right up my alley!!) completely transported me back to the nineteenth century and I’m in LOVE!!!
The first night was filled with excitement as we mingled at Manhatta, one of New York’s finest, earning its ranking as top 50 best bars in North America! Located on the sixtieth floor, um yes … You read that correctly, the 60th floor! I mean just when you think it doesn’t get any better, it does. Our dinner was nothing short of amazing as we indulged in a beautifully prepared three-course meal, almost all of which I totally forgot to get a picture of before I began to dig in because it was THAT GOOD! I typically do NOT eat much of any kind of red meats, but after having the lamb for dinner, I may have to reconsider, and when I tell you about Signature Kitchen Suite’s new series of ranges, one of which features built-in sous vide, you might too.
While we ended our night with a few drinks at the hotel’s The Bar Room, this was only the very beginning, I meant what I said about the hounds being booked and busy, and with day 2 up next it was time to make note of our crucial itinerary. Which included a farm in Brooklyn. Listen!! I don’t know if you’re thinking what I’m thinking .. but where do you find a FARM?! .. in Brooklyn! haha well to my pleasant surprise, we found ourselves discovering a little slice of heaven located on a rooftop! Brooklyn Grange catered the most delicious farm-to-table experience, we picked and gather our vegetables to include during the truly insightful workshop where we curated the freshest lunch for us all to enjoy. A very special thank you to the team of staff over at Brooklyn Grange! Make sure to check out their Instagram as their dedication to educating and providing sustainability on this charming urban farm was a definite #truetofood experience.
That was a lot to take in I know, but … I hope I haven’t lost you, as we’re about to ramp up speed, because remember that itinerary I mentioned earlier, well our visit to Brooklyn Grange was only the first destination for us during day 2 afterward we made our way to the International Contemporary Furniture Fair where I found myself unbelievably inspired. Belwith Keeler’s new Anthology Series of hardware presents the sexiest palette of leathers and textures of 2023 and I am 1000% here for it. Equally as fabulous: Wendy Morrison Design’s whimsical fabrics and wallpapers I am madly in love!! However, as if that wasn’t enough my sensory overload was at an all-time high (in the best way!) when we arrived at Roman & Williams Guild NY, I genuinely wasn’t sure if I was shopping or eating, but it was definitely a little bit of both. If you’re ever in the area, block out some time to enjoy everything Roman & William offers, especially La Mercerie.
Side Note: Make sure to keep an eye out for how I incorporate one of my favorite wallpapers from Wendy Morrison Design in an upcoming design board concept along with a few of my favorites from Signature Kitchen Suites appliances.
If you had any doubt about what the #truetofood experience was all about day 3 certainly threw that out the window, as we got an exclusive first sitting of the official Signature Kitchen Suites Skyline Showroom, paired with an interactive cooking with Executive Chefs Nick Ritchie & Sakari Smithwick and SKS training with John Russo, although first we had the pleasure of touring the LG inspiration lab and Showroom, and interacting with LG’s latest innovative technology. For instance, their OLED Aquarium consisting of 32- 55” curved OLED screens used to create an experience of walking beneath the sea and TV Studio where I got to pretend to be an oceanographer (which just consisted of me being silly while the green screen was rolling with lots of fun clips!) You can see all of this and more over on my Instagram. The cliché phrase “saving the best for last” wasn’t very cliché. Whoever made this itinerary must have had me in mind, as we concluded our tour with the show and tell of the century.
We’re finally at the highlight of our SKS #truetofood tour experience Because in my book being able to touch, feel and experience the Signature Kitchen Suite brand of appliances was by far the cherry on top. (Outside of staying in our gorgeous hotel, eating ALL of the food, and the tours of amazing places we went to of course!) Because in my 20 years of kitchen and bath designing, I have witnessed and used so many different appliance brands from standard stock brands to high-end luxury, and I’m telling you, I was BLOWN away by SKS and their features! One of the million-dollar questions in design is “What makes an appliance high-end or luxury?” and certainly it is the details that go into them. The range, the refrigerator, the wall oven, even the dishwasher. When it comes down to it, it’s more than just an instrument used to heat your food. I tell my clients all the time a design is only as good as your contractor and labor, so think about it like this when you want a luxury experience while you’re entertaining, or when working with high-quality meats and beautiful fruits or vegetables that’s how it is with these appliances. Yes, you can have a range. It turns on, it turns off, and it heats your food, but don’t you want more than just your food being heated up? Or a refrigerator that does more than store vegetables? Having an appliance that matches the way you live and the way you entertain is huge. Let’s take a look at the many features SKS appliances offer that instantly upgrade your kitchen to a luxury culinary experience like no other!
With their 48” Dual Fuel Pro Range with 6 Burners and Griddle, you can go from the occasional cooker to a gourmet chef, their most innovative technology takes all the guessing out of cooking! Smart Knobs enables dedicated timers for each cooking method, and their Wi-Fi-enabled SmartThinQ Control enables remote operations with your iPhone and Android devices. It even offers an Auto Cook feature, select what you’re preparing, for example, beef but more specifically you can select different cuts of each meat such as beef tenderloin, the smart technology will then prompt you to select your range from rare to well done, based on your selection the oven will automatically set the suggested temperatures and duration, input the meat probe and place your meal on the prompted designated rack needed to achieve your desired results … ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? That’s not all though this range also features convertible cooking options like their wok grates that are perfect for quick stir-frying, and these burners are nothing like your typical in-home appliances, integrating three 23K BTU Ultra-High Burners meaning, you are getting restaurant-style burners that allow for more precision and power for better searing capabilities, also on the reverse end, three Ultra-low burners! Great for maintaining temperatures as low as 100 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re preparing delicate sauces and sugary confections! The chromium griddle provides consistent even heat across the entire surface for gourmet results and its beautiful polish finish will resist scratches for years to come! As if all that wasn’t enough to have an infatuation with this appliance, they top it off with an 18” Steam-Combi and convection oven and a 30” ProHeat convection technology oven with a rear-wall element and fan to evenly distribute heat to every rack.
Now let’s talk refrigerators, but not just any fridge, The 48” Built-in French Door Refrigerator & Freezer provides never before seen capacity and functionality offering innovative preservation features and more all while presenting a sleek design. An easy-to-read LCD display and its Convertible Drawers feature soft closing and offer temperature controls ranging from 41 degrees to -7 degrees Fahrenheit for precise adjustments to enhance the longevity and freshness of your food. Its Dual Compressors help to minimize temperature fluctuations to within 1 degree, but truthfully, my favorite feature is the Dual Ice Maker with Craft Ice providing options for both slow-melting, spherical craft, and frustum ice instantly elevating a beverage of any kind, along with their LED under shelf lighting fully illuminating the interior of this fridge. Your days of shuffling around products to find that hidden mystery item lurking in the shadows are over! Something I haven’t mentioned yet but I absolutely should is the SKS Signature Fit integrated design, included in all of their latest signature appliances allow for a truly flush installation.
Now this is an honorable mention that I am openly obsessed with the LG Styler: Steam Closet Clothing Care System, Keeping things clean, deodorized, and fresh with chemical-free TrueSteam technology, helping remove airborne allergens like pollen, pet dander, and dust all without bleach, soaps or other harsh chemicals. LG’s Exclusive Moving-Hangers vibrate side to side to shake off dust, allergens, and odor! The door-mounted pants press rapidly smooths and restores creases, to keep you looking your best! ThinQ Care technology within the ThinQ app sends proactive alerts to keep your appliance running smoothly. This innovative steam closet fits your home and your style with a scratch-resistant tempered glass door and intuitive LED Controls, plus their plug-and-go design requires no plumbing. As someone who owes probably about 84% dry-clean-only clothing, there will be one of these in my VERY near future! like 3-5 business days near!!
*kidding but also maybe not lol*
You’re probably thinking John brainwashed us all but no these appliances are exceptionally flawless, in fact here at ASH Interiors and Design we’re currently working to integrate these appliances in our upcoming projects because when you work with the best, you should get the BEST! I believe we can all agree, SKS holds the title of “Crème de la Crème” following an unmistakably once-in-a-lifetime experience into the culinary greatness that represents their appliances. Thank you to everyone who put efforts into pulling together the wonderful events during our time on tour, and I can’t express enough my appreciation to Designhounds, Modenus, and Signature Kitchen Suites for extending the warmest invitation. Special shoutout to all my fellow Designhounds, I cherish the friendships we’ve created during our short time together and I hope to see you all sooner than the next Designhounds event! & Last but certainly not least, to all my friends, family, and followers I hope I’ve illustrated the perfect depiction of my #truetofood experience for you all. Thank you for following along and being my cheerleaders! If you haven’t already head over to Instagram and check out my highlight dedicated to my experience with Designhounds in addition to my mini-series of reels from each day during my time on tour! Leave a comment, and let me know what you think you would’ve enjoyed the most on tour (besides what felt like an unlimited supply of food lol) and if you see these luxury appliances in your next remodel. Click the button below for an express ticket to our page, see you there <3