May 29, 2013

The beautiful American Club was once a dormitory for new immigrant employees of Kohler. It is now a luxurious 5 star, 5 diamond hotel resort. Photo from press kit.

After a few days in New Orleans and Chicago, Kohler Co. brought me to Wisconsin — specifically to Kohler Village. Yup, an entire village/town owned by the Kohler family. More than 75 years ago, Walter Kohler envisioned a community that evoked the same spirit and beauty of European garden cities. He hired the Olmsted Brothers, designers of New York’s Central Park and Harvard University Campus, to design one of the first planned communities in the US.

It was the perfect way to end the one week US trip with a luxurious stay at the 5 star, 5 diamond American Club resort in Kohler Village. The American Club was built in 1918 to provide housing, meals and recreational facilities for immigrant employees who could not afford housing. It is now a luxury resort with the best golf amenities. The hotel is situated across Kohler’s headquarters and main factories, though you wouldn’t guess there are factories because of the beautiful tree-lined streets and public art in many gardens.

Here’s what my grand room looked like…

Foyer at my room. I love the little bar area.

Kohler also makes chocolates. Really good ones!

This is how mini bars are done. Total branding!

Needless to say, all the fixtures are by Kohler Co.

View from the entrance.

Half of my room.

The wing where my room was had each room named after famous American figures like Ella Fitzgerald, Daniel Boone and Ernest Hemingway.

The sitting area in my suite. There were snippets of information, photos and paraphernalia that reflected the life of Sinclair Lewis.

The bathroom, all Kohler of course.

Glass lavatory from one of Kohler’s prime designer lines.

The photo doesn’t do enough justice. The tub is far from ordinary. First, it’s huge. Second, it’s the Kohler VibrAcoustic tub.

Just plug your music source…

Fill up with water…

Tinker with the VibrAcoustic settings…

And… the water vibrates with sound waves. This experience was amazing! Not your ordinary whirlpool tub. You feel the relaxation down to your bones. Both times I tried it, I slept like a baby right after.

The enclosed shower with multiple heads.

This kept my towel warm and toasty. Perfect for Wisconsin weather.

The library near the lobby.

5 star, 5 diamonds

Waiting area near the lobby. So cozy.

With the perfect fire.

Every window offered a serene view of gardens and original architecture of Kohler’s American Club. Photo from press kit.

One of the four courtyards.

Facade at night

The American Club resort, a 2012 Forbes Five-Star Recipient and the Midwest’s only AAA Five Diamond resort-hotel was named #3 Golf Resort in North America, by Golf Digest Magazine. The resort is one of only 45 hotels with both the Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond distinction. The resort features 11 dining establishments from the Forbes Four-Star Immigrant Restaurant to traditional pub fare at Horse & Plow and rustic Italian at Cucina. The resort is located in the Village of Kohler, Wisconsin, one hour north of Milwaukee and two and a half hours north of Chicago.

Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are my personal snapshots.

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May 20, 2013

Last April, I attended a dinner party hosted by Rachel Kohler, Group President of Interiors at Kohler Co. This was part of the one week tour of the US that Kohler Co. hosted for an Asian delegation.

This is one of the loveliest homes I’ve seen. It was amazing to see a lot of contemporary and Eastern art worked into the place. Understated luxury. Muted tones. Sophisticated living spaces even for children. She welcomed us to see every corner of this beautiful home.

A courtyard, bricks and a lovely magnolia tree.

With the gracious host, Rachel Kohler, Group President of Interiors at Kohler Co.

The family room in the top floor.

I loved artwork of kids are displayed. Been meaning to do this for years.

With our hosts from Kohler Co., Dorota, Andrew Windsor and Jen. I am with Bea Ledesma of Philippine Star and Leanna Siron of Kohler Philippines.

The living room. I love the double height ceiling.

The formal dining room had two round tables.

The washroom near the homework room. All Kohler. I borrowed my daughter Sophia’s small camera. I need a tiny flat camera that kicks ass. I can’t bring my OMD to events when I’m trying to balance a clutch and a drink.

The den.

I need a home office like this so I can blog more efficiently, haha.

Easiest travel “event” dress, knits from Cos. It was still cold and rainy in mid-April Chicago. I wore them with my amazing Celine boots, a red snakeskin clutch from Accesory Lab, cuffs from Joyce Makitalo and the sapphire earrings I designed.

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May 12, 2013

Check out this month’s Metro Home. My kitchen renovation is featured in it. I offer a few tips on renovating old kitchens.

Here is my beautiful enameled cast iron kitchen sink from Kohler, the Whitehaven. It was especially sent to me by Kohler in USA. Same with the faucet. It’s the Hi-Rise bridge model.

We shot this before I went on vacation. We get a lot of afternoon light here. I chose special Bisazza glass mosaic tiles to function as my backsplash. I asked them to make the mosaics predominantly white.

The floors are all wood. Just like the rest of the house. You can see the transition here. The kitchen wood floors came from Matimco. I had my contractor stain it to the walnut shade I wanted.

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May 5, 2013

I just got back from a wonderful tour of three US cities as a guest of Kohler Co. They flew me in to New Orleans, Chicago and Kohler, Wisconsin from Toronto to attend the celebration of their 140th year. In New Orleans, our focus was on the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show or KBIS.

Yes, I am still on “vacation” “at home” with my family. It was a treat to be in new cities for the first time while getting a firsthand look at the latest designs in kitchen and bathrooms. I have a gazillion stories to share from these trips.

At Kohler’s 8,800-square-foot booth at the KBIS at New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

David Kohler, President and COO of Kohler Co., one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of more than 30,000 associates.With more than 50 manufacturing locations worldwide, Kohler is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; premier furniture, cabinetry and tile; and owner/operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin and St Andrews, Scotland. David’s great-grandfather is the founder of Kohler Co.

At the press room with David Kohler and Adam Queck, GM & Commercial Director for South East Asia Pacific. David talked us through the innovations and new products offered by Kohler Co. this year.

The Moxie™ showerhead + wireless speaker, a new innovation, simultaneously soaks the bather with music and water. A magnetic Bluetooth®-enabled speaker streams audio directly into the shower and pops out for enjoyment in the bath.

This could be you. Or me, haha. Photo from Kohler Co.

The Sensate™ touchless kitchen faucet demonsrated by TV personality, DR Mixologist Darryl Robinson, a popular bartenders on the New York mixology scene and host to “Drink Up” on The Cooking Channel. With Sensate, Water flow starts just 20 milliseconds after activation with a wave of a hand, kitchen utensil or pot, so it’s easy to flow through tasks and reduce the spread of germs.

I enjoyed seeing the different Kohler products together because I actually use Kohler in my bathroom and kitchen. This is my Kohler Whitehaven enameled cast iron sink at home after the renovation. My faucet is the HiRise bridge also by Kohler. These are not readily available in the Philippines (or in South East Asia). Kohler Co. made special arrangements for me; they shipped it to Manila. Grateful! And very lucky. The Whitehaven is made in the USA – I saw the entire process in their factory in Kohler, Wisconsin.

Coloured enameled cast iron sinks from the Jonathan Adler collection.

Kohler has been making enameled cast iron for over 130 years. During our factory tour in Kohler, Wisconsin I saw how cast iron sinks and bathtubs were made from the moment iron were poured into molds until they are enameled. I was amazed to see how, despite all the automation available, most cast iron products were still done by hand. It made me even love my own Whitehaven sink more. So much soul – the artisanal craft and heritage!

This is the new Whitehaven with Smart Divide. The classic apron-front sink design typically features a large single basin like mine, but many homeowners like the functionality of a double basin. Photo from Kohler Co.

In an effort to provide consumers with options that fit their design preference and lifestyle, Kohler Co. adds a double-basin sink to this farmhouse style. The Kohler-exclusive Smart Divide® saddle perfectly complements the smooth design lines of the Whitehaven® apron-front sink, one of the company’s most popular apron-front models. Photo from Kohler Co.

I was in heaven here. After renovating my kitchen, I’m about to start renovating our guest bathroom at home. Trust me, it may be epic again. The Kohler stuff I want isn’t sold in Asia. Yikes.

The VibrAcoustic bathtub. With this technology, you can play your favorite music, news, podcasts and more through your bath. Just plug in your smartphone, tablet or MP3 player. The water responds with sound waves moving through your body. This tub deserves its own story. I got to try it at The American Club in Wisconsin and I tell you… it’s so amazing. I may just have to share my video blog review.

Numi® Comfort Height® toilet: This iconic Kohler toilet receives several user-friendly enhancements, such as a Bluetooth® receiver, SD card for personalized playlists and additional ambient lighting options. This unit made the news. Check out Mashable. Photo from Kohler Co.

Fully automatic toilets aren’t new to us (in Asia). But the Numi is making waves because of its streamlined design. Kohler’s most advanced toilet includes a sleek, interactive LCD touch-screen interface, built-in personalized bidet functionality and deodorizer, innovative dual-flush technology with 0.6 and 1.28 gallons per flush, intuitive auto-open and -close lid, and a heated seat and foot warmer.

Veil™ dual-flush wall-hung toilet: The first residential wall-hung toilet from Kohler Co. in the North American market. This type of toilet saves space with a modern design and offers powerful water savings. I imagine a lot of new homeowners in the Philippines would want this. Think of the fun uplighting effects you can do from the floor. It’s also more hygienic. You can easily clean the entire bathroom floor with minimal grooves and cuts.

More kitchen and bath stories coming up…

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April 18, 2013

Here is the video feature about my kitchen renovation that took forever. There are still a lot of details about the construction that I am willing to share. Like why there’s aircon, why our refrigerator juts out like that, why we chose wooden floors, our lighting and all. I will write more when I get the time. For now, here’s what we’ve got.

This is an ongoing labour of love. I’m happy with how it’s turning out. Thanks for watching.

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