Kitchen
Maui has some of the most stunning natural wonders in the world. Most people end up going to bed early and getting up early to squeeze every last minute of daylight out of each amazing day. So…a sunset mai tai on the lanai with friends and family followed by cooking up some of the great local produce is what most people enjoy doing most of the time. LifeEdited and modular furniture experts, Bento Build took that to heart while thinking about the kitchen. It’s made to do some serious cooking but also have friends and family gather around the big Richlite island while it’s happening or contribute to the convo from the nook containing the comfortable Resource Furniture couch. Here are the main components that made this kitchen work so well.
Bento Build – Lattice Kitchen
The first thing you’ll notice is that the kitchen is made to do some serious cooking. As you look more closely, you’ll see the flexibility of the Bento Build Lattice System. Bento’s modular Lattice system allows cabinets and other items to be connected and removed with ease – quality and flexibility, both of which are watchwords for smart space-efficient living. And of course, done in a beautiful modern way.
Smeg – Appliances
We believe that every square foot matters. So does Smeg. Their compact appliances deliver high function. And look good doing it. That’s why we have the full set – CB300U built-in refrigerator, SCU45MCS1 combination oven, ST8246U built-in dishwasher, SIMU524B induction cooktop, ECF01BLUS coffee maker, CJF01BLUS juicer, BLF01BLUS blender, TSF02BLUS toaster, and KLF01BLUS kettle. The fridge is a perfect size. Just big enough…more like the standard european size. It’s also able to be covered with wood or other nice material such that it disappears. The cooktop has plenty of burners and is induction which means it uses less energy (good for solar), no fossil fuels and heats up extremely quickly. It also gives you more counter space and is REALLY easy to clean which once you’ve experienced makes it impossible to go back to your standard gas or electric stove which must take 10 times as long to clean due to all the nooks and crannies ready to receive errant food and spatters of grease. The oven is just the right size and has a ton of functionality you wouldn’t expect. The coffee maker is beautiful and makes great espresso while fading into the black kitchen background. Smeg worked perfectly with the Bento kitchen!
Sunflare SUN² Solar Panels & Blue Ion 2.0 Energy Storage
Did you notice that all of the above kitchen appliances are electric? We like the fossil fuel free approach – no gas appliances. All electric is unusual for an off-grid house. But we have all the energy that we need thanks to the excellent Sunflare SUN² solar panels and the Blue Ion 2.0 Energy Storage system.
Resource Furniture – Transforming Furnishings
We’ve worked with Resource Furniture for nearly a decade now because they always have the highest quality space saving transforming furniture. We share the philosophy that every square foot should be awesome. The Flex Outdoor sofa (used indoors) is a great place to relax with a book or talk with whoever is cooking. Their secret seems to be the combination of their generous depth and the easily movable yet solid backrest pillows (weighted with neoprene bases so they stay put). Pull them close to eat at the table or push them back so you can transition into full cocktail lounging mode…
Andersen – Multiglide Sliding Glass Door
Indoor outdoor living is part of Maui culture. But how do you really blend indoor and outdoor living? With the Andersen MultiGlide! It beautifully blurs the line between indoors and outdoors. When it’s open, you hardly notice it’s there. And it’s quite attractive when it’s closed. It not only creates a huge opening, its threshold detail allows the flooring to flow on one plane from inside to out…nothing to trip on or to ruin the beautiful transition. It’s a perfect fit for Maui.
Ann Sacks – Savoy Tile
Beautiful, durable, and green. A perfect choice for the kitchen. The Savoy Collection has a wonderfully wide set of styles to choose from, including a nice assortment of artisan glazes. Made from 21% recycled content, including, “ceramic waste material from discarded clay and smashed tableware.” We love the colors, the textures, the durability and the ease of maintenance. We used Savoy penny round tiles in lotus for the bathroom floors, Savoy herringbone in lantern for the floors and walls of the outdoor bathing room and Stampino herringbone in black for the lanai and kitchen. It all looks, feels and works extremely well. It’ll also last forever.
The Modern Fan Company – IC/Air3 Ceiling Fans
It’s a modern house, so we need modern ceiling fans. LifeEdited Maui has no heating or cooling system, so ceiling fans are essential and all we really need. On the lanai, it’s quite refreshing to make your own breeze with the IC/Air3 Ceiling Fans. You can feel the breeze, but you can’t hear the fans, which is great. The Modern Fan Company has a wide selection of fans, so we were able to get just what we wanted. Which is great as there are surprisingly few manufacturers that make good modern-style fans. You’ll see other fans Modern Fan inside the house. And they work with our home automation system, so we can say, “Hey Google, turn on the lanai fans”.
Richlite
We’re green. Richlite is 65% recycled paper and yet highly durable. And beautiful. And uniformly colored throughout, so we can cut or sand as needed. Need we say more? We fell in love with it and ended up using it all over the house – lanai railings, kitchen counter, table tops, shelving. It looks terrific and will last forever. We understand that you can also use it for furniture, millwork, musical instruments, aerospace applications, and even skateparks(!). It was a great discovery and we plan to use it in many future projects.
KOHLER – Purist Faucet
In compact living, there’s no room for the ordinary – every space must be interesting. KOHLER’s bold design are an excellent fit, including the Purist single-hole kitchen sink faucet. We’ll have much more to say about KOHLER’s excellent products when we describe the bathrooms.
All-Clad – TK cookware set
Come back in 20 years, we’ll probably still be using this All-Clad TK 11-Piece Inspiration Cookware Set – it’s that well made. And it’s very LifeEdited – it has all the cookware that you need and it stores in a remarkably small space. It includes fry pans, sauce pots, a sauteuse, a rondeau, a stockpot, and universal lids. These flat lids store very small and because they work with many sizes of pots, you need less of them…smart!
Stelton – Pure Black Knives
In general, knives can be high function OR high style OR space efficient. With Stelton Pure Black Knives, you get all three. A great fit for LifeEdited Maui. We really like how we used black knives on a black magnet knife block on the black Richlite backsplash. Black on black? Nope! Black on Black on Black!
Rich Brilliant Willing – Monocle Lighting
Remember when energy efficient lighting was ugly – compact fluorescents and LED bulbs with big cooling fins? Well, you can forget that now. Witness the gorgeous and energy-efficient Monocole sconces in the kitchen. Each Monocle sconce swivels and dims to cast a precise light. Rich Brilliant Willing makes other wonderful lighting products – you’ll see that we used the Mori Crisp Copper and the Mori Seed elsewhere in the house.
Insteon – Dimmers & Smart Outlets
We have already described how much we like the Insteon dimmers & smart outlets – modern, attractive, highly automatable. We love saying, “Hey Google, dim the kitchen lights”. We use the 2477dh Remote Control Dimmer, the 2663-222 Remote Control Outlets, and the 2245-222 Hub. We use them with a Google Assistant, but you can also use them by themselves, or with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Microsoft Cortana, Logitech Harmony.
Plumen – 003 Dimmable LED Pendant Set
Almost a decade after their original bulb was made part of Moma’s collection, Plumen moved from strength to strength with its 003 bulb. Designed by a jeweler, the bulb looks fantastic before even adding a shade or lamp. It combines a directional spot (down) with an omni-directional glow (to the sides) such that the area below is highlighted but the stuff to the side is also bathed in a warm, yellow candlelight kind of light. It lasts 10,000 hours and is highly dimmable. Looks and substance. We put them all over the house and can’t wait to see what Plumen comes up with next! They were the perfect, cost-effective solution to hang in the kitchen over our Richlite island which we use as a kitchen work surface and also a place to eat in inclement weather.
Airlite – Purelite Interior Paint
We never expected to be excited about paint. But we are. Purelite Interior Paint is pretty darn cool. Very green. Certified Zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds). Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Known to greatly reduce bacteria formation via surface oxidation and high alkalinity. And of course it looks really good. The painters loved it too!
Vanatoo – Transparent Zero Speakers
The Vanatoo Transparent Zero speakers are one of those rare pieces of smart technology that bring joy without any frustration. Joy from the music. It’s the kind of sound where you can *really* listen – on a comfortable couch, eyes closed, not thinking about anything else. We had the pleasure of meeting one of the owners and we have absolutely no hesitation in saying that Vanatoo really cares about the music and the experience.
simplehuman – trash cans, soap pumps, more
simplehuman says, “Day to day life has room for improvement”. We agree. And they do improve everyday life. We have a simplehuman garbage & recycling center, soap pumps, and more. Beautiful, highly functional and long lasting. Boom.
Krups – SAVOY Coffee Maker
Even in paradise, you need good coffee and sometimes enough for a bigger gang. That’s why we have a Krups SAVOY EC312 Coffee Maker. It makes 12 cups of high quality drip coffee.
Full Circle – folding dish rack, nesting bowls, more…
Full Circle, you had us at “ditch single use plastics”. Folding dish rack, nesting bowls, reusable zip lock bags, and many other items. All green, all space efficient. Smart.
Oliver Yaphe – Pillows
Beautiful. Sustainable. We tried to say it better than Olive Yaphe, but we can’t, so here’s a quote: “A line of rugs and pillows made from new and unused fabric waste. Each piece is totally unique – since the look and feel depends on the amazing scraps that we can gather at any given time”. We created a little kitchen nook that fit a Resource Furniture Flex Outdoor sofa and added some Oliver Yaphe pillows to give a little comfort and texture. It’s a great place to read or have a beverage and interact with whoever is cooking.
One Earth Designs – Solar Cooker Classic
This Solar Cooker is amazing. It uses a simple set of curved mirrors to focus the sun’s reflection on an area that you can place a cookpot. SolSource Classic is the ultimate solar cooker. It’s 100% solar powered, reaches 550F/350C, boils a quart of water in 10 minutes, works with indoor cookware and can be used to purify water for drinking. Great for breakfasts, lunches or early dinner when the days are long. And a whole lot of fun too!
Soma – Glass Water Bottles
Modern, clean and made from glass instead of plastic, these are the perfect water bottles. They come with colored sleeves to protect them from damage and make them look great. Single use plastic? Don’t think so!
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This post is one in a series that describes LifeEdited Maui. LifeEdited Maui embodies our green, space efficient, and minimalist principles. We view it as a lab for experiencing things that are consistent with these principles. The products described in this post were given to us, which we appreciate, but we would not have accepted if we didn’t believe in them.