It seems somewhat alarming how much I am looking to Denmark and Northern Europe for interior and exterior styles, as if there wasn't styles in the US to adopt and get inspired by. Well, it isn't completely true: I like Tom Kundig's exteriors and I have found several great houses in my books on modern American architecture. And I also like many older houses, like some of the original craftsman homes from late 19th century (Tom and Lydia's home for once), and the Eichler homes (yes, I put them under "older" styles, not really "modern" after 50 years).
Leif, my brother who co-designed my parent's home in early 70's, should be proud of his work, and I am trying to steal style elements from that house, like the convector boxes in the floor underneath the huge window/door wall and the raw rain chains ending in a concrete catch basin filled with egg sized stones.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the hydronic heating is slowly making its way into the US market, but so far it comes mostly as floor heating and a few pretty bland (style-wise) space heating radiators. Like the products from Beacon-Morris or the US branch of Myson (a British co); the only one I would even consider is the Decor line. Now, take Myson, and compare the product line that is sold in US with what is available in UK. What is going on her? It is certainly NOT true that there are not US home owners who would want the designer pieces - and who can afford it. I wonder how much chicken and egg is involved: hydronic heat is a major and costly shift, and who would do it if they would have to stick in bland radiators and baseboard heaters? Now, being a design infatuated American who encounters one of the European stylish radiators, it itself is costly but if it comes with a demand of changing the entire heating system.
And I bet that the few importers/distrubutors of European styles are helping making it hard to penetrate - by marking up any items beyond reach for mere mortals.
Gee, we need the Ikea equivalent of plumbing to enter this stale and bland market!
