October 8, 2010

Owner of Florida-based In Detail Kitchen and Bath Interiors, Cheryl Kees Clendenon is
a firm believer in looking at the “whole picture.” This keeps her from becoming “fixated
on one thing,” she said, which in turn enables her to design spectacular spaces
that make sense in terms of not only her clients’ lifestyle needs but also their budget.
Her approach has paid off, earning her the trust of her devoted clientele, as well as
numerous accolades, including a merit award in this year’s K+BB Design Awards
competition. Her winning entry graced the cover of the April issue.

Clendenon’s insistence on thinking holistically may also explain her
extensive list of favorite kitchen and bath products, which she painfully
narrowed down to five. These include Victoria+Albert’s Ravello tub, whose bold shape
and gentle curves make it an attractive addition to both contemporary- and traditional-style
bath settings, Clendenon noted. To boot, its Englishcast composition of ground volcanic
limestone is highly durable and “will never fade.”
Although Hansgrohe’s Raindance shower pipe with exposed thermostatic valve, Raindance
240 Air showerhead and Raindance S 100 Air three-jet handshower receives high marks on looks
alone, what really appeals to Clendenon is its ease of installation. “The plumbers can’t mess it up
because it’s an exposed valve,” she said. “Just as long as they have the two copper pipes extending
out of the wall at the height and width they need, they can install it.”
Clendenon describes herself and her staff as “big tile people.” Not only do tiles lend “instant dramatic
impact” to a bathroom or a kitchen, “they’re easier to clean than sheetrock,” she said. One of her
favorites is Vihara from Sonoma Tilemakers. Clendenon added, “It’s a very pretty glass mosaic.”

Of course, for any kitchen or bath design to really shine requires an effective lighting scheme and
good-looking fixtures. Canada-based Eurofase’s drum-shaped Demoya gets Clendenon’s nod for its
modern interpretation of a classic design. In addition, the fixture can be converted from a pendant to a
ceiling-mount, suiting it for reuse. “In this economy, I try to be an asset to my clients, so I think about the
multipurpose use of products,” she said.
In her own kitchen, Clendenon has installed Brizo’s Venuto kitchen faucet, which combines eye-catching
aesthetics with great functionality. “I love pull-down sprays, but they’ve always been a problem
for me, because they don’t retract after a while,” she said. The faucet’s MagneDock magnetic wand
docking system returns the sprayhead to its original position every time. “It’s a huge deal,” Clendenon said.
She should know. After all, Clendenon stays on top of the latest kitchen and products as a matter of
good business practice. This, however, has created some problems when she contemplates remodeling
her own home: “My bathroom would be done if I didn’t keep changing my favorites.”