“A big, open kitchen with a lot of windows and
natural light.” That’s what Enka Benz asked of
architect Brad Hollenbeck when he was designing
a two-story, five-bedroom house for her family of
four on a nearly acre-size lot in Houston.
“I would call the house rustic modern,”
Hollenbeck says. “It’s a bit of a hybrid.” As is the
kitchen. Hollenbeck’s kitchen design called for
special vintage elements, such as reclaimed oak
ceiling beams and exposed brick on the walls, and
he positioned the space to provide easy access to
the adjacent veranda and pool area. Erika., raised
in Mexico City felt comfortable with a traditional
hacienda-style design, so her house’s overall
L-shape layout was familiar and pleasing to her.
“The kitchen is close to our outdoor entertaining
area,” she says. “and because of the French doors,
people can come in and out easily.”
By the time Erika began working with her design
team, which also included builder Scott Frasier and
designer Ginger Barber, she knew exactly how her
kitchen should look and what it should include.
She referred often to a thick binder holding several
years’ worth of clippings from various publications,
so anyone working with her knew exactly what she
was after. “Nearly everything in the kitchen was
handcrafted on the job,” Frasier says. “We had a
team of master craftsmen on site for five months
working on this house.”
Because of the generous space allotted to the
kitchen, Hollenbeck was able to include two sizable
islands—one solely for meal prep, the other for
dining and cleanup. He was careful to position the
islands so that anyone standing or sitting at either
of them could enjoy an outdoor view.
As Erika favors a clean, spare look, surfaces
throughout her kitchen are uncluttered. “She
wanted this room to be functional and easy,”
Barber says. There is plenty of storage, and, at
Enka’s request, even small appliances are tucked
out of sight. Her kitchen is versatile—comfortable
when she and husband Matthew make meals for
themselves and their two growing children, and
highly efficient when guests arrive.
“Here in Houston, the weather gives us a lot
of opportunity to eat outdoors,” Erika says. “Our
kitchen was designed so that indoor and outdoor
lives kind of merge.”
Choosing colors
CREATE A SOOTHING backdrop
for soft blues with lots of neutral
tones. Abundant use of white and gray
on the vertical elements in this kitchen
gives the space a clean feet. Darker
surfaces on the floor and countertops
balance the light look. Metallic
details suit the color scheme without
introducing a competing hue.
ADD TOUCHES of blue. The
rectangular tiles framing the cooking
niche in this room look as though
someone took white glass tiles
and mixed in a single drop of blue.
The effect is so subtle that in some
Lighting, you may not notice it’s
blue. Similarly, the mosaic tile and
granite countertop have smoky-blue
undertones that support the kitchen’s
beachy blue accents.
PUNCH UP a serene scene with
bright accent pieces. Here, cyan
glass bottles and icy-blue pendants
punctuate an otherwise neutral
palette. Placing groups of the bottles
up high visually connects them with
the light fixtures and gives them more
weight for a pleasing, eye-catching
effect. When staging accessories,
consider how they draw attention
to, or distract from, the permanent
elements in a room.
GO BIG with a soft shade. All of the maple cabinetry in this kitchen is painted country French blue. A glazed finish over the paint prevents the color from overpowering the room. Detailed molding on the cabinet doors also breaks up the monotony of a single tone.
NEUTRALIZE the heavy use of blue in the cabinetry with off-white and beige tones. Here, a limestone countertop and a marble-tile backsplash quiet the color scheme. Abundant natural light also enhances the fresh feel of this blue kitchen, If you opt for colored cabinets, consider what type of lighting brings out the best look from morning till night
ACCENT WITH WOODS and metals that suit your overall design theme, Here, an intricate wrought- iron chandelier and exposed metal rods on the window treatments complement the rooms country French style. Wooden stools and serving accessories add touches of rustic charm to the formal look.
COTTAGE KITCHENS
Beckon us to relax with their clean simple materials, muted
colors, and details reminiscent of times gone by. Traditional-style cabinets often
boast white-painted or distressed-wood finishes, along with glass-front doors
and open shelving just right for displaying cherished collectibles. Deep farm sinks.
islands posing as tables and garden-inspired accents link these kitchens to our
shared agrarian past. Upgrade this unpretentious look to elegant by adding
marble or granite countertops. Sparkling light fixtures. unexpected hues. and
gleaming metal accents.
TIMELESS TEXTURES
Cottage style revels in being eclectic. a quality
aptly demonstrated through this kitchens use of contrasting
textures. Rustic surfaces (a weathered work table. honed
marble backsplash tiles and tumbled Limestone floor
tiles) mingle with gleaming metal objects (stainless-steel
pendant lights, display shelves, and chimney hood) to
create a space that invites further exploration. Galvanized -
steel barstools inject a little industrial-chic attitude; black
metal windows offer a hint of country French.
VINTAGE DEMEANOR
Fresh cottage from top to bottom. This kitchen boasts
tongue-and-groove ceiling panel, white-painted cabinetry
masquerading as a vintage hutch, and a dark-stained
hardwood floor. The cabinetry gets furniture-style flair
through the addition of crown molding, a curved valance,
faux feet, and mint-green-painted beaded board covering
the hutch’s back wall, Polished-marble countertops add a
luxurious touch: black accents add subtle drama.
OPPOSITES ATTRACT
Don’t Let the sleek pro-style appliances fool
You. Virtually every other aspect of this cottage kitchen
celebrates beach-inspired relaxation—from the coffered
ceiling’s craggy beams to the easygoing wicker counter
stools and range-niche backsplash tiles awash in ocean
hues. The island’s chunky turned Legs and beaded-board
panels provide a laid-back counterpoint to its massive
marble countertop. Rustic wall timbers and hardwood
flooring add the warmth of wood to this open space.
FARM FRESH
Looking for all the world like a farm
table, this freestanding ‘stand adds old-fashioned charm
to a key work zone. At the marble-topped table, the cook
can chop vegetables or roll out dough while enjoying the
sunshine streaming in through a bay window. Traditional
cabinets get their charm from crown molding, faux feet,
and glass-front doors adorned with muntins. Stained-wood
perimeter countertops echo the warmth of traditional
hardwood flooring.
COTTAGE KITCHENS
Like a well-tailored shirt, a traditional white
kitchen will never fall out of fashion — but not
all white kitchens are created equal. “There’s an
inherent richness to the room when you use the
right materials and finishes,” kitchen designer
Laura O’Brien says. “And you have to pay attention
to the details.”
This Chicago-area kitchen sets a shining
example. Owned by Nicholle and Dave Braun,
it’s the airy nexus of a new home with traditional
styling. Beautiful millwork and swaths of Calacatta
Gold marble establish the tone, offsetting hand-
scraped walnut floors that extend into a sitting
room and a breakfast bay. The custom cabinetry
features lofty crowns, full-inset doors with
beaded accents, and rich walnut interiors that
complement the floor. “It’s a pleasure just opening
a drawer,” Nicholle says.
Builder Karl Strassburger set the stage with an
arched window, ii-foot ceilings, and a footprint
roughly 16 ½ x 18 ½ feet. O’Brien detailed the
cabinetry, which was hand-painted on-site in two
shades: white for the perimeter and gray-blue for
the island.
The kitchen’s statement piece is a curved zinc
hood nearly 8 ½ feet wide. Unlike stainless steel,
“zinc has a softness and a feeling of age,” O’Brien
says. Polished-zinc accents visually unite the
hood with the room’s polished-nickel fixtures and
hardware, which Nicholle chose with help from
Interior designers Mary Ann Holzl and Nancy
Samuelson.
Paired with a 60-inch range, the curved hood
is proportioned to the space, but its position by a
door required some architectural finesse. “I didn’t
want the hood just ending in midair beside that
doorway,” O’Brien says. Her solution was a short
wing wall, which creates a shallow niche for the
hood and a deep, beautifully cased passage to the
butler’s pantry.
A kitchen blessed with great bones is a major perk, and
the cooking space in Maggie and Derel Finch’s home
in Seattle’s historic Capitol I fill neighborhood offered
that and more. Bonus features include a walk-In
commercial refrigerator, marble countertops, a copper
apron-front sink, and a gourmet range. The ornate
French Provincial-style cabinets, however, didn’t
make the couple’s love-it list. They were a bit fussy for
Maggie, who favors a mix of modern and eclectic styles
and a light, bright look. “They had an elegance that
was beautiful, but it just was not our style,” she says,
They also wanted toy truck to the home’s 1919
architecture while providing a backdrop for the (un
times and nonstop action of their family, which
includes 9•vear-old twins Oliver and Lili, 5-year.old
Samantha, and two frisky pooches, Ruby and Frida.
One thing that wasn’t necessary In the remodel was
an island. That's because the 15x25 foot room easily
accommodates a 6 1/2-foot long table with enough
chairs for everyone. “We wanted to be able to real iv
hang out in the kitchen,” Maggie says.
With her vision set, Maggie found a local craftsman
to build Shaker-style custom cabinets. “To me, Shaker
depicts the earliest form of modern lines,” she says.
Delicate starlike cutouts in each upper cabinet door
panel lends a retro vibe, while the soft gray paint
finish keeps the look airy. “You don’t have to have an
all-white kitchen to have a light, bright look,” says
Maggie, who describes the gray as a “perfect neutral.”
New flooring had the biggest impact. Out went the
rustic stone underfoot, and in came 5 inch wide oak
planks coated with white porch paint and distressed
to give the floor the patina of age.
Ever-v well-planned kitchen needs a focal point, and
in this kitchen, the existing gourmet-caliber range
and vent hood commanded attention. To bolster the
kitchen’s prep zone, Maggie added two dishwashers,
freezer drawers, and recycling bins. And for the
requisite touch of quirkiness, she brought in dining
chairs painted a high-gloss coral, a color repeated in
the adjacent family room.
That pop of unexpected color fits perfectly into
a room that is equal parts casual and elegant—just
the mix Maggie wanted. “We live in the kitchen,” she
says. “When I think back to my best memories—from
making holiday cookies to birthday parties to lazy
Sunday mornings-all of them are in this kitchen.”
“Now you see ¡t, now you don’t” neatly sums up Renu
Agrawal’s California kitchen. “Cooking is my outlet,
and this kitchen is my workshop,” says Renu, an
accomplished cook who revels in producing elaborate
Indian- and Italian-inspired meals for family and
friends. “Because everything is organized and in its
place, it’s easy to be creative.” Still, she knows how
creativity can breed chaos. “When I’m preparing
a meal, I like to have people all around me and
everything out on the counters,” she says. But once
dinner’s over, the space is quickly and easily restored
to its immaculate, orderly resting state. ‘
Key to its efficiency are two floor-to--ceiling storage
walls and an 11-foot island, all conceived by kitchen
designer Vin Leger, who met Renu’s demands for a
convivial, clutter-free kitchen by making the most
of its long, narrow layout. “A large island invites
interaction between cooks and sitting guests,” Leger
says, “ while cabinetry on both sides of the kitchen
makes the long space feel cozier and provides ample
storage for multiple functions.”
By distributing storage along both sides of the
room, Læger was able to subtly divide the space
into two zones. Its “guest” side includes cabinetry
dedicated to wine serving and storage, along with a
coffee station; the “work” side provides Renu with
traffic-free access to appliances, pantries, and trash.
The island both separates and joins the two zones.
Renu also appreciates her kitchen’s modem,
minimalist aesthetic. “My taste is at the extreme
end of contemporary,” she says, “while my husband
prefers more warmth.” To honor their distinct style
preferences, Leger fashioned a tightly edited mix
of cutting-edge and organic materials, including
high-gloss acrylic upper cabinets, walnut hardwood
cabinetrv, and quartz-surfacing countertops that
climb the walls and morph into backsplashes. “I
wanted a minimal number of materials in this kitchen
so it would have a calm, Zen-like quality,” Renu says.
To further the tranquil effect, Leger specified a
deep sink to hide dirty dishes, and a tall backsplash
on the sink peninsula to keep kitchen messes out of
view of guests seated in the adjacent dining room.
Renu counts those features among her favorites. “I
absolutely hate clutter,” she says, “so I love that I
can’t see it even when I know it’s there!”
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