Defining Classic & Transitional
Had to share the inside scoop of this project before it's featured on a Houzz.com Editorial. 😉
Location of project: Los Gatos, CA Size/Dimensions: Kitchen space is ~26’-7” x 14’ deep or 365 square feet including the desk command center area. Homeowners’ Request: Our clients wanted a bright and classic functional eat-in kitchen and living space with touches of warm grey and accents of marble, brass, and natural wood elements. They wanted to keep the color palette neutral so that colorful accessories could be swapped out during various holidays throughout the year.
Soft Color Palette: For the cabinet paint color, I selected Dunn Edward’s "Cool December”, which I feel is the perfect balance of a white that is not too creamy or yellow, but still has hints of warmth to it and pairs beautifully with a popular white, Swiss Coffee. It’s basically the perfect white! For the backsplash, my clients wanted a traditional honed Carrera Marble so we went with the 3”x 6” size in an offset pattern. This really shows off the variety of veining throughout the natural stone, doesn't it?The island countertop is Vadara’s Calcatta Blanco, an engineered quartz, which again has ribbons of warm grey mixed with gold on a mostly off-white background while the perimeter is a velvet finish Cabrini Grey engineered quartz by Daltile. The grey perimeter broke up all the white cabinetry without weighing the color palette down. The island was then custom stained to match the warm-toned engineered hardwood flooring by Hallmark Floors, Alta Vista Collection in color Del Mar.
Here's a close-up of the Cabrini Gray in the velvet finish. 😍
Designer Tip: If you want to do away with an eat-in kitchen table, make sure you have plenty of room for seating at your island - and be mindful as to where those seats are placed. Play close attention to keeping guests out of the kitchen’s main work-triangle i.e. the connection between the sink/fridge/cooktop. I often place the refrigerator right at the transition between the public and private spaces of the kitchen just like this kitchen. That way, guests can access the refrigerator without crossing through the cook’s work triangle
“Uh-oh...” Moment: Because this island is so large (approx. 7’-8” x 10’!!! It's huge), this was/is larger than any single available engineered quartz material on the market. So, we opted to source a manufacturer that makes consecutive slabs. You’d never know it, but this island has a seam, however it’s unnoticeable in real life and in pictures even if you go looking for it.
Nitty-Gritty: We went through great lengths to design every inch of the cabinetry to give it a truly custom look. My client has beautiful taste so she was already equipped with several concept images and selections to inspire our designs. Instead of a traditional one-piece crown, we created our own crown by inverting a base moulding plus a 1” x 1” which is traditional with a twist - and might be my favorite part of this kitchen.
What trends are you seeing lately you might ask?
Many of our clients are doing away with kitchen tables and opting for super large islands like this one. This way family and guests can be close by or dine-in informally while still gathering together within the kitchen.
Also, many clients are requesting built-in desks areas that I call a command center - if you will. A place for a laptop or desktop computer, file storage, charging stations, etc.
Also, Mud Rooms are having a big resurgence. This Mud Room surely does not disappoint since it's packed with functionality, style, and storage.
Last, but certainly not least is the importance of a nicely designed Laundry Room. Laundry Rooms need to be functional first and foremost, but I'd also argue that they need to be attractive so that you'll actually WANT to do laundry. 😂 What a concept!
