The Best Recipe for Baking, Art and Architecture
Claire was thinking of a modest update for her kitchen. Nothing too extravagant - painting the cabinets white and getting some new pulls, new white countertops, updating appliances. She knew what she wanted…but then the design recipe changed. So, how and why did her vision for this kitchen go from clean, crisp white finishes to one with quartersawn oak and honed black granite?
Coming up with the right recipe for any renovation can often be a journey and it helps to have a guide. I had the pleasure of being Claire’s guiding designer for her new kitchen. We had already updated other areas in her Dutch Colonial and I knew it pretty well. Her home exuded charm with its beautifully maintained original woodwork, leaded windows and a built-in buffet.
Claire had filled her home with beautiful art and crafts she’s collected over the years. She was also an avid baker well known for her cookies and pie socials. Figuring out the right design recipe for her kitchen would incorporate her art, love of baking and home’s architecture in just the right way.
The vision of a white kitchen was where her journey began, but when the cost of painting her cabinets was much higher than expected, everything began to change. New cabinetry wasn’t much more expensive. In fact, new cabinets with soft close glides sounded pretty nice. Ok then, new white cabinets made sense…but she had always wondered…
What about opening up the wall between the kitchen and dining room?
Would she like the results?
How much would it cost?
Most home design projects reach this point when you wonder, am I doing the right thing? Am I taking on too much, or too little? What kind of project will ultimately create the most satisfying results for the investments of time, money and the trouble of getting everything done?
There aren’t any cookie cutter answers to these questions. The right answers are different for every project and homeowner. Investing in a thoughtful, thorough design process with a professional beforehand will provide answers specific to you and your home. A designer can help you visualize and vet options. They can affirm or improve on a vision you already have. They can help you sort through all the things you saw online and help you focus on solutions that will work for you. Best yet, a designer may show you how to take a project in a new and exciting direction!
Which is what happened for Claire. Opening that wall and increasing the scope of her kitchen project brought forth lots of new questions…
Could this be done tastefully and respectfully to the style of this older home?
How big should the opening be?
What would a white kitchen actually look like from the dining room?
How would white countertops look with a black stove?
Should there be cabinets with glass doors on both sides?
And what about the kitchen’s tile floor, the little pantry space and the stairway to the basement?
I love helping clients work through these types of design questions. Often times, just a few quick sketches is all it takes to reveal critical issues and gain clarity on the right path forward.
The ultimate design recipe for Claire’s kitchen was more like gingerbread and molasses with black licorice and a touch of orange. We put together a delicious, complex balance of finishes that relate beautifully to the original architecture.
The new quartersawn oak cabinetry and honed black Virginia granite feel authentic in this older home and are easy to maintain. A peninsula where the wall was once a multifunctional hub for baking, serving and entertaining. Taking down the wall created beautiful, new sightlines and increased the flow of natural light. Now the cook can connect with her guests while she’s in the kitchen, and her art plays a meaningful decorative role throughout. The crowning touch is a charming wallpaper that gave a once uneventful little wall in the back of the kitchen a ton of personality.
for me, As a designer, the most important question is:
how will this project change the feel of a home and improve the client’s daily experience of living in it?
This is the end goal of design. I love meeting clients where they are with their dreams and questions about a potential project. I help them navigate the weeds of too many ideas, solve problems and understand aesthetic choices. The idea is to define the right project before the hammer starts swinging or the appliances get ordered.
Need a guide to help you figure out the best recipe for your home renovation or design project? Let’s talk! Simply click HERE to set up your free discovery call and I’ll be in touch.