Client Collaboration: Another Kitchen Beautiful

I mentioned in this post that I often have the privilege of working on kitchen and cabinetry projects that aren't my own design.  I say privilege, because I'm always honored and excited to be exposed to what others are thinking and doing, and I think that in some cases, the best final products can come out of a collaboration.  Such was the case with this project.  The install was started just before Tate was born, and the job was completed while I was on maternity leave.  I stopped by the job site after I returned to work, but things were still in upheaval with painters, floor finishers and final details getting wrapped up.  Last week, I had the chance to peek at some shots of the cleaned up and complete space......

As with other collaborations I've worked on, the floor plan and kitchen layout was done by another designer.  On this project, I worked directly with the homeowner who came to me for guidance and expertise on the cabinet design, and details related to that part of the project.  Together, we determined the right color choices for the cabinetry--a custom white with a soft, feathery glaze for the perimeter cabinets, and a custom gray with a heavier glaze and some light distressing for the island and hutch piece.

Glazed and distressed finishes are tricky, because they can easily look cheesy and dated if not done correctly.  In my experience, finding an experienced custom finisher is key to getting it right--that way, you have the ability to customize the intensity of the glazing and distressing, and aren't limited by a pre-determined glaze/distress level.  In this kitchen, the glazing is really subtle, but gives just enough definition to the cabinetry details.

One of my favorite parts of the project was the client I worked with.  Besides being just a fun and fantastic person, from the start she had a clear direction of where she wanted to go, and an impeccable taste level.  She was responsible for all of the finish selections, including the countertops and backsplash.  Isn't that marble on the island just stunning?  We added the built up/mitred edge detail to give it some extra thickness and make that area really special.

I also love my client's lighting selections, and how they add some nice punctuation to the space.  You'll notice in most of the angles that the walls have vertical painted panels.  These were original to the home, and although the space was renovated and some walls were taken down, the homeowner had the new walls paneled so that everything would match and look like it had always been there.  When renovating older homes, I think its so important to remember those types of details.  It helps the overall look and flow of the home when features like paneling, original wall texture, etc., are maintained and/or restored.

I snapped this photo before construction was complete, which is why there's a bit of a mess on the floor.  This was one of my favorite pieces of cabinetry because it was customized to fit within an awkward area under the stairs.  From the side view, the cabinet is about 12" deep, but the base drawers are actually close to 30" deep because we were able to take advantage of the under-stair depth.  The depth and height of the countertop space was customized to fit the dimensions of the homeowner's coffee machine perfectly.

Just off the kitchen is this charming, light-filled office/seating area.  Having a place like this to get work done makes paying bills much more bearable, I think!

The guest bath (lucky guests!) is just off of the kitchen as well, and ties in nicely with the overall scheme.  We made this great little vanity, which is simple and clean-lined and allows the striking marble and tile detailing to really stand out in the space.

One last look at the overall project.  I had so much fun working on this, and am grateful for the experience of being involved with such a talented team of designers, contractors and a wonderful homeowner.  Projects like this don't come along everyday, and I was blessed to learn so much through this one!