Behind The Scenes- Traditional Home Feature

A while back, I had the privilege of working on a beautiful new home for some of my favorite clients.

They are chic, empty nesters who were building their forever house, and with a discerning eye and an appreciation for fine materials, they hired me to create a unique, gorgeous, home.

It was such a fun project because they were not scared to let me be creative.   They trusted me and my vision, even when it was completely different than anything they had ever seen.   I am glad they took a leap of faith because it turned out beautifully.

I was thrilled to learn their kitchen is in the November/December issue of Traditional Home, and I thought it might be fun to take a look at my thought process for this home.

When I first saw the floor plans, the kitchen and family room were one big room.  In my opinion, the open room felt more like a ballroom than a residential home, so the first thing I did was define the two rooms with an opening.

This home is French in style, and I saw soft lines throughout the home.   Wherever I could, I added a subtle sweep or flair that is balanced out with simple details surrounding it.

I also saw soft colors throughout.  The lady of the house is this stunning blond with blue eyes.  Believe it or not, when working on any project, I always look at what colors my client seems to gravitate towards or what colors seem to favor them.  Silver, grays, deep purple,and soft blue became our palette throughout.

The gallery hall leading into the kitchen was exceptionally long, and I wanted to shorten the expanse of walkway here so I added 6′ deep barrel vault opening on each end.  I think they ended up being a nice custom detail to the space.

We used Soapstone on the perimeter and honed Mystery White marble on the island.  I mixed my metal finishes for a “collected” look to this new house.

The island ended up being my favorite detail in this space.    The homeowners like to eat at it each night, so one end needed to serve as seating.  I saw soft lines on this piece versus 90 degree edges, so I designed one with soft curves.

I tell my clients ALL the time, custom cabinetry is something you cannot skimp on in a project.  It makes the biggest difference, and not all craftsmen are equal.

Thank goodness we had a good one for this project.  To show what a true craftsmen he is, he created a mini version of the island just to make sure it laid out like we hoped.  If I can say so myself, I think his effort- and talent- paid off.

The backsplash is a Calcutta Gold mosaic with Azul limestone squares from Artistic Tile.    The material is beautiful and helped pull all of the finishes together.

The pictures shown here are ones Graham Yelton photographed for me.   To see more photographs and sourcing on this kitchen, check out the article in this month’s Traditional Home.   It’s a beautiful issue – with a gorgeous cover- and it will not disappoint.

And, as always, if we can help turn your home into one you think you can only dream about, reach out to us here.  We would love to hear from you-

dana