3 Beautifully Vibrant Kitchens
Designers play with materials, colors and patterns to create kitchens that are hard to look away from
Designers have many tools at their disposal to make a kitchen look good. They frequently play with various materials, patterns and colors to take a kitchen design in one direction or another. To create something visually appealing, they often increase the vibrancy of one or more of those elements. Here, three kitchens show various ways to deliver a visual feast.
Other special features. Vein-cut marble backsplash tile in chevron pattern. Brass range hood over 16-burner teal range. Black cabinets with brass hardware. Brass pendants, faucet and countertop stools.
Designer tip. Outlet plugs in a custom color on the end of the island satisfied code requirements while virtually disappearing.
“Uh-oh” moment. To align all the ceiling lighting, the designers had to reframe and move a significant amount of framing to get the right positioning.
Island outlets: Doug Mockett & Co.; builder: BlueStone Construction
Designer tip. Outlet plugs in a custom color on the end of the island satisfied code requirements while virtually disappearing.
“Uh-oh” moment. To align all the ceiling lighting, the designers had to reframe and move a significant amount of framing to get the right positioning.
Island outlets: Doug Mockett & Co.; builder: BlueStone Construction
2. Powerful Pattern
Designer: Diane Burgoyne
Location: Ocean City, New Jersey
Size: 264 square feet (25 square meters); 15½ by 17 feet
Homeowners’ request. A classic, sophisticated, comfortable kitchen with bold colors and patterns.
Visual appeal. Bold-pattern cement tile backsplash. “Although chosen last, the tile added the perfect balance to the brilliant blue-and-white color scheme,” designer Diane Burgoyne says.
Other special features. Navy-and-white patterned counter stool backs. Bright white cabinets, trim and walls (High Reflective White by Sherwin-Williams). Gold-colored accents via the light fixtures, cabinet hardware and nailhead trim on the stools. Coffered ceiling.
Designer tip. “It is important to note that all finishes in a space should not match,” Burgoyne says. “Mixing finishes causes the end result to be more interesting.”
Shop for counter stools
Designer: Diane Burgoyne
Location: Ocean City, New Jersey
Size: 264 square feet (25 square meters); 15½ by 17 feet
Homeowners’ request. A classic, sophisticated, comfortable kitchen with bold colors and patterns.
Visual appeal. Bold-pattern cement tile backsplash. “Although chosen last, the tile added the perfect balance to the brilliant blue-and-white color scheme,” designer Diane Burgoyne says.
Other special features. Navy-and-white patterned counter stool backs. Bright white cabinets, trim and walls (High Reflective White by Sherwin-Williams). Gold-colored accents via the light fixtures, cabinet hardware and nailhead trim on the stools. Coffered ceiling.
Designer tip. “It is important to note that all finishes in a space should not match,” Burgoyne says. “Mixing finishes causes the end result to be more interesting.”
Shop for counter stools
3. Kicked-Up Color
Designer: Diane Gordon
Location: Arvada, Colorado
Size: 263 square feet (24 square meters); 13½ by 19½ feet
Homeowners’ request. Combine midcentury and mountain styles in a 1960s-built kitchen. “My client really loves the warmth of Colorado mountain interiors, and requested more wood tones and stone,” designer Diane Gordon says. “So I called the style of this remodel ‘midcentury mountain’ and had to figure out a way to successfully combine two very different styles.”
Visual appeal. Handmade blue wave-pattern backsplash tile. Vibrant orange counter stools.
Designer: Diane Gordon
Location: Arvada, Colorado
Size: 263 square feet (24 square meters); 13½ by 19½ feet
Homeowners’ request. Combine midcentury and mountain styles in a 1960s-built kitchen. “My client really loves the warmth of Colorado mountain interiors, and requested more wood tones and stone,” designer Diane Gordon says. “So I called the style of this remodel ‘midcentury mountain’ and had to figure out a way to successfully combine two very different styles.”
Visual appeal. Handmade blue wave-pattern backsplash tile. Vibrant orange counter stools.
Other features. Warm gray-washed semicustom cabinets. White quartz countertops with a waterfall edge on one side of the island. Wide-plank walnut floors.
Designer tip. “This space wasn’t very large, but my client wanted to retain a breakfast table, add an island with seating, plus keep a peninsula,” Gordon says. “The solution to fitting everything in the allotted space was to build a corner banquette in which to nestle the breakfast table — a great solution if one is struggling to fit everything in a kitchen or if more circulation space is needed.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We were installing a metal wall chimney hood against a sloped ceiling, and realized it would have to be sent to a custom metal shop to be cut to the precise angle of the ceiling,” Gordon says. “A few weeks after all the other appliances were in, the hood was finally installed. Lesson learned — have that measured in advance.”
More on Houzz
14 Bright Ideas for Adding a Little Color to Your Kitchen
Get more kitchen design ideas
Find a kitchen designer near you
Shop for kitchen products
Designer tip. “This space wasn’t very large, but my client wanted to retain a breakfast table, add an island with seating, plus keep a peninsula,” Gordon says. “The solution to fitting everything in the allotted space was to build a corner banquette in which to nestle the breakfast table — a great solution if one is struggling to fit everything in a kitchen or if more circulation space is needed.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We were installing a metal wall chimney hood against a sloped ceiling, and realized it would have to be sent to a custom metal shop to be cut to the precise angle of the ceiling,” Gordon says. “A few weeks after all the other appliances were in, the hood was finally installed. Lesson learned — have that measured in advance.”
More on Houzz
14 Bright Ideas for Adding a Little Color to Your Kitchen
Get more kitchen design ideas
Find a kitchen designer near you
Shop for kitchen products
Designers: Ronal Fenstermacher (interior design) and Wayland Shamburger of Shamburger Architectural Group (architecture)
Location: Fairview, North Carolina
Size: 480 square feet (45 square meters); 16 by 30 feet
Homeowners’ request. Modernize and open up a French country kitchen to increase flow and create a more contemporary style.
Visual appeal. A 4-by-16-foot Val d’Orcia granite island with waterfall ends.
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