Before
Designer Kim Harrison of Kimberley Harrison Interiors was called upon to transform a dated kitchen and adjacent sunroom into a large, open kitchen and dine-in space. Top of the client’s wish list was a large island and a lot of storage – as well as the stipulation that the kitchen ought to be anything other than all-white. Additional challenges the designer faced included combining two rooms with differing ceiling heights, as well as long product wait times.
After
In order to combine the sunroom and kitchen, a wall had to be removed. Additionally, after determining that the height of the ceilings could not be altered, the designer made up for the discrepancy by painting both the same color and replacing the aging sunroom windows with new larger, energy-efficient windows, drawing the eye away from the ceiling height difference and out toward the pleasing view.
Green cabinetry was selected in order to fulfil the no-white-kitchen brief from the clients, creating a color story that both reflects the outdoor views and is on-trend without being too trendy and ephemeral. The eye-catching dimensional Natalie Mize Collective Elitas tile backsplash proved to be a bit of a pinch point in the process; because the tile was not available locally, the designer had to wait for it to be shipped from France. The wait proved to be well worth it, however, as the tile provides the ideal focal point for the kitchen.
In order to provide the clients with much-needed storage space, the designer got creative. Slow-close drawers were added to each end of the dine-in banquette bench, and a large pantry, small bar and kitchen/living room accessible cabinet were also added. Because the client is a chef, thoughtful touches – a cutting board installed in a drawer combined with silverware storage, plus storage specific to knives, spices, pots and pans – create a truly custom, unique working kitchen.
