Timeless and Modern with a Dabble of Art Deco
Claremont

The challenge was to take a dated and oddly sized kitchen, and a dining room open to the living room, and make them useable for this hard-working couple that hosts Friday night neighborhood cocktail hour.  One of the early ideas entailed flipping the locations of the dining room and kitchen, this gave us the opportunity to consolidate the kitchen to match the owners' lifestyle and put the bar at the end of the long narrow space once occupied by the kitchen. 

As the design process evolved there was a powder room added, stair resurfacing, and adding wood panels to the primary suite.  There was also the desire to replace the front door and canopy for better rain protection and a more striking entry.

For inspiration, we used the words of Frank Lloyd Wright, who wrote, “The hearth [fireplace] is the psychological center of the home”, the gathering place of the family. Today, that “hearth” is the kitchen. Drawing inspiration from traditional brick fireplaces, we bordered the cooktop and hood with old Chicago-style brick that frames the matte black metal backsplash and Shou Sugi Ban surround of the hood, creating our reinterpretation of the hearth, the center of this family’s home,

The previous kitchen was long and narrow, surprisingly lacking in countertop space and oddly placed appliances.  With the owners, we worked to open the kitchen to the views of the living room and windows beyond adding an abundance of light. The dark cabinets and counter contrast beautifully with the light backsplash tile and flooring. The richness of the walnut grain, the texture and color of the backsplash tile, and the natural stone countertop bring a stylish warmth to the kitchen that complements the cabinets and appliances.  

photos by: Megan Bob Photography