Kitchen of the Week: Aqua Knockout in Austin
Torn-down walls created more space, while vivid blue and green colors and clever storage gave a one-two punch to a kitchen remodel in Texas
Formal dining went out the window when designer Jennifer Ott remodeled the kitchen in her Austin, Texas, home. Ott and her husband didn't use the huge closed-off dining space next to the original small kitchen, so they knocked down the walls to create a contemporary, open space for entertaining as well as cooking. Bold colors, two pantries, clever cabinet designs and a smart breakfast nook now give her the space and style she craved.
|
by Loop Design
»
|
| Ott wanted plenty of countertop workspace to share with her husband, and room for two cooks and guests to move comfortably around the kitchen. "I'm a fan of generous aisle widths," she says. "If you cook or entertain often and have the space, I suggest 48-inch to 54-inch wide aisles. More than 54 inches starts to feel too wide, and you'll feel like you've run a marathon after making a meal." After the remodel, the kitchen is 250 square feet, and the dining space is 115 square feet. Cabinetry: Ikea base cabinet boxes, Texas Trim pecan door and drawer fronts; shelving: custom pecan; countertops: concrete by Caesarstone; range, hood: Wolf |
|
by Loop Design
»
|
| After the walls between the original kitchen and dining rooms were knocked down, architect Christy Seals of Loop Design had to integrate a large beam to support the load of the second story, which was quite a challenge. Since the beam is a foot thick, it meant they had to lower the ceiling height in this area. However, Ott loves the varying ceiling heights — they allow for a subtle openness in the kitchen and intimacy in the dining area. Ott chose the colors based on housewares she'd fallen in love with. Her strategy was to use neutral colors for materials that are expensive or difficult to change — like the quartz countertop and concrete floor — and use bold colors for materials that are cheap and easy to change out — like paint and accessories. Flooring: concrete overlay; wall paint: Parakeet, Sherwin Williams; island paint: Larchmere, Sherwin Williams; bar stools: Ikea |
by Loop Design
»
Although she loves her kitchen neat and clean, Ott isn't always able to stay on top of putting everything away. She designed the window seat as a secret storage area, with a huge space for oversize and little-used items. Two pantries at the far end of the kitchen help with this too. Since the pantries are behind closed doors, she doesn't have to worry about them being spotless.
Refrigerator: Samsung; pendants in dining room: Firefly, CB2; window seat fabric: Small Dandelion, Premier Prints
Refrigerator: Samsung; pendants in dining room: Firefly, CB2; window seat fabric: Small Dandelion, Premier Prints
|
by Loop Design
»
|
| Ott put extra-large drawers in the base cabinets, rather than fixed shelves, making it easier for her to reach kitchen items. Often-used bowls, glasses and plates were put on the open pecan shelving, to prevent constant dusting. Ott also used the home's existing plumbing to keep costs down. This limited the kitchen's layout, but they had plenty of space to work with. "Nobody has an unlimited budget, so it's good to figure out what your priorities are and put the money in the items that make the most sense for you, for how you'll use your kitchen," Ott says. "I don't bake, so I didn't need two separate wall ovens. It may be a popular must-have for a lot of people, but we just didn't need it." Sink: Silgranit Precis Super Single Undermount, Blanco; fixtures: Grohe; pendant over sink: George Kovacs, Lights Fantastic Contractor: Jason Williams, Shoal Creek Construction Photography: Patrick Wong, Atelier Wong |
Ideabook published on May 11, 2012.
What are you working on?
News From Our Partners
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
Modern Furniture
--The wall color is Sherwin-Williams SW 6711 "Parakeet"
--The floor is a self-leveling concrete & resin overlay (just 1/8" thick). It's a custom gray color, I told the installer I wanted it the color of the medium-heather-gray t-shirt he was wearing the day he met with me! After the poured floor was dry they did some stain samples under the fridge and I chose the shade of gray I wanted. I actually would have liked it to be a smidge darker but I didn't want it to match the countertop shade exactly.
--we still get dust on the open shelves themselves, but, yes, the items on them don't get dusty because we use them so frequently.
--I agree 100% that the fridge is not in an ideal location, we were limited a bit because we didn't want to have to pay (even more) for the plumber to relocate the water line to it. so we left it in the existing location. maybe we've just gotten used to it but it's really not bad. just 2 steps from the fridge to the sink and island and 4 steps to the range.
--Jennifer
http://www.heatedtowelrailsoutlet.co.uk/
http://www.gazebosoutlet.co.uk/
http://www.patioheatersoutlet.co.uk/
marcie
more kitchen inspiration: http://custm.co/hz/52
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7014/
We've had the floor for about 2 years now and it's got some dings and scratches. we cook and entertain quite a bit so we knew it would get a fair amount of abuse. I just consider it "patina" and don't get too hung up on it. If you want a perfect, pristine floor then I would say this is probably not the way to go, unless you are good about not dropping things on or dragging things across the floor!
hope this helps!