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Let Creativity Spill Over in the Kitchen
From artful arrangements to faux tile, imagination belongs in the kitchen as much as any other room in your house
We love a beautiful kitchen that meets our needs in the prepping, cooking, baking and storage department. But sometimes, a kitchen goes above and beyond the functional and enters the realm of the creative, showing that inventiveness doesn't expire as soon as it leaves the home office, studio, living room or bedroom. Take a look at how these kitchens showcase artful imagination — all within an arm's reach from the oven, refrigerator or kitchen island.
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| Faux Tile Instead of upper cabinets filling the space above the stove, the homeowners and architects of this minimalist home created a mosaic-like art piece made entirely of paint, which they applied with a roller brush. "We worked off of a floral pattern which we had printed out on a piece of paper, cut strips of tape according to the pattern, painted the wall, and then peeled off the tape once the paint had dried — by far the most time-consuming part," says designer Tony Round. |
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by Incorporated
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Fabric Backsplash
Designer Drew Stuart placed his client's favorite Josef Frank fabric between two pieces of architectural glass above this stove. "My client was delighted that we used her favorite fabric — and surprised that it found a home in the kitchen," he says. "Now the kitchen has all this color and energy, just like the rest of the house."
Designer Drew Stuart placed his client's favorite Josef Frank fabric between two pieces of architectural glass above this stove. "My client was delighted that we used her favorite fabric — and surprised that it found a home in the kitchen," he says. "Now the kitchen has all this color and energy, just like the rest of the house."
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Oversized Print
Here, a large map framed in raw steel with brass screws behind a yellow and white toile bench adds interest to this midcentury galley kitchen and ups the gravitas of the cozy breakfast nook.
Here, a large map framed in raw steel with brass screws behind a yellow and white toile bench adds interest to this midcentury galley kitchen and ups the gravitas of the cozy breakfast nook.
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| Pattern Mashup This kitchen explodes with imaginative use of color and pattern. The green mosaic backsplash extends the leafy foliage just outside the door, and yellow ceiling stripes magnify the yellow in the fruit and accessories. To top it off, an irregular mirror reflects the entire mashup. |
by Lisa Sorgini
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Personal Mementos
The owners of this eclectic house show that personal curios can and should pepper a home well outside the bounds of the entryway console or bedside table.
Poppy, one of the homeowners, found the portrait hanging above the mantel for a dollar; it's one of her prized possessions. "I can't imagine the kitchen without it," she says. Large bamboo branches arch over the door, emphasizing the room's height and lending the kitchen a graceful quality. It's also a nod to Poppy's profession as a florist.
"Since we downsized significantly when we moved into this cottage, everything in the house carries some sort of meaning for us — from the portrait all the way to the dining table," says Poppy (who designed the table).
The owners of this eclectic house show that personal curios can and should pepper a home well outside the bounds of the entryway console or bedside table.
Poppy, one of the homeowners, found the portrait hanging above the mantel for a dollar; it's one of her prized possessions. "I can't imagine the kitchen without it," she says. Large bamboo branches arch over the door, emphasizing the room's height and lending the kitchen a graceful quality. It's also a nod to Poppy's profession as a florist.
"Since we downsized significantly when we moved into this cottage, everything in the house carries some sort of meaning for us — from the portrait all the way to the dining table," says Poppy (who designed the table).
by Mary Prince
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Designer Jenn Clapp's kitchen showcases her love of owls, birds and printed matter just as much as any other corner, wall or space in her traditional-quirky home.
Pots hanging from the rack share the space with her owl collection, giving guests a taste of her entire home's style as they gather around the kitchen island.
Pots hanging from the rack share the space with her owl collection, giving guests a taste of her entire home's style as they gather around the kitchen island.
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| Artful Arrangement Everything matters in this small cottage kitchen, which means there's not much room for fanciful decor. Homeowner Bonnie Forkner composes sublime artful vignettes within such a tight space: colorful measuring cups line the oven sill and pastel containers from mint green to citrine sweeten the arrangement. |
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| Forkner groups a hodgepodge of vintage and newly bought jars in her exposed pantry, tying them all together with the use of circle Kraft labels — a subtle yet completely effective unifying element. |
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Handmade and Thoughtfully Curated
The owners of this traditional home stenciled and hand-painted the Southwestern-inspired pattern onto their kitchen walls, extending the plum and lavender ombre look of the rest of the home. A glitter-coated skull, ceramic poodle, a gilt pharaoh print and a porcelain figurine show off the couple's playful and creative side without taking too much attention away from the stencil pattern.
Do you have a creative kitchen? We'd love to see it. Post a photo and tell us a little about it in the Comments section below!
The owners of this traditional home stenciled and hand-painted the Southwestern-inspired pattern onto their kitchen walls, extending the plum and lavender ombre look of the rest of the home. A glitter-coated skull, ceramic poodle, a gilt pharaoh print and a porcelain figurine show off the couple's playful and creative side without taking too much attention away from the stencil pattern.
Do you have a creative kitchen? We'd love to see it. Post a photo and tell us a little about it in the Comments section below!
Ideabook published on Oct. 25, 2012.
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We love the use of graphics on kitchen and bath walls, especially when the inherent perceived value of ceramic (or porcelain or tumble marble or glass) tile is incorporated. Once we perfected the ability to transfer high resolution, vibrant color images (photos, art, and logos) onto these surfaces, we actually dropped several product lines to focus on this wonderful mode of home decor.