These young clients wanted a modern kitchen. Since their home is located in a heavily wooded area, our concept was to take cues from nature. We started with the simple slab door front cabinets, and then brought in organic, “barky” looking glass back splash and rice paper laminated in glass for the upper cabinet fronts. The granite has very bold crystals which we thought resembled sliced tree trunks. The sheers in the adjoining room soften the wall of windows, and give a hint to the tree shapes beyond.
To add some visual excitement, we played off the angle of the opposite wall for this Franklin kitchen’s island. We elevated the glass to bar height, and it appears to float in the space. Our clients report that it’s not only used to sit at, but works wonderfully for entertaining. Since it’s raised, it works well for a buffet surface, but doesn’t interfere with the cook. Photo by Chani Devers
3. Extensive options for backsplashes. In a pure modern kitchen you might see a full-height marble or concrete backsplash with little ornamentation, but in contemporary kitchens there's often a lot of pattern. Glass tiles are a favorite, as are mosaic, stone and ceramic. Contemporary kitchens often exude personality and let homeowners really express themselves through the use of different materials, and the backsplash is a great place to do that.