Kitchen of the Week: Wisconsin Cabin Inspires an Urban Condo
A homeowner’s childhood memories of lake life provide a jumping-off point for her D.C.-area home’s relaxed design
Becky Harris
August 10, 2018
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
Photos by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Kitchen at a Glance
Who uses it: A woman who is looking forward to spending more time at home
Location: Rosslyn, Virginia
Size: 100 square feet (9.3 square meters)
Designer: Nancy Harper of Studio Miel
The owner of this condo was looking forward to scaling back her busy work-travel schedule and spending more time at her condo in northern Virginia, just across the Potomac from Washington.
“She grew up in Wisconsin and wanted to bring some of that casual, relaxed cabin feeling from a favorite family lake house up there into her home,” says interior designer Nancy Harper, whose Studio Miel, along with Rill Architects, helped her client complete a full renovation of the first floor.
It was a good starting point. The owner had a notion of the feeling she wanted her home to evoke, and she knew she wanted the kitchen design to include an island with a wooden countertop. “She wanted something rustic modern with some Scandinavian inspiration,” says Harper, who put together different inspiration boards for her client to choose from. This two-tone scheme in navy and white was the winner, and the design evolved from there.
Cabinetry: custom, Danish Builders; cabinet paint: Downpipe, Farrow & Ball
Kitchen at a Glance
Who uses it: A woman who is looking forward to spending more time at home
Location: Rosslyn, Virginia
Size: 100 square feet (9.3 square meters)
Designer: Nancy Harper of Studio Miel
The owner of this condo was looking forward to scaling back her busy work-travel schedule and spending more time at her condo in northern Virginia, just across the Potomac from Washington.
“She grew up in Wisconsin and wanted to bring some of that casual, relaxed cabin feeling from a favorite family lake house up there into her home,” says interior designer Nancy Harper, whose Studio Miel, along with Rill Architects, helped her client complete a full renovation of the first floor.
It was a good starting point. The owner had a notion of the feeling she wanted her home to evoke, and she knew she wanted the kitchen design to include an island with a wooden countertop. “She wanted something rustic modern with some Scandinavian inspiration,” says Harper, who put together different inspiration boards for her client to choose from. This two-tone scheme in navy and white was the winner, and the design evolved from there.
Cabinetry: custom, Danish Builders; cabinet paint: Downpipe, Farrow & Ball
A Place to Display Favorite Things
The homeowner culled her belongings to just what she needed or loved. Open shelving provided a good place to display some favorites.
“We placed her extensive bourbon collection up top, and I helped her find local ceramics and other good pieces for the shelves,” Harper says. One item displayed here is a French press, the client’s preferred coffee-making device.
The tall cabinet to the left of the stove serves as a deep pantry and is outfitted with pullouts. There’s more extensive storage cleverly placed around the condo’s first floor.
The shelves over the sink area provide a beautiful focal point. “Tiling the backsplash all the way to the ceiling draws the eye up, makes the kitchen feel taller and larger and just finishes things off nicely,” Harper says. “And it adds some drama, especially with the darker grout.” This particular tile is a classic subway with a medium gray grout. The shelves, like the island top, are mahogany. Above, new millwork cozies up the ceiling with a flat coffered look.
French press: Yield Design; Timeless large iron shelf bracket: Signature Hardware; browse black brackets
The homeowner culled her belongings to just what she needed or loved. Open shelving provided a good place to display some favorites.
“We placed her extensive bourbon collection up top, and I helped her find local ceramics and other good pieces for the shelves,” Harper says. One item displayed here is a French press, the client’s preferred coffee-making device.
The tall cabinet to the left of the stove serves as a deep pantry and is outfitted with pullouts. There’s more extensive storage cleverly placed around the condo’s first floor.
The shelves over the sink area provide a beautiful focal point. “Tiling the backsplash all the way to the ceiling draws the eye up, makes the kitchen feel taller and larger and just finishes things off nicely,” Harper says. “And it adds some drama, especially with the darker grout.” This particular tile is a classic subway with a medium gray grout. The shelves, like the island top, are mahogany. Above, new millwork cozies up the ceiling with a flat coffered look.
French press: Yield Design; Timeless large iron shelf bracket: Signature Hardware; browse black brackets
One spot for extra storage is underneath the staircase, located behind the island. These sections pull out, and the tallest section is a coat closet. (Note the little round cat door into the original coat closet, which now serves as the litter box room). The other understair sections contain overflow items, cat supplies and a step stool for reaching the highest shelves in the kitchen.
Danish Builders built the cabinetry and millwork and did general contracting duties.
Danish Builders built the cabinetry and millwork and did general contracting duties.
Right-Sizing in a Small Space
Her client lives alone and wanted smaller appliances, but Harper laid everything out so the space could accommodate larger appliances in the future should she need them or want to appeal to a range of buyers.
“We wanted the Smeg refrigerator because it’s super-fun and a great design element, but we left enough room in that spot for a standard-size fridge,” she says. “And my client does most of her cooking on the stovetop or in the steam oven, but I strategically left enough room within the cabinetry so that a wall oven could replace a cabinet.” She also chose a 30-inch apron-front sink to fit the scale of the space.
To create a cohesive look, Harper specified a panel-front dishwasher (to the right of the sink) and tucked the steam oven into the island. “I like to conceal or put appliances below eye level whenever I can,” she says. “Except for the Smeg refrigerator, because it’s such a great style element.”
When it came to metallic finishes, Harper and her client opted for stainless steel for its more cabin-like utilitarian look. “Brass would have really popped in here, but that wasn’t in keeping with the cabin feel,” she says. “We wanted to keep it more old-school.” The choice is more subdued and keeps the attention on the wood accents and the ceramic pendant light shades.
Counter stools: West Elm; pendant lights: Cedar and Moss; refrigerator: Smeg; sink: Rohl; check out more apron-front sinks
Her client lives alone and wanted smaller appliances, but Harper laid everything out so the space could accommodate larger appliances in the future should she need them or want to appeal to a range of buyers.
“We wanted the Smeg refrigerator because it’s super-fun and a great design element, but we left enough room in that spot for a standard-size fridge,” she says. “And my client does most of her cooking on the stovetop or in the steam oven, but I strategically left enough room within the cabinetry so that a wall oven could replace a cabinet.” She also chose a 30-inch apron-front sink to fit the scale of the space.
To create a cohesive look, Harper specified a panel-front dishwasher (to the right of the sink) and tucked the steam oven into the island. “I like to conceal or put appliances below eye level whenever I can,” she says. “Except for the Smeg refrigerator, because it’s such a great style element.”
When it came to metallic finishes, Harper and her client opted for stainless steel for its more cabin-like utilitarian look. “Brass would have really popped in here, but that wasn’t in keeping with the cabin feel,” she says. “We wanted to keep it more old-school.” The choice is more subdued and keeps the attention on the wood accents and the ceramic pendant light shades.
Counter stools: West Elm; pendant lights: Cedar and Moss; refrigerator: Smeg; sink: Rohl; check out more apron-front sinks
Designing Within an Open Floor Plan
Another major design consideration for the kitchen was that it is wide open to the living room. The two needed to be tied together in a pleasing way.
Find a kitchen designer in your area
Another major design consideration for the kitchen was that it is wide open to the living room. The two needed to be tied together in a pleasing way.
Find a kitchen designer in your area
The transitional area between the two spaces is hardworking. Along with Rill Architects, Harper worked out attractive built-ins that incorporate clever storage solutions and connect the two rooms. To the right is a bar that includes a wine refrigerator and glass shelves for wine bottles and glassware. To the left of the bar is another handy tall cabinet. This is where she stores large pieces of serveware and things she wants to keep out of view.
Also creating a cohesive flow are the continuous floors that look like hardwoods but are actually ceramic tile. “My client really loved the idea of wood floors but wanted something that was low-maintenance,” Harper says. This choice gave her the cabin floor nostalgia she wanted while being easier to clean.
Parquet Field Tile: Ann Sacks
Also creating a cohesive flow are the continuous floors that look like hardwoods but are actually ceramic tile. “My client really loved the idea of wood floors but wanted something that was low-maintenance,” Harper says. This choice gave her the cabin floor nostalgia she wanted while being easier to clean.
Parquet Field Tile: Ann Sacks
In the living room, the boxy wood coffee table and tripod lamp play off the wooden island countertop, while the cowhide rug plays off the leather counter stools. A few touches of indigo pick up on the kitchen cabinetry and island.
While there’s continuity between the two spaces, Harper helped her client delineate them as well. Switching up the metallic finishes to warmer brass tones on the sconces and chandelier brought in a whiff of formality to the casual living room, and a rug defines the conversation area.
Chandelier and tripod lamp: Circa Lighting
While there’s continuity between the two spaces, Harper helped her client delineate them as well. Switching up the metallic finishes to warmer brass tones on the sconces and chandelier brought in a whiff of formality to the casual living room, and a rug defines the conversation area.
Chandelier and tripod lamp: Circa Lighting
The built-ins provide symmetry on this wall; the cabinet and shelves on the right mimic the bar (minus the wine fridge).
“Sometimes people hire a designer to do something bold for them, but then they become fearful during the process. This client wasn’t like that, she was all in,” Harper says. Now that she’ll be spending more time at home she’ll be able to enjoy her personalized, relaxing surroundings.
Takeaways
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“Sometimes people hire a designer to do something bold for them, but then they become fearful during the process. This client wasn’t like that, she was all in,” Harper says. Now that she’ll be spending more time at home she’ll be able to enjoy her personalized, relaxing surroundings.
Takeaways
- Open shelves can make a tight kitchen space feel larger. And tiling behind them creates a nice finished look.
- Under-the-staircase space can be put to great use.
- Keeping appliances concealed and/or below eye level maintains a more cohesive look.
- Repeat elements like materials and colors to connect spaces within an open floor plan.
- If you want a little bar area in your kitchen but don’t have the room, look just past the room’s edges to the spaces beyond it.
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Love how the pendants in the kitchen work with the LR chandelier without being exact matches.
The look is great (really love the coffered ceiling installation in the kitchen area!), but I'm wondering how the owner accesses the 'top shelf' bourbons and waters the plant above the refrigerator, and perhaps even reaches the cookbooks and plant that needs watering on the next shelf down. Climb onto the countertop? Given the depth of the sink/counter, hauling out a simple ladder doesn't even seem to give close-enough/safe access.
Same goes for the upper cased shelves above the sofa - the depth of the space seems to make reaching that area extremely difficult for cleaning/reaching objects placed in that area.
I love the living room because it is the most natural looking and most cozy with leather seats and a fine carpet.