2Scale Architects already had the kitchen laid out when Medina joined the project. He tweaked just a few things and helped the couple pick the finishes. “I love collaborating with these architects because they always include thoughtful details like the exposed-brick wall and the ceiling beams,” he says. The beams nod to the exterior’s Craftsman-inspired architecture and work well with the floors of reclaimed red oak. Knowing his clients’ tastes, Medina found a brick that’s a new product but has a rustic vintage look. The white that shows up on that wall coordinates with the white backsplash.
Medina originally specified industrial-looking blackened-iron-and-glass doors for the wine closet, but the price tag was high. “We were trying to keep to a budget, so I suggested we find something vintage instead,” he says. He sourced these doors at the famous Texas antique fair Round Top. The light wood, wrought iron scrolling and trim details make the wine closet a special and unique element of the kitchen.
Placing the wine closet off to the side makes it easy to open bottles and serve drinks without getting in the cook’s way. “The wine closet makes the kitchen the fun space my clients wanted,” Medina says. It contains a counter for serving, a wine cooler, wine racks, shelves and a nugget ice maker — a homeowner must-have.
Homeowners’ request. This was a model home in a community with multiple competing builders, each with their own model. “As such, we needed a home that would stand out among the competition and be memorable,” designer Christina Wilcocks says. “The overall theme for this home was transitional with class, an overall classic styling in look and finishes while incorporating both traditional and contemporary elements to make it cozy yet fresh.”
4. Carolina Laurelcherry (Prunus caroliniana) Native from Texas east to North Carolina A low-water alternative to cherry laurel (P. laurocerasus), drought-tolerant Carolina laurelcherry has glossy leaves and an upright growth habit. Plant it as a hedge or grow dwarf varieties (Prunus caroliniana ‘Compacta’) in containers as accent
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