Dinner Party-Worthy Views“The kitchen is basically in the dining room,” the designer says. To create a kitchen that was up to par with the dining room, she elevated the design with certain elements. “These pendant lights are not in your face, but they are dramatic and conversation-worthy,” she says. The brass finish ties into the elegant modern chandelier in the dining room (catch a peek of it in the top right corner). For the Roman shade, she found a fabric full of circles that play off the pendant’s globes. “It has yellows in it that pick up on the brass, and yellow is just such a happy color,” she says. Elegant walnut Cherner counter stools add warmth, and the waterfall countertop on the peninsula creates a clean, dramatic line. Find brass globe pendant lights in the Houzz Shop
“I cover kitchen walls in tile whenever I can,” Milner says. “It makes the ceiling feel higher because the wall isn’t broken up by a backsplash. This keeps the eye moving around and prevents the kitchen from feeling chopped up.” She even continued the tile on the walls behind the glass-front cabinets. The shelves inside are glass, and she stuck with white and clear glass for the items on display. But she notes that should her clients desire more color in the kitchen, adding colorful items to the display cabinets would be an easy but impermanent way to add it.The cabinets ride the line between cozy cottage and urban modern. They have a classic Shaker profile but are inset and adorned by streamlined matte black and chrome hardware. The floors also suit cottage and modern styles. They are hand-scraped engineered white oak, which is traditional. But their lighter tone leans modern.Learn the Lingo of Cabinet Door Styles
A Hidden Washer-DryerOn the kitchen-facing side of the peninsula is pots-and-pans storage and a washer-dryer. The unit is ventless and goes from wash cycle to dry cycle automatically. It’s a handy appliance to have in the kitchen for the tea towels and bibs and muddy clothes of kids coming in to the kitchen from the backyard. The peninsula is a handy spot for folding clothes.
Other special features. Aqua hexagonal tile backsplash and aqua floating shelves. Peninsula with white quartz waterfall-edge detail. Paneled refrigerator and tall pantry. The homeowners had originally thought they wanted all-white cabinets, but when Logue looked through their Houzz ideabook of inspiration photos they had gathered, she noticed that they had saved a lot of kitchens with dark base cabinets and white upper cabinets. She suggested they go that route and include white countertops, to lighten the kitchen but still have that dark wood, midcentury modern vibe. Designer secret. The previous backsplash was composed of glass blocks that matched the transom above the range. The glass let in light, but the view to the neighbors’ hedge wasn’t something the owners wanted to hang on to. To get a stylish backsplash, Logue drywalled directly over the glass blocks (they are still visible from the exterior) and covered the drywall with the statement tile. “If we had left the blocks, we just wouldn’t have gotten the same impact in this kitchen,” she says. See more of this kitchen
Keep the wood light. Glossy white cabinets lend a luminous quality to a kitchen. To maintain that look, introduce wood with a light touch. This island has natural wood cabinetry below its gleaming white countertop. The designers left a gap between the two elements, which helps lift the island and create an airy feel. A full-height cabinet with a pale wood surface adds another warm element, and its recessed design ties in with the island cabinets.
Terrazzo floor
7. Diamond tiles. In this London kitchen, small diamond-shaped tiles are laid in a pattern of stars or tumbling block shapes, depending on how you look at them. Fans of M.C. Escher might enjoy this tile shape and pattern.Browse white backsplash tile
6. Geometric. These tiles in a San Jose, California, kitchen look like angular fans or slices of origami paper laid one on top of the other.Tile: Half hex shape, Heath Ceramics
SplurgeHard-wearing kitchen cabinets. A good kitchen remodel can add value to your home, but not if it’s falling apart by the time you sell. If you skimp on your kitchen cabinets (especially the doors and drawer fronts), you may find things looking rough around the edges sooner than they should.
SplurgeA well-crafted dining table. The dining table, like your sofa, is a key piece of furniture that sees a lot of use — and suffers a lot of spills. White laminate tables are trendy but, depending on how they’re treated, can start to show wear and tear quite quickly. An elegant wood or stone dining table can suit any decor and can last for decades.
loft
pocket door
mix of materials
Terrazzo floor
FebruaryGive your bedroom a thorough cleaning and decluttering to create the ultimate sleep cave.Look at your schedule and let go of commitments that are not necessary and are no longer bringing you joy.Carve out several islands of unplugged time each day to be in nature, chat with a friend or simply sit down and savor a cup of hot tea.Slow Down and Ease Up: A Sanity-Saving Approach to Life
ipe siding
loft
built-in bunk beds
bedroom windows
roof, windows
exposed brick wall
Built-in shelving including for TV
back splash, cabinets and built in shelving
backsplash
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