New This Week: A Pair of Colorfully Eclectic Kitchens
Bright color and a sense of quirkiness energize these one-of-a-kind designs
An eclectic-style design essentially mixes various styles — a little traditional here, some contemporary there, toss in some midcentury modern and so on. But these days people often think of eclectic style as including quirkiness or whimsy, or having some unnameable feeling that lets you just know it when you see it. And a bold, surprising dose of color is often at the root of modern-day eclectic style. Maybe you can call it eccentric eclectic style. Either way, here are two wonderfully eclectic kitchens.
Other special features. Custom-designed porcelain floor tile. Powder-blue island (Raindrop by Sherwin-Williams). Blue picket tile backsplash. Striped upholstered window cornice. Brass hardware. White pendants with interior brass finish.
Designer tip. “With this much pattern and color, I chose a simple patterned backsplash with matching island and added a window upholstered cornice that ties the stove and blue colors together,” Davis says.
2. A Blue-Green Floor Perks Things Up
Designers: Material Design Build and Steven S. Cohen, Architect
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Size: 224 square feet (21 square meters); 14 by 16 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners own and operate a popular toy and children’s bookstore,” says Armin Zomorodi, cofounder of Material Design Build. “As [they’re] avid hosts, it was crucial that the design provide ample workspace and logical flow for them to cook and clean simultaneously. And they wanted a kitchen to reflect their eclectic tastes and love of color in balance with an open, uncluttered and functional space in contrast to their previous dark and antiquated kitchen. The solution was to build the kitchen as an addition to the home, with quick access to the outside for bringing in supplies and welcoming in guests. The addition is two steps down from the existing house, and the extra ceiling height makes the space feel much larger than its modest footprint. A half wall creates a railing and separation from the original house and cookbook shelf on the kitchen-facing side.”
Main feature. Polished-concrete floor stained to the blue-green color of a copper patina, with a matte sealant.
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Designers: Material Design Build and Steven S. Cohen, Architect
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Size: 224 square feet (21 square meters); 14 by 16 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners own and operate a popular toy and children’s bookstore,” says Armin Zomorodi, cofounder of Material Design Build. “As [they’re] avid hosts, it was crucial that the design provide ample workspace and logical flow for them to cook and clean simultaneously. And they wanted a kitchen to reflect their eclectic tastes and love of color in balance with an open, uncluttered and functional space in contrast to their previous dark and antiquated kitchen. The solution was to build the kitchen as an addition to the home, with quick access to the outside for bringing in supplies and welcoming in guests. The addition is two steps down from the existing house, and the extra ceiling height makes the space feel much larger than its modest footprint. A half wall creates a railing and separation from the original house and cookbook shelf on the kitchen-facing side.”
Main feature. Polished-concrete floor stained to the blue-green color of a copper patina, with a matte sealant.
Shop for kitchen counter and bar stools
Other special features. Prefinished maple plywood cabinets with vertical-grain Douglas fir drawer and door faces. Restaurant-style commercial stainless steel island cabinet with a bar-height vertical-grain fir extension. The open shelving is suspended using components typically used for sailboat railings.
Designer tip. “The design places the fridge where it is accessible to all — not just the cooks but a kid popping in for a drink or a guest grabbing ice for a drink — without interfering with the cook’s workflow and without dominating the space despite the large size of the appliance,” says Zomorodi, whose clients used a Houzz ideabook of photos for inspiration that informed the design process and selection of materials.
More on Houzz
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Your Guide to Eclectic Style
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More on Houzz
14 Bright Ideas for Adding a Little Color to Your Kitchen
Your Guide to Eclectic Style
Find a kitchen designer near you
Browse cabinet pulls for your kitchen
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Designer: Karen Davis of Marker Girl
Location: The Woodlands, Texas
Size: 224 square feet (21 square meters); 14 by 16 feet
Homeowners’ request. Increase function in an existing L-shaped kitchen by adding an island with lots of storage.
Main feature. Vibrant yellow Bertazzoni range. The homeowners asked designer Karen Davis to design the kitchen around it.
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