HOUSTON — Over the past five years, designers at Chaira Design Group in Houston, Texas, have helped these homeowners design several areas of their Woodlands homes with love, including the family room, dining room, entryway, den, and conversation room. We have supported the renovation. They recently remodeled their kitchen to create a space with increased functionality and storage, a respect for nature, and a clean aesthetic that fits more effortlessly into their busy lifestyles as parents of five children. Ta.
“They bought a house in a really nice neighborhood, but it was very outdated,” says lead designer Cindy Aplanalp.
Aplanalp and designer Amber Reddoch worked within the kitchen's existing footprint, adding functionality and functionality by replacing the 36-inch cooktop with a nearly 6-foot professional-style La Cornue range and matching ventilation hood. I catered to my wife's love of cooking. By moving the appliances from diagonal corners to the surrounding walls, we were able to emphasize the bright green hue and make it the focal point of the space. The new location also balances the visual “heaviness” of the appliances with the fireplace in the adjacent family room.
The homeowners weren't necessarily looking for a bold statement piece like this, but an unexpected “discovery” at a local electronics store was rewarding and inspired the finished design.
“They sent me a photo and asked if I should get it,” Aplanalp recalls. “We immediately said yes!”
Designers say that the decision to adopt such bright colors is certainly not for everyone.
“It's a big undertaking, but clients like things that are unique,” says Aplanalp.
“Interiors often reflect a person's personality,” Reddock adds. “This range definitely reflects the couple’s energetic, fun and vibrant personas.”
The designer flanked the series with a pair of glass-front cabinets accented with black metal mullions and Matte Gray Diamond Dimension tiles from Material Bespoke Stone + Tile, both featuring iron/black and glass accents. It connects the kitchen with the adjacent room. Interior lights add shine and highlight the texture and shape of the tiles.
Clé's weathered white 4″ x 4″ zellige tile serves as the backsplash behind the range and hood. It extends to cover the diagonal wall behind the floating shelves and the window wall.
“We made the windows significantly larger to make the kitchen bright and modern,” says Aplanalp. “The house is set on a great site, so the windows are larger and give the client a better connection with nature, which is what the client was looking for.”
improved storage
Improving storage in the new kitchen made it possible to make the window larger and remove the wall cabinets that were previously on either side of the small window. In addition to custom Jonathan Dahl Woodworks walnut cabinets with plenty of efficient drawers, the designers created a coffee station and a “super” pantry. The former includes shelves, quartzite work surfaces, and hidden electrical outlets behind bifold doors, giving homeowners the opportunity to hide small appliances and related beverage accessories. The depth dimensions of the station's wall cabinets, as well as their location between the paneled Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer columns, create a visual relief that makes the expansive walls feel “lighter.”
“When using refrigerators and freezers with panels, you want to break them up as much as possible to minimize large masses,” says Aplanalp. “In this kitchen, we were able to separate them and unclog them with a shallow coffee station.”
In addition to the coffee station, the designers increased storage by creating a super pantry that utilizes a former small pantry and part of the garage. Painted cabinets and open shelves streamline organization within the space, and a double-wall oven and microwave extend cooking capabilities beyond the confines of the kitchen. Anthracite black granite countertop serves as a convenient workspace. Its black hue is tied to the 8″x8″ Stacey Garcia Maddox Deco Charcoal Black Matte Porcelain tile flooring and accent wall.
“The previous kitchen was a good size, but it didn't have very efficient storage, especially considering we have a family of five children,” Reddock says. “The kitchen is a high-activity area in the house. Everyone has to walk through it to get to the family room and other areas of the house.
“Our clients are also very particular about keeping things organized and making sure they have a place for everything,” continues the designer. “Having a door on the coffee station allows you to hide away clutter. Also, adding a super pantry greatly increases storage capacity and surface area, so you can store frequently used items while still keeping clutter hidden away.” You can be free from things.”
The island also offers additional storage space and ample seating in the kitchen for the family. The base, painted smoky blue, mirrors the blue hue used throughout the rest of the house. The Mont Blanc quartzite top contrasts with the dark finish and brightens the space. Relatively low maintenance and durable, natural stone can withstand the demands of busy families.
“We really tried to choose finishes that didn't require special attention,” Reddock explains. “We didn't want our customers to worry about what would happen if their kids spilled something on their countertops. We wanted everything to be easy to clean and maintain. .”
The island also features a quartzite Social Corner style sink, based on designer Matthew Quinn's SocialCorner sink, which makes it easy for multiple people to use the sink at the same time.
“They have large families, so they have a lot of flexibility when multiple people are working in the kitchen,” Reddock says.
An oversized Visual Comfort pendant above the island matches the Hudson Valley sconces that frame the window. The brass finish reflects the gold tones of the plumbing fixtures, range trim, and surrounding cabinet hardware while complementing other materials and metals used throughout the space.
“We wanted something very streamlined, but also interesting,” Reddoch says. “The candlesticks in particular have a very unique shape.” ▪
