Artwork in the Kitchen

One of the most pinned rooms for interiors are kitchens.  It should come as no surprise since it is "the heart of the home" and arguably one of the most used areas for living and entertaining.  Because of this, I think the kitchen needs a little extra attention--mostly in the way of artwork.

Many people shy away or don't even think about having artwork on or over the kitchen counters.  "There's no room for it" they say..."It will get messed up when cooking"..."Are you crazy?"

And I combat those statements with "Yes, there is"..."Not it won't"...and "Definitely not."

Artwork is an excellent way to make your kitchen feel like any other designed space in your home.  It makes the room more personal, is a great talking point and makes a huge difference in the space with little effort.

If you're still weary, let me show you some examples. 

Here's a great example of some little pieces via Lacquered Life.  The picture light makes it even better.

Even without a lot of extra wall space, you can still prop up a small framed piece. (via Decorator's Notebook) 

This home was recently featured in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, and I may have to give it a full post one day because it is that good.  But, in the meantime, let's enjoy this kitchen. 

The wet bar is also a great place to add some art (via Terra Cotta Design).

Lauren Liess has been a design icon for me for awhile, and her previous home's kitchen is a great example why.  Tip: Flea markets and thrift stores are a great place to get vintage oil paintings.

Over the stove is another great place to bring in a framed piece. (via The Paper Mulberry)

This last one doesn't technically have art, but I love how the leaning wood cutting boards act as a great replacement.  It just goes to show, it doesn't have to be fancy to work! (via The Proper Hunt)

Now go add some art to the heart of your home.  

*Designer tip: Stay away from themed items like pictures of utensils and coffee cups and word art for a more high-end look.

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An Arrangement

ar·range
əˈrānj/
verb 1. put (things) in a neat, attractive, or required order.

CHAIR // TABLE // PRINT // KITCHEN

Client Design: A Modern Classic Kitchen

We recently had a client contact us about helping them update their kitchen.  The couple didn't want to do a huge renovation or overhaul, just some ideas they could easily implement to give their kitchen a facelift.  Lucky for them, our E-Design process was perfect for such a task!

Lucky for us, they already had great bones to work with--an island, shaker style cabinets, a built-in banquette. They had also recently purchased these modern barstools and they wanted to know how to incorporate them into a more traditional style like the rest of their home.

We loved the clean lines of the stools and were excited to get to work marrying traditional pieces with some modern touches.  Here is what we designed.

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The lights over the island are a much cheaper version to Troy Lighting's Maidstone.  It was a great fit for a beautiful style on a budget and wasn't too ornate for some modern pairings.  We suggested updating painting their cherry cabinets in Silvermist (SW-7621) and adding this brass hardware for more clean, modern lines.  A good rule of thumb for hardware is pulls on the drawers and knobs on the doors.

For the countertop we suggested this beautiful Torquay Quartz by Cambria.  This was the biggest item in the budget, but it will last forever.  It has the look of marble but with much less maintenance.  They didn't have a backsplash before but were interested in adding one if they could find something in their budget--enter white subway tile.  It's a timeless classic (that's why you see it everywhere), but it's also very affordable. 

For the banquette area we wanted to add in some fun color and pattern with these pillows in a fabric by Kravet.  They add a playfulness to the space and soften the banquette which was previously just a wooden bench.  We topped off the banquette update with this high-gloss, oversized cone pendant light with gold lining inside to add the perfect glow for conversation.

We love how this kitchen turned out, and even better, so did the client!  Kitchens are some of the easiest spaces to update with paint, hardware and lighting.  If we can help you spruce up your space, contact us here.

Kitchen Before and After

We hope you all had a great finish to 2013 and are enjoying the New Year!  We are enjoying it with several new projects but wanted to share some completed ones with you as well.  Today we're showing a kitchen that was transformed from the 1970's to a bright, vibrant space of today.  We don't have professional photos done yet (still need to touch up paint on moldings and scrape the ceiling), but we couldn't wait any longer to show you the transformation.

BEFORE

AFTER

New finishes and cabinets were just what this space needed.  The cabinetry was redesigned with taller builds, wider drawers and a revised layout to offer up a more efficient storage.  A custom pantry was built in the formerly wasted space to the right of the old microwave.  The new microwave was relocated above the stove, and the area that used to house the microwave became an appliance garage, clearling off more room on the limited counter space.  A pullout trash can was also incorporated into the new cabinetry.  Can you spot where?

BEFORE-Empty space

AFTER-New pantry and broom closet

We opted for white cabinets and subway tile backsplash to make this galley feel much wider with the same square footage, and the added crown molding gives the room new height.  A gray quartz countertop offers a little contrast without breaking up the flow.  The former florescent lights were replaced with schoolhouse pendants to work with the other traditional elements of the home and a new pendant was hung over the sink.  Stainless steel appliances, undermount sink and faucet finished off the space.  

We love the transformation and so does the homeowner.  Here's one more side-by-side comparison.  Quite a change and another successful makeover!

Painted Kitchen Cabinets

Long gone are the days of two kitchen cabinets finishes: plain white or stained.  Painted cabinets are taking the kitchen world by storm and for good reason.  You can truly transform your kitchen with just a little color, even if it's a neutral.  

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