Category Archives: Home Improvement

4 Features That Make a Home Perfect for Holiday Entertaining

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Designers reveal the things that make a difference when hosting Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s

by Gwendolyn Purdom on Houzz.com

A house that lends itself to entertaining is a boon for holiday hosts. But other than enough living room real estate for a Christmas tree and a dining table that has seating for all the guests, what features should homeowners and pros consider incorporating to maximize a home’s holiday hosting potential? We asked home professionals to share the festivity-friendly design details they love.

1. Easy-to-Decorate Exterior and Entryway

Certain outdoor features especially can allow for a celebratory tone before you even step inside a house. Interior designer Monique Varsames of Moka Design in New York says a long, tree-lined driveway is a favorite canvas for holiday decor that greets guests immediately. Clients have requested large front windows on her projects, Varsames says, specifically to display Christmas wreaths and lights. Pillars on the porch or along the driveway are perfect for wrapping in twinkle lights too.

Kelly Fitzsimmons, who designs holiday light displays professionally through her business Light Up Your Holidays in Chicago, says most home setups can work for holiday lighting — the trick is arranging the lights in such a way that the look feels balanced and the house’s architectural features are showcased.

More practically, Fitzsimmons says the perfect holiday house would have a dedicated 15-amp outlet on either side of the house in the front yard and one in the backyard. This would separate the outdoor power from the internal power of the house.

“This just gives [homeowners] the flexibility to create any display they want for any holiday,” she says.

It’s also a better bet than having outlets in a house’s eaves, which she says she sees a lot in new construction. “If you need to adjust a [ground fault circuit Interrupter outlet] or replace lights, you have to get out the ladder and go up to the eaves,” she says. “All should be on the ground.”

The exterior is a prime part of a home for embracing holiday spirit, Fitzsimmons says: “There’s nothing better than driving home to a magically lit home with your kids in the car and getting everybody excited and anticipating all of the holiday festivities.”

Read more pro holiday lighting tips

A front porch or landing with room to display seasonal decor, such as groupings of gourds or fresh holly wreaths or garlands, is another plus. And it’s a chance to get creative.

“Because holiday decor is temporary, it’s an opportunity to explore new ideas,” interior designer Michelle Dirkse in Seattle says.

The design team at Beautiful Chaos in Minnesota believes the front entryway is a prime place to showcase special touches as well. “This is the first room in your home to welcome guests,” Beautiful Chaos designer Sarah Martin says.

A few elements can make the space work for any holiday. An entryway with enough room to fit a bench is ideal, as benches are a great spot for alternating seasonal pillows, Martin says. Similarly, a console table creates an area where garlands, candles or other meaningful items can be displayed.

Varsames adds that high ceilings in the foyer help if you plan to decorate with a tall Christmas tree or other dramatic decor.

Find an interior designer or decorator near you

2. Multipurpose Island

A large kitchen island with plenty of seating is the top holiday-hosting must-have that several designers mentioned. As so many holidays revolve around big meals, an island acts as a bridge between those who are cooking and chatting and those who are mingling or relaxing at a holiday gathering.

“This space connects the family to the family room, where others could be watching a football game or engaging in conversation, yet everyone is in close proximity to each other,” Varsames says.

As the island often doubles as a serving station for holiday dishes, the Beautiful Chaos designers always install a Plugmold outlet strip with six receptacles underneath the counter overhang in kitchen islands to allow warming dishes and slow cookers to be plugged in during holiday gatherings.

“We finish the Plugmold in the same color as the center island so it blends in,” Martin says.

Smaller houses and homes like condos and apartments can be just as holiday-ready, Chicago interior designer Crystal Blackshaw says. In those spaces, something like a large island or peninsula, like the one shown in a condo Blackshaw designed here, can serve even more purposes — as an informal dining space and as a place to display seasonal decor.

“This was a condo with views of Lake Michigan, so we decided to decorate for the holidays with shades of blue,” Blackshaw says. “The home already had a modern-and-vintage mix, so we incorporated vintage Christmas decorations and live greenery to emphasize what was already there.”

3. Fireplace With a Roomy Mantel

A roaring fire creates instant holiday atmosphere, but outfitting that fireplace with a substantial mantel can be just as important, the pros say.

A mantel sturdy enough to support Thanksgiving gourds, Christmas stocking holders and greenery, or Hanukkah menorahs or garlands, like the one shown here, can turn a living room from just cozy to just right for the occasion.

Elsewhere in the living or family room, areas that can accommodate trees, other seasonal decor, and seating for family and friends to open gifts work best.

“A simple change in pillows or flowers can have a big impact and change the whole look of the room,” Blackshaw says.

4. Party Basement

Varsames says a finished lower level is the feature homeowners looking to host holidays request from her the most. A basement can be a special place for kids to play during family gatherings.

A finished basement bar or game room is another feature that turns a home into a party home, the designers say. A bar that can serve up Thanksgiving football game beers or New Year’s Eve champagne elevates any celebratory space.

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Design by Penny Black Interiors; contracting by Look Construction; photo by Christopher Dibble

Ceilings as the Fifth Wall

Metallic swirls above that echo the whorls of a natural stone island below. Trompe l’oeil wood-paneled wallpaper crowning an intimate room. Puffy clouds floating across a sky-like ceiling. Just like a top hat goes perfectly with tails or a fascinator complements an elegant dress, an eye-catching ceiling can provide the flair that finishes off a room.

Design by Roundhouse; photo by Darren Chung

Raise Your Gaze

“We’ve been drowned in minimalism for such a long time; people are happier to play with pattern and print right now,” says designer Stewart Horner of Penny Black Interiors in Portland, Oregon. “The natural thing is to explore the ceiling, a typically untouched white void.” Chicago designer Summer Thornton believes that people are looking for spaces that transport them. 

Design by Summer Thornton

Top Materials and Techniques

“Wallpaper makes the space feel cozy and enveloping, while a level-five high-gloss [paint] finish feels liquid wet and dramatic,” Thornton says. Designer Ariana Fischer in Portland, Maine, adores a high sheen because it bounces light around. She also likes an old-school shellack over hand-combed paint, with pale blue over cream. Horner prefers wallpaper, using geometrics along with cloud patterns, “because it’s what you’re supposed to see when you look up,” he says. For his own midcentury home, he’s creating an abstract ceiling mural in coppers and golds on a beige background.

Shine On

Horner recommends dropping crown molding a couple of inches down from the ceiling and then installing lights in the gap for a nice glow. Add a chandelier that sends light up as well as down, and use reflective surfaces around the room. “Add glass surfaces anywhere you can to make a connection between the ceiling and the rest of the space,” he says. “Try an angled mirror leaning against a wall, mirrored coffee tables or a domed floor lamp finished in chrome.”

Design by Ariana Fischer; photo by Erin Little Photography

Height Matters

Keep ceiling height in mind, Fischer says. “I don’t like to do drama on a low ceiling; it makes the ceiling come down. I only add beams and coffers and other interesting treatments when it’s at least 9 feet high.”

Design Dreams

Fischer wants to try woodsy wallpaper. “It’d be like sitting under a canopy of trees when the sun filters through,” she says. “I’d use it in a dark space where you need something special.” She’s also yearning to do a powder room with a pink grasscloth ceiling and romance-novel-theme wallpaper. Horner would love to clad a ceiling in etched mirror tile. “A mirror is the cheesiest thing you can think of overhead, but I want to do it in a way that’s undeniably gorgeous,” he says.

Design by TKD Architects; photo by Brett Boardman

Parting Words

Some practical advice: “Keep in mind that a ceiling fixture will subtly cast the ceiling color across the room,” Thornton says. “Get a young wallpaper hanger that’s up for doing a ceiling,” Horner advises. “And expect to pay more, especially if scaffolding is involved.” Fischer says, “Design can be like a painting, and it’s all based on balance. You don’t want the most important thing in the room to be a ceiling unless you’re in a cathedral.”

This article was originally published by the houzz Trade Program.

5 Thrifty Ways to Make Your Home Feel More Luxurious

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Avoid the cost and chaos of a major renovation and transform your home into a luxurious living space with these simple steps. Money may be tight, but you can still live the luxe life.

Clean Off Surfaces

The first step to making a space feel more luxurious is to clear it out. While it may seem counterintuitive to remove things from a space rather than add them, clutter is a killer when trying to create a luxe décor aesthetic. Clearing off countertops, windowsills, shelves and tabletops opens up sight lines throughout the house, making it the focal point rather than knickknacks, piles of papers and abandoned crafting projects.

Paint It All White

Keeping the interior paint palette neutral is an easy way to make a home feel more high-end, almost like a gallery. If your walls are a mishmash of trendy shades or four different variations of off-white, it’s time to head to the paint store to stock up on rollers, trays, painters tape and a few gallons of a single hue. While painting the space yourself may seem like a major undertaking, with a bit of careful planning, you’ll save yourself thousands of dollars and still get fabulous results.

Dress The Windows

What covers the windows in a room can have a major effect on the feel of the space as a whole — mismatched blinds, sun-bleached curtains and wonky rods will stick out like a sore thumb. Each room should have a unified window treatment, be it customized chintz drapes or made-to-measure roll blinds from Home Depot, what’s important is that each window has a matching cover. Also, making sure the glass is sparkling clean…dirty windows are a real downer. The more natural light in your home, the more uplifting it’ll feel.

Cover The Floor

From sprawling English manor houses to the sleek penthouses of New York, chances are you’ll spy a Persian kilim rug somewhere in there. Available in every shade, pattern and price point, picking up one of these mulitcoloured rugs adds instant cache to a cash-strapped space. Not to mention, it covers up cheaper flooring treatments or floorboard imperfections perfectly.

Add Warmth and Texture

If the first stage was to declutter, the last step is to add in super-luxurious materials such as velvet, cashmere and faux fur — and the easiest way to do this is with throw pillows and blankets. Rather than replace your existing set of couch cushions, seek out a new set of velvet covers in a single, rich hue. A faux fur blanket draped over the edge of a worn-out couch creates a cosy vignette. Or tap into the Scandinavian aesthetic and throw sheepskins over everything from bar stools to office chairs.

With these five tips on hand, you can easily turn your ho-hum house into a space that exudes luxury.

This article originally appeared on HGTV.ca

33 Minimalist Bedroom Ideas Even Maximalists Will Love

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Screen Shot 2019-03-04 at 10.59.46 AMPersonal style and aesthetic preferences aside, we can all agree that minimalism is having a major moment—and science gives it even more clout. For example, according to this study at the University of Southern California, cluttered homes are linked to increased stress levels and depressed moods. So there really is a life-changing magic behind the KonMari method. And since your bedroom is the place you go to restore, relax, and reflect, minimalism can be especially impactful there.

We’re not saying you should just throw everything in your bedroom away and it call it day. In fact, minimalist design doesn’t translate to stark and boring. It’s about scaling back to create calming and thoughtful spaces. So we found thirty three examples of minimalist bedrooms that the Marie Kondos of the world and maximalists with a penchant for anything extra will both love. Read on for thirty three minimalist bedroom ideas and designs, from colorful to monochrome and everything in between.

By . This article originally appeared on housebeautiful.com.

5 Hot Home Design Trends to Watch in 2019

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1. House of Blues

Behr - Blueprint
Behr - Blueprint door

Behr

Blues are dressing up more interiors. Several paint firms have chosen shades of blue as their top paint choice for 2019, including Behr with its “Blueprint”. Blueprint is a mid-tone blue that is described as warmer than denim but softer than navy. Sherwin Williams has selected “Reflecting Pool,” as part of its hot color wheel for 2019. Blues are also popping up more often as accent colors and in home accessories such as pillows, artwork, and throws.

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2. Back to Black

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Classic black is showing up in fixtures, stainless-steel appliances, and even cabinets. “Black makes a strong visual statement in any room and has been found in both shiny and matte finishes,” Chorew said. Black hardware is also showing strong in competition against the more traditional rubbed bronze, brass, and chrome finishes.

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3. Odes to the Southwest

Sherwin Williams - ClaySherwin Williams
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“Southwest design is coming back,” Chorew said. And it’s not isolated to the region it comes from, either. In a nod to that trend, Sherwin Williams chose Cavern Clay as its 2019 color of the year. The warm, terracotta color can be used in “a backdrop color, welcoming dining room, or kitchen when paired with bright tiles, warm stone, and sculptural greenery,” Sherwin Williams noted in a recent press release announcing the choice. “Complementary materials include leather, simple woodgrains, and indigenous cacti in contemporary, sleek gardening planters.”

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4. The Terrazzo Comeback

Photo by Denise DeCoster Architect – More kitchen ideas
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Terrazzo, a hard, stone-like composite material, is most easily identified by the presence of those signature speckles within. It was a popular flooring in the 1980s but now it’s coming back and expected to be even more versatile in 2019, Chorew said. “It once was just used in floors, but now it’s coming back but on countertops,” she said, adding that it will likely chip away at marble’s popularity in countertops.

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5. A More Natural Look  

Blending the indoors with the outdoors has been a hot trend for the last few years, but now the idea is getting a boost thanks to accessories that are culled from more natural elements to complete the look. “Rattan, wood, and other natural fibers are finding their way indoors and helping to blur the lines from the inside and outside,” Chorew said.

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Article by Melissa Dittmann Tracey for Realtor Magazine

How to Organize Your Specialty Kitchen Storage Areas

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In Part 1 of this series on organizing your kitchen, I offered 10 steps to organizing your kitchen cabinets, putting the focus on everyday dishes and glassware, barware, and vases and pitchers. If you followed at least the first seven of those steps, your cabinets are now so organized, it makes you happy every time you open their doors.
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Those same steps can be applied to organizing your more specialized kitchen storage areas. Read on for tips on organizing your pots and pans; your coffee, tea and baking supplies; your spices and oils; your cleaning supplies and your gadget-charging stations.
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A Plan for Specific Kitchen Storage Stations
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In Part 1, I wrote about storing your everyday china and glassware close to the dishwasher to make it easier put it all away as you unload. You can apply that same idea to other kitchen storage areas.
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Questions to ask yourself to help you get started:

  • What do I need first thing in the morning?
  • What do I need close at hand when cooking at the range?
  • Are all my baking needs close to where I roll out dough and mix batter?
  • Where are all my cookbooks and recipes?
  • Are my mobile phones and tablets cluttering up my counters when I charge them?
  • Are my kitchen cleaning supplies close at hand when I need them?
  • Ugh — what’s under my kitchen sink, and why is it there? Can I even recall what’s stashed way in the back behind the sink pipes?
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Contemporary Kitchen by Lisa Robazza Design
Lisa Robazza Design
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How to Get Your Coffee and Tea Station in Shape
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To make it easy to get your caffeinated drinks brewing when you’re still bleary-eyed in the morning, set up a coffee and tea station.
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Put your coffee beans, tea bags, filters, bean grinder, sweeteners and mugs in a cabinet over or under your coffeemaker or teakettle.
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If you wish, go a step further and keep your usual breakfast needs, such as hot and cold cereals and your smoothie maker, there too.
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Find pantry organizers
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Contemporary Kitchen by Heartwood Kitchens
Heartwood Kitchens
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How to Organize Pots, Pans and Other Cookware
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Today’s fancy kitchen cabinets have all kinds of pullouts and inserts for baking sheets, pots, pans and lids, making it easy to store and find your cookware.
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Here’s how to organize pots and pans for those of us with simple cabinet doors and shelves. Stack all the long, flat pieces, like baking sheets and cutting boards, along the side of the cabinet. Nest your pans from large to small in a stack and do the same for your pots. As for those pesky lids, put them all together in a cake pan, an extra strainer or a mixing bowl in the area behind your pot and pan nests.
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Traditional Kitchen by Heartwood Kitchens
Heartwood Kitchens
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As you tackle these cabinets, you may find items like bread makers or panini makers, excess serveware or holiday items you may use once or twice a year. These things have not earned that valuable kitchen real estate. Pack them away in a closet, basement or garage or an attic. If you don’t love an item or honestly will never use it, put it in the donation box.
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Now, as author and organizational expert Emily Ley advises, if you’ve left any empty room in your cabinets, save it and let it breathe awhile. The right use will present itself eventually.
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Take Ley’s 10-day simplification challenge
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Traditional Kitchen by Heartwood Kitchens
Heartwood Kitchens
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How to Organize Your Spices and Oils
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It would be dreamy to have a pullout spice rack like this one next to the range. If you’re still dreaming of kitchen storage like this, you can organize your spices in stand-alone storage racks or drawer organizers.
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Take the oils, spices, salt, pepper and other seasonings you use at the stove on a regular basis and corral them in something as simple as a shoebox that’s easy to grab when you’re ready to channel your inner Julia Child. Stash it in a cabinet next to the range. If you’re not psyched about the shoebox, cover it in vinyl paper or let your kids decorate it for you (mine just says “herbs” in permanent marker; I’m not that crafty!).
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Find kitchen bins
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Traditional Kitchen by Jessica Risko Smith Interior Design
Jessica Risko Smith Interior Design
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How to Organize Your Baking Station Cabinet
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If you love to bake and want your supplies to be easy to find and use, create a station for your mixing bowls, spoons, sifters, ingredients, rolling pins and other baking supplies in a cabinet close to the surface where you roll out dough and use the mixer. Corral the usual baking ingredients into a box or canisters. If you have a set of pretty canisters that you like to look at, leave them on the counter close to your mixer and where you work on your baked goods.
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Where to Stash the Stand Mixer
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Traditional Kitchen by Jamestown Designer Kitchens
Jamestown Designer Kitchens
How to Organize Your Cookbooks and Recipe Boxes
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Remember that empty space that earlier I told you to save? If it’s near your baking area, use that space to keep your recipe library handy. If you have an open shelf or a glass-front cabinet, cookbooks and recipe boxes are wonderful items to display there.
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Traditional Kitchen by LGB Interiors
LGB Interiors
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How to Organize Your Devices and Where to Charge Them
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Phones, tablets and chargers aren’t necessarily cabinet clutterers, but they are kitchen counter clutterers. And having expensive electronics in a spot that could potentially get splattered by water or mashed potatoes is less than ideal. Many people are installing ventilated device drawers outfitted with an outlet for charging.
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Modern Kitchen by Heartwood Kitchens
Heartwood Kitchens
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A cabinet in the kitchen, pantry or mudroom also can be a good home for portable electronic devices, as well as keys and small bags. Some plug-in chargers can service several devices through one outlet.
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Browse stand-alone charging stations
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Contemporary Kitchen by Dura Supreme Cabinetry
Dura Supreme Cabinetry
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How to Organize Your Kitchen Cleaning Supplies
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If you have limited kitchen space for storing cleaning supplies, prioritize the supplies you use to clean your counters and sink. These should be close at hand in the kitchen, as this is the most important space to keep hygienic.
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While this photo shows a a nice pullout, you can get the same effect with a couple of waterproof bins.
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Transitional Kitchen by Hardware Resources
Hardware Resources
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A caddy with a handle is a worthwhile investment: You won’t have to bend over far to grab the handle and bring your supplies where you want to use them. In the kitchen seen here, a caddy is built into the pullout hardware.
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And if you keep your supplies somewhere else, like in a mudroom, it’s easy to grab a caddy full of kitchen cleaning supplies and carry them into the kitchen all at once.
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by Howards Storage World
Howards Storage World
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How to Organize the Area Under the Sink
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You’ve made some nice, pretty cabinets and worked up a sweat. You’ve got this. It’s time to tackle a toughie: that dreaded space under the sink. This one winds up the most jumbled in my house. Things that don’t belong there, like paint cans and old sponges that should never be used again, end up in there. Break this task into steps:
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Assess. Think about what really belongs down here: dish soap, sink drainers, hand soap refills, an extra scrubber sponge, steel wool, perhaps extra paper towels.
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Consider shelves. If you want some extra help, purchase an undersink shelf system like the one pictured here. If you reuse plastic bags, a grocery bag dispenser like the one seen here is a great idea.
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Traditional Kitchen by Great Kitchens & Baths
Great Kitchens & Baths
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Organize and restock. The little stuff needs to be corralled, or you’ll never find that dish drainer when you need it. I used a square glass vase from the florist that was going to waste to contain the drainers, sponges and scrubber brush.
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Stack trash bag boxes to one side and neatly organize extra paper towels on the other. The back of the cabinet is for less-used items, like dish and hand soap refills. The front of the cabinet is for dish soap and dishwasher detergent so they’re easy to access.
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By now you are probably getting so good at paring down, you may even wind up with room for that kitchen cleaning supplies caddy.
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Traditional Kitchen by Design Set Match
Design Set Match

A full pullout drawer is another good solution for getting to the things that are stashed way in the back of your cabinet under the sink.

Share your kitchen storage success story: Have you set up any special stations that have eased your kitchen work? Please add to this story by sharing them in the Comments.

This article originally appeared on houzz.com

3 Kitchen Island Ideas You Haven’t Thought Of

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Transitional Kitchen by Marrokal Design & Remodeling
Marrokal Design & Remodeling
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1. Doggone Good
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Designers: John Ryan and Jensen Landers (interior design) and Jason Dorman (design consultant) of Marrokal Design & Remodeling
Location: San Diego
Size: 295 square feet (27 square meters), including a walk-in pantry and attached dining room
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Homeowners’ request. A more open and inviting kitchen for entertaining and gathering. The project included knocking down a couple of walls and doorways for an airier feel.
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Island idea. Customized pet-feeding station. The decision came about because the dog bowls always seemed to be in the way in their old kitchen. In addition to the food station, dog food, leashes, collars and other accessories are stored in the drawer above for easy access.
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Contemporary Kitchen by Marrokal Design & Remodeling
Marrokal Design & Remodeling
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Designer secret. Give the feeding station its own matching backsplash.
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“The ledge on the opening is the same honed granite used on the island counter, and the backsplash is the same as the rest of the kitchen, which was a linear marble stack tile,” says designer Jensen Landers.
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Island countertop: Honed granite in Thunder White, Daltile; perimeter countertop: honed quartz in Mercer Grey, Daltile; backsplash: Styx Arctic Blend marble, Soho Studio; wall paint: Agreeable Gray, Sherwin-Williams; floor tile: Taupe, 18 by 36 inches, Soho Studio
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See more of this home | Find wall and floor tile
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Kitchen by Emily Culley
Emily Culley
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2. Double Impact
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Designer: Emily Culley of Kitchen & Bath Galleries
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Size: 224 square feet (21 square meters); 16 by 14 feet
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Homeowners’ request. Open the kitchen to an adjacent living room and freshen up the aesthetic and function.
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Island Idea. Two countertop materials — honed bianco olinda marble and black walnut — allow the island “to feel more like a piece of furniture,” says designer Emily Culley. “This allows for a larger island without the need for a seam in the [stone] countertop.”
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Kitchen by Emily Culley
Emily Culley
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Other special features. Laser-cut marble backsplash and burnished brass hardware
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Designer secret. Culley removed a cooktop previously in the island and added a slide-in range along the back wall with a custom hood above to create a beautiful focal point. “We [also] color-matched the house trim paint color to the cabinetry color to flow the space,” she says.
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Faucet: Cassidy in Champagne Bronze, Delta; cabinets: in Frosty White and Navy colors, Crystal Cabinets; hardware: Browning Pulls, Atlas
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See more of this kitchen
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Farmhouse Kitchen by BILOTTA KITCHENS
BILOTTA KITCHENS
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3. Nice Vise
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Designers: Paulette Gambacorta of Bilotta Kitchens, Reza Nouranian of Reza Nouranian Design (interior designer) and Rich Granoff of Granoff Architects
Location: Bedford, New York
Size: 385 square feet (36 square meters)
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Homeowners’ request. A casual barn feel in “keeping with the spirit of the horse farm property, complete with a brand-new horse barn adjacent to the house,” says designer Paulette Gambacorta.
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Island idea. An old carpenter’s workbench, complete with vise. The homeowner bought it in an antiques store. Its origin is unknown.
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Traditional Kitchen by BILOTTA KITCHENS
BILOTTA KITCHENS
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Other special features. Light green cabinets (matched to Grassland by Sherwin-Williams) with a charcoal glaze on maple. Reclaimed-wood shelves on iron brackets in place of the upper cabinets. Marble countertops with a hand-cut edge detail to resemble the look of when the stone was first quarried.
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Designer secret. “Because the existing window in the corner of the room was so much smaller than the new window, the interior designer decided to basically ignore the window and run the reclaimed-wood open shelving right across that window,” says Gambacorta. “Unconventional, yes, but brilliant.”

“Uh-oh” moment. “When the decision was made to use a 60-inch range (a monster!) on the 13-foot wall, and then the homeowner wanted an extra-large fridge to be on that same wall, it really didn’t leave much room for countertop space on either side of the range,” Gambacorta says. “Since they’re avid cooks, that was a must-have. So, a compromise was made to separate the fridge and the freezer. They cook mostly fresh foods on a daily basis and don’t use a freezer much at all. So, a paneled 30-inch all-refrigerator was placed on the range wall, and a separate 24-inch stainless all-freezer was placed in the pantry with open shelves, giving it the feel of an English larder. This room is totally open to the kitchen area.”
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Cabinets: flush flat panel in custom green paint, Bilotta Collection; hardware: iron; builder: Doug Slater of D.A.S. Custom Builders; project photos: Peter Krupenye
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See more of this kitchen

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3 Kitchens With Wonderfully Rustic Character

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Wood, stone and other natural elements come together in these warm, inviting mountain kitchens

 

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1. Rich and Raw

Designers: Peter Zimmerman Architects; Peace Design (interior design); Yellowstone Traditions (builder)
Location: Jackson, Wyoming
Size: 300 square feet (28 square meters)

Homeowners’ request. A home reminiscent of an original homesteader’s log house, functional yet with a historic feel.

Rustic palette. Moss rock veneer. Soapstone countertops. Reclaimed-wood walls, structural beams, ceiling planks, floorboards and custom cabinets. “Embracing the concept of a log home, the entire interior is wood, either log or board,” project manager Tim Blazina of Yellowstone Traditions says. “All of the materials were reclaimed. The owner wanted every element of the home to have soul.”

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Other special features. Custom range hood. The house was constructed with reclaimed hand-hewn timbers, standing dead-log beams and details, antique oak flooring and wormy chestnut cabinets.

Cabinet hardware: Montana Sash & Door; all decor provided by Peace Design; photography: Audrey Hall
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2. Light and Airy

Designer: Paul Bertelli of JLF & Associates
Location: Big Sky, Montana
Size: 304 square feet (28 square meters); 16 by 19 feet

Homeowners’ request. A bright, clean, functional and family-friendly kitchen featuring materials with depth and interest.

Rustic palette. Hand-hewn reclaimed-oak ceiling timbers. Stone wall portions. “The material palette uses the same reclaimed-oak material in different ways to soften the space and make it feel inviting,” designer Paul Bertelli says.
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Other special features. Whitewashed oak plank floors. Natural-finish oak island table. Shiplap-style wall and cabinet detail. Waterfall-edge countertop peninsula.

Designer secret. “To take full advantage of the views at the kitchen sink, we eliminated the upper cabinets and provided ample storage in the lower cabinetry layout,” Bertelli says.

Pendant lights: Holly Hunt; glass shelf brackets: Sugatsune; range hood: Wolf

See more of this home

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3. Sophisticated and Symmetrical

Designer: Laura Sullivan of ID.ology Interiors & Design
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Size: 266 square feet (25 square meters); 19 by 14 feet

Homeowners’ request. A large, open kitchen ideal for entertaining, with lots of light, a built-in booth, a large center island, a beverage center and a symmetrical design.

Rustic palette. Leathered-granite countertops. Wood beams and floors. Stone fireplace in nearby living room.
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Other special features. Shiplap backsplash. Molded walnut stools. Pop-up vent hood on island range for unobstructed views.

Designer secret. “Clean, symmetrical lines and understanding that the exterior beauty was a highlighted element that we were designing around,” designer Laura Sullivan says.

“Uh-oh” moment. “We went back and forth a couple of times on whether to paint the booth Peppercorn [by Sherwin-Williams] or white,” Sullivan says. “We ended repainting darker for more of a wow factor.”

Wall and cabinet paint: Extra White, Sherwin-Williams; trim and booth paint: Peppercorn, Sherwin-Williams; stools: Organic Modernism; pendants: Lamps Plus; designer-builder: Living Stone Design + Build

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This article originally appeared on houzz.com