With their primary residence on a lakeside property in the country, the homeowners’ love of all things rustic shines in their main kitchen with casual and dark, heavy elements perfect for country living. When purchasing a second home in the city, the couple found themselves dialing back their rustic style in favor of a more refined and transitional aesthetic in the new space that is more bright and open. With the help of designer Laurie LeBoeuf of Castle Design their new kitchen has an emphasis on more elegant fixtures and clean lines.
LeBoeuf says the homeowners are drawn to warm wood tones, rust colors and anything that feels cozy and inviting. “We chose to design the majority of the cabinets using a beautiful ‘cashmere’ tone for the cabinetry with warm, medium-tone wood accents in the island and dessert bar area,” she explains. She worked in conjunction with Carla Farris of Beck/Allen Cabinetry to curate the cabinetry for the space. A mitered, more traditional door style with matching five-piece mitered drawer fronts were selected, and a combination of finishes were used. “A mix of finishes creates visual interest and can highlight focal points within the space,” says Carla.
In this case, the finish is also used to differentiate areas within the kitchen. The stained dessert bar area transitions from the kitchen to the hearth room. The stain sets the cabinetry apart from the perimeter cabinets and provides a casual, furniture-like feel. The built-in stained cabinetry is a combination of drawers and counter wall cabinets and provides an attractive storage solution for serving piece and display of home décor. Beck/Allen carried the same door style used in the kitchen to this space for continuity.
Distinctive details selected by LeBoeuf bring in a more transitional aesthetic. The two-toned Jeffrey Court marble basketweave backsplash has subtle hints of shimmer with warm golden tones that catch the light as you move through the space. The Vadara quartz countertops have subtle, warm veining as well. Hanging over the island, the Visual Comfort pendants feature restoration glass and a soft brass finish, which was echoed in the cabinetry hardware. “Once it was all put together, we were able to create a space that felt like a more refined version of their lake house property,” LeBoeuf explains.
Even with the more refined, transitional style, the homeowner had to work a few rustic touches into the space like the reclaimed ceiling beams and custom hood with wood trim. LeBouef chose the rustic parts of the design with practicality in mind. This home is closer to the homeowners family and a place to share with their kids and grandkids, so the kitchen needed to have durable, well-wearing surfaces. The rustic, multi-toned flooring helps mask any imperfections picked up during daily living, and the more refined finishes were carefully picked to age beautifully. The island is at bar height so that food prep can be hidden from the adjoining great room.
Not only is their new home a place to be closer to family, but the homeowners want to be able to stay in the space long term, so aging in place considerations were also kept top of mind. With LeBoeuf’s background in hospitality design and years of experience in senior living, she knew that they needed to pay attention to the width of the openings as well as create ample distance in the work space so that the homeowners can easily navigate the kitchen with different levels of mobility. “We kept the space ADA friendly and worked with the builder, J.R. Mayer of Prestige Custom Homes, to make thoughtful changes to the layout,” she says. With the future in mind, the design team has created a home that can be enjoyed for years to come.
Resources
Builder: Prestige Custom Homes
Architect: Srote & Co.
Designer: Castle Design
Tile Supplier: Ambassador Mid-West Floor , Virginia Tile
Granite Fabricator: Stone Fabricators
Plumbing Fixtures: Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
Decorative fixtures: Locks & Pulls
Lighting: Metro Lighting
Window Coverings: Hilson, Inc.
Cabinetry: Beck/Allen Cabinetry
Accessories: Hearth & Soul
