1. Texas Workhorse
Designer: Dawn F. Hearn of Dawn Hearn Interior Design
Location: Leander, Texas
Size: About 202 square feet (about 19 square meters); 13½ by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request: For this custom home, the owners wanted two kitchens: one for more formal entertaining, and another scullery or prep kitchen that would allow them or caterers to do the bulk of the prepping, cooking and dishwashing away from the entertaining spaces.
Special features: Quartz countertops, stainless steel sink, brick floor and backsplash, Bertazzoni range and vent hood; barn doors
Counters: Minuet, Viatera by LG; brick floor and backsplash: Culpepper brick veneer, General Shale; light fixture and pot rack: Brunswick, F3798, aged pewter, Troy Lighting; cabinets, shelves and island counter: Grandeur Cellars; shelf brackets: Portland, 10 inches, Rejuvenation Hardware; cabinet hardware: Trinity, flat black, Emtek; barn door and hardware: Register-Dixon Custom Home Builders
Designer: Dawn F. Hearn of Dawn Hearn Interior Design
Location: Leander, Texas
Size: About 202 square feet (about 19 square meters); 13½ by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request: For this custom home, the owners wanted two kitchens: one for more formal entertaining, and another scullery or prep kitchen that would allow them or caterers to do the bulk of the prepping, cooking and dishwashing away from the entertaining spaces.
Special features: Quartz countertops, stainless steel sink, brick floor and backsplash, Bertazzoni range and vent hood; barn doors
Counters: Minuet, Viatera by LG; brick floor and backsplash: Culpepper brick veneer, General Shale; light fixture and pot rack: Brunswick, F3798, aged pewter, Troy Lighting; cabinets, shelves and island counter: Grandeur Cellars; shelf brackets: Portland, 10 inches, Rejuvenation Hardware; cabinet hardware: Trinity, flat black, Emtek; barn door and hardware: Register-Dixon Custom Home Builders
Why the design works: The kitchen opens to a utility room and entrance to the garage, making it a workhorse space for unloading groceries, cooking, cleaning and doing laundry, all out of the way from the more formal areas of the home.
Designer secret: “The combination of clean, crisp counters and slick appliances contrasts nicely with the heavy texture of the brick floor and splash,” says designer Dawn Hearn. “I also like to combine warm and cool finishes. The gray walls and cabinets are a nice combination with the warm woods and earthy bricks. The blending of painted white trim, painted gray cabinets, and stained island, shelves and doors is interesting and layered. It creates more of a custom, blended look as opposed to painting or staining them all the same color.” The brick floor was sealed before grouting and then again after grouting. The installer used Aqua Mix Sealer’s Choice Gold, a natural finish with no sheen. It’s a penetrating sealer, which means it soaks into the pores of the brick and grout, rather than drying on the surface.
Wall and ceiling paint: Repose Gray, 7015, Sherwin-Williams; refrigerator: Icon series, Electrolux; dishwasher: 500 series, bar handle, Bosch; sink: PFUS308, single bowl, undermount, stainless, Proflo; faucet: Bellera, K-560, pull-down spray, vibrant stainless, Kohler; range: duel fuel, five burners, 36 inches, Bertazzoni; vent hood: Heritage series, Bertazzoni
Yes, You Can Use Brick in the Kitchen
Designer secret: “The combination of clean, crisp counters and slick appliances contrasts nicely with the heavy texture of the brick floor and splash,” says designer Dawn Hearn. “I also like to combine warm and cool finishes. The gray walls and cabinets are a nice combination with the warm woods and earthy bricks. The blending of painted white trim, painted gray cabinets, and stained island, shelves and doors is interesting and layered. It creates more of a custom, blended look as opposed to painting or staining them all the same color.” The brick floor was sealed before grouting and then again after grouting. The installer used Aqua Mix Sealer’s Choice Gold, a natural finish with no sheen. It’s a penetrating sealer, which means it soaks into the pores of the brick and grout, rather than drying on the surface.
Wall and ceiling paint: Repose Gray, 7015, Sherwin-Williams; refrigerator: Icon series, Electrolux; dishwasher: 500 series, bar handle, Bosch; sink: PFUS308, single bowl, undermount, stainless, Proflo; faucet: Bellera, K-560, pull-down spray, vibrant stainless, Kohler; range: duel fuel, five burners, 36 inches, Bertazzoni; vent hood: Heritage series, Bertazzoni
Yes, You Can Use Brick in the Kitchen
“Uh-oh” moment: “We wanted floating shelves with brackets on the sink wall; however, the faucet that the homeowner selected was tall enough that we needed to carve out part of the lower shelf for function and appearance,” Hearn says. “What was initially a challenge turned into an interesting design detail.”
Splurges and savings: “Although the client likes distressed cabinet finishes, we went with a simple gray painted cabinet in the prep kitchen to allow some of the painting budget to shift to other areas for custom glazes,” Hearn says.
Team: Kai Geschke with Geschke Group (architect); Register-Dixon Custom Home Builders; Grandeur Cellars (cabinets); Shelley L. Rodriguez of Faux Decor Designs (barn door faux finish); Tre Dunham of Fine Focus Photography; Ferguson Enterprises (plumbing); Harway (appliances); Lighting Inc.; Renaissance Stone Works (counter fabrication); BMC (hardware); Trademark Floors (backsplash and floor installation)
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Splurges and savings: “Although the client likes distressed cabinet finishes, we went with a simple gray painted cabinet in the prep kitchen to allow some of the painting budget to shift to other areas for custom glazes,” Hearn says.
Team: Kai Geschke with Geschke Group (architect); Register-Dixon Custom Home Builders; Grandeur Cellars (cabinets); Shelley L. Rodriguez of Faux Decor Designs (barn door faux finish); Tre Dunham of Fine Focus Photography; Ferguson Enterprises (plumbing); Harway (appliances); Lighting Inc.; Renaissance Stone Works (counter fabrication); BMC (hardware); Trademark Floors (backsplash and floor installation)
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2. Midwest Modern
Designer: Ed Saloga of Saloga Design Build
Location: Morris, Illinois
Size: About 493 square feet, including the dining area (about 46 square meters); 17 by 29 feet; plus a breakfast booth that’s about 30 square feet (about 3 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: A contemporary farmhouse with a bright, airy space and an open layout with views to the lake. Also, open shelves with white trim, cabinets, tile and walls.
Special features: Painted blue island, wide plank recycled barn wood flooring, custom booth table of wood recycled from a Missouri warehouse, open shelves made from barn siding, vintage egg basket light fixtures, farmhouse sink
Why the design works: The rustic patina of the old barn wood floors makes them easy to take care of. The open layout to the great room is great for entertaining and keeping an eye on the rest of the family while working in the kitchen.
Who uses it: This is a rural summer lake house designed for a private equity consultant and a physical therapist with three young boys. The family lives near Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Dining table and bench: Cost Plus World Market; dining chairs and stools: Restoration Hardware; sink: fireclay butler, reversible apron; faucet: Ikea; countertops: granite, Matrix; wall paint: Dover White, Sherwin-Williams; chicken wire lights: Barn Light Lighting Co.
Designer: Ed Saloga of Saloga Design Build
Location: Morris, Illinois
Size: About 493 square feet, including the dining area (about 46 square meters); 17 by 29 feet; plus a breakfast booth that’s about 30 square feet (about 3 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: A contemporary farmhouse with a bright, airy space and an open layout with views to the lake. Also, open shelves with white trim, cabinets, tile and walls.
Special features: Painted blue island, wide plank recycled barn wood flooring, custom booth table of wood recycled from a Missouri warehouse, open shelves made from barn siding, vintage egg basket light fixtures, farmhouse sink
Why the design works: The rustic patina of the old barn wood floors makes them easy to take care of. The open layout to the great room is great for entertaining and keeping an eye on the rest of the family while working in the kitchen.
Who uses it: This is a rural summer lake house designed for a private equity consultant and a physical therapist with three young boys. The family lives near Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Dining table and bench: Cost Plus World Market; dining chairs and stools: Restoration Hardware; sink: fireclay butler, reversible apron; faucet: Ikea; countertops: granite, Matrix; wall paint: Dover White, Sherwin-Williams; chicken wire lights: Barn Light Lighting Co.
Designer secret: “Keep it clean and simple,” says designer Ed Saloga. “Don’t be afraid of white on white.”
“Uh-oh” moment: The appliance supplier accidentally ordered the wrong range hood. Between the time the installer measured for a new one and ordered it, the contractors tiled the entire kitchen wall. When the installer went to put in the range hood, it no longer fit because of the installed tile. The homeowners were told that they would have to rip out the subway tile on the wall to get the hood in. But the builder and his team were able to tweak the hood and get it installed without removing the tile.
Splurges and savings: Going with upper cabinets saved the couple money to put toward their dream 48-inch Wolf range. Meanwhile, a big walk-in pantry ended up being more economical than adding more cabinets for storage.
Team: Eurotech Cabinetry; Landmark Photography; Art Z Ltd. (flooring); JP Construction (painter); Hoffman Lumber (recycled lumber)
Windows: Integrity, Marvin; range: 48 inches, Wolf; refrigerator: 48 inches, Sub Zero; tile: white subway, Florida Tile; breakfast table: custom, Ed Saloga
“Uh-oh” moment: The appliance supplier accidentally ordered the wrong range hood. Between the time the installer measured for a new one and ordered it, the contractors tiled the entire kitchen wall. When the installer went to put in the range hood, it no longer fit because of the installed tile. The homeowners were told that they would have to rip out the subway tile on the wall to get the hood in. But the builder and his team were able to tweak the hood and get it installed without removing the tile.
Splurges and savings: Going with upper cabinets saved the couple money to put toward their dream 48-inch Wolf range. Meanwhile, a big walk-in pantry ended up being more economical than adding more cabinets for storage.
Team: Eurotech Cabinetry; Landmark Photography; Art Z Ltd. (flooring); JP Construction (painter); Hoffman Lumber (recycled lumber)
Windows: Integrity, Marvin; range: 48 inches, Wolf; refrigerator: 48 inches, Sub Zero; tile: white subway, Florida Tile; breakfast table: custom, Ed Saloga