Kitchen Moment: Terracotta Style

HERE.

I've been helping a friend out with her new home in Philly and shes asked me to help her pick paint colors in a few rooms. The first one was her kitchen, which had red walls and a terracotta tile floor. The red walls MUST go and I recommend pure creamy white walls in her kitchen. While I'm naturally drawn to wide plank flooring, you have to play the cards you were dealt, right? Only kidding, the kitchen is going to look amazing. Take a look at some kitchens I found as inspiration with creamy white painted walls and terracotta floors.

The uneven tile floor and the and artwork on the wall (kind of 6 months ago) create a bit of character in this kitchen. I do love the scale of this kitchen though.

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These red terracotta tiles are not your run of the mill squares are they? No. They are a rich red with a black tile surrounding the island. I like the contrast of the red and the clean white.

This is my favorite (from Elle Decor). I'm obsessed with the French bistro chairs and the polished look of the tiles.

This is a little something different, yes? Brick flooring with white paint and white cabinetry makes this kitchen look traditional but contemporary. From this gorgeous blogger.

You want your kitchen to look clean above all else. The red walls seem like an attempt at the "Tuscan" look from 1997 and they should def go. My friend is traditional, but shes also 27 and needs a great place to cook, entertain friends and be 27 with her husband. How do you all feel about the terracotta tiles? I like the look, because it reminds me of an open kitchen in France or Italy.

Alicia B.

Home Design Ideas - Eclectic Kitchen

My better half (Kelley) sent me the kitchen photo below. She loves it and so do I.

Here are a few observations:

• No upper cabinets - most of the storage is below counter height. I suspect there may be a pantry around the corner or pantry cabinets out of view.
• Eliminating the upper cabinets allows plenty of glass
• I like the mix of old and new. Actually its mostly new but a rather ornate crown molding and the carrera marble counters add a touch of traditional and soften the hard lines.
• All of that counter space allows room for accessories to decorate the space. This starts to feel like another room rather than a kitchen.

Design Ideas - Make Your Island Special!

This is the first in a new series that I will be starting called "Design Ideas". What I would like to do is illustrate little design ideas that can help to make your home special. So here goes.

The photo below is a Kitchen in a home that I designed at Larson Brenner Architects. This unique house plan - The Lakeland Cape Cod - is currently available for purchase at Simply Elegant Home Designs.

It is a pretty simple kitchen layout but a few things make it special.

• The kitchen cabinetry composition beyond is kept simple and clean. A soffit with crown molding connects the upper cabinets to the ceiling.
• A "mantle" was designed for the range, which serves as a counterpoint to the fireplace mantel on the other side of the room (not seen in photo).
• Under cabinet lighting provides highlights for the tile back splash and counters.
• An upper cabinet extends down to the counter and is fitted with glass to display the china.
• A solid walnut butcher block on the island top adds warmth and richness. This contrasts with the honed granite kitchen counters beyond.
• A special leg detail was designed for the island corners. The leg detail was also adapted for the stairway newel posts.
• Unique eclectic light fixtures hang above the island; highlighting the wood and help to emphasize that the island is the focal point of the room.

All in all a very simple yet elegant kitchen design. This illustrates that attention to the details can make all the difference.