“I crave light,” says Gillian. Sun teems through the large, unadorned windows and reflects off the granite, stainless steel and other hard surfaces. The windows and French doors look out to the backyard, where mature trees provide privacy.
The raison d’être
Family rules. “My kids started baking when they were two and three,” Gillian says. That’s why she tailored parts of her kitchen for her two pint-size foodies. Aubrey, 5, and Maxine, 6, are the beneficiaries of low dish and cutlery drawers, hidden stepstool storage – even a counter-level shelf for Cooking Rocks! Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals for Kids and other choice cookbooks.
The secret ingredient
Gillian swears by her trusty stainless-steel coffee maker for turning her kitchen into a bistro in minutes. For underage patrons, it also whips up great steamed milk with honey.
The constant
There’s something magical about the black-and-white framed waterfall print Gillian picked up at IKEA eight years ago. “Wherever I move, I somehow always put it in my kitchen. It’s soothing and brings the outside in,” she says.
The must-have
The 12- by five-foot oak island comfortably seats eight and has an L-shape granite overhang that’s ideal for playing games, which for this family includes everything from Candy Land to euchre.
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9 Comments
Does almond coloured cabinetry go with antique brown granite and can you have java coloured hardwood floors with that in the kitchen? What kind and colour of backsplash would you use? I have stainless steel appliances and am trying to figure out what the most stunning kitchen would be. I want to make sure the room is not too dark. It is a new house. The kitchen is approx. 13X13 and has a breakfast bar that overlooks the great room. There is a skylight in the kitchen.
We are renovating our kitchen and we have chosen the same colour combination as this kitchen (white cabinets and dark wood island). We are looking at doing two colours for the granite but are worried that it may look strange. We have chosen a simple antique brown for around the kitchen where the cabinets are white, and a white granite (delicatus - with some detail including some dark brown flecs that match the brown on the counter granite)for the dark brown island. Do you think this would look good? Should we do it all in one colour to be safe? Thanks
I'm doing this white and dark combo kitchen too (dark wood peninsula) but I already have new white appliances (2 years) that I am building the kitchen around. I don't like the dark shadow at night the dark floors cast but don't want beige or white either. Am thinking of something whimsical - some sort of cushion floor with abstract pattern? I also like the glass tiles for a backsplash and am having a laminate counter top of some colour - any suggestions? I want to inject a bit of colour but am having trouble committing...
This is for nmulder: I would not have 2 different colours of granite. You'll have too many colours going on; the white cabinets, brown island, the floor colour, wall colour...you just can't introduce 2 more colours with the granite. Definitely, go with 1 colour, you'll never regret it!!
Thanks for the advice Samy. We have decied to go with the antique brown for all counters. Nathalie
I have a pinelog home therefore a lot of pine inside. Floors and outside walls. We have at this time home-made pine kitchen cabinets that I want to remove and update. I have added already a huge granite counter-top which is dark brown with flecks. I was thinking a white-wash cabinets as pure white would not suit the decore (too harsh) plus maybe a few glass door cabinets for the 2 upper... I have a white fridge, oven and wall mounted microwave... any thoughts?
I have a small, north facing kitchen, with oak cupboards, and sme colour floor. The kitchen is in desperate need of re-decorating, but I have no idea what colour or texture to have on the walls in order to brighten the room up a little .
I've been searching for the perfect backsplash for my kitchen for months now and am afraid to make a decision. Do I go with glass or stone tiles? Do I go with subway or mosaic tiles? Do I make it blend with the wall color (kind of a pear green) or flow the eye up from the countertop (black oxidite laminate w/ a black Blanco sink)? OR should it resemble the floor tile? (dark grey/green ceramic) Someone give me your two cents worth & help me make a decision!
We are renovating in 2010 and moving our kitchen from it present location to our living room ( 25'x 24')to make it a great room. The room has 25' cathedral ceiling ( in white stucco)with floor to ceiling windows facing east. We have two beams running North South stained in mahogany.We have just purchased flooring ( Kentucky Bourbon handscrapped oak) to install and I am flipping back and forth with the colour choice of the cabinets. Maple in a Praline stain for the wall and base cabinets and black rubbed for the Island or Cream for the wall and base cabinets with the black on the Island. As well then the counter tops, Corian for the main and wood for the Island or Granite for the main, Corian for the sink area of the Island and then wood for the raised bar at the east end of the Island. We are also having two dry stacked granite collums on either side of the stove (North facing) and two large reclaimed wood collums to support the beams running NS in the room as we are also going to have a arch connecting the beams to suspend two industrial pendant light from over the island. The room is very bright and I am trying to make it feel warm and inviting.Help?