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A distinctive colour choice for the kitchen cabinets set the tone for a newly unified kitchen and dining room by Hamma Galleries. “Our client has a wonderful and unique sense of style, which was really inspiring,” says Interior Designer, Jennifer Dearing. “The dark navy, almost black, cabinets were a bold choice, but the addition of warm sand-coloured countertops, off-white walls, touches of wood and antique bronze hardware tone down the strong cabinet colour perfectly. The iridescent mosaic backsplash in neutral tones really finishes off the palette.” |
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The renovation took two months to complete and resulted in a combined room of 470 square feet, occupying a 23’ by 21’ space. Given the dark, light-absorbing colour of the cabinets, and that the room is northern facing, the designers were sure to include plenty of lighting and accent lighting in the glass upper cabinet units. All the lighting is LED, adding efficiency to the home, and the bulbs are 2700k, which generate a warm light, similar to that of a standard incandescent bulb.
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Ms. Dearing says the main challenge in connecting the rooms was finding a way to marry the two different ceiling styles. “The ceilings were a bit of a challenge. In the end we decided to have a suspended flat ceiling in the kitchen area while keeping the tray ceiling in the dining area. A small bulkhead separates the two.”
Another challenge was storage space, which Ms. Dearing says is a common theme with kitchens. In this case the creative solutions included a “storage” wall with wall units sitting atop base units, creating an “attractive elevation”.
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For the layout of the kitchen Ms. Dearing says they moved away from the “famous kitchen triangle”, instead working with a line design that put all the essential functions on the same elevation. “Commercial kitchens work a lot like this and are as efficient as the coveted triangle,” she says. “The refrigerator is off to one side, easily accessible to the chef, but far enough away from the sink and range so that guests can serve themselves drinks without getting in the way of the chef. A few feet to the right is the range, and the sink is next in line. The chef does not need to move more than three feet each way to move between these vital areas, making it a very efficient way of cooking.”
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The functionality of the kitchen extends beyond cooking and serves the homeowners desire of having the space be the social hub of the home. “The various seating areas, dining options and efficiency of the kitchen create a space that you never have to leave,” Ms. Dearing says. “You can have formal or informal dinners, do homework, take a nap, curl up and read a book and entertain a good number of people comfortably. While the aesthetic is stunning, opening up of the space for all their daily activities is hands down the biggest game changer for the family.” ~ House Garden Kitchen & Bath 2021 |