Artistic license

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The owner of this home, a decorative painter, wanted her kitchen to reflect her interest in art

Kitchen designer Shadawn Zareh has kept the island cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, floor, flooring, hardwood, interior design, kitchen, room, wood flooring, brown, gray, black — Kitchen designer Shadawn Zareh has kept the island as a clear space, so it can be used for preperation,cooking and serving. Power points are concealed under the countertop. supporting the island on stainless steel legs and leaving open space beneath makes it appear less heavy.

A raised servey provides some privacy for the ceiling, dining room, home, interior design, kitchen, living room, room, table, white

Dark espresso-stained cherry wood cabintery is teamed with cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, flooring, furniture, hardwood, home, interior design, kitchen, room, under cabinet lighting, wall, wood flooring, brown

The refriderator is built into an alcove on cabinetry, countertop, floor, flooring, interior design, kitchen, room, brown

While all kitchens contain similar design elements, it is the ways in which they are combined, and the particular color and material choices that create individuality and personality.

Artist Noreen Kloc's old kitchen had been small and was cut off from the other living spaces in her 1929 bungalow. It didn't flow well, and had several doors that opened into it.

Architect Wright Gardner suggested widening the opening into the hallway and extending the kitchen area by adding a family living and dining room onto the rear of the house. French doors connect this new room to the deck and yard. To find more space, the laundry and utility rooms were combined and moved to a less prominent position.

The owner then approached kitchen designer Shadawn Zareh to design a kitchen for the newly created space.

"She wanted a modern kitchen that would spark her creativity. Color, texture and materials were key to achieving this," the designer says.

Cabinetry, in a simple, clean-lined style with unadorned surfaces, is made from cherry wood and finished in a dark espresso stain.

"The color is warm, but neutral, and the dark tones anchor the kitchen in the space. Copper-colored Italian glass tiles form a backsplash and cover the wall behind the cooktop," says Zareh.

The owner says she chose these tiles because they sparkle and glow when the light falls on them both during the day and at night.

Granite on the countertops is in a mix of shades of dark green, olive and chartreuse, with touches of orange, black and white. This complements the glass tiles, while red oak wood that is finished with a dark stain provides warm, neutral flooring material.

Good flow, plenty of counter space, generous storage and natural light were also important features.

The kitchen and living space are separated by a raised servery, which provides some privacy for the kitchen without shutting it off. This servery also creates additional storage space in cupboards accessed from the dining area.

To bring extra light into the kitchen, tall vertical windows were designed for the wall containing the oven and cooktop. The symmetry of this wall is part of the simplicity of the kitchen.

Because the route from the rest of the house to the living spaces is through the kitchen, it was important to ensure a clear, unobstructed passage from the hallway.

"There was no suitable space for the refrigerator in the main area of the kitchen, so we decided to recess it into a space that was previously part of the closet in the master bedroom," says Zareh.

Tucked out of the thoroughfare, the refrigerator can be conveniently accessed from the kitchen and dining areas.

The same alcove houses the other tall units, providing a hidden nook for small appliances such as the coffee machine, microwave, toaster and small second oven. The pantry is concealed in another alcove off the kitchen close to the oven.