Créme de la créme

When a kitchen is at the heart of a large family living area, it often needs to blend with other more formal furnishings.

This kitchen, which was designed by Russell Dearsley of Downsview Kitchens, is in a French Provincial house that has a distinctly elegant feel.

"The kitchen needed to complement the rest of the interior, so I went for a refined, transitional look," Dearsley says. "The custom hood, for example, is framed by stainless steel straps with polished nickel rivets, and is reminiscent of Louis Vuitton luggage. Stainless steel was also introduced to drawer fronts and vertical cabinets next to the oven, and to small shelves either side of the hood. These help the cabinetry merge with the oven so the appliance is less of a visual intrusion."

The rest of the cabinetry features transitional framed doors, in white or walnut, which help to warm the room visually. To enhance the refinement, hardware is in polished nickel rather than steel.

"At 13ft 6in, the ceiling is very high, which meant the cabinetry needed to be 11ft high to keep to scale," says Dearsley. "A series of illuminated glass display cabinets along the top, and glass shelves help to reduce the apparent mass of the units. Similarly, the symmetrical design helps to draw the eye towards the center of each bank of cabinets to the range hood on one wall and a decorative arched niche on the other minimizing the overall impact."

The designer says having a symmetrical design also creates a furniture look that is in keeping with the rest of the interior. The island reinforces the furniture feel, with solid carved legs and a 2in-thick Calacatta marble countertop that is a little more chunky than the tops on the perimeter cabinets. To avoid a boxy look, the two outer corners of the countertop are angled.

Story by: Trendsideas