Mucho gusto

Just about every country on earth has its own style of architecture, fashioned to suit the unique conditions found there. For many, the attraction of these exotic buildings becomes more than a curiosity, developing into a deeper passion.

When designer Ryan Jackson of Laird Jackson Design House was looking for a vacation home, he was instantly drawn to a Spanish hacienda-style dwelling.

"The authenticity of the architecture and design immediately captured my imagination. Especially the tile floor in the dining room, that's what really sold me on it."

Genuine 16th century tiles line the kitchen niche and were used to produce replicas used elsewhere in the kitchen. Similarly, the doors, ceiling and floor tiles are antique.

In keeping with the traditional style of the architecture, the kitchen walls were all bare and there were one or two furniture pieces to augment the built-in counters.

While Jackson appreciated the attention to detail, there were a few issues surrounding the kitchen's functionality to address.

"The sparseness of the design, especially concerning the lack of storage, was not really conducive to modern living. My plan for this room was to introduce storage, but in such a way as to not compromise the aesthetic.

"Foremost, I wanted to retain the organic feel of the space, so I was careful to use and source appropriately aged, natural materials. Pieces such as the small built-in unit were hand-crafted using existing materials, contributing to the sense that it is an evolved space.

"I tried to be very careful with my footprint and not do a disservice to the fundamentals of the house. The few changes I've made, I believe, have further enhanced the architecture."

Story by: Trendsideas