With a little glamour Sophisticated kitchen designed by Jamie Herzlinger

Nostalgia is a strong design influence, but this doesn't have to translate to a traditional look, as this project shows.

Interior designer Jamie Herzlinger says the owner of the home, Kim O'Brien, vacations in Southern California, where she spent many childhood vacations, and has spent winters in South Florida.

"Essentially, we went for a black-and-white Hollywood Regency Bel Air look, typical of these regions in the '60s," she says. "The graphic design of the marble floor, for example, is very typical of this era. But I never take things too seriously, and I didn't want it to look as though you were walking into the Palace of Versailles. So there is also a fun element to the floor it features round and diamond-shaped marble inserts as well as squares."

The perimeter cabinetry is lacquered white, with a fine aluminum edge on the doors.

"The aluminum is a little bit of jewelry that sets it off much like the perfect pair of diamond stud earrings will set off an outfit," says Herzlinger. "The island features mirror-backed, acid-etched glass, which gives it a luminosity that is also rather jewel-like. It almost looks like silver at night. This differentiates the island, and ensures it is not just a functional element."

Functionality has not been sacrificed, however. Because the owner likes to entertain a lot, the kitchen was designed to make catering easy.

"We chose top-of-the-line Gaggenau appliances, including a new stainless steel-lined refrigerator and freezer, which are integrated into the bank of cabinets on the rear wall," says Herzlinger. "Even at black-tie parties everyone is always in the kitchen, so we added a drinks area on the right, with a stainless steel backsplash. Sitting at the island is almost like sitting at a well-staged bar."

There are also refrigerator drawers beside the bar, and a Fisher & Paykel DishDrawer dishwasher. And although the Calacatta marble countertops provide plenty of space for food preparation and serving, there is additional work space in the adjacent laundry room.

The visual continuity is reinforced in the adjoining dining room, where Herzlinger demonstrates another design trick mixing classical elements with contemporary. In this case, an ancient Greek Klismos chair design is enlivened by a solid acrylic construction.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes