Three Strategies for a Wisely Designed (and Memorable) Kitchen
My pal Robyn loooves to sit in my kitchen. She is usually perched in her favorite counter stool at our center island. While I cook, she sips wine and samples some savory nibbles before hunkering down ultimately with the bowl of nuts (Robyn likes nuts…). All the while, she regales me with colorfully told stories that make me howl, covering all manner of topics. And inevitably as we catch up as only good friends do, Robyn will interrupt herself, inhale slowly as she look around the kitchen and say, “Donna, I could spend forever in your kitchen…I just love it here.”
Why? Because of Wise Design, of course!
Here are my Wise Design rules of the road when comes to creating joyful kitchens that are as beautiful as they are memorable.
Visual Rhythm
I am so careful as a designer with regard to how shape moves and repeats through a space, especially in the kitchen. Ignore this and you will never have a kitchen that entices and soothes. Ever. Harmony and balance…these are the lifeblood of high caliber design. Wise.
Unexpected Flavors
I love to put something unexpected into a kitchen if a client is willing. What great impact and bang for the buck when we do! All I need is one element that is a “wow.” An unexpected counter stool fabric. An eye-catching light fixture. A change of thought in hardware. A great piece of artwork. These are the things that clients love in the end, but would be too afraid to do on their own. Wise.
Authenticity
This is where Wise Design is at its best. When I create beautiful interiors (and kitchens) that so completely reflect and resonate with the owner’s design fingerprint, a very authentic, clear and bright brand of beauty erupts. Guests, family and loved ones all perceive this every time and they respond with wonder and delight. Authentic beauty is memorable. Wise.
Sure there are about nine million other considerations when I create a five star kitchen, from texture and color to masterful function. But let’s face it, no matter how you bake it, the kitchen is not only the heart of the home, it’s even the crown jewel that most lures real estate shoppers. But for me, it’s the place of memory. Your family, your children and grandchildren, your dear friends…they will look back at your shared history together and recall endless moments of “perfect” spent in your beautiful – and most memorable – kitchen.
Want a slice of that? We’d love to help you. Engage us for a kitchen renovation this month and we’ll bake up a fun gift for you in return: a catered dessert party for six in your memorable and beautiful new kitchen!
Photos by David Van Scott