Indice dei contenuti per Summer 2021 in Kitchens & Baths

THE KITCHEN IS OFTEN DESCRIBED as the heart of the home, the hub of activity, and the place where everyone wants to be. But sometimes the kitchen can also be an escape. It’s where we go to brew that early-morning cup of coffee or to try a new recipe. In my kitchen, I love to listen to music while preparing dinner after a busy day of work. Creating a sense of calm in the kitchen is an often overlooked but essential element of great design. Turn to page 16 to learn how top designers, including renowned Chicago designer Donna Mondi, usher a feeling of wellbeing, simplicity, and calm into the luxurious spaces they create. This issue, we also turn our attention to another big trend in kitchen and bath design—smart…

Q IT SEEMS THAT HOMEOWNERS TODAY ARE GRAVITATING TOWARD SIMPLER, QUIETER DESIGNS. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS AND HOW DO YOU BRING THAT SENSE OF CALM INTO YOUR OWN PROJECTS? We see kitchens going in two opposite directions. There’s a big push toward minimalism and utilitarianism that I believe stems from the noise of the outside world that is constantly permeating our inner worlds. For calming interiors, we keep the contrast low by using colors that softly blend into one another. Simplifying the cabinets with slab fronts and concealed hardware, integrated lighting, and easy-to-clean surfaces make this style so appealing. On the flip side, classical and traditional elements are sneaking back in and adding a timeless decadence that has been missing for the last decade. We’ve been incorporating fluted panels…

MOST PEOPLE CONSIDER the kitchen to be the heart of the home, and Suzie and Nick Trivisonno are firmly committed to this belief. When the Charlotte-based couple decided to downsize and build a house on a golf course five years ago, the goal of simplification extended to almost every aspect of their design plan, save for one spot. “The whole purpose of this house is that 600-square-foot kitchen—everything else was built around it,” architect Frank Smith says. That’s no exaggeration. As an avid cook, Suzie came to the table with very specific ideas about how the space should be configured, a list of necessary appliances, and a catalog of finishes, including terra-cotta floors and plaster walls. “I designed every nook and cranny,” she says. “I just didn’t have a good…

DOWNSIZING WASNÕT A GIVEN for empty nesters Paula and Walter Jones of Griffin, Georgia. While many of their friends jumped at the chance to scale back, the Griffins took the opposite track, choosing to make the most of the generous space they already had. “They went back and forth on whether to keep the house,” says designer Grace Brackman of Maggie Griffin Design. “Paula’s largest concern was that the existing master bath didn’t feel like an escape due to dated finishes and a real lack of light, despite two really large windows.” While the room size and layout didn’t require much change, introducing four fresh elements brought dramatic transformation: white Bianco Carrara marble for the flooring, vanity countertop, and shower and tub surrounds; romantic botanical wallpaper; silky drapes; and rich…

When interior designer Donna DuFresne was asked to design a kitchen remodel of a 1903 Colonial home in Portland, Oregon, she didn’t hesitate to say yes, nor did she need the address. Over the past 10 years, DuFresne and the homeowners had collaborated together on every other room in the house. Their combined love of a modern-classic style, no-holds-barred color, and use of every inch of space makes this one-of-kind family-friendly kitchen a showstopper. Q AS THE DESIGNER, WHAT WERE YOUR PRIMARY GOALS TO MEET THE HOMEOWNERSÕ NEEDS? We wanted to keep costs down, remodel within exterior walls, and improve space for designated areas: breakfast room, office, and pantry. This is an active family with two teenage sons, and they love to cook. The kitchen is a workhorse. Choosing materials that…

AS A GRADUATE OF LE CORDON BLEU in Paris, Dana Lyon has specialized culinary skills. And though she ultimately wound up designing kitchens rather than working in them, the knowledge she gained there has infused every kitchen she has created since. “One of the first things you do in a kitchen is get your tools ready,” she says. In her Paradise Valley, Arizona, home, she gave a lot of thought about where to store those tools. “As a chef, you’re always taking care of your knives,” she says. “I have two sets of knife drawers—one for dining knives and one for the chef knives I still have from school. I also keep my cutting boards within hand’s reach. Planning ahead for those kinds of things is really important for making…

SHE MIGHT NOT HEAR WAVES CRASH outside her window, but when Nicole Duggan steps into the renovated master bath she shares with her husband, Rory, she gets carried away to a seaside sanctuary. That speaks volumes since Nicole’s St. Paul home is more than 1,600 miles from the nearest ocean. “I’m a beach girl, but we don’t live next to water,” she says. “Still, I wanted to make the bathroom seem beachy without looking like it’s out of place in Minnesota.” Outside her bathroom window there is a body of water—a private pond surrounded by leafy trees. Taking advantage of the natural surroundings, Nicole’s sister-in-law, interior designer Heather Peterson, opened up the bath and installed nods to nature throughout the space. The scene-stealer is the striking apple green wallpaper inspired…

Key [T] TO THE TRADE. Not available to the general public. Contact a design professional for help. [P] PAINT COLOR. Paint colors depicted might vary from manufacturers’ colors. Use names or numbers as a starting point. To get the exact color you see, take the page to a paint retailer. BIG STYLE IN A SMALL SPACE Pages 7–11 Interior design: Donna DuFresne, Donna DuFresne Interior Design, Portland, Oregon; 503/421-1531; donnadufresnedesign.com. General contractor: Petrina Construction Inc., Portland, Oregon; 503/331-1669; petrinaconstruction.com. Wall and cabinet paint Caldwell Green HC-124, trim and ceiling paint White Dove OC-17—Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com [P]. Cabinetry—Cutting Edge Custom Cabinets Inc.; cuttingedgecc.com. Cabinet hardware—Classic Brass; classic-brass.com. Countertops Carrara marble—Daltile; 800/449-3591; daltile.com. Wallpaper Forest—Cole & Son; cole-and-son.com. Wall tile Loeb collection Straight-Stacked Mosaic Tile—Portland Direct Tile & Marble; pdtm.com. Floor tile Allora Hex in…

INSTALL DIMMER SWITCHES OR SMART CONTROLS TO ADJUST THE MOOD WITH LIGHTING.…

BORN AND EDUCATED IN ROME, Alessia Zanchi Loffredo loves anything with history and soul. So when she and her husband were searching for a home in the Chicago area, it was no surprise that a suburban 1920s English cottage—with original windows, doors, and hardware—captured her heart. “I’m drawn to older details and patinas,” says Alessia, principal of reDesign Home. Though the original details were compelling, a three-season porch added in the 1980s and the home’s cramped, dated kitchen were decidedly less so. Alessia resisted the urge to alter the footprint of the house while figuring out how to make the space work more efficiently for her family, which includes three children. “The way I approach design is different,” she says. “I grew up in Italy, and we’re very cautious of…

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. Hummingbird cake. Coffee cake with pecan butter topping. The delightful baked goods and tempting aromas that come out of Vicki Inwood’s kitchen are more than enough to lure her four adult children to their parents’ home in Milton, Georgia, any time of the year. “They love it when I bake for them,” Vicki says. “And I love spending time with them in my new kitchen.” Just like the heartwarming treats she whips up, Vicki and her husband, John, designed their modern farmhouse from scratch. With the help of design-build firm Brightwater Homes, they brought their dream—which included a welcoming kitchen—to life. “I wanted a space that would be just as inviting to bake in as it would be to host family,” Vicki says. “It needed to have…

WHEN RYAN HARGRAVE IMAGINED building her dream house, she couldn’t get one particular image out of her head. “I kept picturing a claw-foot tub, nestled in a big bank of windows, bathed in natural light,” she says. So, when Ryan and her husband had the opportunity to build their family a farmhouse from the ground up in Sunnyvale, Texas, she brought that vision to her architect, David Winchester of Winchester Home Design. “We designed the entire bathroom around this alcove with big windows, where the tub could be the feature, and we oriented it toward the farmland behind us,” Ryan says. Because of the privacy of the landscape, the windows needed no covering. “The cows are the only ones with a front-row seat!” The abundance of natural light inspired Ryan…