The Heart of the Home: Three Kitchens

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The story below is from our September/October 2021 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you! 

The experts dish on crave-worthy spaces.

The kitchen is the heart of the home, and no zone works harder. We gather there to prepare and cook meals, socialize with family and friends, help kids with homework and catch up on work emails. It’s a lot to ask of our kitchens, and good design that works hard and looks great while doing it is vital.

We talked with three local interior designers who gave us a peek into kitchens they’ve created for clients, and walked us through the choices they made. If you are contemplating a kitchen remodel, you’ll want to take note of their expert tips and tricks.

Edith-Anne Duncan, Edith-Anne Duncan Design

Historic city home gains kitchen fit for entertaining in total house renovation.

Ideal Cabinets and Jerry and Rob Horne of Ultra Construction were partners on this project.

A 1914 home in Roanoke City was tired and dated, but a local empty nester couple saw the potential to bring it back to its former grandeur. Edith-Anne Duncan was brought on board to oversee interior design in the whole house renovation, and to create a kitchen that felt in keeping with the home’s traditional roots, but built for modern life.

Working with Lara Lee Strickler at Ideal Cabinets, Duncan and Strickler built the kitchen around the open bistro style shelves that Duncan found. “They are a nod to the past, but used in a modern application here,” explains Duncan. The open shelves flank the range and range hood, while a shapely quartz backsplash behind the range protects a blue grasscloth from splashes and spills. The grasscloth on the range wall is joined by a marigold Schumacher wallpaper in the remainder of the kitchen.

Complimentary cabinet finishes and surfaces keep the large kitchen from appearing stark—a mix of gray and creamy cabinets on the perimeter and a wood stained island base feel collected over time. A veiny quartz with white, cream and gray tones top all surfaces except for the entertaining wet bar and adjoining office area, which boasts a handsome wood countertop. “We didn’t want it all to look brand new, and the wood countertop adds patina and warmth,” says Duncan.

“It’s very comfortable, dogs live there, and during quarantine the young adult children were back,” Duncan notes. “It’s sophisticated, but casual.”

Steal This Style!

  • Start with something you love, and build around it. The window treatment and barstool fabric guided the textile selections, while the bistro shelves informed the design.
  • Make a new kitchen seem collected over time by varying finishes and fixtures.
  • The range hood should ideally be larger than the range for visual weight and adequate ventilation. Here the range is four feet long, the hood is more than seven feet long.

Jessica Durham, magnolia

New kitchen in historic farmhouse property blends old and new.

Classical Design and Balzer & Associates architects were partners on this project.

A family who moved to the area with their three children and dogs spied a historic 1870s property with expansive land and were smitten, despite the massive renovation it would require to suit their family. Undeterred, they hired designer Jessica Durham to execute a new kitchen with an old world feel.

“It was really important to them to retain the character, and to do that, we’ve left exposed brick in several places, and the beams in the kitchen are from a cabin on the property, built in the 1700s,” Durham explains.

Durham brought in her frequent design partner, cabinetmaker Steve Morris of Classical Design, to consult on the kitchen layout and to build the custom cabinetry, which is a clean-lined creamy white perimeter cabinet, different from the typical Shaker style, with a thinner profile.

The large island and a separate prep area are wood tone, with a custom stain that adds a richness and warmth atop the marble floor. The floor is laid in a Versailles pattern, which lends European flair, along with the Lacanche range, which is made in France.

Natural quartzite in shades of gray and cream tops the cabinets and is used as the backsplash, and the thick, custom beveled edge on the island commands attention and imparts a traditional vibe. Dual Visual Comfort pendants are the island’s jewelry and finishing touch.

Steal This style!

  • Classic patterns and materials, like the marble tile in a Versailles pattern, have staying power.
  • A paneled freezer and refrigerator are hidden, creating a streamlined look that is easier to keep clean than stainless finishes in a busy house.
  • Wood cabinetry in the kitchen is back, but easier to execute when not paired with wood flooring, as in this kitchen. Be mindful of other wood stains in the space.

Emily Mangus, Emily Mangus Interiors

To-the-studs redo in suburban kitchen imparts family-friendly style.

Hamlin Builders and architect Eric Buck were partners on this project.

A professional couple with three young children purchased a home in Roanoke County with the space and yard they were looking for, but the lackluster kitchen needed an overhaul. “They purchased the home even though they knew some of it needed to be reworked, but they lived in it for a while to really feel out what they wanted to change,” says Emily Mangus.

The couple came to Emily Mangus Interiors to create a light, airy and timeless kitchen that would also withstand the daily wear and tear of family life. The white cabinets are custom with inset Shaker-style doors, and they are topped with durable quartz. A waterfall edge (where the countertop covers the side all the way to the floor) on the island is “bumper car proof” as Mangus jokes.

The surfaces in this kitchen are all wipeable, including the custom cushions in the breakfast area, which are on outdoor chairs. The barstools are absent cushions so small children can climb onto them easily, and messes can be dealt with in a flash. The wallpaper is also wipeable to withstand splashes and sticky handprints.

A large window offers unobstructed light and a view to the backyard and the playset, so mom can check on the kids while she’s cooking. The barstools below the window provide a spot for homework away from the busy work zone, and the window is flanked by to-the-ceiling columns of cabinetry for both hidden storage and display.

“This kitchen has some energy and color, but incorporated in a timeless manner,” says Mangus.

Steal This Style!

  • Wipeable surfaces and textiles are ideal for family living. Vinyl has come a long way from the ‘stick-to-your legs’ plastic-y feeling. Newer types are soft and durable.
  • Color in the kitchen, like in this backsplash, feels youthful and fun.
  • Top-quality cabinets are an investment, but can stand up to busy family life.

The story above is from our September/October 2021. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!