A Modern Kitchen Goes Bold
Graphic tile is the focal point in this lower-level kitchen and dining area
Before. The former kitchen had plenty of cabinet storage but a monotonous palette of white and black. The kitchen also felt dark due to a lack of natural light.
After. The design team added a larger island that now houses the sink and has an overhang that can accommodate three counter stools. The backsplash and island are covered in a handmade cement tile called Barcelona Two from Clé. The bold black, gray and white pattern provides the graphic punch the homeowners craved in the new space.
Browse modern counter stools
Browse modern counter stools
The homeowners “didn’t want an all-white kitchen,” Shahsavarian says. “They didn’t want it to feel like a lab.” So the lower base cabinets and the wall of cabinets surrounding the refrigerator are covered in a thermofoil finish in a hue called Prosecco inspired by the color of the Italian sparkling wine. The floor’s engineered oak also warms up the kitchen.
Cabinets: Kitchen Craft
Cabinets: Kitchen Craft
To draw more light into the space, the design team added larger sliding-glass doors. The new black-aluminum doors from Western Window Systems open out to the backyard. Additional artificial light helps brighten up the space even more. The recessed LED strip lights in the ceiling are from RAB Lighting and the chandelier over the dining room table is the Arctic Pear from Ochre.
The family now spends their free time together in the open, light-filled space, where nature lies right outside the door. “The girls have their friends over all the time, and the homeowners love to entertain,” Balodemas says. “It’s a gathering spot for family and friends.”
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The family now spends their free time together in the open, light-filled space, where nature lies right outside the door. “The girls have their friends over all the time, and the homeowners love to entertain,” Balodemas says. “It’s a gathering spot for family and friends.”
More
So Many Reasons to Love Cement Tiles
The 5 Layers of a Well-Lit Kitchen
Find kitchen designers
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two daughters
Location: Chevy Chase, Maryland
Size: About 500 square feet (46.5 square meters)
Designer: Lou Balodemas and Veena Shahsavarian of Balodemas Architects
When a family of four moved to a suburb of Washington, D.C., after years of living abroad, they found a 1956 split-level ranch set in a bucolic park-like setting, but the home’s kitchen and dining room were in need of a major upgrade. “It was really an awful basement-like space,” says architect Lou Balodemas of the rooms, which are on the ground level at the back of the house. Therefore, bringing in more light, both natural and artificial, was a top priority for the remodel.
They also prioritized adding a sense of drama to the formerly muted space. From the start of the design process, finding a bold tile to play a starring role was key. “We talked about tile so much,” says designer Veena Shahsavarian. “They wanted the tile to be the focus of the room.”