Kitchen Design
Kitchen of the Week
Kitchen of the Week: A Metal-and-Marble Modern Marvel
A Texas couple’s new entertainment hub features a dramatic range backsplash, a large island and a grilling balcony
Large Range Alcove Is the Star
A dramatic range alcove provides a smashing focal point. Note the way the island and chandelier are centered to emphasize it. “My clients are both artistic and creative and have great taste,” Bradshaw says. “When we were at the stone yard, she went straight to this very modern slab for the range alcove’s backsplash.” The veining in the piece creates dramatic charcoal gray slashes behind the range.
A dramatic range alcove provides a smashing focal point. Note the way the island and chandelier are centered to emphasize it. “My clients are both artistic and creative and have great taste,” Bradshaw says. “When we were at the stone yard, she went straight to this very modern slab for the range alcove’s backsplash.” The veining in the piece creates dramatic charcoal gray slashes behind the range.
“With such a dramatic range backsplash, I didn’t want a vent hood to compete with it,” the designer says. “So there is no visible vent hood, for a sleek, clean look.” To achieve this, Bradshaw had the hood hidden behind drywall.
She chose a quiet white marble for the countertops to support the backsplash without taking attention away from it. Niches that flank the range hold oils, vinegars, seasonings and other items the homeowners need handy while cooking.
Find a marble slab
She chose a quiet white marble for the countertops to support the backsplash without taking attention away from it. Niches that flank the range hold oils, vinegars, seasonings and other items the homeowners need handy while cooking.
Find a marble slab
Marble Pattern Inspires the Color Palette
With all the wonderful natural light streaming in, it made sense to go high-contrast with dark cabinetry. The cabinet paint color is plucked straight from the range alcove’s dark marble veining. This color is a custom mix, but Bradshaw recommends Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal for a similar look.
With all the wonderful natural light streaming in, it made sense to go high-contrast with dark cabinetry. The cabinet paint color is plucked straight from the range alcove’s dark marble veining. This color is a custom mix, but Bradshaw recommends Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal for a similar look.
Also in that color range is the industrial material used on the social side of the island. The burnished stainless steel provides a strong juxtaposition to the elegant marble counter on the working side of the island.
“This couple was very enthusiastic and open to things that were exciting and different, which was really fun. This metal was one of those choices,” Bradshaw says. It was left unsealed, so its patina will change over time.
“This couple was very enthusiastic and open to things that were exciting and different, which was really fun. This metal was one of those choices,” Bradshaw says. It was left unsealed, so its patina will change over time.
Acrylic stools with white cowhide seats provide a glamorous Texas-style contrast to the burnished metal counter.
Stools: Bradshaw Designs; browse acrylic counter stools
Stools: Bradshaw Designs; browse acrylic counter stools
When it came to choosing the metals for the kitchen, Bradshaw wanted to avoid what she saw as a common mistake of the 1980s. She used brushed brass for the hardware and chandelier, but she otherwise avoided the metal.
“In the ’80s, brass was everywhere,” she says. “It was not only on our faucets, hardware and light fixtures, but also on our registers, furniture feet, shower framing and even on our thresholds. I think that’s why we got so sick of it.
“I like to use it in a decorative way, like on the chandelier and cabinet hardware, but not everywhere like in the ’80s. So I’ll often used a brushed or polished nickel or black faucet even when I’m using brass elsewhere in the room. I think mixing metals works better in terms of longevity.”
See more modern brass chandeliers
“In the ’80s, brass was everywhere,” she says. “It was not only on our faucets, hardware and light fixtures, but also on our registers, furniture feet, shower framing and even on our thresholds. I think that’s why we got so sick of it.
“I like to use it in a decorative way, like on the chandelier and cabinet hardware, but not everywhere like in the ’80s. So I’ll often used a brushed or polished nickel or black faucet even when I’m using brass elsewhere in the room. I think mixing metals works better in terms of longevity.”
See more modern brass chandeliers
The island measures 7 by 7 feet and is jam-packed with function. It houses the dishwasher, apron-front sink, trash pullout and — perhaps the coolest thing — the paper towel dispenser.
The island made it possible for the couple to forgo upper cabinets.
“If you are going without upper cabinets, you absolutely have to have big drawers that can hold a lot of weight and glide smoothly,” Bradshaw says. The drawers on the left side of the island are soft-close and have full-extension glides, making it easy to grab pots stashed all the way in the back. “These are used for pots and pans, Pyrex, Tupperware, dishes and glasses,” Bradshaw says.
The island made it possible for the couple to forgo upper cabinets.
“If you are going without upper cabinets, you absolutely have to have big drawers that can hold a lot of weight and glide smoothly,” Bradshaw says. The drawers on the left side of the island are soft-close and have full-extension glides, making it easy to grab pots stashed all the way in the back. “These are used for pots and pans, Pyrex, Tupperware, dishes and glasses,” Bradshaw says.
Room for 2 Cooks
“My clients noted that there was never room in their old kitchen for both of them to cook together without getting in each other’s way, so clearances were very important,” Bradshaw says. The range and island are separated by 48 inches. Between the island and refrigerator wall, the clearance is 54 inches.
The storage around the fridge accommodates large pieces such as serving platters, baking sheets, trays and cutting boards.
The floors, a white oak with a medium-color stain, match existing floors that hadn’t been damaged. The rug is a vintage Kazak piece.
Rug: Bradshaw Designs
“My clients noted that there was never room in their old kitchen for both of them to cook together without getting in each other’s way, so clearances were very important,” Bradshaw says. The range and island are separated by 48 inches. Between the island and refrigerator wall, the clearance is 54 inches.
The storage around the fridge accommodates large pieces such as serving platters, baking sheets, trays and cutting boards.
The floors, a white oak with a medium-color stain, match existing floors that hadn’t been damaged. The rug is a vintage Kazak piece.
Rug: Bradshaw Designs
A Secret Sliding Wall
Gray cabinets surround the refrigerator, and to the right of those is a hidden storage cabinet. You can see a few inches of the shelves in this photo. The entire white wall slides to the right to reveal 24-inch-deep shelf space for things such as serveware. “I didn’t want to waste one inch of space, and I like the way a thick wall provides a transition,” Bradshaw says.
Gray cabinets surround the refrigerator, and to the right of those is a hidden storage cabinet. You can see a few inches of the shelves in this photo. The entire white wall slides to the right to reveal 24-inch-deep shelf space for things such as serveware. “I didn’t want to waste one inch of space, and I like the way a thick wall provides a transition,” Bradshaw says.
An Easy-Access Bar
“These two love to entertain, and they didn’t want the bar hidden away in another room,” Bradshaw says. “And they wanted whoever was working in the kitchen to feel like they were part of the party. But they also didn’t want people mixing drinks to get in the cook’s way.”
Placing a bar at the edge of the kitchen, well outside the work triangle and next to the family room, makes it easy to access. The bar includes a wine fridge, a drawer for openers and cocktail napkins, and glass shelves for storing glassware.
“These two love to entertain, and they didn’t want the bar hidden away in another room,” Bradshaw says. “And they wanted whoever was working in the kitchen to feel like they were part of the party. But they also didn’t want people mixing drinks to get in the cook’s way.”
Placing a bar at the edge of the kitchen, well outside the work triangle and next to the family room, makes it easy to access. The bar includes a wine fridge, a drawer for openers and cocktail napkins, and glass shelves for storing glassware.
Inspired by wine corks, Bradshaw found a silvery cork wallcovering for the back wall of the bar. It adds an elegant touch that plays off the gray cabinetry and the veining in the marble yet still stands out and lets guests know that something different is happening over here and they should come check it out.
A Pair of Scullery Kitchens
Behind the range alcove wall are two scullery kitchens. This opening leads to her scullery, or work kitchen, spot. There’s additional pantry storage on the left side of it.
Behind the range alcove wall are two scullery kitchens. This opening leads to her scullery, or work kitchen, spot. There’s additional pantry storage on the left side of it.
So Wait, What Exactly Is a Scullery Kitchen?
An auxiliary kitchen, also known as a scullery kitchen or dirty kitchen, is a close cousin of the modern-day butler’s pantry. These areas are becoming more popular, particularly in homes with kitchens that are open to other rooms. “More and more people are wanting that to be their ‘pretty’ kitchen,” Bradshaw says.
For the messier business of grill prep and cleanup, the designer tucked this scullery kitchen behind the right side of the range alcove for the grillmaster. It’s close to the grilling balcony doors and provides a place for prepping meat and veggies, stashing grill tools and other supplies and cleaning up afterward. The space also has a pullout for trash in the lower cabinets.
An auxiliary kitchen, also known as a scullery kitchen or dirty kitchen, is a close cousin of the modern-day butler’s pantry. These areas are becoming more popular, particularly in homes with kitchens that are open to other rooms. “More and more people are wanting that to be their ‘pretty’ kitchen,” Bradshaw says.
For the messier business of grill prep and cleanup, the designer tucked this scullery kitchen behind the right side of the range alcove for the grillmaster. It’s close to the grilling balcony doors and provides a place for prepping meat and veggies, stashing grill tools and other supplies and cleaning up afterward. The space also has a pullout for trash in the lower cabinets.
The scullery kitchen for her has an ice maker and microwave. The couple were expecting their first child during construction, so the area has become baby stuff central — full of bottles, sippy cups and all the other things that take up new parents’ cabinet and counter space.
“This couple was young, artistic, open to fresh ideas and interesting materials and had an eclectic vision for their space,” Bradshaw says. “It’s so much fun to work with clients like that.”
Takeaways
New This Week: 3 Stunning White-and-Gray Kitchens
Why You Should Embrace a Solid Slab Backsplash
Find a kitchen designer
“This couple was young, artistic, open to fresh ideas and interesting materials and had an eclectic vision for their space,” Bradshaw says. “It’s so much fun to work with clients like that.”
Takeaways
- A range alcove can serve as a beautiful focal point.
- Think about how the veining patterns will run when choosing and templating a natural stone slab.
- Don’t forget to save the photo of the concealed paper towel dispenser in the kitchen’s island to your kitchen ideabook.
- Talk with your designer about how you work in the kitchen when planning the layout and clearances, especially when two or more people like to work there at the same time.
- Forgoing upper cabinets means you need deep drawers that can handle a lot of weight, glide easily and have full-extension glides.
- Consider how small stations in the kitchen will relate to and serve other rooms. Here, the bar serves the family room and is out of the way of the kitchen workspace, and a grill-specific scullery kitchen serves the outdoor grill area.
New This Week: 3 Stunning White-and-Gray Kitchens
Why You Should Embrace a Solid Slab Backsplash
Find a kitchen designer
Kitchen at a Glance
Who uses it: An artistic couple; she’s a jewelry designer and painter, and he’s the grillmaster of the house
Location: San Antonio
Size: 504 square feet (47 square meters) including two scullery kitchens behind the range alcove; 28 feet by 18 feet
Designer: Julie Bradshaw of Bradshaw Designs
This San Antonio kitchen had sustained extensive water damage in a flood. When it was renovated, it was taken down to the studs. This gave interior designer Julie Bradshaw the opportunity to replace two small windows with a glorious expanse of steel-framed doors and windows that now fill the once-dark room with natural light.
“The exterior wall had two sad little asymmetrical windows on it and the whole space felt off-kilter,” Bradshaw says. She knew her first move would be to open up the room to bring in light and expose the fabulous hilltop views.
Knowing one of her clients was a huge grilling aficionado, she added a grilling balcony off the space as well as a handy kitchen work area, or scullery, next to it that’s dedicated to grill prep and cleanup.
As for the main kitchen, it’s completely open to the family room and has a marble-inspired color palette. The finishing touches are a mix of brass, burnished steel, polished nickel and stainless steel.