A Frank Lloyd Wright-Inspired House Gets Ready for Guests
New furnishings, a new kitchen island and a welcoming entry foyer prepare this home for frequent visitors
Erin Carlyle
September 28, 2018
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes to remodel. Former Forbes real estate reporter. Fascinated by cool homes, watching the bottom line.
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes... More
Photos by Casey Spring
Entertaining Area at a Glance
Who lives here: Two professionals who often entertain
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Size: 368 square feet (34 square meters) in the great room, 202 square feet (19 square meters) in the kitchen
Designer: Sondra Phillips of SKP Design
The homeowners moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, from the East Coast and frequently use their home as an entertaining space. The wife had lived in Chicago and been influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, so when the couple found this Wright-inspired home, they knew it was the one. Designer Sondra Phillips helped them remodel their kitchen and redecorate their great room to make both spaces more amenable to their frequent hosting.
The dramatic fountain mural on the fireplace wall was in place when the current owners purchased the home. Phillips’ job was to furnish this space with items that made for easy conversational groups.
Entertaining Area at a Glance
Who lives here: Two professionals who often entertain
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Size: 368 square feet (34 square meters) in the great room, 202 square feet (19 square meters) in the kitchen
Designer: Sondra Phillips of SKP Design
The homeowners moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, from the East Coast and frequently use their home as an entertaining space. The wife had lived in Chicago and been influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, so when the couple found this Wright-inspired home, they knew it was the one. Designer Sondra Phillips helped them remodel their kitchen and redecorate their great room to make both spaces more amenable to their frequent hosting.
The dramatic fountain mural on the fireplace wall was in place when the current owners purchased the home. Phillips’ job was to furnish this space with items that made for easy conversational groups.
Phillips came up with a flexible seating arrangement for the sunken great room that hinges on the two ottomans shown on the far end of the coffee table in this photo.
In this photo, the same ottomans are on the left. The previous homeowners had used this space to house their grand piano and had a giant piece of art on the wall. Without those large pieces, this area looked empty and awkward and the great room space felt “cavernous,” Phillips says.
She had the wall painted in Double Latte by Sherwin-Williams, a warm neutral that makes the two-story open space feel cozier, and added a quartet of swiveling barrel chairs to create a conversational zone in this area. Alternatively, two of the barrel chairs can rotate to form a conversational grouping with the two ottomans. The blue-green wall in the background indicates the front entryway.
Browse accent chairs
She had the wall painted in Double Latte by Sherwin-Williams, a warm neutral that makes the two-story open space feel cozier, and added a quartet of swiveling barrel chairs to create a conversational zone in this area. Alternatively, two of the barrel chairs can rotate to form a conversational grouping with the two ottomans. The blue-green wall in the background indicates the front entryway.
Browse accent chairs
Before the makeover, two of the home’s entry walls were plain white and the door wall was painted red. The designer selected inviting green paint and the organic table and bench for this area to make the entrance more serene and to bring a sense of nature indoors.
Wall paint: Rocky River, Sherwin-Williams
Wall paint: Rocky River, Sherwin-Williams
Before the renovation, the kitchen island had a two-tiered surface: a lower level that contained the stovetop and a small stretch of counter, and an upper level that served as a high-top eating bar in concert with tall bar stools. There was no range hood above the stove or venting system to get rid of hot air and smells from cooking.
The homeowners wanted more usable counter space for cooking, so Phillips designed a new island measuring 8 feet by 4 feet, 8 inches to give them plenty of workspace. On the back of the island, she added a beverage refrigerator, a convenient place for drinks for guests. She also moved the stove from the island to the kitchen’s back wall, making way for a range hood that vents directly outside. There are two warming ovens on the island side that faces the stove; the homeowners can use them to keep catered items warm.
Wall paint: Ruskin Room Green, Sherwin-Williams
The homeowners wanted more usable counter space for cooking, so Phillips designed a new island measuring 8 feet by 4 feet, 8 inches to give them plenty of workspace. On the back of the island, she added a beverage refrigerator, a convenient place for drinks for guests. She also moved the stove from the island to the kitchen’s back wall, making way for a range hood that vents directly outside. There are two warming ovens on the island side that faces the stove; the homeowners can use them to keep catered items warm.
Wall paint: Ruskin Room Green, Sherwin-Williams
Phillips added a second sink to the new kitchen island. Since the sink is across from the refrigerator, the homeowners can pull produce from the fridge and easily turn around to the sink to wash it, and then chop and prep ingredients at the island. The lighting fixture over the island is also new.
The clients kept the cabinets during this remodel but had a woodworker repair some of the hinges and drawer glides, and add new hardware in the form of thin, black horizontal pulls.
The clients kept the cabinets during this remodel but had a woodworker repair some of the hinges and drawer glides, and add new hardware in the form of thin, black horizontal pulls.
The woodworker also added a painted black horizontal stripe to the cabinets. You can see both the pulls and the horizontal stripe above them in this photo. Above the stove, the designer added tiles replicating Frank Lloyd Wright’s Waterlilies design.
Find backsplash tiles
Find backsplash tiles
As part of the renovation, Phillips added a built-in banquette in the breakfast nook just off the kitchen. The idea was to bring occupants as close to nature as possible, allowing them to take in the gorgeous views of the front yard and pond.
Here’s a look at the view out the windows above the dining banquette.
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