Kitchen of the Week: New Space for a Couple’s New Lifestyle
The room’s transitional style mixes traditional cabinetry and moldings with industrial brick and contemporary accents
Becky Harris
January 10, 2020
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
Once their youngest child had flown the nest, this Phoenix couple traded in their suburban home with a big yard for life in a new townhouse in the city’s downtown. “My clients loved the idea of being able to walk to restaurants, shops and museums and living just a quick light-rail ride away from sports games,” Brad Leavitt of design-build firm AFT Construction says. “We remodeled the kitchen with their new casual lifestyle in mind, with room for their kids and grandkids to come over for gatherings.”
Photos by Roehner + Ryan
Kitchen at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple whose grown children have all left home
Location: Phoenix
Size: 600 square feet (56 square meters)
Designers: AFT Construction (design-build) and Lori Clarke of Lori’s Home Staging & Design
“My clients were very excited to start from scratch with new construction,” Leavitt says. They worked with AFT Construction on the design at the preliminary stages and then expanded the team to include interior designer Lori Clarke, who helped them choose finishes, paint colors, lighting, furniture, faucets, the vent hood and more. The homeowners used Houzz ideabooks to share ideas and inspiration photos.
They were moving from a Craftsman-style home and liked traditional millwork, but they wanted a more transitional style in this home. Aspects such as the coffered ceiling and other traditional moldings mix with more industrial and contemporary elements like the exposed brick wall, transitional light fixtures and streamlined matte black faucets.
“They thought a lot about reinventing their lifestyle now that it was just going to be the two of them,” Leavitt says. “For example, they knew they’d be having a lot of casual meals together, so they wanted seating at the island to wrap the corner in order to look at each other while enjoying meals there.”
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple whose grown children have all left home
Location: Phoenix
Size: 600 square feet (56 square meters)
Designers: AFT Construction (design-build) and Lori Clarke of Lori’s Home Staging & Design
“My clients were very excited to start from scratch with new construction,” Leavitt says. They worked with AFT Construction on the design at the preliminary stages and then expanded the team to include interior designer Lori Clarke, who helped them choose finishes, paint colors, lighting, furniture, faucets, the vent hood and more. The homeowners used Houzz ideabooks to share ideas and inspiration photos.
They were moving from a Craftsman-style home and liked traditional millwork, but they wanted a more transitional style in this home. Aspects such as the coffered ceiling and other traditional moldings mix with more industrial and contemporary elements like the exposed brick wall, transitional light fixtures and streamlined matte black faucets.
“They thought a lot about reinventing their lifestyle now that it was just going to be the two of them,” Leavitt says. “For example, they knew they’d be having a lot of casual meals together, so they wanted seating at the island to wrap the corner in order to look at each other while enjoying meals there.”
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An eye-catching custom copper vent hood made by a local metalworker was a big splurge that serves as a focal point on the range wall. A hammered copper sink adds more of the patinaed metal to the room.
Clarke helped the couple find a beautiful thin brick with an antique look. It adds industrial flavor to the transitional-style mix.
The cabinets extend all the way to the 13½-foot-high ceilings. The extra space gives the couple plenty of storage for seasonal and seldom-used items. There’s a large walk-in pantry off the kitchen, plus pullout drawers for small appliances and special inserts for baking sheets, trays, and herbs and spices. There’s also a drawer for charging devices.
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Clarke helped the couple find a beautiful thin brick with an antique look. It adds industrial flavor to the transitional-style mix.
The cabinets extend all the way to the 13½-foot-high ceilings. The extra space gives the couple plenty of storage for seasonal and seldom-used items. There’s a large walk-in pantry off the kitchen, plus pullout drawers for small appliances and special inserts for baking sheets, trays, and herbs and spices. There’s also a drawer for charging devices.
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The island is 6 by 14 feet. Leather bar stools with backs provide comfy seating. The island, which completes a work triangle between the fridge, the range and the sink, also has a veggie sink for food prep. The countertop is black quartz by Cambria.
To the left of the refrigerator is a built-in coffeemaker and a microwave. This photo also shows the kitchen’s mix of lighting: open lanterns over the island and sconces that flank the sink. The lanterns suit the large scale of the island and the high ceilings. The dark metal finishes tie the fixtures together.
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To the left of the refrigerator is a built-in coffeemaker and a microwave. This photo also shows the kitchen’s mix of lighting: open lanterns over the island and sconces that flank the sink. The lanterns suit the large scale of the island and the high ceilings. The dark metal finishes tie the fixtures together.
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The various light fixtures designate different areas, such as the mixed pendants that draws the eye to the adjacent dining area. Recessed lighting in the ceiling illuminates the entire kitchen when needed.
Faucets: Kohler
Shop for a matte black kitchen faucet
Faucets: Kohler
Shop for a matte black kitchen faucet
“The homeowners embraced their new lifestyle and decided it didn’t require a formal dining room,” Leavitt says. Instead they opted for more casual banquette seating located off the kitchen and in front of the windows. The tufted leather banquette’s height stands up to the high ceilings and adds warmth to the space. The table is big enough to fit the entire family when everyone is visiting.
The pendant lights are in a variety of shapes and colors. Leavitt worked with the couple to figure out their placement by creating paper cutouts to represent each pendant. Then they all played around with them before the wiring and drywall were installed to get the composition and heights just right.
Light fixtures (throughout this project): Visual Comfort
The pendant lights are in a variety of shapes and colors. Leavitt worked with the couple to figure out their placement by creating paper cutouts to represent each pendant. Then they all played around with them before the wiring and drywall were installed to get the composition and heights just right.
Light fixtures (throughout this project): Visual Comfort
The living room was unfurnished at the time of the photo shoot. It’s open to the dining area and the kitchen so that all the spaces can share the natural light from the windows. The brick on the fireplace surround matches the exposed brick in the kitchen. The coffered ceiling continues seamlessly, connecting the spaces from above. And the 7-inch-wide engineered walnut planks provide continuity on the floor.
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Where are the cabinets from? Or are they custom designed? They are just what I was looking for. I don't mind pulling out the step stool for holiday items.
Absolutely beautiful. What brand of color of counter top was used around the perimeter, not the island?
Love the warmth of the brick!