Kitchen of the Week: Designed to Stand the Test of Time
Ageless beauty abounds in this elegant European-inspired kitchen in Minnesota
A full kitchen remodel is an expensive affair. Therefore, this well-traveled couple with two teenage children nearing college wanted a remodel to last a lifetime. Because they’ve created a space that looks like it was built over decades rather than over a couple of months, it’s difficult to peg their kitchen to any particular period — and that’s exactly the point.
“I was so happy when my client agreed to the La Cornue range in periwinkle,” Tharaldson says. “It’s a bold choice that adds a jolt of color and playfulness to the room.” The custom hood above the range is made from a mix of stainless steel and metal straps. Contractor Mark McGuire and his team at Minnesota Construction designed and built the hood, as well as the matching fireplace hood in the adjacent great room.
“As long as you’re mixing materials, you’re not stuck in one genre,” Tharaldson says. She believes that having a variety of metal, wood and countertop materials in a kitchen makes it feel timeless and less likely to need an update a few years down the road. Case in point: A row of chestnut-stained cabinets shares a wall with what the designer describes as a “gray-washed, oil-stained refrigerator armoire” with a hidden beverage center that houses an espresso machine.
A stone veneer surrounds the window above the farmhouse sink, adding texture and charm to the space. It connects to the fireplace in the great room, which is covered in the same stone.
Pendant lights: Luna Bella
Pendant lights: Luna Bella
A set of French doors leading to the backyard was converted into a stylish breakfast banquette. The frames of the new windows are painted black to mimic the look of old-world leaded windows. Tharaldson says the wood and iron chandelier is intentionally oversized to help delineate the space. “When you’re sitting in the banquette, there’s a sense of intimacy — you don’t feel as if you’re hanging out on a limb.”
Chairs: Tomlinson
Chairs: Tomlinson
Tharaldson says the walk-in pantry might be her favorite space she’s ever designed. Instead of built-in cabinets, she used antique furniture for storage. A glass-door cabinet and the remains of an old bookshelf add timeless charm, while the saturated colors of the Cole & Son wallpaper provide a pop of personality. Tharaldson says using furniture for storage was actually a less expensive option than custom cabinetry.
The new stone veneer for the fireplace surround and the metal hood above it connect the great room to the kitchen both visually and materially. Two tall, narrow windows on either side of the fireplace replace former built-in bookshelves. “We chose uncommon dimensions for the windows to evoke the feeling of a castle,” Tharaldson says.
Chandelier: Luna Bella
Chandelier: Luna Bella
Caico, the family dog, lies on his bed in front of the gas fireplace, which features a faux coal-burning insert to further evoke the timeless theme. A large entertainment center painted an antiqued navy blue was purchased from custom furniture shop Old Biscayne.
See more Kitchens of the Week
See more Kitchens of the Week
Who lives here: A family of four and their dog
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Size: About 650 square feet (about 60 square meters)
Designer: Billie Marie Tharaldson of Julian Design
The antiqued cream-colored island cabinetry serves as an anchor for the room. “It unites all the different colors in the room. We mixed subtle hints of blue and gray into the paint to relate to the stone wall and range,” designer Billie Marie Tharaldson says. “It’s similar to adding a rug that perfectly ties a room together.” The marble-topped island also provides storage, therefore limiting the need for upper cabinets and allowing the space to feel more open.