Kitchen of the Week: Blue Cabinets, High Ceilings and Big Windows
A colorful, spacious and eclectic kitchen in the Texas Hill Country takes full advantage of outside views and sunshine
After making their dream a reality by buying a 5-acre plot of land with a small farm, this couple set out designing and building a new home with sweeping views of the Texas Hill Country. Topping their wish list was a kitchen with soaring ceilings and large windows, not easy to design in an area where the sun can be unrelenting.
The builder for the project, Ethan Jones of Capital Construction Co., says supporting the 38-foot span of the kitchen and living room area with no internal walls to help carry the load required a beefy 6¼-by-19½-inch solid ridge beam, 20-foot-high scaffolding and a crane for installation. Because high winds are common in the area, the gable end walls required significant bracing and hold-down brackets.
While the beam is visible, the rest of the ceiling throughout is finished in 1-by-6-inch tongue-and-groove yellow pine wood planks with a warm stain.
Concrete floors were a cost-effective, kid- and pet-friendly choice.
Ceiling stain: Fruitwood, Sherwin-Williams; wall paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore; sliding doors and windows: Milgard Windows & Doors
While the beam is visible, the rest of the ceiling throughout is finished in 1-by-6-inch tongue-and-groove yellow pine wood planks with a warm stain.
Concrete floors were a cost-effective, kid- and pet-friendly choice.
Ceiling stain: Fruitwood, Sherwin-Williams; wall paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore; sliding doors and windows: Milgard Windows & Doors
The homeowners wanted windows that overlooked a courtyard where their kids would be playing, so they decided to forgo upper cabinets. Open white pine shelving on wrought iron brackets keeps views open while storing dishes.
Cheery red counter chairs pop against the deep slate-blue paint on the custom-made cabinets. Oil-rubbed bronze cabinet hardware harmonizes with the open-shelf brackets and support the contemporary yet rustic theme.
Vent hood: Siena, Zephyr; range: Benchmark Series 30-inch electric range, Bosch; hardware: Highland Ridge Collection in oil-rubbed bronze, Amerock; cabinet paint: Vermont Slate, Benjamin Moore
Cheery red counter chairs pop against the deep slate-blue paint on the custom-made cabinets. Oil-rubbed bronze cabinet hardware harmonizes with the open-shelf brackets and support the contemporary yet rustic theme.
Vent hood: Siena, Zephyr; range: Benchmark Series 30-inch electric range, Bosch; hardware: Highland Ridge Collection in oil-rubbed bronze, Amerock; cabinet paint: Vermont Slate, Benjamin Moore
A Mexican cement tile backsplash adds a graphic element to the space.
A farmhouse-style sink sits in the walnut butcher block-topped island. The perimeter countertop is concrete.
Backsplash: Elias pattern tile, Clay Imports
Backsplash: Elias pattern tile, Clay Imports
For the west-facing wall featuring a pantry and desk, Heroy originally had wanted more windows but had to consider the intense Texas sun and how to keep it from overheating the interiors. A small window over the desk offers a picture view. The larger window on the left will eventually be shaded by trees.
The clean look of the open, vaulted area “allows the few decorative elements in the space to stand out without being overly fussy,” Heroy says. Two African baskets atop the pantry add a little visual interest and texture. The cobalt blue jars belonged to the grandmother of one of the homeowners.
The clean look of the open, vaulted area “allows the few decorative elements in the space to stand out without being overly fussy,” Heroy says. Two African baskets atop the pantry add a little visual interest and texture. The cobalt blue jars belonged to the grandmother of one of the homeowners.
Here, the kitchen floor plan is shown highlighted in yellow. The small rectangular area to the left of the kitchen is the exterior courtyard. The bedrooms are at the far left, at the front of the house. The long rectangular porch on the far right is at the rear of the house.
Cabinetry: Cabinets Deluxe
Paint and finish work: MCH Painting
Concrete floors: Mungle Bros.
Lighting: Legend Lighting
Windows and exterior doors: Milgard Windows & Doors
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Cabinetry: Cabinets Deluxe
Paint and finish work: MCH Painting
Concrete floors: Mungle Bros.
Lighting: Legend Lighting
Windows and exterior doors: Milgard Windows & Doors
More
See more Kitchens of the Week
Get inspired: Browse the latest kitchen photos uploaded to Houzz
Get started: Find a kitchen designer near you
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A married couple — he’s the Chilean-born owner of an artisan empanada business, and she’s a native Texas attorney — and their two boys, ages 3 and 6; and a black Lab named Chincha
Location: Driftwood, Texas
Size: 382 square feet (35.5 square meters)
Architect: Erica Keast Heroy
Builder: Ethan Jones of Capital Construction
The couple wanted a kitchen with a comfortable mix of rustic and modern styles with an open floor plan and deep connectivity to the outdoors. They originally had worked with one of the homeowners’ childhood architect friends on a design that featured a flat roof and large garage-style doors that opened everything up.
But after hiring architect Erica Heroy to further develop the design, they decided on a vaulted ceiling to achieve an even more spacious, open look. Two large sliding doors open the kitchen and eating area to a porch and views. The doors replaced the planned garage-style doors because the latter would have been expensive and difficult to pull off with the vaulted architecture.
Chandelier: Country small chandelier, Circa Lighting; dining table and benches: custom made in Mexico