Room of the Day: Warm Wood, Icy Blues in an Alps-Inspired Kitchen
Visions of mountaintops and waterfalls bolster a newly open kitchen remodel fit for entertaining
To transform a previously cramped and bland kitchen, interior designer Liz Williams and builder Greg May took design cues from a mountain-loving homeowner. They combined cool stone and glass with warm, chalet-inspired woods for a cozy, inviting space that recalls a trip to the Alps.
AFTER: A more open layout functions better for dinner parties. A peekaboo wall (seen to the right of the peninsula) and diamond-shaped pendants also pick up on an Alps-retreat feel.
Countertops: Parys, Cambria
Countertops: Parys, Cambria
Williams and May extended the kitchen to fill the length of the room, creating a stronger connection to a nearby dining area.
A deep blue backsplash of 3-by-12-inch glass tiles visually ties the room together. The tile colors represent Alpine lakes, sky and clouds, Williams says, and the gradient pattern installation is meant to mimic a lakeside mountain view.
Meanwhile, the clear alder cabinets and walnut wood shelves also hit on the theme. “The alder and walnut relate to the forests in the mountains,” Williams says. “Floating shelves are like tree branches.”
Glass tile: Tomei series, Lunada Bay Tile
A deep blue backsplash of 3-by-12-inch glass tiles visually ties the room together. The tile colors represent Alpine lakes, sky and clouds, Williams says, and the gradient pattern installation is meant to mimic a lakeside mountain view.
Meanwhile, the clear alder cabinets and walnut wood shelves also hit on the theme. “The alder and walnut relate to the forests in the mountains,” Williams says. “Floating shelves are like tree branches.”
Glass tile: Tomei series, Lunada Bay Tile
The homeowner wanted everything to be open and accessible for guests during parties.
A pot rack overhead puts skillets and saucepans in easy reach, while floating shelves keep glasses and platters in plain view so people don’t constantly ask where everything is.
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Stash It All: Know the 3 Zones of Kitchen Storage
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A pot rack overhead puts skillets and saucepans in easy reach, while floating shelves keep glasses and platters in plain view so people don’t constantly ask where everything is.
More
Stash It All: Know the 3 Zones of Kitchen Storage
Have Your Open Kitchen and Close It Off Too
Kitchen at a Glance
Location: Los Altos, California
Size: 150 square feet (13.9 square meters)
Designers: May Construction and Liz Williams
At the initial meeting on the jobsite, the client showed the team an inspiration photograph of a chalet in the Alps and asked if the project could reflect it. Basing the kitchen design concept on that photograph, the team responded with honey-toned clear alder cabinets, an icy-blue backsplash and natural stone countertops that represent natural granite found in the Alps — “complete with the waterfall edge to replicate falling water,” Williams says.
Wood plank flooring establishes a low-maintenances surface, perfect for the bachelor homeowner, who loves to cook often.
Lighting: Feiss; bar stools: Living Spaces