Kitchen Design
Kitchen of the Week
Kitchen of the Week: Whimsical and Modern in Houston
This kitchen goes for the gold in eco-friendliness and creative style
The biggest priority for this kitchen in Houston, Texas, was to design a space that combined style, eco-friendly elements and function for a family with three growing girls. The family had a distinctive whimsical style, and they wanted their kitchen to reflect their fun-loving personalities. The clients called on RD Architecture to help them accomplish this. The team also had the challenge of designing this home for a LEED homes pilot program. The careful design combines the family's quirky look with the innovative use of sustainable materials.
The team was inspired in part by the family's previous kitchen, which had a huge window overlooking the front yard. "They wanted to keep the window and the overall feeling of their old kitchen, even thought it was in a dated 50-year-old house," Reardon says. "But this new kitchen really does have the memory of the old house in it."
Sink: Blanco, Contempra Single Handle faucet
Lighting: Tech Lighting
Backsplash: Silestone
Sink: Blanco, Contempra Single Handle faucet
Lighting: Tech Lighting
Backsplash: Silestone
Since this home was certified LEED Gold, there are numerous sustainable elements in this kitchen. Quartz — one of the most abundant materials on the planet — was used for the countertops as an alternative to natural stone.
The lighting is all eco-friendly fluorescent lighting — the team worked hard to elevate the lighting in this kitchen beyond the standard idea of fluorescent lighting. The kitchen also has an abundance of natural light: the large window was designed to face north, so that other lighting wouldn't be necessary during the day. Bamboo flooring and Energy Star appliances round out the eco-friendly factors in the space.
Dishwasher: GE Profile 24" Built-In Dishwasher
Oven: GE Monogram Double Electric Wall Oven
Cabinetry: IKEA
The lighting is all eco-friendly fluorescent lighting — the team worked hard to elevate the lighting in this kitchen beyond the standard idea of fluorescent lighting. The kitchen also has an abundance of natural light: the large window was designed to face north, so that other lighting wouldn't be necessary during the day. Bamboo flooring and Energy Star appliances round out the eco-friendly factors in the space.
Dishwasher: GE Profile 24" Built-In Dishwasher
Oven: GE Monogram Double Electric Wall Oven
Cabinetry: IKEA
The ceiling is Reardon's favorite part of the kitchen. "We had to drop the ceiling to run air-conditioning duct work. Furring it down gave an opportunity to play with circles and curves in the ceiling," she says.
The dining table is an oval-shaped granite table the clients had in their original house. The surfboard-shaped island was inspired in part by the table, but was meant to be more of a whimsical accent. "The rest of the kitchen is relatively plain, so the island really takes center stage," Reardon says.
Flooring: Bamboo flooring by Mannington
Hood: Wave Range Hood
More Kitchens of the Week:
A Warm and Eco-Friendly Update
Bright Mid-Century Remodel
Creative, Colorful, and Modern
The dining table is an oval-shaped granite table the clients had in their original house. The surfboard-shaped island was inspired in part by the table, but was meant to be more of a whimsical accent. "The rest of the kitchen is relatively plain, so the island really takes center stage," Reardon says.
Flooring: Bamboo flooring by Mannington
Hood: Wave Range Hood
More Kitchens of the Week:
A Warm and Eco-Friendly Update
Bright Mid-Century Remodel
Creative, Colorful, and Modern
Designing the island was one of the most challenging tasks in the kitchen. The island is curved and canted, which made it difficult for the cabinet designer to work with. "He was used to making islands in a box shape, and instead he had to think in curves and in angles," Reardon says. The stainless steel metal bar was built as a footrest, much like what you'd see at a bar.
Tile on column: Black Penny tile
Countertop: Silestone
Island: Caesarstone in Apple Martini