Kitchen of the Week: It’s Easy Being Green
A couple go big and bold with their favorite Kelly green in their Minnesota lake-home kitchen
Cabinets. The cabinets are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Bunker Hill Green, an especially cheerful shade. Brass hardware is a standout, while white countertops, paint and backsplashes provide a strong contrast.
Millwork: Worth noting is the area between the cabinets and the ceiling. The proportions are pleasing. “We used a frieze board here to wrap the room and to give it the feeling of millwork in a way that keeps it simple and not overly ornate,” Van’t Hull says.
Backsplash: Elongated white subway tiles are used in the floor-to-ceiling backsplash for a simple, casual look.
Countertops. The countertops, which are honed white Carrara marble, add a touch of elegance.
Floors: The floors are rift-cut, quarter-sawn white oak with a brushed wire texture and a natural finish.
Rug: Martha O’Hara Interiors
Millwork: Worth noting is the area between the cabinets and the ceiling. The proportions are pleasing. “We used a frieze board here to wrap the room and to give it the feeling of millwork in a way that keeps it simple and not overly ornate,” Van’t Hull says.
Backsplash: Elongated white subway tiles are used in the floor-to-ceiling backsplash for a simple, casual look.
Countertops. The countertops, which are honed white Carrara marble, add a touch of elegance.
Floors: The floors are rift-cut, quarter-sawn white oak with a brushed wire texture and a natural finish.
Rug: Martha O’Hara Interiors
Layout. The work zone makes good use of the island, in which the sink and dishwasher are installed. It is across from the range and within easy reach of the refrigerator. The more social area of the kitchen is on the other side of the island, which has easy access to a drinks station. Placing the island extension and beverage station out of the way of the work zone was deliberate. “This way guests can serve themselves a drink and visit without interrupting the work zone,” Van’t Hull says.
Eating-in: Because the lake house is relaxing, they added an extension to the island for informal dining instead of adding a formal dining room. This eat-in area is outside of the work zone. “We deliberately chose backless stools so that it’s easy to lay out a big potluck dinner and again, have people serve themselves while staying out of the work zone,” she says.
Flourishes: French cafe stools and a tiered coconut shell chandelier keep things laid-back and coastal. The shells on the chandelier bring in an earthy element. Brass hardware pops against the green cabinets.
On mixing metals: While the cabinet hardware is brass, the faucet is nickel and the appliances are stainless steel. “I’ve embraced mixing metals lately because certain finishes will go on and off trend,” the designer says. “With mixing, you can just do what feels right and it makes it eclectic rather than trendy.”
The beverage station: Two undercabinet beverage refrigerators and one wine refrigerator provide plenty of storage for drinks. Cocktails can be mixed above. Floating shelves overhead can be used for bottles, glassware and cookbooks.
Sliding doors: The doors on the right side open to create an 11-foot-long opening to the screened-in porch, which opens to the covered deck.
Light fixture, counter stools: Martha O’Hara Interiors; find cabinet hardware
Eating-in: Because the lake house is relaxing, they added an extension to the island for informal dining instead of adding a formal dining room. This eat-in area is outside of the work zone. “We deliberately chose backless stools so that it’s easy to lay out a big potluck dinner and again, have people serve themselves while staying out of the work zone,” she says.
Flourishes: French cafe stools and a tiered coconut shell chandelier keep things laid-back and coastal. The shells on the chandelier bring in an earthy element. Brass hardware pops against the green cabinets.
On mixing metals: While the cabinet hardware is brass, the faucet is nickel and the appliances are stainless steel. “I’ve embraced mixing metals lately because certain finishes will go on and off trend,” the designer says. “With mixing, you can just do what feels right and it makes it eclectic rather than trendy.”
The beverage station: Two undercabinet beverage refrigerators and one wine refrigerator provide plenty of storage for drinks. Cocktails can be mixed above. Floating shelves overhead can be used for bottles, glassware and cookbooks.
Sliding doors: The doors on the right side open to create an 11-foot-long opening to the screened-in porch, which opens to the covered deck.
Light fixture, counter stools: Martha O’Hara Interiors; find cabinet hardware
Countertop: The homeowner who is a builder is constructing six new homes on a property in Edina, Minnesota. A few oak trees needed to be removed on the property, and the builders did not want the trees to go to waste. So they milled them for reuse in those homes and other projects. This countertop came from one of those trees.
Pantry storage: To the right you can see the butler’s pantry, outfitted with tall cabinets with pullouts. The microwave is tucked back in this area.
Pantry storage: To the right you can see the butler’s pantry, outfitted with tall cabinets with pullouts. The microwave is tucked back in this area.
Adjacent room: The kitchen is wide open to this family room. With the full view of all that green, it just needed a few pops of color provided by the artwork, pillows and two armless chairs.
“I can attest to how great the home is set up for entertaining,” Van’t Hull says. “The homeowner let me host a family reunion party here this past Fourth of July and we had 53 people comfortably spread out between the island, this room, the screened-in porch and the deck. There are so many really good cozy spaces in this house.”
“I can attest to how great the home is set up for entertaining,” Van’t Hull says. “The homeowner let me host a family reunion party here this past Fourth of July and we had 53 people comfortably spread out between the island, this room, the screened-in porch and the deck. There are so many really good cozy spaces in this house.”
The plan: Here’s a first-floor plan to show you how everything flows. See more photographs of this happy house here.
Architect: Royal Oaks Design
Builder: City Homes
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Architect: Royal Oaks Design
Builder: City Homes
See more Kitchens of the Week
Browse kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: This is the lake home of a couple and their three children
Location: Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota
Size: 336 square feet (31 square meters); 16 feet by 21 feet
Designer: Rebecca Van’t Hull of Martha O’Hara Interiors
The backstory: This is the weekend getaway of a couple, and she’s a builder. It is about a 45-minute drive from Minneapolis. The main objectives were to keep it functional, casual and easy for entertaining.
Style: With the layout and cabinet composition determined, it was time to talk about color. “Both the homeowner and I are Rebeccas, and we both love Kelly green, which at first we thought we’d bring in via furnishings and fabrics,” Rebecca Van’t Hull says. “When she asked if we could possibly paint the kitchen green, I was slightly nervous because I’d never done it before. But because it’s their second home and they aren’t here all the time, it was a good opportunity to go bold.”