Kitchen Design
Color Packs a Punch in a New Eat-In Kitchen
This remodeled space in Boston showcases a custom banquette, lively upholstery and a passion for purple
The wall that got bumped back was load-bearing and supported a bathtub on the second floor, so Daher had to get creative in hiding the columns and structural beam that bore the weight of the upper floor. She buried the columns within the cabinets and turned the ceiling beam into an asset, cladding it in cabinet material and adding pin lights underneath for ambiance.
To modernize the space, Daher selected cabinets in a reconstituted anigre, a species of wood with a subtle grain that’s made into a pulp and applied as a veneer and then stained. “The beauty is that it stains like wood because it is wood, but there’s no visible grain, so it feels very smooth and contemporary,” Daher says. The gray ceramic tile backsplash is stacked vertically and has lavender undertones that complement the custom purple range hood.
To modernize the space, Daher selected cabinets in a reconstituted anigre, a species of wood with a subtle grain that’s made into a pulp and applied as a veneer and then stained. “The beauty is that it stains like wood because it is wood, but there’s no visible grain, so it feels very smooth and contemporary,” Daher says. The gray ceramic tile backsplash is stacked vertically and has lavender undertones that complement the custom purple range hood.
Daher describes the homeowners as fearless when it comes to design. They encouraged her to have fun with the banquette upholstery. Colorful ikat fabric on the back of the banquette is from Kravet; its pops of purple also complement the hood.
With two young children in the mix, durability was also an important factor in fabric selection, so Daher chose an indoor-outdoor fabric with a soft terry cloth feel for the banquette seat. “It feels like a teddy bear,” she says, and the kids love it.
Browse ikat fabric
With two young children in the mix, durability was also an important factor in fabric selection, so Daher chose an indoor-outdoor fabric with a soft terry cloth feel for the banquette seat. “It feels like a teddy bear,” she says, and the kids love it.
Browse ikat fabric
The dining chairs are covered in a bright raspberry fabric on the inside and a taupe on the back for balance. Daher curated a selection of colorful art pieces to hang on the walls. “Art is always an important finishing touch to a space,” she says. “If there wasn’t art here, it would still be colorful, but it would be lacking.”
The eat-in kitchen also serves as the home’s formal dining area, so Daher created a custom bar in the hallway to facilitate entertaining guests. With its satin-finish macassar ebony cabinetry, the bar feels “sexy, grown-up and modern,” she says. The backsplash is covered in a copper-colored mirror.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple in their 30s with young twin boys
Location: Boston
Size: 392 square feet (36.4 square meters)
Designer: Paula Daher of Daher Interior Design
In a house full of boys, this kitchen is all about Mom. With a mandate to find materials that were kid-friendly but elegant, designer Paula Daher created a space that facilitates the homeowner’s passion for entertaining with a better layout and provides a showcase for her favorite color, purple.
Daher pushed back the wall of cabinets that runs perpendicular to the microwave to improve circulation around the new island and to seal off a doorway to the mudroom that interrupted the flow.
Countertops: white quartz