It’s hard to feel good, much less be able to whip up fancy dishes, in a dark kitchen. With this all-important space increasingly becoming the hub of the household, the new M.O. is a wholly accessible, light-filled arena that’s conducive to both culinary feats and excellent interaction with guests and family. Alison and David Martin’s kitchen in Fletcher, designed by Christy Cooke of GBS Building, eliminates any specter of shadowy cupboards or unused corners.
The Shaker-style cabinetry and island are Lyndale Maple from Kraftmaid painted “dove white,” and that washed-clean color paradigm is upheld in the Cambria quartz countertops in the silvery style “Berwyn,” notes Christy.
Alison stresses she was looking for a “bright, open concept.” Her input on the new build was important to the final scheme: “I added lots of windows, to bring the light in,” she says. A dark, vintage-maple floor provides warm contrast to all the rays and sparkle, and a large-swath tile backsplash in a sandy hue picks up the middle of the spectrum.
Ultimately, logistics were as central to the kitchen’s success as paint choice. “It’s open to the great room and there’s access to two outdoor living spaces, all overlooking our backyard,” explains Alison. “I wanted to be able to spend time around the kitchen island with my family” — two college-age kids, including one who lives at home and commutes to UNCA — “and also be able to use the whole space for entertaining.”
Alison notes that “we have moved several times and lived in some great homes, so we combined all of our favorite features from each home and improved upon them to design this one. I had to have white and bright, with lots of windows … because the location is the icing on the cake … we have mountain views at every angle.” With the help of Christy, the result was “everything we dreamed of and more.”
RESOURCES
Interior Designer Christy Cooke, GBS Building
Builder Raul Souza/RS Construction
(Materials supplied by GBS Building)
Countertops Viktor’s Granite & Marble
Flooring Flooring America WNC
Lighting Gary True, TruTECH
Stone or other finishes B&L Distributing Inc.; Realstone Systems (panels and tiles)
Tile Backsplash by Adam Tozser, Simple and Clean HOME