In the beginning they said, “Let there be light.”
After all, light was a major factor in Ken and Elise Jones’ decision to purchase their home in Candler when they relocated from the Southwest. “We really liked the light in Arizona,” explains Elise, “and this house had a lot of open space and natural light.”
It also had an outdated kitchen, bathed in beige Formica and framed in an inexplicable soffitted peninsula, which effectively obscured all available illumination.
It was simply an eyesore, particularly uncomfortable for a couple with the Jones’ finely tuned visual sense: Ken is a sculptor and a luthier, Elise an educator with a flair for fashion and a keen eye for art. Together, they have assembled a sophisticated collection of fine art and Mid-Century Modern furnishings. The “soffit debacle” would have to go.
They took their project to kitchen designer April Hand and the team at Benbow and Associates to formulate a game plan and act as the contractors on the transformation. “April was great about presenting all the right questions,” Elise recalls. “She asked ‘What do you like about the current space?’ and we said ‘nothing.’”
But they had a good idea of what they were looking for. “We knew we wanted to open the space up and get rid of any visual obstructions,” says Ken, “and it had to work for us. Function is always paramount — in good design, form follows function.” That meant an island with a breakfast bar, plenty of workspace to maneuver in and — oh yes — it had to be able to withstand the rigorous test of the Jones’ active 9-year-old son, Chase (“He’s a verb,” quips Elise).
Before reconstructing the kitchen, the team from Benbow unified the entire main area of the house by tearing up the existing divergent floor coverings and installing red oak flooring. “We chose a B grade, which we preferred because it had more character, knots and imperfections,” says Ken. They treated the wood with a low-VOC, all natural sealant extracted from cashew shells.
In laying out the kitchen space, April took a practical approach. “Everyone wants an island — it’s in every magazine,” she says, “but many homes weren’t designed to accommodate one. Fortunately, we were able to create a really functional island — big enough to contain the dishwasher, trash compactor and a sink.”
The trade-off was to reclaim some of the space on the side wall with by lining it with narrow cabinets. “We had to make them shallow — they’re only 12 inches wide. But they’re actually standard wall cabinets put on the floor. So whatever fits in a wall cabinet, fits in here.”
Although the Jones’ were initially concerned that the cabinets lacked sufficient depth, it turned out to be a blessing. “Those low cabinets are great,” notes Elise. “You can easily see everything that’s in there. We’ve taught our son how to empty the dishwasher — it’s very easy for him to access the storage at that level.”
Another kid-friendly feature is the greenish-grey Cambria Quartzite countertops, a polished, quartz-resin compound that is virtually indestructible and resists fingerprints. The broad expanse of flexible workspace on the island/breakfast bar allows cooking to become a communal experience. “When we have a big celebratory dinner like Thanksgiving and the family comes, I can set them up at the breakfast bar with a drink and they can help with preparations,” Elise points out.
April’s design incorporated both a practical pantry for Elise (complete with built-in recycling bins and a kid-level “snack drawer” which affords Chase easy access to after-school treats) and a stylish bar area for Ken, which showcases his growing collection of vintage barware on halogen-lighted floating glass shelves.
When it came to the aesthetics, Ken and Elise took the matter in hand. “Ken is the master of eBay,” Elise reveals. The couple found the show-stopping thin glass and onyx tiles for the stove’s backsplash online, as well as the sleek brushed aluminum, saddle style bar stools and the vintage ‘60s and ‘70s teak wood table and chairs for the dining room.
Many of the embellishments came from local sources: the suspended Italian glass lighting for the island and streamlined ceiling fan were found at Rexel Lighting in Asheville; the state-of-the-art, yet slightly retro, Eco-Resin panels which grace the front of the breakfast bar were discovered at Build It Naturally and the funky, origami-style dining area “chandelier” is from Mobilia.
To ground the space, the Jones’ selected a feral print indoor/outdoor carpet in the dining area. “You can just hose it off,” says Elise. “A nice feature when you have a 9-year old!” Throughout the space strong vertical lines, a deft use of glass, polished surfaces and the low profiles of the furnishings all draw the eye upward to the soaring ceiling and reflect the bountiful sunshine from the abundant windows.
In so many ways, this redo is everything Ken and Elise hoped it would be: a simply brilliant solution.