Peak Inside a Dramatic Kitchen Renovation to Inspire Your Own
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Loading... - Stjepan Jankovic
- 02 Jun 2022
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When the couple who lives in this Washington D.C. condo decided to retire early from careers that brought them all over the globe, they had two priorities. First off, they wanted to channel their favorite places they'd lived in throughout the years. Most recently (and most fondly), they had spent the last decade living in Bangkok, Thailand, and fell in love with it. So even though they wanted to return to their homeland, they wanted to bring pieces of their home away from home vis-a-vis decor, art, and atmospheric touches.
Second, they wanted to be close to the airport. In fact, they bought the Arlington, VA, apartment years prior to retiring knowing they'd ultimately want quick and easy access to both domestic and international flights. While their zest for adventure was a big factor, they also have a niche hobby that brought them to the airport-adjacent property: "One of the clients has a passion for planes!" their designer Kathryn Ivey tells House Beautiful, "so being able to watch planes take off and land on the runway from their condo was a big selling point."
But because the building was constructed in 1981, the ’80s architectural and interior style needed a little updating by the time they were ready to move in full-time. So after deciding to make this condo their last forever home, the couple enlisted Ivey as well as builders Tom Gilday and Ellen Witts of Pinehurst Design Build. The first and heaviest order of business was to redo the communal area, including the kitchen, dining room, and living room. Ultimately, they reorganized the main level living space "to allow for a more open floor plan flow with updated finishes and appliances," Ivey explains.
The couple also really loved the design of luxury hotels they visited throughout Asia while living abroad and requested that the new decor reflect a similar understated yet vibrant, comforting yet elevated aesthetic. With that in mind, Ivey "sourced and designed furniture with clean lines and used tight-woven textiles with pops of jewel tone," and incorporated decorative light fixtures that were both modern and traditional, she adds. Keep reading to see how they transformed the living space into a comfortable, happy, and pretty place to live.
The Kitchen and Wet Bar Zones
Reconfiguring the kitchen layout was a must. "We re-organized the kitchen by removing a bar and smaller island and replaced it with a larger cooking island with a custom table attached to create a small eat-in area," Ivey says. Storage was another priority and played a role in the new layout design. Because they also wanted to make the kitchen feel less visually intrusive since it's visible from the other zones on top of being relatively small, Ivey ditched upper cabinets "in lieu of a small ledge that the client could use to display more of their collected pieces from their travels, potted herbs for cooking, etc." But despite a tiny footprint, the kitchen really packs it all in. "The island houses a microwave and more cabinet storage making it a workhorse piece in the kitchen," Ivey shares.
Ivey's clients also wanted to have an eating area separate from the formal dining space, so "we took the idea of a 'chef’s table' and added a custom pedestal table to the end of the island that was constructed out of quarter-sawn oak," Ivey says. This bonus dining "room" is ideal for more intimate and everyday meals. As far as lighting goes, Ivey opted for a long, narrow pendant light to provide task lighting when cooking but also ambient light when dining.
Art played another important role. The couple collected Thai silk textiles while living abroad, and they wanted to incorporate them from the jump. So Ivey used the beautiful fabrics as a jumping-off point for the color scheme, which incorporates jewel tones mixed in with more muted elements and nature-inspired materials. They even had the textiles framed and hung as artwork, connecting the different areas and sections of the main living spaces. They're on a wall that was formerly clad completed in mirrored surfaces and shelves (which looked a little busy, the opposite of the intention). Their artwork nods to the colorful cabinets.
The Dining and Living Zones
Because they entertain friends and family from time to time, Ivey chose a table that could fit up to six people. The dining table floats in the middle of the open floor plan to function as a transition space, but it provides the groundwork for a statement hanging fixture and fun colorful dining chairs. It also leads into the formal yet cozy living space.
The console table helps transition the dining area to the den, where the main objective was to make it relaxing. Ivey opted for a sectional that could fit plenty of people to promote great conversation just as much as it could encourage solo hangs with a good book. She also used a mixture of soft textiles paired with organic elements like the rattan floor lamp, petrified wood side table, and a nubby custom rug. "We kept the profile of all the furniture low so the eye could travel from zone to zone creating a harmonious, holistic design on the first floor," Ivey tells us. The end product is a very zen-like environment for resting and catching up with loved ones. Read More...
