Classic & Neutral Chef's Kitchen, Part I

My oldest clients returned to me late this summer to enlist me for a cosmetic kitchen remodel.  This is something we had talked about doing together for awhile, and with Baby #2 on the way, they finally felt ready to pull the trigger.  I immediately put them in contact with my friend Scott over at H.O.W. Construction, and of course he and his team have been perfect for the job.  We are still not quite finished with this renovation, but I wanted to go ahead and share the inspirations behind the space.  

The husband is the cook in the family, so certain "chef details" were most important to him - like enough room to prep on the center island, ample task and ambient lighting, and of course chef-grade appliances, which he actually researched and purchased on his own.  The wife felt most concerned with a clean and neutral palette, and certain architectural, custom details that we developed together with Scott.  She also did not want white cabinets, so we settled on a gorgeous taupe that changes from tan to gray depending on the lighting and time of day.  

As well as preserving the original footprint of the kitchen [U-shaped with a large center island and a pass through Butler's Pantry], we kept the existing cabinetry.  Mike from M&D Painting custom painted it Sherwin Williams Popular Gray, and his team did an impeccable job.  We complemented the cabinetry color with handcrafted white subway tiles from Dal Tile laid in a herringbone pattern, and a gorgeous leathered white, gray, and black granite.  We chose it for its clean coloring and dramatic veining.  Because of an iron and copper breakfast table in the adjoining kitchen space, we wanted to balance the light, airy feel of the cabinetry and tile with oil rubbed bronze light fixtures.  My favorite changes were the custom X end panels on the island and double X upper glass cabinets in the Butler's Pantry.

I look forward to returning in a few months to reveal photos of this finished space!  Thanks for reading :)