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Kitchen Tour: A White and Wood Design With a Baking Station
Luxe-look materials, a smart layout and an elegant palette have given this family an airy, well-functioning kitchen
After purchasing this house in Nevada, USA, a couple with four young children enlisted designer Christy Mancera of Cera Construction to make it better suit their lifestyle. Christy, who used Houzz Pro software, reworked the entire floor plan to make the home more family-friendly.
In the kitchen, she focused on how the homeowners like to work and live, creating an efficient layout with a large island, a dedicated baking station and ample display space for personal collections. “My clients wanted to make the kitchen more functional for their family, create an open feel and bring in lots of natural light,” she says.
In the kitchen, she focused on how the homeowners like to work and live, creating an efficient layout with a large island, a dedicated baking station and ample display space for personal collections. “My clients wanted to make the kitchen more functional for their family, create an open feel and bring in lots of natural light,” she says.
Before Photo
Christy removed a wall, almost doubling the size of the kitchen. This opened up the working side to a dining area next to windows onto the garden (see the final photo).
Christy also moved a doorway so it’s now close to the fridge-freezer. This allowed her to extend the cabinetry, worktop space and shelves in a long run along that wall.
Christy also moved a doorway so it’s now close to the fridge-freezer. This allowed her to extend the cabinetry, worktop space and shelves in a long run along that wall.
A new pantry with an arched door (see here on the left) added much-needed storage, and a neutral palette of white and warm wood sets the stage for the homeowners’ colourful glassware, pottery and cookbooks.
“She wanted something that felt really light and airy,” Christy says of the wife, who took the lead on the kitchen planning. “She also wanted to be able to show off her favourite things within the design.”
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“She wanted something that felt really light and airy,” Christy says of the wife, who took the lead on the kitchen planning. “She also wanted to be able to show off her favourite things within the design.”
Find a reviewed kitchen designer in your area.
A large island grounds the space and defines the working area of the kitchen. The new layout centres the range and cooker hood on one wall, flanked by symmetrical cabinets. Wall ovens sit on one end, the fridge-freezer on the other. The marble-look porcelain splashback extends to the ceiling for a clean, cohesive look.
“I worked hard to give these clients a high-end look for a cost-effective price, and using this porcelain helped me do that,” Christy says.
“I worked hard to give these clients a high-end look for a cost-effective price, and using this porcelain helped me do that,” Christy says.
White appliances from GE’s Café range complement the white cabinetry and bring a fresh twist to the space.
“I just love the new white appliance options and how they allow me to do white on white,” Christy says. “It’s a refreshing change from stainless-steel.”
“I just love the new white appliance options and how they allow me to do white on white,” Christy says. “It’s a refreshing change from stainless-steel.”
Christy added warmth and an organic feel to the room with wood finishes. These include the maple island base, cooker hood detail and open shelves.
Christy splurged on lighting to give the kitchen personality and flexibility. Milk glass pendants hang above the island. “Lighting is so important to a home,” she says. “It really brings out its soul. These pendants are one of my all-time favourites.”
Christy added strip lights beneath the upper cabinets, tucking them into small recesses. She installed the same lights under the bespoke cooker hood on a separate switch. “The kind of light that comes with vent hoods can be really harsh, so we used the LEDs instead,” she says. “It can be nice to switch just the vent hood light on at night when you want a little light in the kitchen.”
She also added dimmers to all the light switches. “My clients can create a beautifully lit space when they’re entertaining at night.”
She also added dimmers to all the light switches. “My clients can create a beautifully lit space when they’re entertaining at night.”
Christy made room for her clients to display some of their favourite things with shelves located at one end of the island.
Luxury vinyl tiles were a budget-friendly choice for the flooring. “These look so good you honestly can’t tell they’re not hardwood flooring,” Christy says. “The LVT is super-durable, doesn’t scratch and is softer on the feet than hardwoods.”
Luxury vinyl tiles were a budget-friendly choice for the flooring. “These look so good you honestly can’t tell they’re not hardwood flooring,” Christy says. “The LVT is super-durable, doesn’t scratch and is softer on the feet than hardwoods.”
In addition to the sink, the island contains the dishwasher, an ice-maker and additional storage.
The bar stools work well with the wood tones in the room. These have a rope-like texture on the seat backs. “This texture on the bar stools adds softness,” Christy says. The seats are child-friendly pleather, which looks like leather and is easy to wipe clean.
Bespoke cabinetry, built in Cera Construction’s in-house workshop, helped keep costs in check. Deep drawers in the lower cabinets hold plates, pans, mixing bowls and more.
“I love working with deep drawers,” Christy says. “They can accommodate plates, large serving platters, mixing bowls, pots, pans and strainers.”
“I love working with deep drawers,” Christy says. “They can accommodate plates, large serving platters, mixing bowls, pots, pans and strainers.”
A feature wall with zellige tiles, wood shelves and LED lighting gives the homeowners a place to show off favourite objects. A nearby glass-front cabinet doubles as a baking station and offers additional display space.
“The neutral palette was a great base for them to add colour and show off their favourite things,” Christy says. LED strip lights run along the bottom of the shelves to light the items and worktop below. The glass cabinet also has lighting in it.
Cristol chandelier, Visual Comfort.
“The neutral palette was a great base for them to add colour and show off their favourite things,” Christy says. LED strip lights run along the bottom of the shelves to light the items and worktop below. The glass cabinet also has lighting in it.
Cristol chandelier, Visual Comfort.
The homeowners store mixing bowls, baking utensils and ingredients in this baking station and keep the stand mixer on the worktop. They can work on baking projects with little ones outside of the main work area.
Here you can see the way the LED strips lights are recessed into the underside of the top shelf.
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
Here you can see the way the LED strips lights are recessed into the underside of the top shelf.
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
The dining area begins at the end of the cabinetry run. Christy suggested an oval table with a fluted base by designer Lindye Galloway paired with Wishbone-style chairs. A cascading globe chandelier – one of the project’s splurges – gives the space a striking presence and its strié glass ties in with the milk glass island pendants.
This whole-house, down-to-the-studs renovation took seven months to complete. “Houzz Pro was so central to our communication between our clients and our team,” Christy says. “The reason we were able to finish this project in seven months was because of the efficiency of Houzz Pro.”
Tell us…
What’s you favourite feature in this beautiful kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
This whole-house, down-to-the-studs renovation took seven months to complete. “Houzz Pro was so central to our communication between our clients and our team,” Christy says. “The reason we were able to finish this project in seven months was because of the efficiency of Houzz Pro.”
Tell us…
What’s you favourite feature in this beautiful kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Who lives here? A family of six
Location Henderson, Nevada, USA
Size 32 sq m
Designer Christy Mancera of Cera Construction
Photos by Kristin Elizabeth Studio
The original kitchen had a basic work triangle and a large island, but it lacked personality and smart storage. A desk area went unused, and the cabinets didn’t maximize space. A partial wall on the right made the kitchen feel closed off from the rest of the home.
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