Warm and Inviting by Lauren Stepp

The Word is Warmth by M.M. Bianchi

ASHEVILLE, NC — The COVID-19 pandemic made a lasting impression on many people for many diferent reasons. For these homeowners, those years will be remembered as time spent making, and remaking, decisions about their new home that overlooks the city of Asheville, NC. “They had to deal with material shortages, long lead times, etc., but they got through it and now they have a modern mountain haven they can share with their family and friends,” says Maureen Jarock, designer, Kitchens of the South in Hendersonville, NC. Drawing inspiration from its natural setting, the home features a color palette and nish selections that pay homage to the Blue Ridge Mountains and bring the outdoors in. “Asheville is well known for its beautiful fall colors,” adds April Gahagan, design principal, FS Design Group, in Asheville, NC and Knoxville, TN, noting additional collaboration with Milestone Contracting. “We wanted to showcase those colors, especially greens, browns and warmer tones, throughout the house.” In the kitchen, that translates to custom Cuisine Idéale cabinetry in a mix of walnut and paint, speci cally Urbane Bronze, a brownish/gray tone from Sherwin Williams’ neutral color family. Both are highlighted with soft gold-toned hardware from Top Knobs. “They like modern architecture, but they also wanted their home to be a comfy, warm space,” reports Jarock. “The walnut, with its highs and lows, mixes well with the paint color, which has a grounding quality to it.” The painted cabinetry serves as the perimeter base cabinetry and extends the length of one entire wall oor to ceiling, encompassing a paneled 42" double-door Sub-Zero refrigerator, 24" Sub-Zero wine refrigerator and a 42" double pantry, which was an important inclusion given the absence of a designated pantry. One complexity of the wall focuses on how Jarock con gured the corner. It includes an appliance garage, which the homeowners use to conceal their co ee maker, tucked beneath the intersecting walnut wall cabinets. A pair of narrow cabinets, stacked on top of each other, store accompanying mugs, etc. “There is so much going on along that wall,” Jarock indicates. “It required a lot of thought to ensure everything was aligned properly and performed correctly.” CENTRAL ISLAND ACTION The walnut cabinetry makes its appearance as the ventilation hood surround, which is comprised of three individual panels that make it easy to access the appliance should repairs ever be needed. As well, the wood serves as floating shelves and as accents in the open niches of the tall painted cabinetry, all of which are symmet- rical to each side of the hood above the Wolf range. “Modern mountain architecture usually has a lot of glass, which means there isn’t a lot of wall space to show off special things,” offers Gahagan. “The floating shelves and open boxes on the cooking wall and sink wall give the homeowners a place to display keepsakes they find during their travels.” Walnut is repeated as the upper cabinets along the sink wall and as the foundational base for the island, which features a recessed toe kick on all four sides. “The toe kick, as well as the open cabinetry, gives a visual lift to the space and helps to make it feel more contemporary and elevated,” reports Jarock. The island, sized to be as large as possible while still offering adequate traffic flow around it, provides convenient in-kitchen seating for the homeowners and their guests, including their grandkids. As well, its uninterrupted surface serves as an expansive serving station for entertaining. “She very much wanted the island to be a gathering place,” Jarock explains. “Our clients also like to have breakfast together in the morning, so seating at the island is important,” adds Gahagan. “And she likes to sit and talk to her husband while he cooks. It keeps her close to the action.” A custom light fixture from Lexington Glassworks floats above and offers illumination via its five hand-blown glass globes. “We wanted the decorative lighting to be quiet, yet bring out the soft hues of the kitchen palette,” Gahagan relates. “The hand blown glass also supports a desire to highlight craftsmanship and natural components that don’t look quite so brand new.” To further support the natural vibe, Gahagan suggested the use of natural stone for the island top. “We knew we wanted to use a natural stone because we wanted to have a lot of movement throughout the house,” she explains. “We searched far and wide before finding this Crystal Fusion quartzite. It works well with the walnut, which also has a unique grain pattern. She loves how the intricacies of the veining of the quartzite work with the grain pattern of the wood. They play off of each other nicely. And the stone’s polished finish provides a contrast to the matte walnut.” As a complement, the nearly solid white quartz perimeter countertops allow the quartzite to shine, as does the backsplash comprised of zellige tile from WOW in varying shades of white. Natural light flows into the space via an expansive wall of windows in the adjacent dining room, which also features a beam/tongue-and-groove ceiling that connects it to the walnut cabinetry in the kitchen. A pair of windows, trimmed in black, provide additional light in the kitchen. “The house itself is asymmetrical on the outside,” Gahagan relates. “In a traditional layout, the sink would be centered under a window. But in this kitchen, offsetting the sink gives a little play on the cabinets so it isn’t too expected or stuffy. It’s fun to be playful!” 

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