Vero Beach, Fla.-based designer Patricia Davis Brown was tasked with creating a transitional kitchen renovation in a model home to appeal to a large variety of people. According to Brown, the key was to balance both transitional and contemporary elements in the space.
An architectural mistake prevented Brown from installing a traditional central island in the transitional kitchen renovation. Instead, she created a mixed prep and dining island that combined serene gray countertops with an open grained, 2-in.-thick oak top for a contemporary-meets-rustic look.
At the last EuroCucina in Milan, Brown noticed that dark stainless steel was trending. She brought this into her project by specifying appliances in a graphite stainless-steel finish. Brown also selected appliances in a new finish from the Dacor line: graphite stainless. This color offered a sleek, nearly black tone that complemented the matte gray cabinetry and added a note of sophistication to the space.
The transitional kitchen renovation is open to the living area for a modern great room setting.
““The objective was to create a home that was on-trend, with a standout design that would leave a lasting impression on a potential homeowner,” said Brown.
A workstation-style sink optimizes the perimeter countertops with prepping accessories. The trending gray palette established by the cabinetry and countertops provided the perfect background for a few sparks of interest in the kitchen to appeal to today’s transitional consumers.
The main color in the transitional kitchen renovation comes from the copper hood, which adds needed warmth to the room’s gray palette.
““After I had selected the appliances, I realized that they did not offer a hood in the graphite stainless color, which was a problem,” said Brown, explaining that she could not mix stainless steel with the graphite stainless because it was too close in tone – but not close enough – and it would be bad design to try to match the graphite stainless. “The choice would have to be different enough to work. Copper was the perfect choice, and it became the star of the show.”