There was an extra-tall citrus press the homeowners wanted to keep out on the counter, which required a gap between the wall cabinets and the floating shelves. The design team decided to turn that vertical strip into a focal point, giving it a finishing touch with a unique custom light fixture made from an upcycled telegraph glass insulator from the late 1800s.
The homeowners had originally planned on keeping their existing freestanding island cabinet, because it was a good size for the space, and it provided them with functional storage. Their idea was to just cover the cabinet’s cheap-looking wood top with copper sheeting. But it became obvious that the custom flame-hammered copper top they loved was going to be too grand to put on that inexpensive cabinet. Since they were already having custom cabinets made for the perimeter, they decided to have new island cabinets made to match.
“The homeowners love the look of mixed metals and textures, so we brought them a selection of metal tiles in a variety of shapes, sizes and patterns,” said Briskorn. “Then we just started mixing and matching until we found our favorite combinations for this home bar design.”
One small but important layout change was extending the new countertop along the wall under the window, creating a narrow ledge for passing food and drinks to guests outside for easy indoor and outdoor entertaining from the home bar design.
“We were able to find a company that would create custom riveted panels for the ceiling but at a budget-busting cost of $35,000,” said Briskorn. “Instead, the Irons Brothers crew, under project manager Mark Jensen, ultimately came up with the solution, sourcing galvanized sheet metal that they textured with an orbital sander for a soft, reflective glow. And the cost? Just $650!”
“Lately, our clients have wanted to create these highly individualized spaces just for themselves,” said Briskorn. “As designers, we love it when every job is completely different from the last.”