August 2, 2016

The addition of a child often turns a house into a home. For one Las Vegas couple, the house they owned for eight years was dated and no longer a good fit for them. Now with a two-year-old in tow, the family looked to designer Jane Cunningham of Las Vegas-based Room Resolutions for a kitchen better suited for their growing numbers.
“They decided this is the home they want to raise their family in,” said Cunningham, “so my clients wanted a design and style that would last for years to come.”

A Timeless Design
Cunningham started with a simple palette of gray and white for the kitchen. With all the choices in white cabinetry available, one of her challenges was selecting the best shade for the space.

“We needed to be careful it wouldn’t turn yellow or dingy gray,” she said. “White interacts with lighting in ways never considered – always a tricky selection – even though it sounds quite simple.”

In refinishing the couple’s existing cabinetry, Cunningham used an enamel-based paint with a hint of gray glazing, giving the cabinets a fresh touch. The additional glazing helps add depth to the cabinet doors while also tying them to the island cabinetry.

“By playing off the gray on the door glazing, I brought the full tone of the gray color to the island,” explained the designer. “This helps with grounding the space and keeping it open and clean as well.”
Cambria quartz was used for the island countertops and around the perimeter for a durable and scratch- and stain-resistant surface. The white counters boast fine brown and gold lines sparingly throughout to give the room a sense of warmth.

Above the island, two brown pendants with a bronze tone play up the hints of color in the quartz below. According to Cunningham, they add a ‘kiss’ to the overall design; the shape of the pendants resembles a Hershey’s Kiss candy.
“It’s a shout out to the idea of utilizing mixed metals within a space,” she added. “Why be ‘matchy, matchy’ when there are so many more possibilities available to make the space sing with unique individuality?”

To Spend or Save
Since the young clients were on a budget, they wanted to keep their original backsplash despite all of the other changes being made to the kitchen. However, they also knew it was not the look they would want to keep down the road. The design team walked them through the risks of removing the old countertops and damaging the backsplash, while also reminding them that they did not truly love the backsplash in the first place.

“We always let our clients know that when they are touching on one element, it will affect another element and create a domino effect, and our recommendation is to consider remodeling all of those parts and pieces,” said Cunningham. “Without considering how all of the elements work together, both functionally and aesthetically, we’re all just writing a recipe for disappointment and even disaster – something we insist on avoiding!”

Instead the clients ended up going with a modern, linear design made of glass and stainless steel accents. The neutral colors blend with the rest of the kitchen palette, and the materials are easy to wipe clean – an essential with a child in the home.

Child Proof
Part of the investment the clients made in the kitchen was geared toward raising their child. Cunningham made specific design adjustments in the kitchen to make sure the kitchen would not only last daily wear-and-tear but would keep the toddler out of trouble.

A drawer under the wall ovens was incorporated specifically to hold plastic cups and plates that are safe for a child to access, and he can know they are his. All glassware and breakables are in the upper cabinets, and a magnetic locking system was added to the cabinet below the sink where detergents, soaps and cleaning supplies are stored.
In all of the other lower shelves, items like extra paper products are stored. These items are not as appealing to a toddler as pots and pans, but they are safe for children to handle if curious hands pull them out. Finally, all of the paints used in the home are no or low VOC to reduce allergens and toxicity.

“This young family was fantastic,” said Cunningham. “They had a clear vision of what they wanted and were able to communicate it accordingly to the team. There was also a level of trust involved that allowed for a level of creativity and design freedom that designers don’t always get to exercise.”