After creating five Christopher Kennedy Compound showhouses in Palm Springs for Modernism Week, in 2019 I was lured to Turlock, California by a homeowner looking to create an exciting interiors experience in a classic American town. ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME served as our national media sponsor and published the project and published the project on the pages of its beautiful magazine.
As the heart of the home, I decided to tackle the kitchen design, myself -- with the help of our firm's Creative Director, Keith Fortner, of course. We separated the kitchen from the dining room with a see-through fireplace, so it was important that the spaces relate. The dining room not only serves as the 'formal' dining room, it is also the space where the family will have its daily meals, kids will do homework, and -- in general -- life will be lived. He also needed to incorporate a beverage station and fireplace. These two spaces needed to reflect the our client's love of glamour while staying true to the home's midcentury architecture and the region's farming roots.
I love how the kitchen turned out and I hope that you enjoy this tour!
Before
Here is the kitchen as it appeared the first time I saw it. The house was down-to-the studs for several years, following a flood, and our team helped to spearhead the entire renovation.
The wall of windows overlooks the pool.
After
What a transformation!
The bar stools are by Essentials for Living. Wall sconces by Kelly Wearstler for Generation Lighting create a fabulous glow while adding useful task lighting.
Fireplace Wall - Before + After
In this photo below, you can see the fireplace "core" that separates the living and dining rooms. A two-sided fireplace features a prep station underneath it on the kitchen side, and a bench underneath it on the dining room side. See our blog about the dining room here. The refrigerator and freezer tuck in perfectly on the right side and the wall of ovens (see below) fits perfectly on the left side.
Wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries wraps the fireplace. It looks like parquet wood but is in fact durable vinyl -- a must for a home with three teenage boys! Tile from Bedrosians frames the firebox. Countertops by Corian Quartz. The artwork at left is Christopher Kennedy for Wendover Art Group, available here. It was inspired by my artwork projects in architecture school.
Form + Function
The 'landing station' across the wall of ovens features a countertop by Corian Quartz. Artwork by my pal Kelly O'Neil is surmounted by a Kelly Wearstler for Generation Lighting light fixture. The cabinet pulls are by Emtek. Wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries.
Appliances
Because the range hood sits under a structural beam that supports the house's long midcentury gable roofline, we had to creative with the range hood. Luckily, we found appliances that fit our needs perfectly!
As beautiful as the kitchen is, it really is all about the cooking and the function. Our client selected appliances b Gaggenau. The cooktop is over six feet long and features a gas cooktop, an induction burner, and a wok station. The wall of ovens features double ovens, a steam convection oven, and a microwave.
The Sink
Also high on our clients' wish list was this show-stopping kitchen sink from The Galley -- it is 7' long! The Galley was invented by an award-winning kitchen designer whose vision was to create a central workstation hub where every task in his kitchen could be accomplished. At five, six, or seven feet long, these sinks are super-functional, smart and stylish workstations where one can prep, cook, serve, entertain, and clean-up, all in one convenient place. They are also crafted in the USA, which I love.
The beautiful countertop is one of my all-time favorites, Marble Mist by Corian Quartz.
The faucets are also one of my favorites, which I use at home, the Litze by Brizo.
Thanks for touring our kitchen design for the Turlock Show House!
XO CK
Learn more about Keith's inspiration for the dining room, and more behind-the-scenes stories, at ASPIRE HOME AND DESIGN here.
SEE MORE--
CREDITS--
Photos: Matt Sartain
Styling: Keith Fortner