French Kitchen & Café
Rather than tear out or reface this kitchen we took advantage of the basic black countertops and ivory cabinets and put ourselves in Provence! One can hear Elis Regina singing Triste when walking into this gorgeous French kitchen!
The Cabinetry
The doors in this traditional kitchen were preserved as the fluting and framing cannot be easily found by cabinet door manufacturers today. The old trash compactor and dishwasher were updated with panel ready models. Liz’s carpenters replicated the existing door styles, and a special trim molding was designed to frame the dishwasher making it nearly indistinguishable from the rest of the cabinetry. We pursued a special copper finish for the kitchen and bar faucets and repeated it in new hardware throughout.
The Details
The hanging pendant above the kitchen sink was originally of solid bronze and found hanging in the foyer. Liz designed knots of twine and applied a hand-aged white finish to create an inviting focal point. We updated the old 4” diamond travertine backsplash with a stunning modern french tile from Floor and Decor. We applied it to the top of the window wall and softened it with a lovely hand made lace valance and delicate foliage in french pots from Chinon. The owner enjoys rotating seasonal flowers in the hanging baskets lining the wooden fence outside, a lively garden view while working at the sink.
The Breakfast Area
Liz furnished the breakfast area with a stunning Vanderbilt Estate foyer table from the 1920s, a freakish find at Furniture Buy Consignment in Frisco, TX; and a french wooden chandelier from the noteworthy antique vendor Inessa Stewart, Dallas Design District.
The Display
Liz applied a soft blue grasscloth to the back of the built-in desk area and filled the glass cabinets to the brim with sentimental treasures! Wedding china tea cups novelly framed by an open lamp shade are signature of Liz’s out-of-the-box style. We created a special wall feature to display the watercolor butterflies, hand painted by the owner’s daughter.
The Wet Bar
The wet bar is on trend with a new modern hexagon wood, glass, marble tile dancing up the side walls in a novel fashion. The live edge walnut shelves were whitewashed and coated with gloss for a graceful french flare. This high traffic beverage area is kept fresh and beautiful with live plants, fresh baked goods, the best wines and coffees; an enjoyable and endless platform for treating the owners and their guests.
“When we first met, I told Liz that I had lived abroad and loved French culture and music and that I wanted our experiences reflected in the design. We did not have the budget to remodel the kitchen, so Liz found economical ways to accomplish my vision without even refacing the cabinets. She looked high and low to retrofit the right hinges to match all the new iron and copper hardware and hand-finished the kitchen pendant herself! We appreciated her going out of her way to find such a special breakfast table at a consignment store. We would definitely hire Liz for more projects in the future.”
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