Outside the Box
Striking visual elements and exquisite details lend an artistic bent to a kitchen that blends in with its surroundings
The owners of this Atlanta home presented designers Joel Kelly and Whitney Ray with a tall order: Show them something they had never seen before. “They’re the first clients we’ve ever had where we would present them things and they would say, ‘Show us something cooler,’” says Kelly. “It was refreshing because they were always pushing us to take it to the next level, which is what we, as designers, love to do.”
With the sky as the limit, the hood was wrapped in a Zebrino marble and became an artistic focal point in the space. Directly underneath, the designers selected a dark semiprecious quartz stone, not only for durability, but because its organic pattern provides a striking visual balance to marble’s distinctive linear bands.
With the kitchen the heart of the home—connecting to the great room, living room and dining room—extra consideration was given to make the space look less utilitarian and more like a cohesive extension of its surroundings. Kelly and Ray worked with cabinet designer Natalia Makarova of Karpaty to create millwork with a subtle chevron pattern that reads more like wallpaper. The design was extended to the ceiling, where rounded corners offer space for the addition of a sliding ladder to access upper cabinets. Meanwhile, white enamel cabinetry on the island and sink wall provides “some relief between all of the different patterns,” notes Ray.
Keeping in mind the homeowners’ directive to “always think outside the box,” Kelly designed the kitchen’s oversize hardware with a textured finish. On one end of the room, they effectively become door handles, as the paneling swings open to reveal a pantry that leads to an auxiliary kitchen, which is utilized when entertaining.
“This kitchen, and ultimately the entire house, is really defined by subtle but exquisite detail,” says Ray. “There was no stone left unturned.”
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN Joel Kelly Design, joelkelly.com and Wyeth Ray Interiors, wyethray.com ARCHITECTURE Summerour Architects, summerour.net BUILDER Avalon Custom Homes, avaloncustomhomes.net CABINETRY Karpaty, karpatycabinets.com MARBLE & QUARTZ Walker Zanger, walkerzanger.com RANGE Wolf subzero-wolf.com
