Our Projects

Every Project, a Puzzle

This kitchen cries out to be shared with you. The clients were a perfect combination of incredibly detail-oriented, almost OCD, yet open-handed with the design process. They told me to "gussy it up" and let me have my way. I brought back 6 ideas to work from with price level options within and they chose. This made for an incredibly collaborative project that ended up with a strikingly beautiful kitchen.

They chose a wild and unique backsplash tile that is worth taking a closer look at. It's a three-dimensional tile with ridges and curves. These really became a "thing" in the project. But how do you put outlets and fixtures into a curved tile? So we called in our crack tile guy, "The Professor" to figure it out. It took 7-8 hours to lay it all out. We had to get flat field tiles to land at every fixture and fitting. Look at all the outlets, the range hood, and the pot tap. They all had to fit without distorting the pattern. But he figured it out. I love bringing in craftsmen that are at the top of their game and giving them problems to solve that really push them to their creative and skill limits. We actually have a blog on just that topic, here. On this project, as I always aim for, the end result was a work of art.

Colors tie it all together

Just to fill out the picture of the above project, this is the view facing the other direction of the living room. It was such a dynamic kitchen with that rich light color but we had this dark fireplace and tv to work with. The custom wood millwork of the fireplace surround finished in soft gunmetal looks almost like metal and transitions beautifully to the (again) really cool three-dimensional tile that echoes to the kitchen on the other side of the room. Look how every tile meets its neighbor, perfectly aligned. 

It was a really rewarding project and the clients love the result. They were in the mix the whole time desperate to know how it was going to end up. As with all projects, there are those moments when it all comes together delightfully and you finally get a feel for what the end result is going to be like. This one held out on us till late in the game, one room didn't really work until the furniture was in, but when it did click we all said, wow! It wasn't where we thought we would end up in the beginning, but the best projects rarely do.

Splashing Shape and Color

This Kitchen was designed by Urban Dwellings in Portland, Maine with an extremely clear and neutral aesthetic in mind. Neutral colors mixed around smooth surfaces. Everything has its place and, while it's a functional space, nothing distracts from the clean visuals at every turn. But the beauty of a more neutral design is that when you add an accent, it really shows up!

The interior Designer’s plan for the geometric blue tile into the bar area is a perfect illustration. It’s a part of the kitchen, but it’s nicely placed in a transitory space, so getting a top-off on your cocktail doesn’t mean you’re getting tied up in the cook’s apron.

Getting those clean lines and perfect gaps between cabinet elements is the result of great ideas and materials put together with careful planning and expert installation. That's the role I love play in a project: bringing all of the elements together so that the finished project is the best execution of the owner's concepts imaginable. This one turned out pretty nicely, I'd say. It’s a clean and simple space, but maintains rich personality and focus!

A Beautiful Puzzle

The dreams we have for a kitchen have to encounter the reality and constraints of the space we are working in. This space offered a tricky puzzle to work with that was gratifying to solve.  With the patio door in the middle of the kitchen and an open plan, we started with two fewer walls than you'd generally want to have in a kitchen. But we wanted to keep the dining table and guests close by. The island in the center was the key. The stainless sink was custom sized to the cabinetry and extended as a countertop for the entire island. This was a little tricky to pull off. Working with the stainless fabricator we had to ensure accuracy to 1/16”. No easy feat with cabinets unavailable going into fabrication. It worked out beautifully.This freed up the one wall to fill with cabinets and the fridge. The owners couldn’t be happier with the result.

The result is delightful, perfectly packaged for all cooking needs, and in warm weather, with the doors open, you have a second dining room basically in the kitchen.  It is problem solving like this that makes the process of making a perfectly imperfect space delight us all.

Found Objects Find a home

Sometimes it starts with one design element that becomes the keystone of a whole project, like this single piece antique slate sink. A furniture designer client of ours had it sitting out in the back yard and was in love with it but needed help wrapping her mind around how to make it work. From creative plumbing required by the thin exterior walls of the house that involved a bespoke countertop design, to the surprisingly effective hexagonal tiles that she had also fallen in love with, it all came together into a unique harmonious design.  A really fun and eclectic project.