Page 36 - Allison's Magazine ~ Issue #99
P. 36

that incorporate a lot of height, but the   really work—there was no circular flow.
                                                                                                                                 ceilings aren’t high enough, so I had to   We designed the kitchen with the idea
                                                                                                                                 get creative.                       that multiple hands, including little
                                                                                                                                                                     ones, are often preparing meals these
                                                                                                                                 The original space had wood         days. The modern island design with
                                                                                                                                 paneling in the family room and     multizone cooking suits us much better
                                                                                                                                 bedroom. Why did you decide to      and is more welcoming when we are
                                                                                                                                 keep it? How do you feel about the   entertaining. We did salvage the white
                                                                                                                                 trend of painting over it?          dishwasher. And we put in pine floors to
                                                                                                                                 Originally, I thought I was going to   make the room match with the others
                                                                                   space that purposely doesn’t include a        paint over it, but I realized that reversing   and not appear disjointed from the rest
                                                 We designed the                   television. I wanted to encourage the art     it would be timely and costly. On top of   of the house.
                                                                                   of conversation in this tech-obsessed age.    that, the paneling is old heart pine—you
                                                 kitchen with the idea
                                                 that multiple hands,                                                            can’t get that particular grain anymore,   Is it easier or harder to design your
                                                                                   Where did the inspiration for your            so I felt like there was no going back.   own space versus someone else’s?
                                                 including little ones,
                                                                                   color palette originate?                      I’ve found that stains are more forgiving   Harder! When I work on someone else’s
                                                 are often preparing               The whole house incorporates a lot of         than paint and are lower maintenance.   space, I am setting aside the time and
                                                 meals these days.                 blue, white, and neutral colors so that       The paneling is warm and inviting, plus   really devoting myself to the design
                                                 The modern                        the design flows from one room to the         it’s brown, so it acts as a neutral.  process because it’s my job. For my
                                                 island design with                next. I was inspired by the Texas sky:                                            own space, it’s more of an experimental
                                                                                   big, blue, light, airy, and sunny.            What wasn’t working for you in the   playground. I’m grabbing fifteen
                                                 multizone cooking
                                                                                                                                 kitchen, and what were you able     minutes here or there and trying to
                                                 suits us much
                                                                                   What was the biggest challenge?               to salvage?                         make the design come together.
                                                 better and is more                Light is really important to me, so the       We ended up gutting the kitchen: we
                                                 welcoming when we                 low ceiling height, boxy architecture,        ripped out all the cabinets, took down   What is your biggest design pet
                                                 are entertaining.                 and small windows were a challenge.           walls, and completely changed the   peeve that you see out in the world
                                                                                   We opened up walls to get more light          layout. The original kitchen had an   or in other people’s houses?
                                                                                   in. I often tend toward light fixtures        old, peninsula-style counter and didn’t   Overscale furniture, because it messes




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