David Clemmer’s life is all about style, fashion and beauty. He is Style by Jury’s expert stylist and owns an agency that represents designers, makeup artists and other talent. But when he’s not busy jetting around the world to dress the rich and famous, he can be found at home with his two favorite glamour girls, dogs Maggie and Mollie.
He recently purchased a century farmhouse in the heart of the city, and renovated most of the main floor with his terrific sense of style.
But all the rooms led to the busiest — and most dysfunctional — room in the home, a dated 1980s-style kitchen that had broken cabinets, old appliances and a bathroom that opened up to the cooking area.
Not very stylish.
David loves to cook and entertain, and he longed for a beautiful and functional kitchen, a space that could also serve as a home office and a place for his dogs to sleep.
The problem was that he didn’t know how to make it all happen. So I called in my crew and geared up to give him a fabulous kitchen to match his lifestyle.
I decided to reconfigure the room and start fresh. I took down a few walls, got rid of the bathroom and lost the cabinetry. I also replaced the old windows with some new French doors that lead to the patio. I then brightened up the space with a fresh coat of paint and some heated travertine floor tiles.
I wanted the kitchen to be a perfect blend of function and fashion, and thought it should also marry the traditional with the contemporary. I started with the room’s center, where I installed a dark-wood kitchen island with a creamy quartz counter that houses a recycling center, a dishwasher and a sink with an industrial faucet. And with the addition of some fashionable chairs, the island doubles as an eating space. To add a bit of elegance, I put two crystal chandeliers above the island.
I then got busy on the perimeter of the room by adding loads of bright and airy cream-colored cabinetry, new mustard polished-quartz countertops and a host of stainless-steel appliances.
Along one wall I created a bar area, complete with a long sink, a dual-temperature wine cooler, a built-in coffee maker and a gorgeous fridge-and-freezer column.
The next area, along the back of the kitchen, is all about cooking, so I set up a new pantry and a large counter space with marble backsplash tiles. I then put in a huge six-burner gas range that boasts double ovens and a griddle.
Next, I got to work on David’s office area. Because it’s the first thing you see when entering the kitchen, I wanted it to have a real ”wow” factor. So I put up stunning wallpaper with a pattern on reflective silver foil that blends the traditional with a hip edge. I put in a desk where David can work, a shelf with task lighting and created two fashionable dog beds below for Maggie and Mollie.
After a few added touches of fashion and function -- vases, candles, artwork and a custom-made chalkboard -- this kitchen was complete.
In a world of ”dress to impress,” this space made a bad first impression. So I blended traditional and modern touches, put in contrasting colors and added a variety of materials, and turned this kitchen into a chic space in which David can cook, eat and entertain in style.
(Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV’s ”Divine Design.” For more ideas, information and show times, visit www.HGTV.com or www.divinedesign.tv. Or visit scrippsnews.com.)
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