EXPLORE
Movato
  • Interior Design
    • Bathroom
    • Bedroom
    • Decor
    • Design Finds
    • Kitchen
    • Living Room
    • Paint
    • Renovations
  • Architecture
  • Landscape
  • Lifestyle
    • People
    • Places
    • Things
  • About Us
Movato
EXPLORE
Home in Canada
No Result
View All Result

Warm Contemporary

A sleek and streamlined kitchen is given cozy elements

by Brenda O’Farrell
February 13, 2019
Share on FacebookPin itTweet itSend it

PHOTOGRAPHY: TRACEY AYTON
STYLING: GREER NELSON and JAMIE HAMILTON

Three black metal dome pendant lights provide both lighting and visual contrast.

Some homes have what are commonly referred to as good bones. These dwellings are sturdy, structurally appealing, and have not merely stood the test of time; they have almost improved with the years. 

But Greer Nelson and Jamie Hamilton look beyond the bones when they design a home’s interior, especially in a new home. They focus on what they call “the heart”: The kitchen.

The stainless-steel appliances coordinate well with the warm-grey lower cabinets and natural oak floors.

This space pumps the life and energy into a family’s day, they explain. It is the room that filters all the activity – from meals to homework, and casual conversations to entertaining. The kitchen is the home’s most vital organ.

“Making it cozy and comfortable, and still functional is important,” says Nelson. And almost in rhythm, Hamilton adds: “It’s the heartbeat of a home.”

The dining room chairs, which complement the island’s stools and the table were purchased at CB2.

These two designers are co-owners of Oliver Simon Design, an interior design studio that specializes in residential spaces. They put together the plan for this kitchen in a new three-level home, built in Vancouver. 

It started with the homeowners’ desire for a contemporary look. “We put together a complete design package,” Nelson says, which included two phases: the specifications that cover such basics as tile selections, flooring, surface materials and colours; and then the furnishings.

The matte black single-handle faucet by Brizo adds contrast in this almost-all-white kitchen.  

Part of the process includes extensive consultations with the owners, Hamilton says.  This is when she and Nelson get to know the owners’ likes and dislikes. It is a procedure that involves spending time with the clients and pouring over images and styles so that the designers can also develop a sense of how the family lives.

“For me, the important thing about a kitchen is to have organic elements – wood, flowers, plants, fruit,” says designer Jamie Hamilton.

“We needed to make sure it would work for them,” says Hamilton. And in this case, the need for a lot of storage along with practical and easy-to-maintain surfaces were key for this busy family. 

“What we wanted to make sure of in a very modern home is to bring in some warmth,” Nelson says. To do that, they introduced elements to soften the bright white features that anchored the crisp, modern tone. This meant incorporating highlights, such as the natural-wood cubbies in the upper cabinetry, designing the lighting, and adding small elements of colour. 

The cubbies offer an interesting visual as the wood closely matches the natural oak floors. “It’s also a place you can display something meaningful and beautiful,” Nelson says. 

The Roman shade at the window in front of the sink is another softening element. The light pastels in the fabric add a dash of colour that can easily be updated and changed if desired.

Hamilton also points to the use of a light grey on the lower cabinets as another way of keeping the contemporary vibe, while at the same time softening the stark whiteness of the room. “It makes it more interesting than pure white,” she says, while at the same time making the surface a bit more forgiving when confronted with children’s sticky hands.

The contemporary look the owners wanted was made possible with the combination of white elements in this kitchen – the quartz countertops, the white upper cabinets and the four-by-four-inch porcelain wall tiles. The softer elements, including the light grey lower cabinets, the soft pastels of the Roman shade, and the natural wood cubbies offer a touch of warmth.

Hamilton’s favourite feature of this design is the black domed pendant lights. The three metal fixtures above the island add contrast that is immediately noticeable. This contrast, she says, “is like punctuation in a sentence.”

The designers also suggested the matte black faucet for the same reason. “It’s dramatic. It pops out and makes it feel like a custom-designed kitchen,” Nelson says.

As for her favourite feature, she points to the European stools that line the outside of the island. “They are practical for kids and still look cool,” she says, adding that they have the added bonus of being “very comfortable.”

The overall effect is stunningly crisp. Or, as Nelson puts it: “It’s clean and modern, but still warm and inviting.” Just what you want for a kitchen. Or, as Hamilton adds, this room “gets all the attention because it is open to the living room,” making it, indeed, the heart of this home. •


Oliver Simon Design
www.oliversimondesign.com
604-889-0546 ~ 604-626-2164

Tags: comfortablecontemporarycozyHomekitchenmodernpracticalVancouver

Related Posts

Going With the Flow
Interior Design

Going With the Flow

April 14, 2021

Photography: Larry ArnalStyling: Loren Smarda One of the joys of a custom-built home is that its owner can configure it...

Warm & Cool
Interior Design

Warm & Cool

April 8, 2021

Photography: Ricardo TeixeiraStyling: Erika Dela Cruz The contrast of crisp white surfaces against natural copper and wood was the key...

Welcome to our Home
Interior Design

Welcome to our Home

April 1, 2021

Photography: Kelly HorkoffStyling: Darlene Shaw Matteo Lighting pendants from Concept Lighting Group and recessed LED lighting brighten the workspaces. Underfoot,...

The Best Use of Space
Interior Design

The Best Use of Space

March 26, 2021

The small, narrow kitchen punches above its size now that it has been elongated and made more functional. A small...

Swing by for Dinner
Kitchen

Swing by for Dinner

March 12, 2021

Photography and Styling: Azen and Kevin Bongard Designers Azen and Kevin Bongard opted for Scavolini cabinets, with features such as...

Modernizing a Historic Structure
Interior Design

Modernizing a Historic Structure

March 3, 2021

Photography: Melanie ElliottStyling: Marie-France Elliott  To see the maximum amount of exposed brick, designer Marie-France Elliott proposed upper cabinetry crafted...

Next Post
Ravine Retreat

Ravine Retreat

  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Issues
Made with ❤️ in Montréal

© 2020 Home in Canada

No Result
View All Result
  • Interior Design
    • Bathroom
    • Bedroom
    • Decor
    • Design Finds
    • Kitchen
    • Living Room
    • Paint
    • Renovations
  • Architecture
  • Landscape
  • Lifestyle
    • People
    • Places
    • Things
  • About Us

© 2020 Home in Canada