KITCHENS K & B BATHROOMS
Zen Modern
ASH LEONARD USES TEXTURE TO CREATE COHESION IN A NEW KITCHEN DESIGN
The owners of a traditional two-story home in Ladue wanted to give their kitchen a fresh look without changing its footprint. They enlisted designer Aisling “Ash” Leonard, owner and principal of Ash Leonard Design, to thoughtfully blend existing architectural elements and modern materials. ¶ “The kitchen is modern but has a soft feel with patina and character, ” says Leonard, who worked with Eyman Kitchen & Bath to carry out the vision. ¶ Here arc the elements the designer incorporated into the project.
CABINET CURIOSITY
Solid walnut slab-door cabinetry by Shady Creek Woodworking features clean modern lines but is also warm and natural. A coffee station is hidden in a drawer, and an ice machine and wine chiller/cooler are built into the cabinetry. Open glass shelves float above it all.
HARDWARE HUE
Leonard chose solid brass and matte black pulls from the Signature line at St. Louis-based Locks & Pulls. “They feel like leather when you touch them, ” she says. Black gooseneck faucets with knurled brass accents by Brizo complement the cabinetry hardware. The backsplash outlet covers, done in brass, are a step above the ordinary. Brass—and—black leather stools by CB2 at the center island continue the theme.
WOW TILE
With windows flanking the range, Leonard wanted a backsplash tile that would blend into the views. Wasabi Green, by Spanish firm WOW Design, gets the job done. “I wanted it to feel like it had been there a long time and had a patina, ” says Leonard. Walnut shelves pick up the color of the cabinets beneath.
LOADS OF LIGHTING
A long, cylindrical glass fixture with brass accents by TEC Electric runs the length of the island. Hanging it from two different ceiling heights was a challenge, but the team got it done.
FLOOR FABULOUS
Leonard’s goal for the floors was to impart a country house feel with lots of texture. Gray-washed wood-like porcelain tile in a traditional box-and-crosshatch pattern imparts the appropriate style for the space.
COUNTERS/BACKSPLASH
To balance the room’s darker elements, Leonard went with slabs of Super White marble in a suede finish.
BRICK AND BEAMS
The wood ceiling beams, white-painted brick, and white wood paneling in the dining area are original to the house, and Leonard wanted to keep them intact. The custom-made range hood mimics the existing paneling, says Leonard, marrying old and new.
With windows flanking the range, Leonard wanted a backsplash tile that would blend into the views.
SETIN STONE?
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