A quietly luxurious and rustic home that rests in the calm country in the distant outskirts of St. Louis now has a unique kitchen haven. The homeowner is kind, exuding a ‘zen’ like presence around herself and those she meets. She wanted a kitchen that embodied her unique tastes, with out-of-the box touches while also feeling balanced, warm and inviting. One of the challenges to designing her kitchen was the massive space and how to plan it in a way that felt intimate, embracing the rustic qualities but also married to an industrial edge with touches of feminine charm. The backsplash mosaic tile has hints of flower designs in contrasting dark colors that pick up on reflective mirror tones. These tones can ever so slightly sparkle in certain light which complement the stainless steel Sub Zero Wolf appliances. The dark wood beams channel the rustic roots of the home and its location. The stainless appliances have an industrial vibe, like a pro chef lives in the house, ready to whip up a delicious concoction at any hour. The dark herringbone floor tile has hints of wood tones, echoing the rustic wood beams on the ceiling, but laid in a herringbone […]

Sometimes when you are pushed by limitations and break all the “rules”, magical things happen in a space. The space in this adorable (detail-packed) Tudor home started with a small kitchen that had seven doorways, 4 windows, several closets and a poorly functioning powder room crammed under a stairwell. The space was re-imagined to open the kitchen out onto a precious manicured backyard to create an indoor/ outdoor kitchen and also give room to add a full bathroom to service an aging-in-place parent. The first “rule” thrown out the window was in the use of color. You will hear to only use light monochromatic color schemes to make the space look larger. To the contrary, the use of Mouser Ebony black cabinetry and Big Chill black appliances with bold Brushed Brass trims was chosen and creates interest and charm in what could have been a bland and uninteresting room. The space was packed with textures in the white wall tile, wood tones brought in through the hardwood floors, bar stools and insides of glass fronted wall cabinets. Diresco Concrete-look countertops with chunky mitered apron edges add an aged, yet modern look to the space. Contrasting this with brass light fixtures […]

Originally the plan for this kitchen was an all white space.  We get that a lot, like A LOT.  Somehow white feels safe.  As designers we try to help people step over that comfort line.  Sometimes it’s giant steps and sometimes it’s baby steps. Regardless, our clients have never regretted the leap.  The sisal color island in this kitchen warms the white and makes us feel like we took a trip to the coast.   The lights on the hood create rare detail that balances the lights over the island.  The backsplash is a creamy white rather than a stark white like the cabinets establishing a soft transition between the two.  The stainless of the Sub Zero refrigerator equalizes the stainless of the ovens flanking the back wall.   The extremely neutral palette will allow for the evolution of style and taste that will travel easily through the next 25 years.

The transformation of this little cottage by the creek was a work of love. The community in which it sits is where this family, a dad and his 2 sons spend their summer. The original structure built in c.1898 consisted of one main room and a porch built on nothing more than an old tent platform. When we set out to reconfigure, remodel and restore this charming space, we quickly figured out that not much had changed in about 100 years. The timeframe was tight, the budget was flexible but small, yet the journey from rotting boards, sagging floors and squishy walls was astounding.   This project was about summer living in a cottage snuggled up next the woods.  We had to make it functional and easy to live in.   The most significant enhancement was the redo and opening up of the kitchen to the original one room cottage. What was previously a small door leading to the kitchen became a giant opening that matches the opening to the porch directly across the room. One huge living space that extends from the front porch to the rear of the kitchen was created. We painted the dark wood walls a welcoming cream and added shiplap to […]

The right mix of color and use of space can make a small kitchen rich with interest.  The combined soft grey mixed with warm gold tones is turned on with the sparkle in the lights.  The open layout allows for perfect entertaining and conversing with family and friends.  The backsplash is a soft pink handmade looking tile that had all of our designers swooning! It is not often we get to play with something like pink tile!  It was so much fun!

Designed by Rebekah Moore Murphy. Installed by City Lights Construction. Everyone ooohs and awwws when they see this finished kitchen. Can you believe it’s even more stunning in person? With so much natural light the spaces take on a different character between day and night. Prior to this remodel the homeowners had a challenging design dilemma as the home had been updated by the previous owners but in a way that did not make sense or function well. It looked outdated and felt choppy. Not a home they were excited to entertain guests in. The challenge was to come up with creative solutions that connected the spaces, as well as tie in a galley kitchen design – a functional favorite of theirs. Walls were taken away, wide arch openings were added and many things moved places. The resulting spaces now flow perfectly and make entertaining family and friends a dream come true. The finishes reflect the historic charm of the hundred year old home, such as the custom diamond Tudor window leaded glass panels in the bar. The finishes also marry the tastes of both husband and wife as both played integral roles in choosing the finishes with Rebekah, their […]

Kitchen Designer: Rebekah Moore Murphy The colors of this kitchen and its new design reflect the beauty of the homeowners’ souls and the light they bring into the world each day. Here lived a young and active family who loved their charming Clayton Tudor house as it is old with lots of character and close to their daughters’ school. However, prior to the home remodel, the kitchen was disconnected from the rest of the house with zero sight line from the kitchen to any other room. This posed a problem for the busy family as their time at home was often spent in disconnected spaces and this was precious time that the family was missing out on with each other. It was time to take action! Rebekah removed the wall between the kitchen and dining room and designed a peninsula with a really beautiful and unique hutch at the end.  The combination kept the formality of the dining room but gave us the layout we needed for their everyday family life. As far as the materials, we wanted the kitchen to look classic and to belong in the 1929 home, but we also wanted function and resilience.  Because the kitchen […]

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Adorable family! Adorable finishes! This young and energetic family took this out-of-date space and made it work for a modern day family- and gave it plenty of style to boot! The existing kitchen in this historic home was a dark and crowded 60 sq. ft. kitchen. You could almost wash dishes at the sink, stir a pot on the stove and get milk out of the fridge all at one time! Right off of this kitchen was a fairly large kitchen table area that under-utilized the space. We needed to make the total 185 sq. ft. space work as one large kitchen. In order to take advantage of the total space, we closed off a side window in the eating area (that was a view of the side driveway and neighbor’s house). That created wall space to accommodate appliances and enlarged the work triangle. We moved a radiator to open up the entry into the dining room to allow space for an island and seating there. In opening the ceiling to eliminate the ceiling height changes from one area to the other, major damage to the porch above the old kitchen was found and all new framing had to be […]

This house is an architectural gem – it’s old and has a breathtaking historic stone exterior. However, the kitchen was dated with 1980’s finishes, not living up to the glory of the rest of the house. The layout wasn’t functional, was cramped and felt akin to a complicated fun house filled with mirrors. The new design enhanced the windows, added light and pure simplicity to the space. We kept it clean and symmetrical with quiet colors. Through optimal cabinet space planning and opening up a doorway, a path to the family room was created, connecting both spaces. The homeowner wanted a symmetrical, long, classic island with seating on both sides. We executed this wish by tucking two extra stools under the island on the sink side. The bar is the focal point of the kitchen with a breathtaking arched valance and antique mirrors over the sink. The dramatic color resides in the gold and brassy tones alongside the subtle grays and whites. The homeowner’s antique rugs were the perfectly pink toned accent, giving the space an added touch of age, charm and color.  Wondering what it looked like before, view the surprising before pictures for this beautiful kitchen renovation. This project […]