Tour Six Kitchens With Amazing Lighting Fixtures

Photo by Grace Combs

Lighting—whether a chandelier, pendant or uplight—plays a major role in the ambience of a kitchen. Once thought of as a mere tool to illuminate kitchen tasks, lighting pieces in today’s kitchens add a serious touch of glam. Take a tour of the kitchens on the following pages for an illuminated perspective on today’s heart-of-the-home spaces ready for their close-up.

Historical Elegance

Photo by Gibeon Photography

In Denver’s Country Club neighborhood, a 1928 home built by architect Burnham Hoyt was in need of some TLC. After the Tudor-style home underwent construction from a previous owner in the 1970s, the additions and remodels needed to be reoriented for current-day functionality. The new owners decided to create their own urban oasis while still respecting Hoyt’s original design. Peggy Bender of Robbins Weiner Design stepped in with a vision. “We went for an English Manor working kitchen—elegant but sparse in detail,” says Bender.

Paying homage to Hoyt, architect Stephen Ekman of Ekman Design Studio worked carefully to remove the ’70s additions on the narrow lot. “Ultimately, we needed to reorient the floor plan into an L-shape,” he explains. The kitchen was strategically positioned so the owners could enjoy an open concept.

The classic design of the kitchen gets its feel through the barn door and hanging pendant lights. Almost mimicking candles, the lighting fixtures combine old with new. “It was the large-scale custom zinc hood by Raw Urth that became the central element to inspire the rest of the kitchen,” says Bender. The rest of the décor came easily once the hood was installed.

DESIGN DETAILS
KITCHEN DESIGNER Robbins Weiner Design, Peggy Bender, Sander & Sons Kitchen Design, Phil Sander
INTERIOR DESIGNER Robbins Weiner Design, Peggy Bender
CONSTRUCTION Canady Construction
ARCHITECT Ekman Design Studio, Stephen Ekman
LIGHTING Urban Electric Co.
CABINETS Sander & Sons Kitchen Design
TILE Decorative Materials
HARD SURFACE Custom Edge Marble & Granite
PHOTOGRAPHY Gibeon Photography

Bold and Beautiful

Photo by Dallas & Harris Photography

Two elements helped the homeowners of this Snowmass kitchen materialize their vision: color and creativity. Veering from the norm, their formerly stark white kitchen was redesigned by Denise Taylor and Geneva Podolak Knox of Aspen Design House to have a bold personality.

“It’s not often that an owner asks for color, especially in the kitchen,” says Taylor, “but the husband is colorblind, and blue is one of the few colors he can see. We weaved in different shades so that he could enjoy it.” Having worked with the owners on a previous project, Taylor knew how far to push the design envelope. “The kitchen is oftentimes the most expensive room in the house,
so it would have been easy to play it safe.”

With a dining table perpendicular to the island, the owners enjoy comfortable seating as they chit-chat with guests while preparing a meal. Hanging lights from Boyd create different points of interest overhead. Matching oval pendants hover above the marble island, and a chandelier accents the dining room table.

DESIGN DETAILS
KITCHEN DESIGNER Aspen Design House, Denise Taylor and Geneva Podolak Knox
CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECT Red House Architecture, Bruce Barth
LIGHTING Boyd
CABINETS Aspen White Star
HARD SURFACE Waterworks
PHOTOGRAPHY Dallas & Harris Photography

Artful Finish

Photo by Eric Lucero

In Cherry Hills Village, the homeowners transformed their home into an artful masterpiece— with the kitchen being no exception. “We wanted the space to match the contemporary feel with high-gloss surfaces and cabinetry, so we enlisted the help of Mikal Otten at Exquisite Kitchen Design,” says interior designer Kim Layne. Running with Layne’s concepts for the home, Otten integrated the use of a deep walnut color and a bright countertop to liven up the kitchen. “It wasn’t too fussy but had that element of glam,” says Otten.

A ribbon-like chandelier sourced from Hubbardton Forge hangs above the raised section of the island. The wavy structure of the piece mimics similar designs throughout the home, including a sculpture of a dancer waving a ribbon in the foyer.

“It was all about integrating the architecture of the home with the artistic design,” says Otten. Tucked out of sight is the main pantry, separating the primary working area from the grandest part of the kitchen. Functionality remains at the forefront of Otten’s design while still managing to curate a stunning space.

DESIGN DETAILS
KITCHEN DESIGNER Exquisite Kitchen Design, Mikal Otten
INTERIOR DESIGNER Kim Layne Interiors
CONSTRUCTION Haley Custom Homes
ARCHITECT Carlson Design Group, Eric Carlson
LIGHTING Hubbardton Forge
CABINETS Downsview Kitchens
HARD SURFACE Daltile
PHOTOGRAPHY Eric Lucero

Heart and Soul

Photo by Jess Blackwell

In the old mining town of Erie, Terrie Adams made it her mission to fix up her beloved family home. Her kitchen designer, Ashley Christensen of TVL Creative, recalls, “The kitchen was dark and dated, plus it had a strange hallway leading to the garage.” By mapping out the space, Christensen was able to make the layout more functional, with a butler’s kitchen and a beer tap just off to the side. “Before the changes, the circulation of the house involved a lot of U-turns, but now it’s a breeze to move around.”

Christensen describes the home’s design as a “refined farmhouse,” meaning the owners stuck to a classic design while adding glossy finishes and modern color selections A shabby-chic console table to the side of the island brings together that farmhouse look.

Adams was all about subtlety in terms of materials. “Balancing moments of contrast played a large part in the design intent,” says Christensen. Using natural wood and cool finishes, the variation creates an inviting yet balanced space. The lighting finishes above the quartz island pop against the dark finishes around the perimeter. Without stealing the show, they add an element of luxury.

DESIGN DETAILS
KITCHEN DESIGNER TVL Creative, Ashley Christensen
CONSTRUCTION TVL Creative, Crystal Russell
LIGHTING Rejuvenation
CABINETS Ultracraft Cabinetry
TILE Bedrosians Tile & Stone
HARD SURFACE Cambria
PHOTOGRAPHY Jess Blackwell Photography

Clean Lines

Photo by Tim Murphy

In pursuit of their dream home in Steamboat Springs, Paul and Pam Winterman wanted a place to entertain friends, though they weren’t sure what that meant style-wise. “Similar to when you get a refraction test at the eye doctor, our interior designer—Erik Lobeck at WorkshopL—tested different design lenses with us. We had to look through different styles before what we wanted became clear,” explains Paul.

“We met at the intersection of Mountain Modern and Midcentury Modern,” says Lobeck. To facilitate a more open area, he created a “pod”—a half-wall with the kitchen on one side and storage space on the other. Differing from the owners’ primary residence, a traditional ranch in Kansas City, the use of sleek surfaces and crisp furnishings created a more contemporary feel, better suited for the setting.

Blue pendant lights by Haleigh Metal Dome found at Rejuvenation were selected early on in the design process. “They paved the way for the accent color throughout the rest of our home,” says Pam, including the Iris Ceramica tiles along the pod wall.

DESIGN DETAILS
KITCHEN DESIGNER AND ARCHITECT WorkshopL, Erik Lobeck
CONSTRUCTION New Mountain Carpenter
LIGHTING Rejuvenation
CABINETS Alpine Design Kitchens
TILE Iris Ceramica
HARD SURFACE Granite Haus
PHOTOGRAPHY Tim Murphy