Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.
Issue link: http://kitchenbathdesign.epubxp.com/i/921215
"These kitchens will look good 10, or even 20 years down the road," says the owner/designer of Five Star Kitchen & Bath, in Ketchum, ID, who adds that upwards of 85% of her current kitchen projects fall into this design category. "I don't think people will feel like their kitchens are dated because of the simple, clean design with sophisticated details." Bagley Catlin relates that it's an attainable design style as well and can fit a range of budgets. "Some budgets are smaller than others, but there are still elements you can choose to achieve the look," she says. "If budgets are higher, there are options available, too, such as expensive tile. Depending on the scale of the quality of materials, you can achieve the farm- house look at any price point." Clients also seem to appreciate its flexible design quality that allows for personalization of the space as well as material/ product choices that can make it more modern or more tradi- tional, adds Billings, who also appreciates that modern farm- house design is distinctively American. "It is special because it is something that is unique to the United States," she says. "It isn't a design style that we're trying to catch up to, such as a super modern European kitchen. People like farmhouse design because it's nostalgic. It's unique to us, and now we're modernizing and updating it. We might incorporate some European influences, but for the most part, it's uniquely ours." MAKING IT MODERN While a traditional farmhouse-style kitchen might be reminis- cent of the past, designers are updating its look with a more modern appeal – both aesthetically and functionally – with sleeker materials, cleaner lines and a focus on flow. "More traditional farmhouse styling has a lot more mouldings and a lot more layering of details on top of each other," says Bagley Catlin. "In modern farmhouse design, we are using cleaner materials, and accessories and details have cleaner lines." Lauren Davenport Imber, Davenport Designs, in Atlanta, relates that her clients gravitate toward a more minimalistic look with the purposeful design that a modern kitchen offers. The kitchen in this remodeled home is an addition complet- ed by the design team at Gilley Kitchen + Bath in collaboration with Stone Howley Architects. Several features epitomize a modern farmhouse design style, highlighting an emphasis on reclaimed materials such as the beams that accent the ceiling and the bricks that sheath the gabled wall. An open sideboard is used to display the homeowner's cookbooks, while built-in banquette seating gives guests a thoughtful place to sit. The island showcases the talents of local artisans, who crafted the black walnut countertop, and hand painted and glazed the base in the field. Lauren Davenport Imber modernized the farmhouse style in this kitchen by adorning simplistic cabinetry with larger, straightforward hardware. Architectural elements – such as the wood paneling on the ceiling and the antique focal-point cow sculpture accenting the ventilation hood – combine with an overall monochromatic design scheme and a single-bowl sink to further enhance the design style. Photos: Nathan Spotts Photo: Lauren Rubinstein January 2018 • KitchenBathDesign.com 89 STYLE ALERT