Decorating & Design
May 1, 2019
This Bright & Cheerful Blue Kitchen Is An Instant Mood-Booster
“Multicolored” isn’t a term thrown around often in kitchen design these days, but for Sébastien Paquet, a landscape architect, and Anne-Marie Comeau, a high school science teacher, that’s exactly what they were after. The couple, who have a toddler, Frédérique (pictured) and a three-month-old, Charlie, wanted their 200-square-foot kitchen and dining area to be filled with blue — there are now five different shades on the cabinetry alone — and they knew just who’d be up for the vibrant task: designer and friend Jean Stéphane Beauchamp. “We’re attracted to eclecticism and don’t like absolute minimalism,” Sébastien says. “And I wanted to do something fresh and dynamic yet timeless,” adds Jean Stéphane.
Scroll down to tour this bright and cheerful blue kitchen.
Just like a perfectly executed dance routine, kitchen layouts require a sense of flow and lots of rehearsal. “Once we come up with a kitchen layout, I ask homeowners to move around virtually in the space and pretend to use it — making meals, baking, cleaning up — so we can organize the space according to their specific needs and see what’s missing,” says Jean Stéphane.
Jean Stéphane advises homeowners to be open to surprises. “Kitchens take time to put together, and we make adjustments along the way,” he says. “We really liked the porcelain tile behind the stove; it looks contemporary but fits with the age of the house.”
These custom brass-plated handles add instant wow-factor to the space and contrast beautifully with the cool-toned cabinets.
“We put a lot of thought about storage into every kitchen, but having places to show decorative items really punctuate the space,” says Jean Stéphane. Old laboratory bottles and glass beakers are personal touches that nod to Anne- Marie’s science background.
Adding a banquette to this eating area was a clever space-saving trick. It allowed for built-in storage in the otherwise dead space over the stairwell and freed up room for a full-size dining table (made by Sébastien using reclaimed wood from a local duplex built in 1868).
Red oak herringbone floors ground the space and inject plenty of warmth to the charming dining area.
Maxime Desbiens
House & Home April 2019
Jean Stéphane Beauchamp