Decorating & Design
Inside A Cool And Contemporary Kitchen By Nyla Free
Updated on December 12, 2024
The homeowners of this newly built, 4,500-square-foot house in Toronto’s Hoggs Hollow neighborhood are avid House & Home readers. They chose Calgary-based designer Nyla Free and H&H art columnist Diana Hamm to work on their kitchen after seeing their stories in the magazine. Nyla’s contemporary kitchen design includes warm finishes and touches of oak and quartzite and, for interest, the clean palette is peppered with eclectic pendants and punchy original art selected by Diana. Banquette and lounge areas take in the backyard view and promote conversation and connection.
Scroll down for our Q&A with Nyla Free, and get inspired by her clients’ cool and contemporary kitchen!
Designer Nyla Free.
H&H: Do you have a favorite design moment in the kitchen?
NF: The banquette with the art really draws you in. Art in a kitchen isn’t always what springs to mind. Though kitchens are highly functional, they’re becoming less utilitarian now, often having places to sit and lounge, as opposed to just being somewhere to cook a meal. I encourage clients to think outside the box and layer in details like mouldings, trim, wallpaper and art.
H&H: How would you describe the overall vibe?
NF: It’s got a soft playfulness to it. The kitchen is clean-lined, and it feels joyful with the stacked bubble pendants and unexpected pops of color.
H&H: Much of the design process for this kitchen happened remotely. What was that like?
NF: Our client knew she wanted a white and light wood kitchen, and she has really great style. While there were lots of Zoom and FaceTime calls, the client came to our office in Calgary for the first finish and material meeting. I tried not to use too many images from other sources as jumping-off points because I find it can skew the design directive. And, for some elements like the counter, it was important to choose it in person, so we did that together in Toronto. The counter selection set the tone for some of the other pieces.
An intimate conversation area (or nap zone if you’re Francis, the family pup), the lounge features armchairs that swivel to catch the view.
H&H: What were some of the wish list items?
NF: The built-in banquette and a coffee bar with a beverage area were must-haves.
Phil Crozier
House & Home
BlackLab Architects (architecture)/Nyla Free (design)