Best Paint Colors
Pretty In Pastel: Livable Colors Are The Star Ingredients in These Two Kitchens
Updated on November 29, 2023
Designers Katherine Newman and Gillian Gillies each give their take on a soft, livable palette in the kitchen.
Step inside these timeless spaces below!
Take One: Modern Mauve
For the owners of a stately residence in Oakville, Ont., their impractical kitchen with its chunky square island just wasn’t jibing with the airy, modern look they were after. “Mauve is a grey-toned version of violet: in a way, it’s color without color,” says Toronto designer Katherine Newman of the new pastel island. The bespoke dining table was inspired by Brazilian modernist furniture designer Joaquim Tenreiro’s 1947 model.
They turned to Katherine (pictured) and architect Peter Cebulak of Katherine Newman Design to renovate the nearly 500-square-foot space. “I’ve always admired Katherine’s aesthetic, unexpected use of color and attention to detail,” says the client.
Katherine designed an impressive radius island crafted from flat-cut white oak with bronze inlays — then had it dyed mauve. “We wanted it to present like sculpture, an element of whimsy that’s slightly more decorative than the surrounding context but still disciplined,” she says.
Unexpected materials extend onto the main cabinets as well, where cabinet doors with reeded glass insets and patinated bronze frames are interspersed amongst solid fronts. “The reeded glass allows for a dynamic activity between concealed and exposed cabinets, providing depth,” says Katherine. Book-matched Statuario marble extends up the backsplash and behind the glass-fronted cabinets.
“We wanted to combine historical finishes with a more modernist assembly,” says Katherine. “The details are many but they’re expressed with reserve.”
Four eye-catching linear pendants hang asymmetrically above the sink.
This area off the servery has paneled leather and suede walls, modern shelving and a glass bar cabinet.
The completed space is organized, ethereal and — as Katherine’s client confirms — a joy to be in.
Keep scrolling to get elements of this look!
Sculptural lighting in a variety of metal and enamel finishes.
And styles!
Vintage-inspired stool.
Five different stones including Calacatta and Statuario marble, and custom quartzes.
Mid-century-inspired chair.
A round white oak island dyed in mauve.
A double oven.
A brushed brass faucet.
Look Two: Transitional Sage
“There was so much laughter in this project,” says designer Gillian Gillies (pictured) from her clients’ condo kitchen, which is as lively as the couple themselves. The owners, Helmut Engels and Marjorie Bain, had lived in Toronto’s Summerhill neighborhood for 13 years before deciding to renovate. “In a condo, storage space is at a premium and, as retired seniors, we wanted to age in place,” says Marjorie. “We needed our kitchen to be more functional and user-friendly.”
Their contractors recommended Gillian for the project. “Her love of color and texture really spoke to my heart,” says Marjorie. Taking inspiration from their art and Murano glass collection, Gillian proposed a subtle sage green for the upper cabinets. “We used Farrow & Ball’s Cromarty, a perfect sage green,” says Gillian. She used hard-wearing white oak laminate for the high-traffic lowers. The counters are ultradurable in quartz.
Gillian also chose a white kitchen faucet, mocha cast-iron sink and penny-round tile for the walls. “Marjorie and I share a love of texture, pattern and whimsy, and penny-round tile ticked all the right boxes,” says Gillian.
The paneled fridge makes the compact 10-by 12-foot kitchen feel larger.
Clever cabinet inserts optimize kitchen organization and deep pullout drawers in place of lower cupboards make reaching contents easier. “Now we have more storage without giving up living space,” says Marjorie.
The kitchen millwork extends into the dining area, where a favorite painting by Richard Riverin is displayed.
Tucked into the corner, compact open shelving is the perfect place for cookbooks.
A built-in niche displays vases, teapots and vessels. “This kitchen exudes my clients’ personalities and, to me, that’s a reflection of a great design partnership,” says Gillian.
Keep scrolling to get elements of this look!
A standout ceiling pendant.
A speckled vase.
Playful penny-round tile.
Satin brass cabinet pulls.
Delicate wall sconces.
Comfortable dining chairs that don’t sacrifice on style.
Sage green painted wood cabinets.
White metal and mocha cast-iron finishes.
Virginia Macdonald & Alex Lukey
House & Home October 2022
Stacy Begg