Decorating & Design
May 28, 2021
This Striking Green Kitchen Has A Fresh Take On Traditional Style
When tasked with creating a dramatic yet welcoming kitchen for baking and entertaining grandchildren, Nova Scotia designer Jonathan Legate rose up to the challenge. “My clients had moved to Truro from New Glasgow to be closer to their daughter and her family, and it needed to function for them,” he says. The original space was quite dated with basic gray contractor tile. “There were two islands, and there was a wall between the living area and the kitchen,” adds Jonathan. “We really wanted to open it up and take it to another level.” As for the striking green cabinets, “I presented her with this darker color, Bonsai by Benjamin Moore,” he says. “We tried both colors on the ceiling and she said, ‘You’re right; I love the dark one.’ It’s a modern version of avocado.” The result is a richly layered gathering place for kids and adults alike. Scroll down!
“Isn’t it fantastic?” says Jonathan about the teapot pendant above the dining table. “I had seen it in Paris and catalogued it away in my brain. It goes back to that idea of making this a special, magical place for the children.” He reused the homeowner’s dining chairs, but found the table at Conifer Shop, a local favorite of his.
Measuring nine feet long by eight feet wide, the island features a sink area with stone counters on one side and a table-like, walnut-topped section on the other. The homeowners “wanted a huge island so the kids would have space to do homework, crafts and baking,” says Jonathan. “It’s very welcoming.”
“All of the moldings were custom milled and completely made by hand,” says Jonathan of the kitchen’s coffered ceiling. The white display cabinet (left) was part of the dinette set in the homeowner’s original breakfast room. “I wanted to incorporate it into the kitchen somehow,” says Jonathan. “To make better use of the space, we built another cabinet underneath and then stacked it on top and built it in, which added a lot of storage”
A Wolf induction range framed by windows and painterly quartzite stone is a dramatic focal point. Hard-wearing Avogado quartzite stone on the counter, backsplash and vent hood is as artful as it is practical.
Slim shelves beneath the upper cabinets hold spices and leave the work surface uncluttered. Latch hardware brings traditional character to the space
Integrated dowel rods for paper towels and pullout hangers for tea towels keep daily essentials close at hand.
The Dutch door on the pantry is purely for make-believe. The homeowners’ grandchildren pretend it’s a drive-through movie theatre or grocery checkout.
Relocating the door to the hallway eliminated an awkward corner cabinet and allowed the addition of the walk-in pantry. Mosaic tile on the floor feels unexpected. “If you can find that one thing the client likes — it could be a door handle, bowl or floor tile — you can build a whole kitchen around it,” says Jonathan.
Janet Kimber
House & Home May 2021
Jonathan Legate