Room Tour: A welcoming kitchen for holiday hosting
As the holidays draw near, so does the season of hosting. From perfecting passed-down family recipes to sweeping up every last spec of dust, the pressure is on.
Home to roasted turkey, gumbo, cornbread and more, it’s safe to say the kitchen takes center stage during the holidays. For homeowner and photographer Stacey Pearson, her new kitchen is equal parts clean and chic as well as warm and welcoming.
“We took a very artistic approach to the room that goes not only with the interior, but also her personality,” says interior designer Jerad Gardemal. “Stacey is very warm and approachable, so we wanted to walk into that room and feel an instant sense of invitation.”
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The designer-client duo has worked together for years, accumulating various unused pieces from previous projects. With the existing collection and the home’s New Orleans-style interior and English cottage exterior, Gardemal had a strong foundation. For tall ceilings and large windows, he recommends wall colors like Benjamin Moore’s “Pale Oak” to keep the space airy.
Elements like soft kitchen barstools by Revelation Furniture, combined with the modern, waterfall countertop, create a balance of cleanliness and character. Similarly, Gardemal integrated wood tones into the off-white room for warmth.
“Wood is classic, whether light or dark tones,” he explains. “Those contrasts make it really classy, and those small touches that can seem off-beat really bring the space together.”
Another way this designer highlighted this contrast was with black accents on cabinets and light fixtures. Though bold colors can darken or overwhelm a space, Gardemal explains that, when done right, they can have the opposite effect.
“Dark accents are like the color red,” he says. “They’re wonderful but very powerful. If you can keep the scale of those elements in check, they will weigh down a complicated room, bringing permanence in, but not overpowering the space.”
Keeping a space modern and clean while still warm and welcoming is tedious. But with small eclectic details, it can be done, creating a host’s dream kitchen in time for the holidays.
