Kitchen and breakfast areas often go hand-in-hand when it comes to redesign or renovation. Since most breakfast areas are part of the kitchen, it’s important to design a space that complements the entire room for a cohesive look. However, here I tried to step outside the box a little. I worked closely with contractor Ben Collins of The Salins Group and homeowner Whitney Balzer to create an entirely new kitchen and breakfast room that opens beautifully to the dining space and family room.
Collins is such a joy to work with – full of creative ideas, and Balzer’s great sense of style made my job easy! The kitchen, in short, is all new, all white, all new cabinets, and has a much larger island. We decided to mix up the hardware to keep it interesting and eschewed typical shiplap, opting for more texture. I wanted something other than your typical dining space, so I 
designed a large banquette and two round tables for a seating area. The result reminds me of all the outdoor bistros in Paris, which I love – intimate and cozy.
I chose two forty-inch round pedestal tables for ample legroom and cow hide stools that can be moved around depending on the number of people. When considering lighting, I chose two fixtures that “wandered” a bit. An irregular light fixture gives a little leeway with placement, which lends perfectly to a space that’s conversational and lounge-like, allowing friends and family to linger while dinner is being prepped. The new pass-through to the dinning room brings in even more natural light, dispersed in all spaces.
The kitchen “office” has been moved to an area off to the side and is a new home for pups Happy and Zola, all dressed up with new complimentary wallpaper. The result is a casual, light, and bright space to accommodate every member of the family.
Beth Keim is the owner of Lucy and Company, a full-service interior design firm located at 2108 South Boulevard, Suite 213. For more information visit www.lucyandcompany.com or call 704-342-6655.