Home & Design
Kitchen - Countertop
Kitchen - Countertop

A beverage island boasts a bar sink and lit, glass-fronted display cabinetry.

Kitchen - Window
Kitchen - Window

The kitchen contains a serving island and a prep island, both stained dark and topped with black granite for contrast.

Kitchen - Window
Kitchen - Window

Above the bar sink, the glass-fronted cabinetry holds elegant glassware.

Kitchen - Countertop
Kitchen - Countertop

A graceful archway frames the island that holds the sink; through it, the custom hood and tile backsplash are visible above the range.

Country French

European elegance infuses the kitchen of a waterfront estate in Annapolis.

Country French January/February 2010

When a couple tapped Design Solutions, Inc., to bring their kitchen up to par with the rest of their finely decorated home, principal Joni Zimmerman took her cue from the surrounding property. “The house is a French Country estate,” she says. “The kitchen needed to blend with the environment.”

The designer chose cabinetry with lots of architectural details including moldings, trim, columns and archways; most of the cabinetry is painted and paired with light, swirling granite countertops, but two of the islands are stained a dark honey color and topped with black granite for contrast. An elaborately textured porcelain-tile backsplash blends seamlessly with the light-hued cabinetry while a tray ceiling adds visual interest.
In planning the layout, Zimmerman employed multiple islands—a solution she uses often to provide optimal traffic flow, she explains. “It makes it easy to get anywhere in the kitchen.” She installed a serving island with stools, a prep island for cooking, an island for storage and cleanup that houses the refrigerator and sink and a beverage island between two columns that displays glassware.
The kitchen opens onto the family room; Zimmerman was able to connect the two spaces by painting the soft green of the family room ceiling on the kitchen walls. Everything went according to plan. “This was one of those perfect jobs,” Zimmerman says.

KITCHEN DESIGN: Joni Zimmerman, CKD, CBD, lead designer, Beverly Alig, project manager, Design Solutions, Inc., Annapolis, MD. INTERIOR DESIGN: Arlene Critzos, Interior Concepts, Annapolis, MD. CONTRACTOR: SD Park Builders, Annapolis, MD. CABINETRY: Premier Custom Built. COUNTERTOPS & FLOORING: Granite, Atlas Stone Fabricators, Inc, Odenton, MD. WALL TILE: Architectural Ceramics, Rockville, MD. APPLIANCES: Miele, Sub-Zero, Wolf, Appliance Source, Annapolis, MD. SINKS: Franke, Ferguson. FIXTURES: Rohl, Ferguson. PHOTOGRAPHY: John Coyle, Towson, MD.

previous   next

** Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas to life.

You may also like:

 Georgetown Gem
Kitchen designer Jennifer Gilmer adds a whole new dimension to the narrow, cramped kitchen of a DC row house.
 Window Dressing
Carlos Interiors creates window treatments that let in the view
 Spike Mendelsohn
Following his stint on Season 4, Spike left the Big Apple in 2008 to open Good Stuff Eatery in DC.
HOME&DESIGN, published bi-monthly by Homestyles Media Inc., is the premier magazine of architecture and fine interiors for the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia region.

The company also publishes an annual H&D Sourcebook of ideas and resources for homeowners and professionals alike. H&D Chesapeake Views is published bi-annually and showcases fine home design and luxury living in and around the Chesapeake Bay.

The H&D Portfolio of 100 Top Designers spotlights the superior work of selected architects, interior designers and landscape architects in major regions of the US.

Stay Connected with HOME & DESIGN Newsletter

Copyright © 2025 Home & Design. All rights reserved. | Back to top
magnifier