Clients with a Victorian in Georgetown hired Marika Meyer to update their outmoded home, including the kitchen, which was functional but felt dated with its monochromatic palette and finishes. “We wanted a total transformation without a total renovation,” Meyer says.
The designer kept the original layout, opting to paint the existing beige cabinetry crisp white and install new hardware. Cream-colored countertops were replaced by Carrara marble in cool gray tones, while the walls were painted a deep gray to complement the veins in the marble, which is also used as the backsplash.
The island remained in the same spot, but Meyer enlarged it by 14 inches with a false panel in the center; the panel allows for extra storage beneath and a larger work surface.
To add what she calls “an extra level of individuality” to the space, Meyer persuaded the homeowners to paint the pale white-oak floors a playful gray-and-white striped pattern that ties in with the wall color. “I was lucky,” she recalls, “because [the owner] was open-minded and willing to be bold.” The three-tone stripe by decorative paint company Billet Collins lends the room a vibrant extra dimension.
While the kitchen is traditional in style, Meyer added a couple of elements to give it “modern, youthful energy:” a light fixture above the island from Design Within Reach; and Series 7 bar stools, an iconic Mid-Century design by Fritz Hansen. “It’s actually amazing,” the designer comments. “With just a few changes you can get a brand new kitchen.”
• DETAILS •
Cabinetry: Custom-painted through Glass Construction; gcidc.com. Countertops & Backsplash: Carrara through United States Marble & Granite; usmarble-granite.com. Appliances & Fixtures: Existing. Decorative Floor Paint: Billet Collins Studio; billetcollins.com. Light Fixture: Moooi through Design Within Reach; dwr.com. Stools: Series 7 by Fritz Hansen through Contemporaria; contemporaria.com.
INTERIOR & KITCHEN DESIGN: Marika Meyer, Marika Meyer Interiors, LLC, Bethesda, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: Glass Construction, Washington, DC. PHOTOGRAPHY: Angie Seckinger.
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