A spacious central island offers storage, room for food prep and space for the family to gather.
A couple who purchased a McLean spec home during construction fell in love with the plans for the kitchen, conceived by Lobkovich Kitchen Designs. They asked principal J. Paul Lobkovich and his team to adapt them to suit their needs. “They liked the navy-and-wood concept,” Lobkovich notes. “It’s on-trend right now yet feels timeless.”
The central island accommodates a beverage sink, storage and seating for four. The fridge and freezer are inset on one wall, concealed behind cabinet panels. On the same wall, Lobkovich installed a sideboard leaving space above for art. Above the Thermador range, a custom hood of blackened steel with polished-brass accents creates a focal point.
The navy cabinetry is offset by hickory cabinets in a peppercorn finish. They house the sink; the same wood crops up as a base for the island and a frame for the appliance wall. “Hickory is a very versatile wood,” Lobkovich observes. “It creates a rustic, casual touch.”
The clients requested a breakfast room that would tie in with the kitchen. Lobkovich designed cabinetry to match the kitchen cabinets on either side of the chevron-patterned, marble fireplace wall; one side holds a breakfast bar while the other combines a wet bar with open shelving for display.
Throughout the kitchen and breakfast area, interior designer Andrea Maaseide injected color and pizzazz through lighting, fabrics and art. “It was very important that the space feel cozy and inviting,” she says. “The owners are all about color—particularly jewel tones—and eye-catching pieces like custom lighting. It’s a space where everyone can kick their feet up.”
Kitchen Design: J. Paul Lobkovich, Lobkovich Kitchen Designs, Tysons Corner, Virginia, and Miami, Florida. Interior Design: Andrea Maaseide, ASID, Studio 320 Interior Design, Vienna, Virginia. Builder: Artisan Builders, McLean, Virginia. Photography & Styling: Stylish Productions.
How do you begin a project?
I start from the ground up: floor, cabinetry, countertops, then backsplash. The flooring is important because it’s usually everywhere. And it can be a canvas itself; my floor has a herringbone pattern and I love it.
What trends are you spotting in cabinetry?
Dark-neutral combinations are popular. I’m seeing brown-black, blue-black and blue-brown.
Compare painted versus stained-wood cabinetry.
I lean towards painted cabinets because they don’t fight with the wood floors. A kitchen I did with yellow cabinets is still one of my favorites.
What design element do you tend to repeat?
Kitchens can be too cabinet-centered; you need to find a balance. I plan for a sideboard when I can because it creates wall space for art, which is nice.
How do you decide on countertop materials?
Nothing is more beautiful than natural stone, but it can be impractical. I like to combine stone with an engineered surface in work areas.