Possessing a fireplace smack-dab at the middle of her kitchen was not originally on Houzz consumer Carole Meyer’s remodel wishlist, but after seeing a friend’s vacation home in Mexico, she knew it was a must-have. Her friend’s home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico had two fireplaces at a long living area.
Meyer was struck with their stunning look and decided to install one fireplace in her kitchen and you on the opposing wall in her living area. The warmth of the fireplace is echoed inside her kitchen rustic cabinetry, flooring and backsplash. “I didn’t want any stainless steel in my kitchen,” she says. “I wanted a more mellow look, since our house is a little Old-World-meets-modern.'”
More: 23 Inspiring Real-Life Kitchens
CAROLE MEYER
Meyer’s rich, ebony cabinetry has been custom created by a Portland-based company. The lighter wood accents enclosing the range hood are ebonized oak with a clear finish. To pay further tribute to her inspiration in San Miguel de Allende, Meyer picked up dark iron knobs and pulls from a shop at the little, Mexican city. Each the appliances except for the stove — were confronted with wood cabinetry. “Considering that the kitchen could be seen in the living space, I truly didn’t want it to seem like a kitchen at all,” she says.
Cabinetry: Simon & Toney at Portland, Oregon.
Pulls and knobs: La Casa del Inquisador at San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Range: Wolf
Countertop: Kashmere Gold granite
CAROLE MEYER
The black finish on the cabinets has been implemented in layers, leaving the natural tone of the wood slightly observable beneath the darkened wash, making a beautiful sense of depth.
This custom dish rack sits directly across from Meyer’s dishwasher, and which makes cleaning easier. Most of these dishes on display are from San Miguel de Allende — a brand new, others antiques.
CAROLE MEYER
The little, cast-stone fireplace is the true focus of the kitchen, but has been somewhat of a struggle to put in because the kitchen is just 13′ x 17′. Regardless of the problems that came with installation, it was worth it that the fireplace is Meyer and her husband’s favorite part of the kitchen.
“We love to come in and sit down at the afternoon and read the newspaper beside the fireplace,” she says. “We designed our home to concentrate on the outdoors, so when I am sitting here or cooking, I could enjoy these views completely.”
Fireplace: Napa Valley Cast Stone and Venezia Fireplace Surrounds
Wall color: Vanilla Ice Cream by Benjamin Moore
Barstools: Pier 1
CAROLE MEYER
The gold backsplash is made out of marble tile, which Meyer hand-finished with Briwax for a special color and feel. “I really wanted a hot, honey color,” she says. “So I played with the wax method, and it worked out great!”
Pre-stained hickory flooring with a hand-scraped complete increase the warmth and patina of the room.
Backsplash: Crema Marfil marble
Flooring: Mullican
CAROLE MEYER
The main sink is about the kitchen island but Meyer also had a sink installed on the coffee bar close to the rear of the kitchen an area they call the “coffee shrine.” Meyer also installed a little refrigerator in this region to make the morning coffee process even smoother.
Although they may seem like fluorescent lighting in these photographs, the majority of the light inside this kitchen actually comes in three large skylights. The natural Northwest lighting is ideal for throughout the day, while recessed lighting offer lots of light at night.
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More: 23 Inspiring Real-Life Kitchens