Modern Glam

Glamorous is a word befitting this kitchen as much as it does high fashion. Like an Armani suit, says Matthew Quinn of Design Galleria, the smallest details are what set it apart.

“The house deserved more than just a typical Georgian kitchen,” says the designer, speaking to the architectural style of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles' 2008 Christmas House. “This one has slightly modern elements but a sense of tradition, too.” 

Indeed, Quinn and the team of designers at Design Galleria fashioned a kitchen with understated elegance, one that blends beautifully with the clean, crisp lines of the interior architecture. Central to the space, for instance, is a marble-topped island; with its stained base, the piece seemingly “grows” out of the hardwood floor below. But the island is just as hard-working as it is aesthetically pleasing. Not only does it provide an expansive work surface; this model of efficiency also accommodates a prep sink, a warming drawer and seating for three.

Around the perimeter of the room, cabinet­ry with olive knuckle hinges takes advantage of every vertical inch, making it that much more dramatic, too. This custom component is especially striking in the room's feature wall, where—among other things—it conceals refrigerators on either side of the range. Between the two towering built-ins, book-matched marble provides a grand backsplash as well as a backdrop for the powder-coated hood. In keeping with Quinn's unerring eye for detail, even this utilitarian element takes on an oh-so-chic look; the addition of polished nickel trim, matching the finish of the cabinetry's hardware, transforms the piece into a focal point.

With your eye drawn from one remarkable detail to the next, it almost escapes you that, with the exception of the range and hood, appliances are perfectly integrated. That's purely intentional, says Quinn, to keep the focus on the clean lines, the subtle colors and the shiny metal surfaces.

“It's more difficult to keep decoration to a minimum,” the designer points out. “Every detail has to be purposeful—and expressed perfectly.”