European-Inspired Kitchen
A designer draws from European sources to create this comfy kitchen
Designer Rob Stepp describes this kitchen's style as "Tuscany comes to The Greenbrier." It's apt for a space designed to handle casual entertaining in the forested heart of West Virginia. Long known as a historic resort, The Greenbrier is also home to a community of custom residences.
The kitchen that Stepp's Huntington, West Virginia–based firm, Creative Kitchens Incorporated, has created is perfect for family and neighborhood gatherings. Like the classic Italian country kitchens that inspired it, the look is characterized by the rich tones of the cherry cabinetry and the architectural motif of a keystone arch—"reminiscent of an Italian villa," the designer says.
Those handsome arches are repeated throughout the space: topping the passthrough between the kitchen and gathering room, cresting the valance at the sink window, even on the paneling behind the bar. The cabinets' distressed finish—highlighting the natural joint cracks, worm holes and edgewear of the wood—is in keeping with the rustic character of the kitchen. Madura Gold granite counters bring additional warmth (and durability) to the picture.
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