Made to Measure

Penny Stanley’s home near Searcy has been a fixture on her family farm since it was built in the late 1930s. However, its original kitchen, which was last renovated more than 20 years ago, lacked adequate countertop space, and it was too cramped to accommodate guests while Penny prepared meals. Ready for an update, Penny enlisted the help of interior designer Beth Davis to give it the style, functionality and comfort of a modern-day kitchen. “Many people entertain more casually than they used to,” Davis says. “They want an interaction between the kitchen and dining areas.”

Davis began by knocking out the wall separating the kitchen from the dining room. She then replaced a small alcove at the far end of the kitchen with a spacious eat-in bar, and extended the length of the countertops. These changes allow friends and family the freedom to mingle or eat at the bar, giving Penny additional place for prepping and serving meals as well.

Adding functionality was Davis’ next modus operandi, and the designer proceeded to establish an efficient work triangle, placing the three most common work sites an efficient distance apart. She achieved this by removing the island to provide easier access to the refrigerator and sink from the stove, making up for lost prep space with longer counters flanking both the sink and stovetop. Davis adds, “I prefer at least four feet between the island and cabinets, so there just wasn’t enough room for it.”

Davis outfitted the reconfigured space with cabinetry and surfacing that suit not just Penny’s preferences but her personality as well. “Alder cabinets with a smooth dark finish and linear hardware with a nickel finish speak to her elegance,” Davis says, noting Penny’s refined sense of style, “and the slate floors, which she chose, reflect her down-to-earth nature.” In contrast to the smooth cabinets, dark patterned Cambria quartz countertops give the appearance of texture, while a glass tile backsplash lends a touch of shine.

“It helps to get to know my clients early on so I know whether I need to reformulate a plan,” says Davis, who appears to have hit the mark with a sleek new kitchen for her Augusta friend. “Penny’s really enjoying it,” Davis adds.

THE DETAILS

1. SLEEK STYLE

Along with Cambria quartz countertops, an undermount sink was installed to maintain the kitchen’s seamless look.

2. NATURAL NUANCE

Davis used 16-by-16-inch squares of slate tile to ground the clean-lined space with a natural material.

3. PATTERN POWER

Behind the Wolf range, a mosaic glass tile backsplash is inset with larger squares of ceramic tile for contrast.

4. TEXTURAL TOUCH

Davis’ plan for more lighting included a trio of textural pendant lights from Uttermost that illuminate the peninsula seating area.

Design Resources

Interior design Beth Davis Interiors, Searcy

Renovation Jody Moore, Interior Creations, Searcy

Appliances Metro Appliances & More, locations statewide

Art Don Marr, Conway

Backsplash, countertops, fixtures Third Generation Industries, Searcy

Faucet, sink TGI Quartz & Granite, Searcy

Flooring White River Flooring, Searcy