Date:  December 2, 2024  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Tiffany Adams  |  

A Bentonville family enlists designer Riley Lindley to transform their kitchen’s style and functionality

After more than a decade in their home, Nikki and Mike Keller were ready to update one of their most-used and most-loved rooms: the kitchen. “She called and said, We are doing a project, and I have no idea where to start. Can you help?” recalls interior designer Riley Lindley, who was recommended by the Kellers’ contractor, Home Concerns. After hitting it off, Riley—who is part of a team of four at ESI Design, the firm her mother, Edith Snell, started decades prior—talked with the family about their needs and wishes
and sketched out a plan.

“We wanted a lot of what we didn’t have,” Mike says. Notably, a spacious island with seating that faced the cookspace and the dining area, more storage, and a pared down, transitional style. Previously, the workspace and dining areas were focused in one corner, inhibiting the flow of the room and, perhaps, not making the best use of the square footage. Riley solved this with an updated floor plan featuring straight cabinetry lines that create a clear path through the room. “It’s more functional because we were all packed in one area. Now we can line up on the island and it is easier to go in and out,” Nikki says. In the design process, Riley also extended the cabinetry to the ceiling and selected finishes that create what she calls a “European modern” style. “Nikki likes warmth but wanted it to feel a little more contemporary and a little less cottagey,” Riley says.

Other must-haves, including a larger refrigerator and range, were placed within the new plan, while new white oak flooring replaced a mix of red hardwoods and tile. Design tweaks, including the removal of heavy crown molding and updated millwork around the window frames also made a significant impact. “My job is to help others figure out what their style is; to cultivate that and make it a better version of what they need and want,” Riley says.

“People congregate in the kitchen—no matter how big it is—so making it functional is so important.”
—Riley Lindley, designer

Compact Discs
Two slim, disc-shaped pendants from the Thomas O’Brien for Visual Comfort collection illuminate the island. The clear contrast of black and gold speaks to the kitchen’s mix of European and modern flair. The paint color used in this space is “Swiss Coffee” by Benjamin Moore.

Angling Style
Riley selected an angled-neck Brizo faucet in matte black. “We chose a little more masculine lever because we thought that was fun,” she adds. It pairs with a large, single-basin sink that is ideal for washing large pots and pans.

Aged to perfection
After poring over multiple options for pulls, Nikki found an aged-brass style from deVOL Kitchens that everyone agreed was a perfect complement to the aesthetic. The hardware will continue to develop a natural patina over time.

Seamless Transition
Cambria’s “Everleigh” quartz extends from the countertops up onto the backsplash. “This has become a recent trend, but it’s honestly brilliant because you don’t have grout lines. If you splatter spaghetti sauce, you can wipe the entire surface clean,” Riley says.

Design Resources
Contractor Cory Wagahoff, Home Concerns Interior Designer Riley Lindley, ESI Design Accessories, art, fabrics, fixtures, furniture, lighting, and window coverings ESI Design Appliances Metro Appliances & More Cabinetry (Installation) Ivy Cabinets Countertops Emcar Marble & Granite Flooring ProSource of Northwest Arkansas Paint Benjamin Moore