Date:  August 30, 2024  |   Story: Kathryn O'Shea-Evans  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Hope Johnstone  |  

Chris Goddard enlivens a linear kitchen with color and character

Erin and Jayme Smith’s existing Fayetteville kitchen was—to use a chef’s terminology—a bit bland. “It was just a very classic, white, simple kitchen—very understated,” recalls designer Chris Goddard of Goddard Design Group. “Zero color and zero detail.” But not for long. Chris notes the Smiths enlisted him to “elevate it and make it a little more sophisticated with a bit of edge.” To accomplish this, he used unique elements to define the space. “We wanted a juxtaposition of something a little more modern and edgy set in a very traditional environment, and also wanted it to have a bit of a European flair,” he adds.

The starting point? A British racing green lacquered island that creates an unexpected pairing with the exposed rustic beams overhead. “I thought that color would add a lot of interest to the room and give it some depth, and there’s nothing prettier than a lacquered cabinet,” the designer says. “I was really nervous about it, but it’s actually gorgeous,” Erin admits.

Between the ceiling beams, a metallic grasscloth wallpaper helps to disperse light. “There’s not a lot of natural light from the window, so I used reflective surfaces like the ceiling and the cabinets to reflect light back into the room,” Chris says. A mix of woods is also carried throughout the space. By design, the walnut wood stools that belly up to the island’s counter are different from the French oak woods seen elsewhere. “I love layers of wood and color and texture—it just feels much more organic,” he says. “It feels like it’s evolved.”

Go Green
“When you live in a totally white space, it’s hard to get people to start injecting color. But once they do, they start to really love living with it,” says Chris, pointing to the green island. “It’s a timeless color, and it’s never going to go out of style,” he adds. The quartz countertops are significantly thicker than normal—three inches—to provide a sense of age.

“All the handles are polished kudu horns in bronze,” the designer says, adding that he sourced them from Ochre. “I wanted to add something earthy and unexpected. Cabinet pulls tend to be so boring!” The cabinets above are inset with a metal mesh. “I love layering texture!” Chris says.

“This kitchen kind of evolved over time,” Chris says. “We started with hanging wood shelves and we added lacquer, then we added stainless, and then we did the big white quartz countertops. You always like it to look like it’s happened over time, which is key.”

Design Resources
Interior design Chris Goddard, Goddard Design Group Appliances Metro Appliances & More Cabinetry Kitchen Distributors Countertops New Century Countertops Fabrics and wallpaper Goddard Design Group Fixtures Ferguson Plumbing Supply Flooring The Wood Floor Gallery Inc. Paint Sherwin-Williams