Date:  September 30, 2022  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Lauren Cerrato  |  

Streamlined style and features that invite a crowd combine in this kitchen renovation

Since purchasing their lakeside Hot Springs home in 2006, April and Coby Hunt have worked their way through several renovations—but the kitchen always seemed to fall to the bottom of the list. “We knew it was going to be a major project,” Coby says.

While looking at a past issue of At Home in Arkansas, April became inspired by a kitchen Alissa Oates Hastings of Restructure Design had created in Hot Springs Village. She decided to reach out to see if the designer could work the same magic in their home. Upon arriving, Alissa found a dated L-shaped kitchen with countertops and cabinetry that didn’t match and little to no molding or detail. “We wanted a more modern style with clean, sleek lines and no clutter, but we were stumped on how to achieve that,” April says.

Alissa had the couple create a wish list for the space, which included a large island for gathering, double ovens for baking, as well as the aforementioned style upgrade along with a dedicated beverage bar and easy-to-clean, unified flooring throughout the space. From there, the designer reworked the layout to incorporate these must-haves and infused style through a palette of gray, black, and white design elements.

“Construction for this project was taking place at the first peak of the pandemic, so we quickly started learning about availability issues and how we could move in a direction to address this,” Alissa says of her company, which offers both design and general contracting services. “Alissa not only worked within our budget, she listened to our ideas and then would come back with a design that really took our space to the next level,” Coby says.

A newly created beverage bar has built-in wine storage as well as a cabinet for the couple’s coffee maker. The backsplash seen in the kitchen is repeated here to unify the areas.

“We wanted a more modern style with clean, sleek lines and no clutter, but we were stumped on how to achieve that.” —April Hunt, homeowner

Counter Effect
The island is topped with Cambria’s engineered quartz in Brittanicca, a design that brings movement and depth to the central hub.

Lighten Up
To keep the space over the island open and airy, Alissa chose a five-light linear fixture with see-through glass shades.

Square Pair
Opting for clean drawer fronts with no trim allowed Alissa to experiment with the hardware. She used a pair of pulls and placed them in opposite directions to create a square handle.

Gray Area
Initially wanting classic white subway tile on the backsplash, the Hunts were convinced to bring in more contrast with a gray version that has added geometric interest.

Design Resources
Contractor and kitchen design Alissa Oates Hastings, Restructure Design Appliances Metro Appliances & More Cabinetry, hardware, lighting, millwork, tile (backsplash), and window coverings Restructure Design Countertops Stone World Designs Fixtures Southern Bath & Kitchen Flooring Southern Floor Co. Paint Sherwin-Williams Painting Chad’s Painting Tile (installation) Knight’s Tile