Date: August 18, 2016 | Story: Tiffany Adams | Photography: Rett Peek |
A homebuilder and his wife individualize their new kitchen with detailed accents more reflective of their style
Teresa and Reggie Clow are no strangers to creating custom homes. As the owner of Sharlow Builders and Developers, Reggie has built numerous houses throughout central Arkansas, including the couple’s current home in Alexander, which sits on four acres. However, for this kitchen, they were eager to include more intricate finishes and details that would set the design apart from their previous residence. “We really paid more attention to the common spaces in this house,” Teresa says. “We wanted a more ornate style than we had in the past.”
Working with a floor plan similar to the one they used previously, they incorporated a few new features with custom millwork and decorative tile as well as a unique glaze that is seen on the all of the cabinetry. “As you live in a home, you figure things out and realize there are details you might have done differently,” Teresa says of the changes they made to this design as compared to their former kitchen.
Four zones comprise the kitchen space, which Reggie refers to as “traditional with heavy Tuscan influence.” These zones include the main cooking area, a coffee bar, a central island, and a larger dining peninsula. The Clows are both avid cooks—with Teresa noting that Reggie is often her “sous chef in the kitchen”—and spend a good deal of their time at the six burner range along the back of the wall. This area also features a built-in pot filler for additional cooking convenience. The couple sketched the design for the hood based on similar ones they had seen and admired and then had it custom built for their own kitchen. The coffee/wet bar, located along one of the kitchen’s side walls, features design details such as a tumbled marble backsplash that is inset with medallions and a dark granite countertop that the Clows chose specifically to set it apart, and offers plenty of room for them to get their morning cup of java. “Even if you put the food in the bedroom, the kitchen is inevitably where guests gather,” Teresa laughs, “so this area has really given us a great place to serve when we entertain.”
Finally, an island combined with a bar-height peninsula offers room for casual dining as well as a food prep area. The exquisite corbels and intricate millwork featured throughout the kitchen are designed to make each piece of cabinetry look more like a standalone piece of furniture. These pieces are further defined with a glazed finish that is the work of Angelfish Studios, which Reggie frequently works with on his custom home projects to individualize them.
Design Resources
Kitchen Design Sharlow Builders and Developers, Little Rock, (501) 258-8000
Appliances Metro Appliances & More, Jonesboro, (870) 933-7800, North Little Rock, (501) 758-1988, Springdale, (479) 750-2200, metroappliancesandmore.com
Countertops Casa Blanca Granite, Little Rock, (501) 455-2520, casablancagranite.com
Painting—decorative Angelfish Studios, Little Rock, (501) 960-4826, theangelfishstudios.com
Millwork White River Specialty Moulding, Fayetteville, (800) 444-0406, whiteriver.com
