Balance is everything in design. It’s not hard to pick out quality pieces from respected manufacturers, and anyone can hire a contractor to install those custom kitchen finishes. The true skill of a designer comes through when the elements used balance each other perfectly and the finished product looks like it was always meant to be exactly as it is.
Recently, designer Bianca Fathauer with Splendid Home Design had the opportunity to take on an exciting kitchen project in beautiful Jensen Beach, Florida. As we’ll see from the images below, the result was a stunning space, highlighted by the Artisan AT3 Range Hood from CopperSmith.
A Design to Match the Place
To understand this kitchen, it’s first important to understand where it lives. Jensen Beach is considered one of the best places to live in all of Florida, with an outdoor lifestyle focused on the stunning Atlantic coastline. The community offers a quiet, peaceful lifestyle, yet is only a short distance north of Palm Beach and Miami.
This context is important when crafting a kitchen design. Something dark and closed-in simply wouldn’t make sense in a home that is perched close to the beach and under the endless Florida sun. An open, airy, bright design is a must here. That’s exactly what was accomplished in this project, as everything about this modern coastal kitchen looks and feels right at home in Jensen Beach.
The Concept of Transitional Design
The idea of transitional kitchen design is simple enough on paper. It’s a concept that aims to bring styles together into a single finished product. In this case, that means blending eras together to create something that joins modern and traditional effectively. Most would agree that this kitchen leans further toward the modern side of the ledger, but there are enough traditional components to keep things balanced and appealing.
It's the clean lines of the space that set the stage for a modern design. Long, straight lines are everywhere, from the huge island counter to the cabinet profiles and posts that carry up to the ceiling. To go further in the modern direction, the space is clean and minimal, including the décor choices.
Wood grain components play the role of a traditional component that counters the rest of the modern elements. The legs of the chairs used at the counter feature natural wood tones, as do the posts. The hanging light fixtures use glass in a traditional, almost retro manner, further helping to bring things into balance.
When it’s all added up, the sum of the parts is a kitchen that won’t be going out of style anytime soon. It’s a space that looks perfect now and will still appeal to everyone well into the future.
Meet the Artisan AT3
We’d made it this far into the description of this Jensen Beach kitchen and haven’t yet highlighted one of the key components. The Artisan AT3 range hood from CopperSmith that Bianca used to anchor the design and draw attention toward the center of the kitchen is an absolutely perfect fit.
First, this custom stainless steel range hood continues on with the transitional design concept we discussed above. The Brushed Stainless Steel finish is firmly in the modern category, yet the addition of Polished Stainless Steel straps and Brushed
Stainless rivets pulls things back in a slightly more traditional direction.
The sheer size of this hood is also part of why it works so well in the kitchen. It’s a big piece at 36’’ wide and 39’’ tall, and those dimensions are ideal given the tall ceilings in this part of the house. The backsplash behind the stove goes all the way up to that ceiling, so having a tall hood draws the eye up and highlights the whole layout nicely.
It’s also important for the hood used in this kitchen design to function properly. While the kitchen might look like a showpiece, it’s intended to stand up to the rigors of daily use. Our AT3 can accommodate a powerful fan to keep the air fresh even when the stove is running at full capacity.
A Great Space for High-End Appliances
The range hood is just one of many appliances needed to complete a kitchen. By choosing Brushed Stainless Steel for the AT3, Bianca was able to set the stage for adding a number of other quality appliances with similar finishes.
That starts with the stove that rests below the hood. The stove and hood make a great pair, and they appear to have been destined to share this space. Around the corner, there is a beautiful wine fridge that continues with the stainless steel theme. Even the drawer pulls and cabinet door knobs utilize a stainless finish to tie it all together.
Completing the Lighting Puzzle
Lighting is critical in a kitchen. Good lighting makes a kitchen functional and enjoyable to use, and it also can bring out parts of the design that might have been lost otherwise.
We already mentioned the glass lights that hang down over the island, and those are certainly the most present lighting component in the room. However, those lights aren’t enough on their own, especially when someone is standing at the stove and casting a shadow over the cooking surface.
This is where the lighting that is built into the design of the AT3 hood plays a vital role. Switching those lights on while preparing a meal will light up the stove clearly and eliminate any problems with shadows. Combining various sources of artificial light with the abundant natural light that floods in during the typical Florida day means this kitchen will never be dark.
Balanced To Perfection
It would be hard for even the most critical eye to find anything out of balance in the kitchen design. The space is welcoming yet polished, and it manages to feel modern and rather traditional at the same time.
At CopperSmith, we certainly can’t take all the credit for how well this kitchen turned out. That credit goes to designer Bianca Fathauer and her team. We are proud to have played a role in the project, however, and the Artisan AT3 Range Hood we delivered will surely serve the owners well for many years to come.
The custom nature of everything we sell at CopperSmith makes it easy for designers like Bianca to bring their visions to life. No matter what look is desired in a luxury space, one of the many available CopperSmith pieces is sure to be an ideal fit.