Family Rooms and Kitchen

Traditional versus contemporary Traditional always has been one of the Midwest's most popular decorating styles. While young adults are increasingly drawn to the comfort of this timeless look, their interpretation is not static. They are adding their own special imprint using unexpected color mixes, surprising patterns, unique accents and a mix of different era furniture pieces. They're breaking the mold— say, by mixing in a piece of contemporary art or a sisal rug— and we love it. It's a direction that feels just right for our youthful family of five.

FAMILY ROOMS
SCALE MATTERS The 10-foot ceilings throughout this home suggest the use of larger-scale furniture. Of course, it helps that these roomy pieces, like the sectional in the media room, also seat multiple family members. The family room wingbacks are large enough for two to curl up with a good book.
CREATE WINDOWS THAT COMPLEMENT Elegant decorative rods from Kirsch, hung at nearly ceiling height in the family room, support tall, striped-silk panels that draw the eye up to decorative moldings and an iron chandelier. Painted wood blinds, also from Kirsch, quickly darken the media room when needed.

Spacious versus cozy A large family needs a hard-working, expansive kitchen. It should offer room to spread out varied cooking chores, yet provide spaces where family members can visit or entertain friends. It needs space for multiple cooks. It should be full of storage and efficient, multifunctional appliances that work for quick snacks or large, enthusiastic family dinners. These objectives fueled the design and choices for our Longview Manor kitchen. In this home, the kitchen truly is the new "family" room.

KITCHEN
ENERGIZE A SPACE Tart and citrusy versions of the orange-and-gold color scheme in other rooms appear here in playful fabric patterns and accessories, brightening Cabot-stained oak floors. Rich-looking, two-toned maple cabinetry from Diamond stretches to the ceiling.
EQUIP WISELY A 20-cubic-foot French-door refrigerator with a bottom freezer provides easy access for everyone and takes up less door-swing space. That makes it less of an intrusion into the busy traffic pattern around the large center island. A powerful but quiet dishwasher cleans up, while a counter-height, built-in microwave lets kids fix their own after-school snacks. And a warming drawer will keep meals hot while dallying kids are gathering for dinners.
THINK FLEXIBILITY Differing schedules and busy social lives can turn a large family's kitchen into something like a freeway interchange. Our large island is perfect for a variety of cooking tasks and meals. With one leaf down, a drop-leaf table with love seat from Broyhill doesn't take up a lot of room and can accommodate sit-down lunches for kids. Put the other end up, and it can easily seat the entire family.
FINISH WITH STYLE Orange, gold, bronze and black accents in this kitchen enhance its traditional European design. The accents appear in dishes, small appliances, cabinet hardware and lighting fixtures made of wrought iron, painted bar stools, a wrought-iron-finish Moen faucet, and tough, yet beautiful, DuPont Zodiaq countertops. Cabinet hardware and lighting fixtures made of wrought iron, painted bar stools, a oil-rubbed bronze Moen faucet, and tough, yet beautiful, Dupont Zodiac countertops.

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