Dimensional Tile Kitchen

Dimensional tile shows best in modern kitchens flat surfaces, straight lines and integral appliances.

What a joy to find a white kitchen that’s packed with ideas, a surprise or two, and a design interesting enough to be inspirational. Once again, it’s the work of HammerSmith, an Atlanta based residential design and renovation company that also produced the award-winning Cappuccino Kitchen – an all-time favorite of mine. The two kitchens have a common denominator — the use of tile as a major component. I’ve made no secret about my love for tile in the kitchen.

In this Atlanta beauty [top], Andy Blick’s Discus tile, in matte white, is large-scale. Each tile is three-dimensional so it contributes texture, drama and tactility to the edgy feature wall and gives it a futuristic aura. Imagine how plain and less dramatic subway tile would look! The cantilevered stainless steel “bridge” extension of the island, with open space below, is like a modern kitchen sculpture that balances the island cabinets.

Essentially, this is a galley kitchen. At the dining room end, a tall cabinet houses the paneled bottom-mount refrigerator plus a bank of Miele ovens. Dark wood paneling runs behind it to create a clear visual distinction between the kitchen and dining room. There, a Miele espresso machine is set high in the wall. (I don’t agree with this location which leaves the user nowhere to put down the milk jug while coffee is pulled or visa versa. HammerSmith design director Eric Rothman green-lighted the same placement in the Cappuccino Kitchen.)

The kitchen also has a glass wall that slides away to open it onto a patio — you can see the track in the floor. This gives us a tiny glimpse of exterior space (more below) where cabinets continue to create a outdoor kitchen extension. A view across the shows the details to best advantage: how dark wood similar to the dining room paneling frames base cabinets, creating the illusion of legs. The wood repeats in the counter stools (which make more sense to me on the open end, where someone actually can sit, but that’s a styling quibble).

One surprise is the stunning integral stainless farm sink that sits on the end of the stainless bridge and is raised above the other side of the island. The faucet is Newform’s Forma in polished chrome with a twinned 26-inch high sprayer and swivel spout.

Another unexpected aspect of this kitchen is the textured surface of the cabinets and the way Calacatta marble counters are layered over the wood frame wrapper. This elegant stacking shows how familiar materials can work together to create a unique look.

Because each Blick dimensional tile measures 10” x 10”, it’s easy to calculate that the range wall is 9-feet long. The wall-mounted canopy hood is a neat 70-inches and perfectly lined up with the tile so it appears to float above the induction cooktop, which is barely there.

A view of this kitchen isn’t complete without a look at the grill set into cabinets that continue outside. It also reveals the solid marble slab that waterfalls over the end of the island — another refined finishing touch.

(Source: hammersmith)

If you like this kitchen you also might check out White Wrapper Kitchen and Walnut Zero Radius Kitchen

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