Bespoke Modern Home in Fairfax, Virginia
Project Overview
After living in their home for 20 years, and sending their kids to college, our clients were ready to remodel their home. Their house is settled along a forested road, with plenty of greenery, but the interior was in pretty rough condition: the kitchen cabinets were sagging from the walls, the appliances were dated and failing, and the entire first floor was in need of a refresh. They asked us to make sure they had an open kitchen with plenty of space for entertaining, and to add more windows to encourage the greenery and natural light of their surroundings inside. Other requirements included a large, flexible dining space which could fit a family of 4 or a group of 20, and durable finishes to withstand the daily wear from their 3 dogs.
Design + Layout
In order to achieve the larger kitchen and dining room, we relocated the kitchen from one side of the house to the other, allowing it to span the full length of the home, and open seamlessly into the dining room. We added a butler’s pantry opposite the open dining room, for easy storage of extra table settings and linens, and worked in a built-in cabinet nook for a wine bar and additional storage space. We worked in an industrial hood hanging from the ceiling, over the range installed in the island. Opposite the range, a breakfast bar made space for informal dining. Two floating oak shelves over the sink added room for extra storage, as well as acting as a complementary highlight alongside the oak cabinets.
Style + Finishes
Our clients preferred a modern theme with natural finishes. We relied on natural wood throughout, from the kitchen cabinets to a clad structural pillar, to conjure warmth in the space. Other cabinetry in off-white kept the palette light, without tending towards the austerity or starkness of a sharper white. In the butler’s pantry, we opted for dark blue statement cabinets and panels. We finished the mudroom with natural soapstone, and used soft quartz for the kitchen countertops.