INDhome

Cook It Up

by Amanda Bedgood

A high-end kitchen built for everyday living

Cook It Up

A high-end kitchen built for everyday living.

By Amanda Bedgood ~ Photo by Robin May
Nov. 1, 2013

Yvonne Opie had one request when it came time to build her new house - a fantastic kitchen. Mission accomplished.

"That was my big thing. The kitchen. And it came out beautifully," Opie says sitting at the table where the family eats meals.

The kitchen itself isn't what she planned. Gerilyn Roth designed the space in a way that was unexpected, but absolutely welcome as Opie watched it come together. She loves the soft greens and the bold counter and the gray backsplash that are thanks to Roth's vision.

"It's all very soothing and subtle," Opie says.

So, while the visual is one of serenity, the space itself is the heart of the home and full of life.

"This is grand central station in the house," says Brooks Dufrene of Gerilyn Lytal Roth Interiors, who is credited with creating the display throughout the space from perfectly placed napkins and pumpkins to gilded artichokes.

"I wanted it open. My old kitchen was so enclosed. In here, everybody can come and go and sit around," Opie says, pointing to the comfy couch and sitting area with television that opens into the kitchen. It's all one large space perfect for cooking, eating, watching TV and lounging. Not that Opie does much of the latter with four kids in the house.

She does like to cook on most nights on that stove she had her eye on before building even began. And while a luxurious island of quartz and high-end details throughout give the space a rich feel, she says they are very laid back around the Opie house.

"I'm usually cooking rice and gravy. Nothing fancy," she says.

So, when it came time to style the space, it seems Dufrene took a cue from that everyday vibe as well. He notes the pieces used to create a Thanksgiving and fall feel don't have to cost a fortune to look great. He used small pumpkins on Opie's existing dinnerware with napkins that have a warm, rusty stripe.

"It's a $1 pumpkin and voila," he says. "Thanksgiving décor doesn't have to be expensive."

A boutique of warm flowers instantly lifts the mood, and Dufrene used an unexpected addition of gilded artichokes - something that can be used year-round.

?