The Real Living Room: Part II

Kitchen by fellow Alabamians Richard Norris and Mark Leslie

Again, the holidays have swallowed up a good deal of my time, but isn't that time well spent? I really do love the holiday season: the music, the decorations, the presents under the tree (mine are wrapped in a multitude of festive papers). To me, it is so much about time with family and celebrating what you have in your life and, in that way, I have a lot to celebrate.

But, enough about the holidays, let's get back to the pretty! The photos above and below are from a Montgomery, Alabama home featured in House Beautiful. Norris and Leslie did all the architectural and design work on the place, but did have a little help from Norris' employers, McAlpine Tankersley Architecture.

What a wonderful room! Norris and Leslie said that the kitchen was originally a dining room and so, in honor of its origins, they dedicated each piece in the new kitchen to a piece of furniture found in a traditional dining room (i.e., the sink is like a buffet, the island is like a dining table, etc). Quite creative! I love all the Gothic touches found throughout the home. (Check out those bat prints!)

I love, love, love Tom Scheerer. His interiors are so bright and interesting; eclectic at its best. He has used the same tile (shown above and below) in several of his projects and I just love the color and texture it brings to the spaces.



Kitchen by Kathryn Ireland

To me, Kathryn Ireland is the queen of colorful interiors, and this kitchen is no exception. It is part of a 1920s Spanish-style home that was my dream home for a while (when I thought a move to sunny Arizona was in the cards). I love the color of the cabinets in this room. I think, if this were my home, I would only do the green on the bottom cabinets and white on the top, but it is lovely either way. Note how the window opens out to the patio by the pool as well. What a fabulous touch!


Kitchen in home of John Dransfield and Geoffrey Ross

Our last kitchen of the day is from a home I think I have posted excerpts from time and time again. And with good reason! It is gorgeous! The talented duo used a deep paint shade (Chelsea Gray by Ben Moore) and antique rugs and furnishings to create this supremely elegant kitchen.


One thing I find truly amazing about this kitchen is that Dransfield and Ross didn't gut the whole thing and start from scratch: the floors and countertop are laminate and the cabinets are original. I love that they created such sophisticated style without feeling the need to tear everything down first.

I hope these interiors give you some inspiration for you and your own kitchen-design challenges!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!