The Great Room

The last few years, home renovations have seen a dramatic shift in favor of the open floor plan. Often referred to as “Great Rooms” the typical layout involves combining the living, dining and kitchen areas so that key resources such as lighting, space and views may be shared. While it goes with out saying that these layouts present some wonderful design options, homeowners shouldn’t overlook some of the challenges they create. Doug Walsh, Certified Kitchen Designer and owner of Douglas Kitchens has been down this road many times and shares his secrets on what goes into putting “great” into the room.

“The biggest challenge is creating a sense of continuity with in the overall design while giving definition to certain areas,” says Walsh. The pallet chosen here is a combination of painted surfaces in shades of white contrasted by rustic woods. This combination plays off the homeowners existing furniture pieces and tastefully pulls the room together. In the kitchen a similar look was created utilizing white cabinetry with recessed panel doors and countertops with muted wood tones. A display area was incorporated into the upper cabinetry to carry on the theme from the dining area. The peninsula separates the kitchen area from the dining area while the island isolates the cooking and preparation space.

The general style of this room is English Country. Most of the appliances are integrated to downplay their presence allowing for furniture and decoration to take center stage. Flanking the left side of the doorway, built in custom cabinetry puts an otherwise empty corner to good use. White subway tiles on the backsplash give just enough texture with out drawing too much attention. The farmhouse sink, brushed nickel faucet and pilasters on the island are precisely the decorative touches that truly exemplify this style.

Finally, in the den, just off the great room, the pallet was reversed and wood represents the overall design schematic. The walls are lined with floor to ceiling custom cherry wainscot panels, moldings and casings. The wall unit was built around a 52 inch plasma and includes glass cabinets, shelving and a custom integrated desk. The unit also features a hinged frame which allows for easy access and concealment of wires and cables. Here again, the furniture is the rooms highlight and electronics are built in to down play their presence.