Sometimes you are looking for some extra inspiration to get that specific look that you want for your projects and this is the intention of this weekly series.

See the featured designers with their latest projects and leave us your comments! We’d love to know your opinion.

"We knew from the beginning this kitchen was going to be a challenging design, and we would need extra help from Duke Renders so our clients could really visualize our ideas. In addition to an angled wall that couldn’t be moved, our clients were passionate about having dark hickory cabinets, and a rolling ladder. At Marin Design Co. we love a good challenge so we accepted the job with enthusiasm (and knowing we had our secret weapon, Duke’s, in our back pocket). In the end, our favorite parts of the design ended up being the rich, hickory cabinets. They are so different from everything else we usually design. We picked a medium tone flooring with dark knots that tie into the cabinets harmoniously.

This project is for the sweetest family who spends the majority of their time in the kitchen. They entertain often, and aim to share the love of cuisine and wine with others. Growing up in Canada and California, this couple is very connected to mother nature and wished to reflect that outdoor feeling to the indoors. They also wanted a functional, accessible, yet timeless feel that would last years to come. Keeping all this in mind, we constructed a large island that offers further storage below. This generous size allows six people to sit comfortably atop the quartz countertop. Sitting on the right end of the island, is a large custom butcher block. This space is large enough for the mom and her two daughters to all stand and prepare food together. Our client was thrilled with this thoughtful touch.

When we are designing a space, we always try to get to know our clients- what they like to do, how they spend their time, and their vision for the space. They are our inspiration for all selections. As mentioned before, this was our first time working with all dark cabinets, but our clients loved the idea and we are beyond thrilled with how it turned out. From there, we were able to incorporate some light/airy touches into the kitchen with the plaster range hood and light calacatta look alike (quartz) countertops. We chose quartz countertops for their durability and in a large family that loves to cook, durability is a must. We also wanted to think more in depth about the use of materials, and decided to incorporate a tile that had slight variation for the backsplash, to give off a handmade look. We tied the design together with beautiful ceramic pendants. These few extra materials added texture, and a refreshing organic feeling.

Trust the process! Remodels can be the most challenging to design because you have to work within constraints, but once complete they are the most rewarding. Symmetry is a huge part of our designs and we believe a huge part of the overall functionality of kitchens. Therefore, we agonized over how we could bring this unbalanced kitchen some symmetry . We finally found a way to line the range hood and apron sink up. We also created a large, spacious pantry on the left side of the kitchen so we could take."

- Marintha Wilson