Falling for Design: Luxury Kitchens That Celebrate the Season
Design inspiration can come from a diverse array of vastly different sources: Art, environment, people and the lived experience being prime examples. When it comes to designing a kitchen or living space, John Michael Studio crafts luxury metal cabinetry that can serve as the centerpiece of a finished product, or a bespoke complement to a designer’s singular vision.
In terms of their design preferences, styles and language, the three kitchens highlighted in this collection couldn’t be more different. But what unifies them is their complete commitment to a specific design aesthetic, and how they harnessed the craftsmanship of John Michael Studio to fully tell their story.
A Monochromatic Masterpiece : Tacoma, WA
When presented with a near-limitless array of menu options, the top design-build firms in the world find collaborating with John Michael Studio provides a blank canvas which lets their creativity fully come to life. From a warm traditional aesthetic to bold, bespoke modern creations, the very best work from John Michael Studio runs a broad spectrum of styles, materials, form and function.
But every so often, a designer will take John Michael Studio into an unexpected creative direction, realizing a clear vision and complementing our cabinetry to fashion something truly breathtaking. This is how one of our most head-turning kitchens, designed in collaboration with Wren & Willow out of Tacoma, Washington came to fruition.
“I really appreciated how they designed the space in a different aesthetic compared to what we usually tend to see,” said Kaylee Neal, senior designer at John Michael Studio who worked on the project. “This space had a bold, sophisticated style that really accented my cabinet designs. It is one of my favorite kitchens that I’ve ever designed.”
Overlooking the majestic Commencement Bay, the abundance of natural lighting adds an iridescent glow to the high contrast black and white aesthetic. This is further punctuated by the use of our Black Alta trim and color selection, which is one of our most popular, and iconic, style combinations. Perhaps most striking of all is the high gloss black-and-white checkerboard floor, which also reflects the natural lighting back onto the space. All appliances, furnishings and custom hardware were provided by Wren & Willow.
“In many cases, we don’t know the design style that our clients are going for, so when we design the cabinets, we are relying on the client to help us meet their design goals without knowing their full vision,” Neal said. “If you would’ve asked me what design style they were going for originally, I never would’ve guessed. But it all works extremely well in the full design context.”
Rustic Rhythm of Juxtaposition : Kansas City KC
John Michael Studios kitchen designs naturally lend itself to an ultra-modern aesthetic, and this is often reflected by the spaces our kitchens inhabit. From posh rooftop bars to sprawling, open concept living areas, the cabinets crafted by John Michael Studio elevate modern spaces into breathtakingly bespoke vistas.
However, one Kansas City client in particular decided to boldly blend the old with the new into one of the most stunningly rustic kitchens that John Michael Studio has ever crafted.
“It’s always inspiring to see how people use our cabinetry to make so many different types of outcomes,” said John Michael Studio senior designer Amanda Lardie, who designed the kitchen. “This kitchen is truly unique because of how the heavy wood accents blend with the metal components.”
The textured wood pillars, framing and flooring evoke a log cabin-like feel that both contrasts and accentuates the metallic components. The cabinets themselves feature our signature Alta door style, with a clear coat application on the trim and a custom off-white color selected by the homeowner.
The kitchen is also a pristine example of seamless appliance integration. A Galley Dresser sink was incorporated into the main kitchen island, with Invisacook induction burners installed into the countertop on the same run. Directly across from the island, panel ready refrigeration units are also on display, and the uniformity of the kitchen is further illustrated by the custom color-matched refrigerators which appear in the butler’s pantry. Finally, the engineers at John Michael Studio developed our very first L-shaped sink cabinet to house a Galley Workstation.
“Seeing how seamlessly all the different components came together was extremely rewarding,” Lardie said. “It’s a beautiful juxtaposition of materials and appliances that most people wouldn’t think to pair.”
The Grand Maris : Pacific Palisades CA
Working directly with a homeowner can be an extremely rewarding experience, as direct communication with John Michael Studio’s design team can result in true collaboration. Oftentimes, homeowners aren’t sure of the design aesthetic they want for their space, and they will allow our designers to guide them by utilizing our robust material, trim and style selections.
However, in the case of one project located in Pacific Palisades, California, the homeowner knew exactly what they wanted to accomplish.
“Until I saw the photos of the finished space, I didn’t know the full extent of the client’s vision and how eclectic it was,” said Kaylee Neal, John Michael Studio senior designer who designed the project. “Because there aren’t other voices involved in the creative process, working directly with a client can sometimes be challenging. This client made it easy, and the final product is stunning.”
The kitchen’s defining characteristic is the blending of both Flat and Alta trim styles into a cohesive whole, a true rarity on the design front. On the Flat side of the cabinet run, the panel-ready dishwasher appears in Alta trim, while Flat upper cabinetry and a lone Flat oven cabinet punctuate the Alta run. The hardware used was designed in-house by John Michael Studio and is a standard offering, but the locations were entirely custom and specified by the client to appear in the center of our cabinet door fronts.
Finally, a Molteni 1923 range in Ultramarine Blue provides a contrasting burst of color to the warm, white notes of the kitchen run.
“I didn’t know the client was putting that the Molteni range in the middle of the room,” Neal said. “It’s really cool to see people that have a natural eye and passion to design something as unique as this kitchen.”
