“Every space needs a bit of bling—that one special element that takes everyone by surprise and brings ‘wow!’ into the conversation,” says Louise Budde, CMKBD, design consultant, Dave Fox Design/Build/Remodelers.
Budde’s kitchen design for a 1904 Victorian Village charmer features plenty of “wow,” in spicy red-orange glass tiles that showcase a handsome stainless Viking dual-fuel range.
Six distinct colors—flame, dazzle red, orange sizzle, honey, champagne and latte—are creatively blended through the carefully choreographed placement of each tile, culminating in contemporary counterpoint for a truly unique home.
“These are party hues and festive food colors that motivate people to have fun and eat—which really is what you want happening when entertaining,” Budde says. Because the home was unoccupied, Budde did not have the advantage of working with an actual family who, in expressing their likes and dislikes, could influence her work.
“With Victorian Village so close to downtown Columbus, I imagined its eventual owners as a family that enjoys the urban lifestyle,” explains Budde. “It just made sense to me that they would want to gather indoors and would want a high-end kitchen as the centerpiece for their entertaining.”
In addition to the salsa-like sizzle in the kitchen, a raised eating bar over the granite-topped peninsula not only adds interest, but also provides a welcome perch for guests—and family members—to be part of the cooking action without getting in the way.
Budde added to the warm welcome the kitchen provides by selecting hand-blown Venetian glass Juli pendant lights that hang over the peninsula from a niche in the ceiling. Echoing the spicy tile colors, the beautiful globes cast an intriguing light.
The phrase “what’s old is new again,” certainly applies to the transformation this house went through. “I think whoever makes their home in this 106-year-old house would be hard-pressed to find comparable charm—and spice—in a new build,” notes Bryce Jacob, vice president at Dave Fox.