Designer Susan Serra recently teamed up with television chef, cookbook author, and author of the blog Steamy Kitchen, Jaden Hair to renovate and design Jaden’s new and improved kitchen space in her Florida home. The goal for this design was to provide Jaden and her family with a wide open area for family activities while still maintaining enough space for prepping and cooking. With the help of Top Knobs Chareau collection Chalet pulls and an eye-catching wall mural, Susan was able to design a kitchen suitable for both a hard-working chef and a busy family of four.
Susan Serra, CKD
Top Knobs interviewed Susan to learn exactly how she was able to create such a multifunctional design.
Q: What was your biggest design challenge during this remodel?
The challenge for every kitchen is to find the perfect balance between function and aesthetics. My philosophy is that aesthetics and function should be equal partners starting out in the design process. Sometimes one or the other will emerge as the leader, sometimes not. In this case, due to a large walk-in pantry outside of the kitchen, storage was not the critical functional element to lead the design as it often does in most American kitchens. We found the sweet spot! As a result, the hard surfaces (cabinetry) are not visually overwhelming in the space, especially as it is an open plan concept, open to a dining space and family room.
Q: How did Top Knobs help you to create the perfect kitchen environment for someone who is a mom, wife, and chef?
The first thing that comes to my mind as I answer this question is STYLE. After all, it’s usually the first thing one notices when experiencing a kitchen. The Top Knobs hardware was chosen for its visually soft properties. I love the selection of extra long pulls paired with knobs. Although good looking in their own right, the long pulls make access to cabinetry quick and easy. They also add a more horizontal perspective to the cabinetry, which I like.
Q: What was your inspiration for the stunning wall mural?
The mural was a joint effort. I suggested a mural to feature this single wall and Jaden chose a motif that she feels very connected to – the bamboo forest, a homage to her heritage. I do love the effect in the room!
Q: What other materials and techniques were used to create this kitchen?
It was important to me to unite each wall of cabinetry with the same size top doors so the eye experiences this symmetry. This took quite a bit of coordination with stock KraftMaid cabinetry, believe it or not, but you don’t need custom sizes to be creative. Had the wall cabinet to the right of the oven been taller as it would be designed typically, it would disrupt the top line of cabinetry on both walls.
Stay tuned for chef Jaden Hair’s perspective on this stunning kitchen remodel in part two of this blog post.
