Photograph by Patrick Heagney
As a veteran of home shows such as HGTV’s Elbow Room and Wise Buys, interior designer Kristen Fountain Davis excels at creating spaces that pop. For this kitchen in a new-build community in Reynoldstown, she layered the sultry black cabinets with a custom hood, a white quartz–topped island, and large-scale brass lanterns, plus some striking upper shelves. “The show-stopper pieces in this kitchen are definitely the custom brass and walnut shelves,” Kristen says. “They were handmade and welded by my metal artist friend Mark of Americo Glass with a lot of measuring and planning. We were all so proud of how they turned out.” But there were savings, too, like the Ikea cabinets.
Photograph by Patrick Heagney
Black beauty
The designer mixed Ikea bases with doors fashioned by local woodworking company Woodology for cabinetry that’s part stock, part custom—a money-saving trick that opened up the budget for other splurges. The homeowners originally thought about navy cabinetry, but Kristen liked the flexibility of black to coordinate with adjacent rooms. “I love Benjamin Moore “Tricorn Black” for a true, deep black,” Kristen says. “I think black can be great in any sheen, but with cabinetry, you want to be able to clean it, so we did a satin finish.” Benjamin Moore “Tricorn Black,” benjaminmoore.com
Brass tacks
The sculptural hanging shelves break up the dark tones and add metallic bling to the kitchen, also seen in the contemporary cabinet hardware. “Brass hardware is always the prettiest choice with black, in my opinion,” Kristen says. “But you could certainly do nickel if that’s more your speed.” Atlas Homewares drawer pulls, $22, build.com
Photograph by Patrick Heagney
Getting warmer
A vintage runner ties in all the colors, becoming a form of art for the room. “I feel like that rug brings soul to the otherwise new and modern space,” Kristen says. Etsy, she says, is a hidden gem for sourcing one-of-a-kind rugs. Persian rug, $365, etsy.com
Photograph courtesy of overstock.com
Seeing red
Choosing blood-orange metal barstools was a perfect pop of color in the black and white space, bumping up the fun factor, the designer explains. Plus, they’re lightweight and inexpensive. Tabouret stools, $75 for two, overstock.com
Photograph by Patrick Heagney
Play the angles
“My client had seen these lanterns in an inspiration picture and couldn’t get them out of his head,” Kristen recalls. “I finally found the exact fixtures for him, and the scale was perfect. We thought it was cool to hang them at an angle.” Round bulbs bring modern flair to a classic shape. Regina Andrew five-bulb Camden lanterns, $499 each, onekingslane.com
Photograph courtesy of Ikea
Set the bar
The room’s layout allowed space for a wine cabinet, a dedicated bar area with a built-in wine refrigerator, and counterspace for drink setups. “I like that the bar is on the end and functions as its own area, but it doesn’t stand out or have to be a separate piece of furniture in the house,” Kristen says. Intagande glasses, $2 each, ikea.com
This article appears in our Spring 2018 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.
