An English-French Manor-Style Remodel by Fiorito Interior Design

It is sometimes a surprise what beauty can lurk under the surface of a room. A client with a 1970s kitchen and eat-in area cut up by an unwieldy peninsula was desperate for it to reflect her love of all things English-and-French-Manor-Home.

Working closely with my client, we removed the peninsula in favor of a lovely free-standing island that we painted a shade of French Blue. This is topped with Old World sink hardware (note the ceramic HOT and COLD medallions on the faucets!) and a gorgeous marble counter with a very special edge profile that evokes an antique French Boulangerie counter from the 1910s. Pendants with patinaed metal shades over the island further the charming Old World feel. Handmade white and blue tiles laid in a quilted diamond pattern cover the backsplash, and the remainder of the cabinetry at the perimeter is in a warm cream tone.

The eat-in area near the fireplace got a cozy treatment with custom seat cushions and window seat bench cushions in a classic blue-and-white Toile de Jouy matching the island stools.

The nearby living room got a similar treatment. We removed dark wood paneling and dark carpeting in favor of a light sky blue wall and lighter wood flooring. A new rug with the appearance of an heirloom, a new grand-scaled sofa, and some of my client’s precious antiques helped take the room from 70s rec room to English Sitting Room.

All photos by Bernardo Grijalva.

Happy designing!

A Stunning Kitchen Transformation by Fiorito Interior Design

When my clients, a young professional husband and wife, bought their home, they knew it needed a lot of work. But the first night the wife spent there, she cried. She was pregnant with twins and I knew we needed to get them a fantastic, new kitchen as soon as possible. The original space was a cramped galley right off the front door—a wall visually cut off the view from the entrance to the rest of the house and felt unwelcoming. The kitchen barely had any counter space—or any space for that matter—and was in desperate need of a remodel. So we removed the oppressive wall and opened up the kitchen to the family room and the cozy adjacent fireplace. Then we expanded the new kitchen into the tiny eat-in nook that the former owners used as a dining room.

The result is a spacious kitchen full of light and life. Fresh white plays with wood tones for a pleasant, organic feeling. The new kitchen features a large island with a prep sink topped by LED pendants by Tech Lighting which sport a fabric shade and coordinating wood trim. The darker wood of this island grounds the lighter colored space and is topped with White Spring granite that brings in white, grey, and the warm burgundy of the wood while the perimeter counter top is a dark-toned Caesarstone to contrast with the granite. And Just in time for two adorable and hungry bundles!

We also overhauled the adjacent fireplace...some of you may recall the sneak peek of this entire space I posted here a few months ago. The previously dirty brick fireplace was redone with a new cladding of stacked stone by Sydney Peak Stone. A custom mantel and built-in entertainment center make good use of dead space next to it, continuing the fresh white color scheme into the family room.

The fireplace looks so much more sophisticated yet retains a casual, organic warmth just like the kitchen. We also installed recessed ceiling fixtures to wash light down the front of the fireplace breast, to highlight the beautiful rough texture and bring out the lovely, almost sparkly gold tones.

All after photos by Bernardo Grijalva

Dreaming of a new kitchen? Give me a call.
Happy designing!