Kitchens
Tie Your Spaces TogetherOpen floor plans are fantastic for fostering connections and hosting parties. While many homeowners could wax lyrical on this terrific design idea, open-concept spaces can feel cavernous if you’re not careful. Create a more intimate atmosphere using a textural accent wall that spans the length of the room. Visually linking living, dining and kitchen areas creates cozy cohesion in a large open space.Distressed-brick veneer does the trick in the space seen here. Paired with rich woods, warm hues and layered textiles, it unifies the room and adds character from another era. The irregularly shaped bricks could look as at home in an 18th-century kitchen as they do here, adding rough authenticity to the otherwise transitional space. Hardier than paint or wallpaper, they’ll also stand up to enthusiastic cooking. If you’re nervous about errant marinara sauce (or other staining agents), ask your contractor to seal the veneer.
Kick-Start Your Breakfast NookSitting down to a delicious breakfast and a hot cup of coffee is one of life’s simple pleasures. It’s a time to blink away the sleepiness and revel in a fresh day, or hastily eat a bagel and dash. Whatever your morning routine, where you sit for your sustenance is important. It should be energizing and inspiring, and as pretty as any formal dining room. A brick-veneer accent wall can give your breakfast nook a beautiful boost. The brick-veneer wall seen here helps create an inviting place to eat breakfast — just add waffles to enhance the effect. Classically shaped, with a slight texture and chiseled edges, this tactile material adds weathered charm to an otherwise polished kitchen. It complements the similarly shaped floorboards, windows and drawers and suits the room’s gray-and-white palette. Extending the brick behind the cabinetry and shelving provides pleasing continuity.
Black and white
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