Eighth Street Kitchen
In a cozy shotgun in the Garden District, practis worked with homeowners to revitalize their kitchen into a light, open space conducive to cooking and gathering, and with a strong connection to the open living room and garden beyond. The existing kitchen, while functional, was less efficient than the owners liked and lacked a center island–important for entertaining family and friends. An existing fireplace wasn’t integrated into the room but was an element we needed to accommodate to avoid costly removal. Through a series of meetings, practis worked closely with the owners to realize their vision. The result is a plan centered around a dramatic, elevent foot long island running the length of the narrow room, complete with sink and working area at one end and seating closer to the living room. Statement black and white Eclipse granite is bookmatched and waterfalls on both ends of the island, drawing the eye up and out. Base cabinets pick up the granite’s darker tones, offsetting them from the white wall cabinets ringing the island. Over the course of years of travel, the owners have collected a number of artefacts and objects they were keen to display. From the front of the house, a set of floating corner open shelves becomes a focal axis point as you approach the kitchen; similarly from the living room, open shelves face the rear of the house. In both locations, art and unique, textured objects become points of visual interest.
Along the home’s center wall, new custom cabinetry flanks and wraps the fireplace which itself is clad in panels to match the cabinet doors and accentuated with open shelves. These cabinets are narrow to preserve valuable circulation space past the island, and a thin countertop maintains the small layout area the owners enjoyed in the original kitchen. To accentuate the bespoke quality of the kitchen, all new wall cabinets stop just below the crown molding. This added massing at the top of the room further delineates the kitchen as a distinct space within the larger open living area and provides an opportunity for soft uplighting of the ceiling. Airy wood pendants over the island were selected by the owner and give the perfect finishing touch to this one-of-a-kind kitchen.
Location Eighth Street, New Orleans Completed 2023 Size 500 sf
