June is peony season and I’ve been seeing these beautiful blooms all over my Instagram feed lately. The images inspired me to create a vision board for a simple, elegant kitchen filled with classic and modern accents. Imagine a space bathed in shades of ivory, pink, and green. Ready for an afternoon of baking, or just recipe browsing while sipping drinks from delicate Moroccan glasses. With the sun coming back I definitely have summer flavours and relaxing on my mind now!
The Foundation
The foundation of this kitchen is traditional with white painted cabinets, marble counters, and brass cabinet pulls. With the addition of the right accessories and details, the space also feels graceful and modern. For instance, the backsplash tile is a twist on a traditional subway pattern, but looks more contemporary with the elongated hexagon shape and light green colour. Similarly, the brass cabinet knobs are a matte finish, rather than polished, and the proportions give them a modern feel. The brick floor is again a traditional material, but it’s used on the floor in a herringbone pattern. It looks a bit unconventional and adds a lot of texture to the space.
1. Peonies // 2. White cabinet door // 3. Leather basket // 4. Green backsplash // 5. Brass knob // 6. Tea towels // 7. Marble // 8. Brick floor kitchen // 9. Picasso drawing
You might be wondering about the pencil drawing in the top right corner of the above image. It’s a portrait by Picasso of his first wide Olga Khokhlova. She was a beautiful Ukrainian ballet dancer and her birthday was in June, which is why I thought she was a perfect muse for this kitchen along with the elegant peony.
Modern Accessories
Modern accessories add another layer of interest to this kitchen. The round shape of the large Muuto pendant feels perfectly chic for the space. I chose a pink shade, but green, grey, or white would look equally appropriate. Delicate items such as the Moroccan glasses and gorgeous Iittalia plate are coupled with the pottery sugar and milk set, which is much more casual, for a collected-over-time look. The shape and colour of the clay vessels gives them a delicate and feminine look despite the more robust material. Both the tea pot and end-grain walnut butcher block have an eye-catching pattern that adds visual appeal to these functional items.
1. Teapot // 2. Muuto pendant light // 3. Sugar and milk set // 4. Moroccan glasses // 5. End-grain board // 6. Iittalia dessert plate
Colour and Pattern
To balance all the pink in the space, I include a few more green details like the KitchenAid mixer in Pistachio. The green chairs are from designer Leslie Sherwring’s studio in Victoria, BC. They look like a collection of vintage finds painted in a range of green tints (a tint is created by adding white to a hue – green in this case – on the colour wheel). This treatment brings the different chair styles together visually as a family. Lastly, concrete tile could be a fun alternative to the brick floor shown in the first image. The pink and green flowery combo is cheerful, but a bit daring. If you are looking for something a bit more subtle try the Terrazzo tile in grey . It’s a good alternative with a subtle texture and flowery pattern.
7. KitchenAid mixer // 8. Green painted chairs // 9. Pink mudroom door // 10. Pink and green concrete floor // 11. Grey Terrazzo tile
Are you renovating your kitchen this summer? Maybe just switching out accessories for a lighter palette, or creating an outdoor cooking space for those hot summer days. Flowers can be a wonderful inspiration and jumping off point for adding a new look to your space. Pick your favourite summer bloom and give it a try in your own home.
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