When you spend your days photographing beautiful homes, businesses, and people, you can find inspiration all around you. Sarah Bell, esteemed River City Lifestyle photographer, hails from Corsica, France, and has worked all over the world. Along the way, Sarah has photographed a myriad of kitchens, and one of her favorites is this beautiful, contemporary Mississippi kitchen designed by Lana Zepponi Meyers. Describing it as exemplifying a “pure form of elegance,” Sarah examines Lana’s vision and process used to create this luxurious space.
Q: What is the inspiration behind this beautiful kitchen that seems to exude minimalism and luxury at the same time?
The best inspiration always comes from the clients. This project was designed for and along with a special family. Empty nesters with sophisticated taste built a smart home that was at once completely contemporary but softened with the use of reclaimed materials in the architecture, such as the beams and brick. The kitchen is both sleek and soft, old and new.
European design principles drove the plan with integrated, paneled appliances and linear breaks to carry the eye and create quiet continuity. The mahogany is grain-matched floor to ceiling. This kitchen is full of surprises, such as the hidden broom pantry, and technology is woven into the design. There are paneled appliances, a knock-to-open dishwasher and an induction cooktop that talks to the hood to control the ventilation level.
Q: Describe the thought process behind using an alluring mix of materials, including wood, marble and brick, in the same space.
The design of the entire home is full of elegant contrasts, found in the use of old and new materials, and the incorporation of technology, art and eclectic furnishings. My favorite mix of materials in the kitchen is reflected by the dynamic between the warm, massive, grain-matched mahogany elements and the light, reflective, high-gloss white base cabinetry.
Q: Describe how the floor plan and storage design helped meet the client’s overall daily living needs.
Highly customized kitchens are best created when the clients know how they like to live and cook. This is a kitchen built for two. He likes to prep, and she likes to cook and bake. They have separate stations so that they can work at the same time. This kitchen was a delight to design, with the client's special wishes in mind.