Vicky Sanderson Do you love colourful rooms, but stick to safely neutral tones because you’re terrified of making a colour “mistake”? Then you need to meet designer and stylist Tiffany Pratt whose fearless approach will be an inspiration.
Interestingly, the pale, pretty shade she chose for a recent kitchen redesign — Behr Marquee’s Duchess Dawn — did not kick-start the project.
“It was the very last thing I chose,” says Pratt. “What we were going to do with the walls was up for grabs, right until the last moment.”
The starting point for the reno, which was done in collaboration with Home Depot, began with considering how the space would be used, an especially important exercise in a small-footprint kitchen.
“Small kitchens need to function. So the dishwasher and the oven door have to be able to open without interfering with one another,” explains Pratt, who suggests starting any kitchen design with a thorough walkthrough with those details in mind.
“I am touch, taste, feel, type of designer. At the start of a project, I am in there pretending I am opening doors and seeing how it all works,” she says.
Pratt knew she wanted to incorporate more storage and countertop space. To carve out extra inches, she decreased the size of the sink, and ran Shaker-style cabinets to the full height of the room.
Using marble-patterned Lusso Silestone for both countertop and backsplash created an uninterrupted visual flow.
Pratt settled on affordable all-white appliances by GE because the look is “very European, and I did not want a stainless steel show.”
Defining elements include a brushed gold faucet from Delta, and crystal door hardware, which add a modern twist on old favourites. A large piece of artwork and a black table lamp on a countertop beside the stove are unexpected décor additions.
The finished space, says Pratt, is a true reflection of her brand, which she describes as “high style on a budget.”
“I think people can have beauty in their lives without having to pay too much, and I don’t believe that the most expensive is to always the best,” she adds.
