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The kitchen was dark and dated before the refresh, says decorator Tiara R. Holloway. Working within the original footprint of the kitchen, she replaced the existing brown wood cabinets (with soffits) with crisp, white, ceiling-high uppers grounded by black bases to give the space more personality and a lighter, more modern look.
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The existing island was painted black and repurposed to house the microwave. The black-and-white Calacatta marble waterfall countertop ties the elements of the room together.
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Akida Mayfield (left) discovered and followed Holloway on Instagram before hiring her to redesign the kitchen.
When Tiara R. Holloway, of Vivacious Interior by Tiara, met with Akida and Tony Mayfield, they had been living in their Chester home for several years and felt it was time for a refresh of the kitchen. They wanted the remodeled space to have a chic, more modern vibe and a simple color palette of black and white accented by pops of gold.
Holloway focused on doing away with the old kitchen design and envisioned both a modern and farmhouse chic styling that would incorporate the color scheme as well as the cabinetry necessary to easily organize the kitchen. Above the island, she added a pair of pendant lanterns in black iron and brass from French Market Lanterns. These, along with black hardware on the upper cabinets and gold hardware on the lower cabinets, add to the other accents around the kitchen to fulfill the request of the clients.
The custom cabinets by Waypoint Cabinetry were painted with Sherwin Williams paints — pure white on the upper cabinets and black on the lower cabinets and island base. The island, topped with a striking double-waterfall countertop crafted from black-and-white Calacatta marble, blends with the perimeter cabinetry to create a seamless contemporary kitchen design.
For the backsplash, Holloway says it was difficult to decide between a black backsplash with white grout and a white backsplash with black grout. In the end, the latter option, a white picket ceramic tile by Adessi, prevailed. The project experienced a delay of a few weeks when a top custom-made cabinet did not line up with its bottom counterpart.
In addition to the color scheme, the clients also requested that wine racks, a wine fridge and a farmhouse sink be incorporated into the design along with other accessories that add personality and heart to the kitchen. When the project was completed, the Mayfields say, they were excited to see that their requests were met and that they had been well taken care of.
The house is still undergoing some renovations, but for now the kitchen is chic and ready to go.
