A Real Living Area
The kitchen is at the heart of the home. Together with the family and breakfast rooms, it creates one large, family-friendly room.

Prominently featured at the center of the kitchen is a large island, painted in an almost black matte finish. This workspace provides a strong visual focus and a functional gathering point. Practical and stylish low barstools offer seating with cowhide cushions painted in zebra stripes.

"The multifunctional island, with two sinks (one for washing dishes and one for cleaning vegetables), allows for a continuous traffic flow, so the three independent rooms work together. This is particularly important for entertaining," Rick explains.

The kitchen, like the rest of the house, forms a mosaic of different materials and textures. The design team wanted to create an old-world environment with a built-in cooking hearth surrounded in stone, tile, woods, and other elements.

Above the ovens and as a backsplash, a tumbled marble, ceramic, and carved-tile wall adds contrast to the wooden cabinetry, which has basket-weave doors and drawers as well as pewter hardware.

The kitchen contains a multitude of great ideas for your own home. Consider mixing tiles and metals in the backsplash as Julie did. Or use unique materials as your budget permits. Finally, if you entertain a great deal, install two ranges side by side for additional burners and two ovens.

Informal Dining
Completely open to the kitchen, the breakfast room features abundant windows and views of the rear covered patio and Texas plains beyond. "The furnishings combine color, textures, and period styles," Julie says. "A 54-inch round table that is painted black makes a commanding statement and anchors the bright space." Keep in mind that a dark piece is often necessary to emphasize a light-filled room.

Swedish-style painted chairs with cushions surround the table. Julie coordinated the blue trim on the chair arms with patterns on the cushions. As an affordable alternative, the natural linen drapery panels she used are merely decorative, not for hiding the view.

Have a Glass of Wine
Just beyond the butler's pantry, the wine room is walled in brick with a decorative iron door that features a grapevine pattern. It mimics a cellar feel by using the same tumbled brick as on the exterior of the house. Along with floor-to-ceiling custom-built wine racks, it could also serve as additional pantry space, if needed.