Brighten up your kitchen with a special shade of yellow

This historic bungalow kitchen is built for working and entertaining.

When Designer Kim Clements, owner of J.A.S. Design Build,

tackled her own kitchen refresh, she knew exactly what she wanted: “a social kitchen, but also a working kitchen.”

Balancing function and aesthetic was top of mind in this small Seattle bungalow that was built in 1904. “Bungalows aren’t known for having a lot of space,” added Kim. “But everyone always ends up in the kitchen, which is why the island is configured the way it is. It’s more like a floating peninsula.”

A PEOPLE-FORWARD FLOORPLAN

The backside of the island seats up to seven people, and it’s uniquely positioned. “Guests can have a seat at the counter and grab a wine glass off the shelf while I’m cooking,” Kim explains.

Facing the island/peninsula toward the window wall allows the kitchen to be wide and open where the entryway from the dining room comes in. This helps the kitchen seem larger and more open than it is. The shallower-than-normal shelves and cabinets along the opposite wall allowed Kim to keep the walkways wide all around, which means it’s easy for lots of guests to move in and around the kitchen comfortably.

SHREWD STORAGE

Similarly, Kim chose to forgo overhead cabinets above the stove for a spacious effect. Built-ins on almost every other wall make up for them. The large refrigerator is surrounded by overhead cabinets and big side cabinets and drawers.

Open shelves, narrow as they may be, provide plenty of storage space and showcase all of Kim’s glassware, pitchers, serving bowls and the like. There’s even open shelving above the entryway, and cubbies above and around a small counter area in the corner. And, thanks to its generous size, the island itself offers plenty of drawers—both shallow and deep—to store everything else and keep the tidy look.

KEEP IT COHESIVE

Another important element, Kim adds, is that she wanted the kitchen to aesthetically align with the rest of the home. “Oftentimes kitchens don’t [align]. People put all their big ideas or buckets of money into one room.” In place of recessed lighting, Kim chose period-appropriate pendants and the unique solution of wall-mounted antique-style gallery lights along the back wall. These fixtures not only make sense for a turn-of-the-century bungalow, but they also tuck nicely into the ceiling coffers. Just as the soapstone sink and the soapstone countertop on the island complement one another, so too does the kitchen reflect the rest of the home.

Subtle hints of green, yellow, red and blue appear throughout the kitchen and living room areas, but the main color remains a soft cream, so as not to overwhelm the humble abode. As for the bright-yellow island? We’ll chalk it up to a stunning exception to the rule.

“Bungalows aren’t known for having a lot of space … But everyone always ends up in the kitchen, which is why the island is configured the way it is. It’s more like a floating peninsula.”