“I wanted us to come home to simplicity and peace, a place that is both elegant and timeless,” she says.
For a couple who loves to entertain and socialize, living in a small, gated community of close-knit neighbors, the kitchen naturally became a focal point of a phased remodel that includes a Step Inside first: a baby grand piano in the kitchen for anyone whose appetite includes a little Elton John with their wine.
“It is the epicenter of every party,” Herman says. “No matter how many guests attend our soirees, they all seem to hover around that island.”
With that in mind, the design consultant removed the much smaller two-tiered island and its large built-in awning and replaced it with the simple but ample, front-and-center serving island you see today.
“The kitchen is light and airy now,” Herman says. “I love the beautiful quartzite countertops and backsplash.”
For social gatherings of a more intimate nature, she designed a dining room in white that expresses every texture, every shape, and every mood. Inspired by Europe and a hotel bar ceiling that wowed her, Herman cross-pollinated design elements with the room’s drapery panels and mimicked them in the applied moldings of the architecturally inspired ceiling design. That ceiling design then found further artistic expression in the pastel-colored cut glass diamonds that hang on ribbons of silk from the chandelier. The overall effect catches the shimmering light of the setting sun in a room that makes you feel like you’re floating on a cloud.