Celebrating Detroit

Taylor Grup and Rachel Nelson

Concetti, Detroit, MI

This kitchen celebrates the essence of Detroit and the client’s love of his hometown while making the most of a relatively small space. After moving back to the city of his childhood, the client purchased a condo within the Eco Home Project, a new detached residential development in the city’s Midtown district designed to demonstrate the most advanced uses of energy, water usage, landscape, architecture and planning as a pillar of forward-thinking design solutions.

To create a feeling of openness and to make the space feel larger, the designers flipped the entire kitchen, moving it from a staircase wall in the back of the house to the front of the house. This reimagining not only opened up the sightlines, but also allowed for the inclusion of a wet bar.

As a relatively small space, storage was a critical issue, which demanded creative solutions to keep the space organized and clutter-free via the UltraCraft Cabinetry cabinets accented with Amerock Mergence hardware in Matte Black and Champagne Bronze. As well, maintaining a cohesive design in a small space can be challenging, so the designers chose materials and textures that add depth and interest without overwhelming the space or creating a fragmented, chaotic look.

Another layer of development came from the client’s deep love for Detroit and his desire to infuse the unique industrious spirit of the city into his space through uniquely crafted Detroit-centric pieces, local partnerships and plenty of design material celebrating the city’s rich roots. For example, the custom concrete countertops and backsplash from Line Studio Detroit and the stainless steel KitchenAid appliances create a rugged yet sophisticated environment while the use of metal accents and a Kohler Purist faucet in Matte Black reinforces the industrial theme. Adding a reclaimed, skip-planed dark oak floor from Urban Evolutions adds to the authentic, gritty feel.