Home & Style

MODERN BLUES

Color is making a comeback in the kitchen, and for Twin Citians, it’s looking a lot like our lakes. From steely matte gray to glossy bold cobalt, kitchens turn up the visual volume.

The sea of colorless kitchens will likely never fade: The classic look is a sure bet that’s polished, if not unexpected. But there’s a new wave emerging with statement-making blues reshaping tired kitchens. Local pros say the fluid color can take on different dimensions depending on the shade’s undertones. Inside a Minneapolis Victorian, a custom watery blue stain brought the house into the 21st century—without sacrificing its bones.

VICTORIAN REVIVAL

It’s no secret in the design community that Carter Averbeck, owner of Omforme Design, doesn’t shy away from color and contrast. Which is exactly what Jorge Quintero and Robert Schneidewend were looking for when they asked Averbeck to help them remodel their 1902 home on Portland Avenue in Minneapolis. “It had this tiny, craptacular servants’ kitchen,” Averbeck says. “It wasn’t meant to be pretty; it was perfunctory.” That all changed in Averbeck’s design, which opened up the space and went bold in blue and brass. As for the rest of the home, most rooms are just as colorful—which isn’t far off tradition for Victorian homes. “They have a love of things that are different and interesting. They love the old but bring new with it,” the designer says of the homeowners. “They’re modernists living in a Victorian.”

1. Stained To Last The blue on the cabinets is a custom stain on oak wood. “There’s a lot of oak in the house,” Averbeck says. “We went traditional with materials and how the cabinetry was built. All of it was built as if it were made during the Victorian era. The only thing that’s modern is the stain.” Oak trim around the windows also nods to the era.

2. A Bright Light Averbeck had glass-front cabinets installed in front of new windows. “If we were to put in a traditional kitchen, in as far as upper cabinetry, there wouldn’t be any place to put in windows,” Averbeck says. “That way they can display martini glasses in the cabinets, and we still get the light.”

3. Statement Piece “The island has these interesting panels, which is sort of Carter’s brilliant mind,” Jorge says. “We didn’t want the island to look like the rest of the kitchen”—rather, it’s meant to be a piece of furniture. The laser-cut panels are a black that complements the light fixtures. A Brizo faucet and a natural quartz top add to the contemporary aesthetic. “It’s now like a piece of artwork,” Averbeck says.

4. Care For A Cocktail? The butler’s pantry, which acts as the couple’s bar area, features the home’s original leaded-glass cabinet doors. “We knew we wanted an area to wash cups and glasses, and the hammered copper sink gives us more work space,” Jorge says. The silver-backed glass-tile backsplash, from Tile X Design, and black granite countertops carry from the kitchen into the pantry.