indoors
kitchen
G
arro Gardner stands at
her Louisiana kitchen
island, slinging pancakes
for her three teenagers.
One plays on a laptop,
one sprawls on the sofa, and another
watches alligators glide by on the bayou
just outside the screen porch. The
family’s three dogs laze underfoot.
“Life is casual here,” says Carro, who
imagined this
625
-square-foot room as
one part kitchen, one part dining area,
and one part family lounge. “There’s
enough space for the kids to do their
own thing while still being part of the
conversation,” she says.
While the open floor plan brings the
family together, it’s the blend of finishes
that makes it the room where everybody
wants to hang out. Exposed wood
beams and wide-plank paneling warm
up the high-ceilinged space. Soft shades
of green on the cabinets, fireplace
surround, and checkered plywood floor
reference cypress and oak trees outside.
“It doesn’t matter how many people
are in the house,” Carro says. “If they’re
here, they’re in the kitchen. This is
where the family is.”
Concrete countertops work hard
and look good in an out-in-the-
open kitchen. Carro had them
stained a light dove gray.
Following one of the latest trends
in home design, the Gardners
gave up a formal living room in
favor of this all-in-one kitchen-
and-living space. Muted colors
inspired by nature help the sitting,
dining, and cooking areas blend.
84
MARCH
2010
BETTER HOMES AND
GARDENS
