PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID DIETRICH
STYLED BY CHRISTI WHITELEY
The Taijitu, the traditional symbol representing yin and yang, depicts a circle containing a dark-colored cursive wrapped around and nestled comfortably into a light-colored mirror image -— joined as one, inseparable but distinctive and unique. Yin and Yang, the harmonious balance of space, time and energy, is evident in every room of the Stickney home in the Beaver Lake district of Asheville.
But it is the Stickney kitchen that best captures the spirit of the Tao. Bright, light and family-oriented features co-exist with darker-hued, more subdued and formal elements.
“I had definite visions before we started the project,” homeowner Robin Stickney says. “I originally wanted all the cabinetry stained dark cherry, but working with the designer helped me to sort through the options, and made the process a whole lot easier.”
The designer, Sonny Enloe of Cooper House Fine Cabinetry, felt that exclusively dark cabinets would make the space too heavy, and suggested she consider a contrasting mix.
“I like using two different materials and colors if the space is large enough to handle it,” Enloe says. “If the area is too small, it can make the kitchen feel claustrophobic, but Robin had wide-open doorways and plenty of space, so it worked well. The interplay of colors actually makes the room seem larger.”
Enloe presented the Stickneys with several alternatives for finishes — illustrating how they might work together and citing potential problems and advantages, but, ultimately, he deferred to their tastes. “It’s the client’s kitchen,” Enloe observes. “You should never force your ideas on anyone. In the final analysis you want the clients to be pleased with what they have.”
The end result is a happy co-mingling of color and contrast. The workspace of the kitchen is furnished with antique-white Dura Supreme cabinetry; some doors fitted with glass insets and others with vintage-style panels. The adjacent buffet area is finished in cherry-stained select alder, accented with glass fronted upper cabinets, and fitted with a Marvel wine cooler in the lower section.
Satin-textured nickel knobs and pulls on all the doors and drawers, brushed stainless steel appliances and Giallo Ornamental granite countertops throughout create continuity and harmony.
“Since we don’t have a breakfront in the dining room, I wanted the buffet area to be formal — more like a piece of furniture to show off my fine china and crystal,” explains Robin. “I also wanted a commissioned painting of our house to be a focal point in that area, and the dark cabinetry seemed to frame it best.”
But the kitchen of any family home is its hub, and the Stickney children, ten-year-old Anna, and eight-year-old twins Kate and Jack, love to assist in cooking — especially cake baking, “Mainly so they can lick the bowls,” Robin observes. “And Jack loves to help with spaghetti,” she adds. The children have also added a very personal touch to the room’s décor; their original artwork adorns the tile backsplash over the sink.
To accommodate the needs of the children, the Stickneys required versatility…and plenty of horizontal space. Not surprisingly, one of Robin’s favorite features is the granite-topped, oversized island. “We do everything here — everything!” she emphasizes. “Homework, projects, cooking, eating. The only thing I won’t allow is for it to become a catch-all.”
The island echoes the dark stain of the buffet area and has open shelving at one end to hold cookbooks and accessories. It also accommodates an unusual solution to a very practical problem. Robin and her husband Sam didn’t want to lose cabinet space or natural light from the windows to house a microwave, so Enloe suggested putting it under the island counter, opposite the range.
“The Sharp microwave was a revolutionary new design at the time and we weren’t sure about it at all, but Sonny convinced us, and now we love it,” says Robin. Replacing the conventional door, the microwave has a touch-button drawer that opens magically to accept food. “It was a problem in the beginning, when the children thought it was a neat toy, but they got over that pretty quickly. Still, it surprises visitors. ‘Is that your microwave?’ they always ask.”
Another unconventional detail is the brick flooring. “I really had my heart set on it, although people tried to talk me out of it. It took weeks to install — a real project — but I love it and highly recommend it.” Finished with multiple coats of polyurethane sealer, the brick loses its innate harshness and is much more forgiving than tile. “I’ve dropped coffee cups and they actually bounce,” laughs Robin, “and it withstands the traffic of three children and two dogs without showing the dirt. It’s amazingly easy to clean.”
With its tasteful fusion of dark and light finishes, the melding of form and function and, most of importantly, the fluidity of the design, this creative kitchen reflects the integration of opposites. The harmony of yin and yang; blending family life with fine living. For the Stickneys, it is a combination that will serve them well for many years to come.
