This French-Inspired Space Might Just Be Your New Dream Kitchen

It all started with a hood fan.

When Bob and Michele Michaleski tapped designer Nam Dang-Mitchell to design their new home in Calgary’s inner city, the kitchen was a critical part of their plans. Michele loves to cook, and, says Dang-Mitchell, “Like any home, the kitchen is where the action happens.”

And so Dang-Mitchell found herself on the hunt for the perfect statement piece to reside at the centre of all that action. She landed on a custom stainless steel hood fan (an industrial piece with a heritage vibe, decorated with dozens of rivets) that ultimately would hang above an eight-burner red-knobbed Wolf range. “That hood is what all the other ideas revolved around,” explains Dang-Mitchell. “I wanted it to bridge that gap between modern design and a more traditional culinary vocabulary.”

From there, the rest of the look fell into place, incorporating more chef-inspired materials like grey-veined white marble, warm oak and bronze detailing. A trio of angular Kohler faucets (one in the dish sink, one on the island and one a pot-filler built right above the stovetop) brings in another hit of stainless steel. A robust butler’s pantry stores a library of cookbooks and key ingredients. But though it’s a space that takes some cues from pro kitchens, it’s not all business here. Hand-blown pendants from Niche Modern hang above an oversized island to add some organic warmth, and a pair of comfy slipcovered stools is tucked along the counter. Because, above all, Dang-Mitchell wanted to design a kitchen that was welcoming: “This is the heart of the home,” she says. 

Source List

Designer, Nam Dang-Mitchell Design, Nam Dang-Mitchell, Calgary, namdangmitchell.com. Mare Marrone Limestone Mosaic wall tiling, Stone Tile Pacific, Vancouver; Stone Tile West Limited, Calgary, stone-tile.com. Rift-cut white oak cabinets, Lamoc Custom Cabinetry, Calgary. Essential Bowls, Crate & Barrel, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, crateandbarrel.com. Essential Dinner Plates, Crate and Barrel, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, crateandbarrel.com. Rift-cut white oak shelves, drawers and bottom cabinets, Lamoc Custom Cabinetry, Calgary, 403-248-3510. Small Wood and Marble board, Wood Mango tray, Indigo Books, across the West, chapters.indigo.ca. Pod Modern Pendant light, Gabriel Ross, Victoria, grshop.com; Provide Home, Vancouver, providehome.com. Statuario Marble backsplash, Caesarstone Piatra Grey counter top, fabricated by Icon Stone, Calgary, iconstonetile.com. Stainless Steel range hood with bronze trimwork, fabricated by Hammersmith Custom Metalcrafting, Calgary, hammersmithcustommetal.com. White ceramic jugs, homeowner’s own. Wooden cutting board, white cutting board, wine rack, Homesense, across the West, homesense.ca. Gas range, Wolf, Trial Appliances, across the West, trailappliances.com. Hansgrohe Talis S Wall-Mounted pot filler, Victoria Speciality Hardware and Plumbing, Victoria, vshl.ca; Cantu Bathrooms and Hardware, Vancouver, cantubathrooms.com; Bartle and Gibson, Calgary and Edmonton, bartlegibson.com. Rift-cut white oak floors with custom stain, rift-cut white oak cabinets with cable detailing, Heritage Hardwood Flooring Limited, Calgary, heritagehardwood.ca. Lee Industries McAlpine Home Slipcovered Campaign counter stool, Sager’s Home Living, Victoria, sagers.ca; Brougham Interiors, Vancouver, broughaminteriors.com; Domicile Interiors, Calgary, domicileinteriors.com; Christopher Clayton Furniture and Design House, Edmonton, ccfurnitureanddesign.com. Vintage Toledo Bar Chair, Restoration Hardware, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, restorationhardware.com. Kohler Vault Single Basin Apron-Front Sink and Karbon faucet, Ensuite Victoria, Victoria, emcoltd.com; Robinson Lighting and Bath, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, robinsonlightingandbath.com. White vase, Domaine Fine Furnishings and Design, Calgary, domainefurnishings.com.