A statement piece fulfills a necessary function in this blue-and-white kitchen.

The Look: Bold Bulkhead

It started off to fill a practical need—to hide a last-minute change to the electrical work—but the white-oak-veneer bulkhead above the statuarietto-marble-topped island wound up being a design highlight in this Vancouver kitchen. “It emphasizes the hits of warm colours elsewhere and blocks out the central region,” explains interior designer Tanya Krpan, who designed this masculine country-style kitchen with her builder husband, Jure. She chose oversized Arteriors pendant lights to balance out this eye-catching element (“They add another dimension to the space,” she says), but the glass fixtures keep sightlines clear (and reference the glass-doored china cabinets built into the blue-grey millwork).

SOURCES
Builder, Jure Krpan, Dakota Homes, Vancouver, dakotahomes.ca. Interior Designer, Tanya Krpan, Tanya Krpan Design Co., Vancouver, tanyakrpandesign.com. Fjord surface light, Cedar and Moss, Portland, OR, cedarandmoss.com. Millwork, Woody Millwork, Richmond, B.C., 604-231-9978. Porcelain Valamenco Grigio tile, C&S Tile, Burnaby, B.C., cstile.ceramstone.com. Vintage rug, The Cross Design and Decor, Vancouver, thecrossdesign.com. Arteriors Mara Large pendant, Chintz and Co., Victoria, chintz.com; The Cross Decor and Design, Vancouver, thecrossdesign.com; Domaine Fine Furnishings and Design, Calgary, domainefurnishings.com; Bella Moda Home Furnishings, Winnipeg, bellamodahome.com.