We're Obsessed with This Kitchen’s Dedicated Drinks Station

This mid-century modern 1961 home in Calgary's Bel-Aire neighbourhood had undergone all the wrong renovations€”a country kitchen, drywall disguising a gorgeous barrel ceiling€”until designer Martine Ast of Martine Ast Interiors came on board. She opened up a warren of tiny rooms and brought back the mid-century influence of its original design, creating a sense of airiness in the kitchen and opening up the living space to the pool in the backyard.

Create a dedicated drinks station to keep the island tidy

The vintage vibe is enhanced with flat-cut walnut millwork in a rich, warm stain, paired with brushed-gold pulls from Banbury Lane. And Ast brought one of her signature kitchen treatments into the design itself: a dedicated beverage zone, which includes refrigerator and freezer drawers, a dishwasher drawer, plenty of storage for glassware€”and, of course, a coffee station.

€œI always try to create this for clients,€ she says. €œthere'snothing worse than a mountain of glasses on your island.€ This tidy little area keeps the mess hidden away, but there'sone more disguise here: that €œcabinet€ door to the right of the wine fridge is actually a secret passage to the mudroom, perfect for easy access to load in the groceries.

Credit: Joel Klassen