DESIGN

west coast REFRESH

DESIGN TARA FELICE INTERIORS | STORY TERRI GLAZER PHOTOGRAPHY SÉLAVIE PHOTOGRAPHY

a Mediterranean kitchen gets a fresh, California-style update

when Memphis interior designer Tara Engelberg, owner of Tara Felice Interiors, met with the new owners of this East Memphis home, she knew their kitchen needed a lighter, fresher look and feel. She also knew she could achieve that without a complete gut job.

“There was no need to start all over,” Engelberg recalls. “We were working within the structure of what was already there and it was beautifully done. It was just traditional Mediterranean style, the whole house was, with a bit of a heavy feeling—iron light fixtures, wood ceilings and beams, a large stained wood island and terracotta tile floor.”

Engelberg envisioned a modern, West Coast style refresh for the kitchen. The California vibe would suit the young homeowners’ taste without straying too far from the house’s Mediterranean architecture. “Everything would be very textural. And light, since there were already so many darker elements in the room,” she says.

To that end, she chose a glass tile backsplash in a light dove tone and had it installed not only behind the range, but also in the adjacent butler’s pantry that leads from the kitchen to the dining room. She explains, “That’s a small area, but I wanted it to be a ‘drama moment’ so we went floor-to-ceiling with the tile there.”

a new light fixture in polished nickel cools down the color palette, balancing out the kitchen’s warmer-toned features. Ditto for the chandelier over the kitchen table. Says Engelberg, “With that Southern California theme in mind, [the chandelier] has a beautiful white plaster textured finish. The white added to the light, airy feel we were going for in a way metal couldn’t have.”

As eye-catching as the light fixture hanging above is, the table itself is the larger story in the kitchen. Its top was custom built out of wood reclaimed from a historic building in downtown Memphis that belonged to the homeowner’s family. Engelberg designed the piece and Lou Kerns of Kerns-Wilcheck crafted it. The custom metal base came from an artisan in Utah.

Engelberg chose deep, comfy chairs upholstered in a durable denim-colored linen to facilitate casual dining around the table. Continuing the relaxed mood, she placed a sheer, relaxed Roman shade over the large window in the dining area. A simple wool rug in neutral tones defines the area and breaks up the expanse of terracotta tile flooring that covers the entire area.

That tile was perhaps the biggest quandary for the homeowners when Engelberg came on board to steer the kitchen remodel. They initially assumed it would have to come out, but the designer envisioned the finished product with the tile floor left intact and convinced the couple to trust her plan. “They love it now! It really does work well,” she says.

with the major elements of the project complete, Engelberg’s focus turned to accessorizing the new kitchen. The striking art over the fireplace came to find a home there in a way that can only be attributed to serendipity. The designer found the painting at one of the estate sales she loves to frequent in search of items to use in her work. “I bought [it] immediately because it was amazing and I knew I was going to use it somewhere. I brought it to this house just to see if the size and style would work above the fireplace in the kitchen area. We knew we wanted to do some kind of artwork and it had to be leaning because the wall space above the mantel is at an angle so we couldn't hang anything on it. It was literally perfect. He loved it. She loved it. It's so rare to find a piece of artwork that both agree on! It's almost like I commissioned it and had it painted specifically for the space.”

A few more estate sale finds grace the shelves beside the fireplace, along with the homeowner’s collection of cookbooks. Engelberg says a sprinkling of vintage pieces brings an element of interest and keeps any space from looking too “fresh out of the box.”