TEXT Jasmine Bible + PHOTOGRAPHY Kristen Elizabeth Photography
For Lexi Powell, design has been a lifelong passion. Originally from Montana, she grew up watching her mother Jennifer, who is also an interior designer, work with colors and fabrics. With an innate sense of color harmonies and composition, Powell moved to Hong Kong in 2003 to work for an international product development design house. In 2008, she branched out on her own to launch ALEXANDRA LAUREN INTERIOR DESIGN, focusing on residential and commercial interiors, eventually moving the business stateside to Jackson, TN, in 2014.
“I was accustomed to working with tiny spaces where every inch mattered, so being back in the states with larger spaces has been a fun transition,” shares Powell. She possesses the fundamental spatial recognition to plan for proper flow, but now has more room for added design flare. For this Jackson, TN, home, that flare began with a paint color, Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore.
When meeting with the clients, a small but busy family, they wanted a kitchen that functioned well for their active lifestyle, but also had warmth and character. When Powell presented the clients with several design options, they were immediately drawn to the rich blue hue with warm undertones, balanced with white and brass accents. “When you live in a home you love and you aren’t designing for resale, you don’t have to be afraid to play with color,” advises Powell.
Once the color scheme and overall tone were set, Powell established the footprint of the kitchen. To combat busy mornings, Powell created a breakfast bar (pictured below), complete with an outlet and enough counter space to hold everything she needs for a quick breakfast.
“When you are finished, you can simply close the cabinets and hide the mess until you have time to clean up,” explains Powell. To the right of the breakfast bar is an appliance cove, specially designed for the standing mixer in a matching blue hue.
The center island has an oversized six-foot-long countertop that houses the gas range, a cookbook nook, and enough storage space below for larger pots, pans, and serving platters.
Next, she chose the design elements. While the kitchen is flooded with natural light, ample recessed can lighting was added to the ceiling, along with under mount lighting for the cabinets and workstations, and Schoolhouse Electric
brass pendants over the island.
Touches of brass carry through to the Emtek hardware and Kohler faucet. The countertops are a true white marble with gray veining. For the backsplash, Powell used a white subway tile with a bevelled edge. On the sink wall, the cabinetry was given a two-tone tuxedo effect with Hale Navy on the lowers, and Decorator White by Benjamin Moore on the uppers. Engineered hardwood floors in a deep walnut complete the look.
A hidden outlet makes it easy to use appliances on the expansive center island. #SOnesty
What began with a paint swatch evolved into a stunning space that functions as the heart of the home for this Jackson family. Employ this tactic in your own home—find a single design element that speaks to you and go wild!
To connect with Alexandra Lauren Interior Design, visit alexandralauren.com.
We shared this story with you in our Fall/Winter 2018 Issue of NEST Magazine. To view the full issue, click here.