Fantasy Tour: Country French Kitchen

Host Joan Kohn tours the new kitchen of John and Karen Jaeger, who chose country French for the design scheme of their spacious and elegant kitchen.

This French country kitchen is dominated by a 14-foot-long granite-topped island. The sunny breakfast area has a green marble table, handpainted chairs with a fruit motif, and green built-in corner cabinets.

• The palette in the kitchen is a blend of soothing creams, softly colored medium-toned granite and green accent pieces.
  
• The fruits and vegetables on the handpainted chairs in the breakfast nook established the color palette for the rest of the room.
  
• The hearth gets its design interest from texture rather than color. The inset uses polished cream tile set on the diagonal and outlined with a rope border, while the backsplash is chalky tumbled marble. The rough textured plaster hood in cream has a grapevine border. Its shape mimics the shape of the iron pot rack over the island.
  
• Attention to detail is evident throughout the kitchen, like the twisted grapevine pulls for lower cabinets that complement the hood?s carved grapevine border. The island has highly ornate corbels positioned at each end.
  
• The butler?s pantry, whose cabinetry matches the kitchen cabinets, stores china and crystal and serves as the focal point for the bar. It is located slightly apart from the main kitchen work area and serves as a separate gathering area.