7 Design Ideas To Steal From a Vibrant Kitchen

Three years ago, Amy Consiglio and her family decided it was time to bust out of their cramped Greensboro, NC, home. So Amy and her husband, Brian Criscuolo, snatched up an empty plot of land less than a mile away and hatched a plan that would suit the couple and their three sons. “Food is like a sport for us,” she says. “We love prepping, cooking, and eating  —  we even hold little competitions  —  so we knew we had to get the kitchen right and build the rest of the house around it.”

On Amy’s must list: an open layout that let her see clear through to the living room, a big island and restaurant-quality features, like a pro-grade hood to whoosh away cooking odors. To help her focus her endless decorating ideas, Amy teamed up with designer Jessica Dauray, and together they piled on patterns in a stylish way. “The trick is that we stuck with three main colors: chartreuse, teal and white,” says Amy. “The mix keeps your eye moving around the space so it always feels high-energy in here.”

Read on for 7 ideas to try in your own home.

1. Rug

The 12-inch-wide gray-and-white stripes on the polypropylene Surya rug keep pattern in play but also serve as neutrals, letting Amy have fun with brighter prints and colors. 

2. Sofa and ottoman

There’s never a scuffle over a place to sit, thanks to a spacious CR Laine sectional upholstered in white Sunbrella fabric and a 49-inch-square ottoman, also by CR Laine. When they couldn’t find a fabric for the ottoman with a big enough pattern, Amy designed one herself (she studied art) and had it printed by spoonflower.com.

3. Ceiling

Coffering on the 10-foot-high ceiling adds character and helps the living room feel cozy. The insets are painted green (Frolic by Sherwin-Williams). “I couldn’t stand white every which way,” says Amy.

4. Backsplash and lights

Glass tiles from Interstyle inspired the room’s signature color — chartreuse — and are installed in a staggered pattern. Brian found the matching neon green-and-brass pendants by The Urban Electric Co. at the last minute, and “they make the room,” says Amy. At more than 100 pounds each, they required special reinforcements to hang.

5. Island and stools

The 12-foot-long island provides plenty of room for rolling dough to make pizza or pasta, and for working on school projects. A low-maintenance quartz counter with a 12-inch overhang has room for five backless stools from LexMod.

6. Pendants

Hung at varying heights in a group of five, slim glass pendants by Kalalou have the look of one large light fixture.

7. Dining area

“When I met Amy and Brian, I knew this was not going to be a beige house,” says designer Jessica. To jazz up the dark cypress table, they chose playful Jonathan Adler fabric for the banquette’s back, textured vinyl by Kravet on the seat, and multicolored dining chairs from Control Brand.