Discovered on Freunde von Freunden (FvF): a new house with a colorful and modern open kitchen belonging to multi-faceted artist and designer Alyson Fox's. Located on a ridge of land outside Austin, the design and build-out of the structure was a family affair: Fox, her husband, and father-in-law all contributed to the plans, while her brother-in-law served as the the general contractor. As Fox tells FvF, "We wanted a simple floor plan with as much glass as we could afford and with an outdoor shower. We wanted to live light and have lots of natural light." The kitchen in particular evokes this feeling of "living light" with open shelving, a DIY white brick kitchen island, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Here's a tour, followed by a dissection of the key elements (those that can be sourced, anyway) for creating a similar look.
Read the full interview with Fox by Leigh Patterson over on Freude von Freunden, with photography by Michael A. Muller.
Above: The light-filled house has wood-paneled walls and ceilings and a concrete floor. To separate the kitchen from the living space, Fox and family installed an island made from bricks painted white. For a similar kitchen island built from concrete blocks, see Steal This Look: A Low-Cost Kitchen for Serious Chefs. Curious about concrete flooring? See Remodeling 101: Polished Concrete Floors (and you might also be interested in Five Things to Know About Radiant Floor Heating).
Above: The kitchen has a large industrial sink, subway-tiled backsplash, and open wooden shelving—all livened up by a sprinkling of bright accessories
The Basics
Above: The John Boos Stainless Steel Prep Table (96 inches wide by 30 inches deep) is equipped with two sinks, a utensil drawer, and a cutting board; $2,351 from Central Restaurant Products.
Above: The Chicago Faucet Wall-Mounted Sink Faucet (Model number: 540-LDABCP) is $214.20 from Plumber's Surplus.
Above: Fox has a pre-rinse sprayer next to her kitchen faucet. The T&S B-0100 Pre Rinse Spray Valve with Flexible Stainless Steel Hose is $89.99 from Web Restaurant Store.
Above: The Thermador 30-inch Masterpiece Series Induction Cooktop is $2,599 from Warehouse Discount Center.
Above: Fisher-Paykel ActiveSmart Fridge 17.5 cu. ft. Counter Depth Bottom Freeze; $2,109 from AJ Madison.
Lighting and Furniture
Above: The 365+ Brasa Pendant Lamp is made from powder-coated steel; $39.99 from Ikea.
Above: Fox installed wooden shelves for storage with a pipe underneath for different hanging dish towels. This Oak Wood Shelf comes in two sizes (shown here in 150 centimeter width) with two built-in rails; €290 from Manufactum.
Above: The Adaptable Table by Muuto is available with an oak (shown), white, black, or gray top, and a steel frame in white (shown), gray, or green. You can choose from legs in natural oak, white, black, or gray; $2,875 from A+R in Los Angeles.
Above: The Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair with a Wood Dowel Base is $339 at Design Within Reach. In addition to white, it comes in black, light blue, lime yellow, and red orange.
Above: The Step Ladder in black by Design House Stockholm is $434 from Royal Design.
Accessories
Above: Fox displays—and uses—a mix of cutting board. Objets Méchanique's 23-inch-long Maple Cutting Board 1.2 is made from cherrywood with a dip-dyed handle; $98. For more cutting boards, see 10 Easy Pieces: Wooden Cutting Boards with Cutouts for Hanging.
Above: Neon Tea Towels in a grid pattern by Hay & Sholten & Baijings are $32 for a set of two from A+R.
Above: Ikea's Fintorp Magnetic Knife Rack in black is $12.99.
Above: The lucite pink bowl perched on the island came from an online store in Australia. For a similar option, consider the AVF Colored Acrylic Chiclet Bowl in Neon Pink; $185 from Dering Hall.
Above: A green bucket brightens Fox's sink; this Lime Green Metal Pail with Handle is $0.99 from Hobby Lobby.
Check out all our Steal This Look posts for more inspiration. Over on Gardenista, they've got their own Austin-based Steal This Look—featuring a Home in A Silvery Blue Palette.
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