We were asked to design a light, bright and airy farmhouse-style kitchen for some demanding clients — Kibler & Kirch Creative Director Jeremiah Young’s own family. They wanted a kitchen that was hardworking and functional but still had soul, style, and dedicated spaces for art. Our team struck a balance between elegant, timeless and casual, with surfaces capable of standing up to the heavy traffic of an active young family and a strong palette of white-on-white that draws the light even on Montana’s darkest winter days.
We chose black quartz countertops and black hardware to contrast with the white millwork, white antique-style Aga range, white vintage-look pendants and white subway tile. (In an unusual twist, the tile continues from the walls up onto the ceilings.) The pantry is sectioned off by a curtain rather than a door; we selected the Brunschwig & Fils botanical print and a floral area rug to introduce softness, color and a sense of the organic. Special collections of green and blue pottery and pink milk glass are visible in glass-fronted cupboards and in a vintage stainless steel medical cabinet, while modern appliances are tucked away out of sight. It was Jeremiah Young’s idea to take a standard door, cut it in half and add extra hardware to create a vintage-look Dutch door to the mudroom.
The command center of the kitchen is the Lorts farmhouse table. With seating for eight, the table easily adapts from party prep to homework central, and from casual family dining to formal entertaining. Original artwork adds interest and reminds visitors that they’re in ranching country; the Tyler Murphy painting of cows being fed from an old pickup breaks the expanse of white tile above the range and picks up the green from the ceiling of the adjacent living room.
This kitchen, undertaken on a budget and within a developed neighborhood, is ultra efficient but has a crisp, stylish look. It reads vintage yet has a contemporary vibe — the perfect balance for a family home.
This kitchen has been featured as a warm and welcoming kitchen in Mountain Living.
