The Eclectic

The Smiths

The Smiths knew exactly what they wanted to do when they first purchased their Myers Park home: create a room that encompassed their kitchen as well as their family room. "A lot of people advised us against [one large room]," says Dorothy Smith. "But we wanted a big family space, one large room where everyone would be comfortable and hang out together. And we wanted a space where people could sit with us while we cook."

The Smiths enlisted the help of Ken Pursley and Jim Owen of Pursley Architecture to bring their vision to life. That vision included the removal of the existing sunroom on the back of the home. "[The room] was conceived as a garden room," says Pursley. "I was trying to create a light-filled, porchlike space that happens to hold the kitchen and family room. The house has traditional lines, but many of the Smiths'
furnishings are modern." So Pursley scripted a story, he says, of a large rear porch with French doors yet is furnished with modern accessories.

The yearlong renovation created a 696-square-foot garden room with ten-foot ceilings and concrete paver floor. The cabinets around the DCS range are stainless steel, as are the countertops. But the key to the kitchen's design was to treat it like a beautiful room rather than a utilitarian space. To achieve this, Pursley addressed the issues of storage in a way that wouldn't detract from the overall vision of the room. Each refrigerator has an adjacent stainless steel pullout pantry that allows the Smiths to access dishes and glassware while a walk-in pantry with a desk area provides additional floor-to-ceiling storage.

"I think Dorothy and Harold have taken a frumpy old box and imbued it with joy and happiness," says Pursley.