Amy Parker and Barb Neligan never imagined their forever home would be in Richmond. But after 30-plus years in Nashville, a move to River City’s slower pace and proximity to family proved irresistible.
The switch from traditional homes and Tudors to a contemporary space with soaring ceilings and multiple skylights was dramatic. “It was just the fresh start we needed,” says Parker of their home in the city’s Far West End with its forest-like backyard and open floor plan.
But the real transformation came with the kitchen renovation. The couple gutted the space entirely, reimagining every surface to make it both functional and elegant and creating a cohesive work triangle with an induction stove and built-in refrigerator.
Out went the contractor-grade laminate cabinets and dated ceramic tile flooring, and in came a bold vision orchestrated by interior designer Cathy Connon, a certified kitchen and bath designer and founder of Catherine Jordan Design in Richmond.
“We talked about how they use the kitchen and the aesthetics they’re drawn to,” Connon says. “They adore bold colors and fun patterns.” Custom cabinets were painted in Kraft Maid’s Rainfall, and modern touches like open shelving and elongated hardware were added. Connon entirely rebuilt the island to make it functional; its fluted base that matches the range hood. She also used black granite countertops to replace the kitchen’s original Formica.
“Cathy provided a fabulous layout that we never would have come up with on our own,” Neligan says. By removing a defunct wet bar, Connon captured additional square footage and created what the homeowners agree is their favorite feature—“a fabulous little kitchen bar that overlooks our backyard.” It’s where they share many meals and enjoy the ever-changing, park-like view.
The kitchen’s pièce de résistance? A feature wall papered in playful “Frutto Proibito” from Cole & Son, where monkeys cavort with lemons. Connon says it is part of a nature-themed motif that extends throughout the house.
“We’re enjoying our home and all that Richmond has to offer,” Parker says of the transformation that matches their journey: bold, unexpected, and best appreciated from that little kitchen bar, where monkeys and lemons dance on the walls, and birds bathe just beyond the windows. CatherineJordanDesign.com
A new kitchen bar is a favorite
spot in this kitchen reno.
