A Wallpaper Backsplash Is Our New Favorite Kitchen Look
Ah, the kitchen: The so-called "heart of the home" is often the family hub, a functional space that requires supreme utility. But, as the best designers know, there are many ways to deftly marry function and beauty. Nowhere does this idea ring more true than in the new Palm Beach showroom of kitchen designer Jim Dove. Here, Dove brings decorative elements like metal shelving, upholstered seating, and styled bookshelves right into the kitchen.
Our favorite design moment? Dove's use of handpainted De Gournay wallpaper as a backsplash. Yes, you read that right: Dove used the L'Eden pattern from the beloved wallpaper purveyor on on the wall behind a stove in his showroom, continuing it right down to the range top. The key? To cover the paper in a layer of glass to protect it from splatter and grease.
“Why propose a DeGournay wallpaper for a kitchen? Firstly, because it’s fabulous, and because, with the proper installation, it’s possible," says the designer. Dove uses museum glass, which has no color, so that the panels behind the glass look no different than if they were bare.
This choice, Dove points out, is a great way to tie in a kitchen to the surrounding home design. "I am working with a client right now whose kitchen and dining room are open to each other, and that’s exactly what we are doing," says the designer. "The De Gournay that was chosen for the dining room will continue into the kitchen seamlessly."
"Just because you’re dealing with an open concept plan doesn’t mean that you can’t be exuberant," he argues. And, while Dove's specific solution (De Gournay paper and museum glass) might fall at the high end of a budget, you can achieve a similar effect with the wallpaper—handpainted or not—of your choice and a piece of tempered glass cut to fit over it.
"More than anything, I wanted to create an environment that would not only encourage both designers and end users to think of kitchens as someplace extraordinary, but also open their minds to unexpected possibilities," says Dove of his new space. Beautiful and functional—now we can get behind that.
Want to visit in person? Jim Dove's showroom is now open at 3414 South Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL.
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