This breathtaking Forest Highlands property has a storied past. The life-long residence of Frank Howard and Mary D. Fleming Walsh was built in 1930 and sat empty for five years before Melissa and Kevin Russell purchased it in 2013 and moved in just before Christmas of 2014.
“The original property was too large for us,” Melissa explains. “We ended up tearing it down and just keeping the façade to make it smaller and family friendly.”
The kitchen is brand new, but they were able to keep some of the original light fixtures. For the project, the Russells engaged Dobbins and Crow Architects and Brooks Custom Homes for the build, with Mary Lee Proctor as decorator. The result is a space of understated opulence—white, bright and elegant with clean lines.
“The kitchen was built entirely with pictures I liked on Pinterest,” Melissa jokes. “My friends like to tease me because I have this beautiful kitchen…and I don't cook.”
The all-white kitchen required seven slabs of Calacatta marble to make the countertops and backsplashes. The marble is accented by brass chandeliers and brass-dipped hardware from Pierce, as well as a custom-vented stainless steel hood banded in brass over their Wolf six-burner range with griddle.
“My 12-year-old Lily loves the griddle to cook her signature breakfast pancakes,” she says.
Particularly unique are the two kitchen islands, which have waterfall marble that runs all the way to the hardwood floor. The family uses one of the islands as a counter-height breakfast table. Drawers in the island for dishes minimize upper cabinets and give the kitchen a more minimalist, cleaner feel. The bar area right off the kitchen is also white marble with brass and gold leaf accents. Melissa put a small sitting area with a television and four swivel chairs in the kitchen, where she loves to sit and relax.
“The kitchen has a great second floor view and a balcony overlooking the trees,” she says. “It's a beautiful view.”