Combing Form and Function

We all have options for accessible interior design right at our fingertips.  From Ikea to Pottery Barn to Lowe's and Home Depot, a whole new look for your home is just a few clicks away.  While there are benefits to this accessibility, the increasingly flat world of design makes truly unique spaces a rarity.  Something I've been noticing lately that can really make a room look unique is using a custom piece of furniture in the traditionally furniture-less kitchen and bathroom.

Have you seen the April House Beautiful?  Barrie Benson designed the Bathroom of the Month, a master bath in a midcentury ranch here in Charlotte.  Barrie and her husband, an architect, designed a custom vanity for the bathroom that was inspired by a 1950's Robsjohn-Gibbings credenza.  This vanity (combined with the other bathroom details, of course) really sets this bathroom apart from all the rest.

A pair of mirrored chests of drawers ramps up the glam factor in this master bathroom, also featured in House Beautiful.

Kitchen islands are another place in which a custom piece of furniture can really make a statement.  I spied this burled island on Haven and Home last week and can't stop thinking about it.  It takes a brave soul to use a piece of furniture like this in the kitchen!

If you don't have the budget for the never-ending burled beauty above, the DIY-queen Jenny made her own campaign-style island using a chest of drawers that she topped with a marble slab.  It looks gorgeous, and it is perfect for an apartment dweller who can't make major permanent changes to a kitchen layout.