Get This Light Modern French Kitchen Look

Kaleidoscope Design uses texture and tone-on-tone color to create a light, fresh kitchen.

Cassy Kicklighter Poole or Kaleidoscope Design | Deep Dive | Home & Garden Colorado Magazine
Photo by Stephanie Minior.

Principal designer Cassy Kicklighter Poole of Kaleidoscope Design created a timeless, light and fresh kitchen with French-style undertones merged with a touch of modern. Poole says, “Overall, I used a French tone-on-tone palette to tie everything together and get away from white on white. Offsetting the color palette with the metal trim on the door and light fixtures, and the brass hardware on the cabinets, adds an interesting contrast.”

Poole considered the importance of every design detail from the soft oatmeal hue on the custom-built cabinets to the polished brass pulls with backplates. The natural-toned oak on the island is also used in the trim on the vent hood and pocket pantry door. To add texture and interest, four cabinet drawers are embellished with brass mesh inserts backed by oak panels. Poole chose quartzite—a natural stone—for the countertops. To add depth, she opted for a thicker, 6cm mitered edge on the island.

1Pendant Light

Crate and Barrel’s Maddox Black Bell Pendant light fixtures, with brass sockets and ceiling plates, balance the metal details throughout the kitchen.

2Quartzite Mont Blanc Countertops

Cassy Kicklighter Poole or Kaleidoscope Design | Deep Dive | Home & Garden Colorado Magazine
Photo by Stephanie Minior.

Meandering through the stone are warm grey veins and flecks of gold, which merge beautifully with the creamy white base and add a touch of classic French to the kitchen.

3Backsplash Tile

Cassy Kicklighter Poole or Kaleidoscope Design | Deep Dive | Home & Garden Colorado Magazine
Photo by Stephanie Minior.

Moroccan Sea Salt clay artisanal tiles by Clé showcase the exact movement Poole needed. “Color shifts from cream to white with the light,” she states. The backsplash tile and quartzite complement each other.

4Pocket Door

Cassy Kicklighter Poole or Kaleidoscope Design | Deep Dive | Home & Garden Colorado Magazine
Photo by Stephanie Minior.

Designed by Kaleidoscope and manufactured by Rustica Doors, this pocket door merges the overall design elements with an oak panel, metal frame and opaque glass. “It is a great architectural feature that we were able to the pocket the door,” says Poole.

5Custom Mesh Drawer Panels

Cassy Kicklighter Poole or Kaleidoscope Design | Deep Dive | Home & Garden Colorado Magazine
Photo by Stephanie Minior.

BKC Kitchen & Bath attached eye-catching polished brass mesh screens backed with oak panels to cabinet drawers. The floating shelves are also a BKC creation.