Baton Rouge Showhouse: Kitchen and Butler's Pantry

Tour Chad Graci’s dining room and learn more about his inspiration and sources for this beautiful space. If you enjoy this feature, subscribe to FLOWER magazine for more inspiring homes, gardens, lifestyle content, and of course, florals!

“Design is about feeling the intention that comes with the interaction between the fabulous and the functional.”

—Chad Graci on his point of view

Kitchen

TABLE MATTERS

“In the breakfast area, we needed something soft and luxurious to break up the hard surfaces of the kitchen. I found the leopard print for the LEE Industries banquette and began building around that. Fabricut sheers frame what I believe is the best view in the house—looking through the windows to the neoclassic pool pavilion.”

PERSONALITY

“I wanted to bring a lot of personality to the breakfast area and for it to be a soft landing amid the marble and lacquer.”

A white kitchen with contemporary art, a Turkish rug, and checkerboard flooring.

MIX MASTERS

“It was a symbiotic relationship working with Jewel and Vincent of Ivy Residential Concepts. They have such a good eye and a vision for what they wanted to impart through their surface selections. My goal was to help corral and hone those ideas and tie the two rooms together. My starting point was the brown-and-white palette of checkerboard flooring by New Ravenna, which carries from the butler’s pantry into the kitchen.”

A white and gold stove with a marble backsplash.

CULINARY MASTERPIECE

Art takes on many forms, from a custom range by L’Atelier Paris with jewelry-like detailing to the deep veining of “Calacatta Violette” marble from Marmi Stone that echoes the movement of an abstract painting to an actual abstract painting by Cynthia Knapp.

Butler’s Pantry

A mahogany cabinet holds white serveware.

BREAKING THE MOLD

“The mahogany color in the butler’s pantry is so rich, but I wanted something three-dimensional on the wall to give it sparkle and keep it from getting too serious. I had a flashback to my grandmother’s kitchen, where she had fantastic copper molds in fun shapes around the perimeter. I called my mother and asked her to go get those molds—and I had them within a day!” For the ceiling, Chad chose a silver tea paper from York Wallcoverings to add more glamour.

More about Chad Graci

FLORAL SPOTLIGHT

Michelle West of Michelle West Design Studio chose dark purple dahlias combined with bright orange zinnias and limelight hydrangeas to create a rich centerpiece that works with the warm brown tones of the kitchen. The green foliage adds a wild touch just like the animal print banquet. The table setting is finished with a neutral monogrammed napkin.

See more from Michelle West on her website and on Instagram. Also, see more of Michelle’s work in the Nursery.