design studio
break the mold
Designer David Naylor shares his insights on updating Santa Fe style in the kitchen by making brave choices, from tile to countertops to cabinetry.
This article first appeared in Summer 2009 Su Casa
Traditional Mexican Talavera tile from Artesanos Imports in Santa Fe forms the bold zigzag motif in this kitchen design by David Naylor. Active patterns suit the activity that takes place in the kitchen, Naylor explains. Visions Design Group made the carved wooden hood.
A honed black granite island top offers a more relaxed feeling than a polished surface and relates to the soft graphite cabinet color in this Naylor design. Beneath the black granite top, the green island cabinetry lends a playful touch that complements the contemporary glass tiles at the backsplash and the rare red plaster walls. Naylor advocates brave choices in the kitchen.
Sub-Zero refrigerator freezers act as bookends to this kitchen’s elegant hood in this design by Naylor. Carved Afghani shutters purchased from Seret & Sons in Santa Fe flank the range hood above the cabinetry. Naylor matched the cabinet color to these antique pieces.
David Naylor
David Naylor
principal designer
Visions Design Group
111 North Saint Francis Drive
Santa Fe, New Mexico, 505/988-3170, david@visionsdesigngroup.com, visionsdesigngroup.com
Background: David Naylor entered the world of design as an assistant while studying fine arts at the Philadelphia College of Art. He moved to New York City, where he worked virtually every possible job in the design field. Naylor came to Santa Fe in 1988 with friends to help design a restaurant for them and stayed, taking a position with Visions Design Group before purchasing the design firm in 1997. Specializing in new construction and remodels, Visions Design Group incorporates custom-designed hand-carved pieces from its own workshops into home designs for clients. Naylor’s new book, Old World Interiors: A Modern Interpretation, features interior design projects by Visions Design Group.
Personal design style: Relaxed, traveled, rock-and-roll, and multicultural, with a particular emphasis on regional design and celebrating the historic Hispanic arts.
How do you define Santa Fe style?
Deeply eclectic. Extremely relaxed and comfortable. Well traveled with a historic emphasis on the Hispanic cultures while keeping it modern. From French Country to Moroccan, all has its place in Santa Fe style.
With that definition in mind, how can we bring qualities of Santa Fe style into our modern homes?
By introducing opposites. Opposites coexisting in design form create a visual tension that impresses and demands attention and respect. Too much matching is a fear-based reaction and tends to create a boring environment. If the architecture is modern, feature antiques or tribal sensibilities. If the architecture is authentically regional, feature modern pieces or European antiques. Find the opposite, and pair it up. Opposites attract!
Likewise, how can we bring Santa Fe style to our kitchens, specifically?
Bright Talavera paint colors, Tuscan reds, deep golds. Contrasted tiles. Think about your favorite colors—spend some quality time with a paint deck and really understand your attraction to color. Think about your favorite clothing.
What are your favorite ways to incorporate Southwestern design in the kitchen?
A very dramatic range hood design, chandeliers over the island, busy tile designs. Don’t be wary of active pattern. Instead of selecting shiny polished granite, see if you can spend a little more and get a honed granite finish. It’s more matte and feels richer than a reflective surface.
Can you suggest some unexpected ideas for adding style to the space?
Paint a design on the upper hood. When working with your cabinet fabricator, explore using a different style of built-in cabinetry for the island that contrasts the perimeter cabinets. This makes the cabinetry feel like furniture not purchased all at once—less manufactured and more found over time.
What makes a successful kitchen design?
Great appliances, durable surfaces, expert cabinetry, lighting options. Places for guests to accompany the chef. Make sure you have the all-important triangle between sink, stove, and refrigerator. Visual contrasts. I love black in a kitchen, from a deep charcoal shade in a cabinet or flat black honed charcoal granite.
What are your recommendations when it comes to color selection?
Keep it happy and active—bright and busy are brave choices. Restful and tasteful can live in the living room. Think spice colors—curry yellows, paprika reds, and sage green. Now you’re cooking.
What about your top choices for kitchen surfaces?
If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, you may want to consider hardwood floors. With the right finish, they keep and age well and are forgiving on your bones. No client has ever regretted this decision. A hand-scraped wide-plank oak floor board is ideal.
Marble or travertine slabs can be more relaxed than granite. Europeans have weathered, softer stone surfaces in their kitchens—only in America do we tend to want counter surfaces that always look shiny and new like granite. Kiln-dried ash wood is a favorite counter surface—it has great movement and a durable nature. My favorite is to shop slabs at Arizona Tile and build a stone schedule (a guide or table of contents for a set of blueprints) off a dramatic slab. Static granites are boring, overused, and common to me.
Let’s talk kitchen remodeling—what are your favorite strategies?
Feature a consistent brand of appliances. Never regret quality! Find a professional to draw a floor plan and elevate every wall. Demand drawings—this will get you talking about your tile design and cabinetry. Most cabinet and tile salespeople are skilled in elevated drawings. These drawings are valuable to the understanding of the overall design.
How can we improve our kitchens without undergoing a full remodel?
Feature tile where you would ordinarily paint. You can’t tile enough in a kitchen—overdoing it is an understatement. You will need a professional to cross these bridges. Paint the walls bright, happy colors that relate to your tile pattern.
Overall, what are your top recommendations for creating a great kitchen?
Hire design professionals—they are practiced to provide you the most tried-and-true products. Research your appliances, and don’t feel compelled to buy the most expensive ones.
Is there an interior design “rule” we shouldn’t be afraid to break?
People shouldn’t be afraid to use color, especially strong, bold, or dark colors. Great things can happen when you stop worrying about whether or not a room is going to feel “too small” if you paint it.
What is your favorite interior design advice?
Don’t duplicate what you see in magazines—use other homes as inspiration but trail blaze your own path. Make one decision at a time, and have the confidence to build onto what you’ve already chosen. Don’t second-guess yourself, and don’t try to get all your friends to agree on your choices. You will be inventing a design as unique as you are!