Traditional Home – September 2019

KITCHEN &

BUTLER’S

PANTRY

MICHAEL

MITCHELL

AND TYLER

HILL

Kitchen & Butler’s Pantry Charleston-based
designers Michael Mitchell and Tyler Hill of
Mitchell Hill wanted the kitchen to feel modern
and sophisticated while referencing the home’s
origins—and the designers’ love of period glamour.
“We watched every episode of Downton Abbey
and became inspired by the characters, where
they live, their lifestyle, and their fashion,” Mitchell
says. “This kitchen is the marriage of an 1840s
paneled library and the 1940s machine age.”
Paneled walls and classic cabinetry coated
in Benjamin Moore’s “Tavern Gray” serve as a
timeless foil to an art-glass-meets-industrial
ceiling that nods to midcentury artisanship.
A dark brushed-steel framework holds mirrored

and aged-brass triangles that send light dancing

throughout the room. “The mix of glass and

metals has always been a personal signature of

ours,” Hill says. “There’s something special about

how the two elements play together.”

A masculine palette of olive and sand

balances the powerful color seen in the home’s

other rooms. Soapstone countertops with olive

veining expand on the hues of blackened metal

while stainless-steel appliances repeat the

shimmer of mirrored surfaces. A six-burner

Thermador range establishes a pro-grade chef’s

station under a custom mirrored ventilation hood.

A DXV pot-filler faucet in polished chrome set on

a wall of sandy-hue Yin + Yang collection

backsplash tile from Crossville provides

convenience for the cook.

A striking photograph by Aldara Ortega hangs

over the primary sink, making dishwashing duty

almost as pleasant as a visit to the art gallery.

Lighting controls by Lutron ensure it’s easy to

adjust the mood. An island with bar stool seating

encourages guests to gather around and help

with the cooking. Emtek hardware in satin brass

and a vintage French clock continue the metal

medley started by the custom ceiling.

Subtle sparkle continues in the adjacent

butler’s pantry, outfitted with glass shelves set

against a recessed mirror. A Thermador wine

refrigerator keeps favorite vintages at hand.

WE WATCHED EVERY EPISODE

OF DOWNTON ABBEY AND

BECAME INSPIRED.” —designer Michael Mitchell

77 THSeptember/October 2019