“Wes Anderson meets Provençal.” Designer Chris Graves (of Clarence & Graves) is describing his vision for his kitchen renovation. But what does that mean, exactly? For one thing, a memorable palette, in this case “a beautiful soft palette of pink, black and green”; for another, nostalgia for the past via quirky vintage and antique pieces. And then, there’s the more intangible element, a certain joie de vivre that all Wes Anderson sets seem to share: “I wanted it to feel joyous, convivial, bright, like we were abroad,” says Chris, who worked with deVOL’s in-house design team on the project.
All of which was accomplished with this charm-filled remodel. The once dark ’70s kitchen (think pine cupboards and purple plastic counters) is now a whimsical, welcoming, and meticulously considered space for his self-described “messy, colliding family.”
Let’s take a tour. (And don’t be surprised if you want to cue up The Royal Tanenbaums or Grand Budapest Hotel afterward.)
Photography courtesy of deVOL.
![the kitchen is in a \19th century victorian house and originally had just two s 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/clarence-graves-chiswick-basement-kitchen-devol-exterior-733x489.jpg)
![inside, the mint green is offset by a pale pink walls (china clay mid by little 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/clarence-graves-chiswick-basement-kitchen-devol-733x1100.jpg)
![the view to the courtyard takes center stage in the kitchen. chris made the unu 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/clarence-graves-chiswick-basement-kitchen-devol-island-733x489.jpg)
![\2\20;splurges include the sunken barazza gas hob—beautiful craft 20](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/clarence-graves-chiswick-basement-kitchen-devol-island2-733x1100.jpg)
![another unique design decision: inserting the sink into a chimney breast. the c 21](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/clarence-graves-chiswick-basement-kitchen-devol-sink-733x1100.jpg)
![a vintage chair and hungarian desk from a kempton antique fair set a sweet scen 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/clarence-graves-chiswick-basement-kitchen-devol-desk-733x489.jpg)
![just off the main kitchen area is a wall of cabinets, painted in devol\2 23](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/clarence-graves-chiswick-basement-kitchen-devol-fridge-733x977.jpg)
![adjacent to the refrigerator is the pantry. an electrical outlet inside means c 24](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/clarence-graves-chiswick-basement-kitchen-devol-pantry-733x977.jpg)
![the next set of the doors on the far right conceal the washer and dryer. 25](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/clarence-graves-chiswick-basement-kitchen-devol-washer-733x1099.jpg)
![\2\20;i was mindful of keeping the integrity of a city kitchen, so it ha 26](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/clarence-graves-chiswick-basement-kitchen-devol-exterior2-733x1100.jpg)
For more colorful kitchens, see:
- Kitchen of the Week: Ikea Meets Semihandmade in a Shell Pink Beach House Kitchen
- Trend Alert: Sunny Yellow Kitchens, 10 Favorites
- A New and Noteworthy Paint Collection from Plain English + Designer Rita Konig
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