As part of a new-construction ranch in South Texas, the clients approached designers Madeline C. Williams and Cari C. Hawn, founders of Victoria, Tex.-based Fox & Hawn Home, to create a guest cottage kitchen that felt both highly functional and deeply intentional, despite the home’s smaller, 1,972-square-foot area. Rather than a traditional secondary kitchen, they wanted the space to live like a fully realized primary kitchen that would be capable of supporting extended stays while still feeling intimate, inviting and effortless.
The volume of the room played a significant role in shaping the kitchen design. The vaulted 15-foot ceiling extends the full length of the shared living, dining and kitchen spaces, creating a sense of openness that is beautiful but required a thoughtful approach to scale and proportion. The Fox & Hawn team used a long antique table to not only divide the kitchen space from the living but also act as a multifunctional spot for dining and prep space.
Storage and Style in the Guest Cottage Kitchen
Because the kitchen proper has a relatively small 12 x 12 footprint, storage was a key consideration. “Instead of relying solely on traditional upper cabinetry, we introduced an antique sideboard and a contrasting plate rack to house everyday dishes,” said Williams. “This not only solved a functional need, but also added a collected, layered quality to the space, making it feel more like a furnished room than a conventional kitchen.”
The color and material palettes for the guest cottage kitchen was rooted in its rural setting. From the beginning, the designers were drawn to green as the foundation of the space, using it as a way to visually pull the outdoors in. Finishes were chosen for their ability to age gracefully, embracing a more lived-in patina rather than requiring constant upkeep.
Hawn said, “We selected white appliances from the GE Café line to reinforce the overall character and tone of the cottage kitchen. There’s a subtle nostalgia to their design that felt especially fitting for this space; they offer the performance of a modern appliance while visually leaning more classic and approachable, rather than sleek or overly contemporary.”
Sources
Interior Design: Madeline C. Williams, Cari C. Hawn, Fox & Hawn Home Architect: Melynn Mayfield, Mark Richardson Architects Builder: Jason Biershwale, Rohe Builders Photography: Jenny King Photography Appliances: GE Café Flooring: Compass Flooring Lighting: Visual Comfort, Round Top Finds Seating: Wildwood Chelsea House, KBK To the Trade Sink: Ferguson Table: Maison Miral Fine Art & Antiques Window Treatment: Lulie Wallace
