How a celebrity kitchen designer created her own kitchen

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

If you stalk beautiful kitchens online, chances are you’ve come across Unique Kitchens and Baths. Founded by Tanya Smith-Shiflett, this is the design firm that designers turn to — the Maryland-based company has crafted kitchens for Lauren Leiss, Leann Ford, Emily Henderson, and Bobby Berk.

Unique Kitchens and Baths designed these cabinets for Bobby Berk. Photo by Sara Tramp

But as any designer will tell you, the toughest client is yourself. When Smith-Shiflett recently tackled her own kitchen, she faced a conundrum. How could she make her kitchen feel authentic to her style, but also make it stand out from the dozens of spaces she’d designed for clients?

“It had to feel soulful and it had to be me,” Smith-Shiflett told House Beautiful this month. “But I was like, ‘How do I get all these elements in here that I haven’t already used in other projects?'”

Read on to discover the paint colors, materials, lighting, and hardware she used in her beautiful kitchen and other spaces in her home:

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

I love how understated this kitchen is. The lower cabinets are painted a deep green (Portola Paints Nostalgia). If you can’t readily access Portola, try these paint colors to get the look of these dark green cabinets:

• Sherwin-Williams Palm Leaf
• Benjamin Moore Jungle Canopy or Palmer Green
• Behr Kilimanjaro or Eastern Bamboo
• Farrow & Ball Bancha
• PPG Pinetop

The tower cabinet and base of the food-prep island are painted Figuera by Portola. Try these warm, creamy paint colors to get the look:

• Sherwin-Williams Creamy or Classic Light Buff
• Benjamin Moore Acadia White or Stoneware
• Behr White Wool
• Farrow & Ball Pointing
• PPG Queen Anne’s Lace

Tanya told me the hood is painted Shaded White by Farrow & Ball. Try these paint colors to get the look of Shaded White:

• Sherwin-Williams Accolade
• Benjamin Moore Tapestry Beige
• Behr Aged Beige
• PPG Static (a very close match to Shaded White)

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Above, the tower cabinet with glazed doors houses everyday dinnerware, cereal bowls, and glasses. You can find the faucet here, the cabinet hardware here, and the showstopper brass sink here.

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Instead of specifying tile or stone for the backsplash, Smith-Shiflett used Portola limewash paint on the wall behind the Ilve gas range. Limewash is washable, which makes it a great option for a backsplash.  farmhouse kitchen, modern english kitchen, english country kitchen, green kitchen cabinets

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Adjacent to the kitchen is the dining area, which features this table that extends to seat 12.

“Because this room has a fireplace in it, and we’re not formal people, we didn’t feel the need to have a formal dining room,” Smith-Shiflett said.

You can find the dining chairs here and the runner here.

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Notice how Smith-Shiflett included plenty of layered lighting in this space, including these pendants, these sconces, this chandelier, and these cutie brass-and-marble flush mounts (instead of recessed cans).

Ballard makes a more affordable dupe of the chandelier here.

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Did you notice the two-level island? Smith-Shiflett is an avid cook and baker; she outfitted the island’s lower portion, which is about 33 inches high, with Carrara marble for rolling out pastry and bread dough. She selected soapstone for the upper portion of the island, which she uses for food prep. The door in the background, above, is painted Ethereal Mood, a mid-tone neutral with a green undertone.

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

I like how she specified different edge profiles for the island countertops, designed the bases in distinct materials (one in a painted finish, the other in white oak), and gave both pieces legs. This makes the island feel like two pieces of furniture, rather than a single hulking mass parked in the middle of the room. Notice the lovely details on the baker’s island: the turned legs, integrated finger cutout, and brass rail for a tea towel. On the food prep island base, notice how she used brass leg skirts to protect the painted finish from scuffs.

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Above, Smith-Shiflett repurposed a closet to create a nook for a coffee bar. Here she used white oak and drawers with finger cutouts, tying the nook design to the baker’s island. Notice, too, how she used the same alabaster flush mount in this alcove as in the rest of the kitchen. I also love that stool. And I appreciate the brass plate covers she specified for the outlets and switches. No plastic here!

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

The rest of Smith-Shiflett’s home doesn’t disappoint, either. Above, in her living room, she painted the trim Ethereal Mood. It looks like the walls are treated with a limewash finish; for a similar look, try Portola Antique White or Gem. You can find the sofa here, the chandelier here, the coffee table here, and the throw pillows here and here. The vintage rug was sourced from Passerine, and the commissioned painting is by Brittney Schulz.unique kitchens and baths, portola green paint, portola nostalgia, portola figuera, green kitchen cabinets, Sherwin-Williams ethereal mood

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

The living room opens into Smith-Shiflett’s office, which is papered in a bespoke wallpaper mural by Maria Trimbell. You can find the dark sofa in the foreground here and the sconce here.

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Above, the ceiling of the office is painted Farrow & Ball Treron. You can find the desk here, the console here, and the chandelier here.unique kitchens and baths, english farmhouse kitchen, modern english kitchen, english country kitchen, green kitchen cabinets

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

You can find the slipcovered chairs here, the bench here, the desk chair here, and the rug here.

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

In the primary bath, above, the vanity is painted Farrow & Ball Mouse’s Back, per Smith-Shiflett, but this appears much darker than Mouse’s Back — more like Salon Drab. Get the look of this vanity with this paint color or this paint color. You can find the sconces here.

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

In what she and her husband call the whiskey room, above, Smith-Shiflett painted the walls Railings and selected this wallpaper as an accent. You can find the table lamps here, the chairs here, the chests here, the flush mounts here, and the pillows here.

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Above, Smith-Shiflett converted a closet into her dressing room. The ceiling is painted Peignoir and the walls are papered in “Birch” by Kelly Ventura. You can find the desk here, the chair here, the chandelier here, and the rug here.portola green paint, portola nostalgia, portola figuera, green kitchen cabinets, Sherwin-Williams ethereal mood

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

In the primary bedroom, above, Smith-Shiflett notes that she used Ethereal Mood, but this looks more like Storm Warning or Amherst Gray. Regardless of the color, I like that she drenched the walls, trim, and ceiling in a unifying hue to create a cocooning effect. You can find the bed here, the bedding here, the dresser and nightstand here, the lamps here, the rug here, and the pillows here.

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unique kitchens and baths, portola green paint, portola nostalgia, portola figuera, green kitchen cabinets, Sherwin-Williams ethereal mood