BURNABY: Planned Kings Crossing development caters to cooks, no matter how many are in the kitchen
Mary Frances Hill
The Province
Kings Crossing
Project size: 779 homes in three concrete construction towers, 28 — 36 storeys
Where: 7350 Edmonds St., Burnaby
Residence sizes and prices: 1 — 3 bed, 543 — 1,407 sq. ft., from $412,900
Developer and builder: Cressey Development Group
Sales centre: 7350 Kingsway (& 19th Ave.), Burnaby
Hours: noon — 5 p.m., Sat — Thurs
In any given household, the kitchen is usually more than a place to simply prepare meals. When there’s a welcoming layout, it’s also often a social space — the true heart of the home.
At Kings Crossing, Cressey Development’s planned Burnaby community, the developer and Insight Design took the renowned Cressey kitchen — noteworthy for its sleek look, integrated appliances and impressive storage — and expanded its possibilities to appeal to a range of buyers.
The show homes offer a choice of kitchen layouts: one to appeal to a single cook, the other with a layout that gives a comfortable berth to two people who wish to use the space at the same time, with free range of movement and comfort.
“We design each kitchen with careful consideration of the flow between working, cooking and storage zones,” says Emma Carter, who, with designer Linda Gallo, speaks on behalf of Insight Design on Kings Crossing.
“Once functionality and practicality have been addressed, we refine the details for a beautiful finished product.”
Indeed, function blends seamlessly with form at Kings Crossing in the kitchen and elsewhere: the designers leaned toward soft contrasts in kitchen finishes, combining wood and painted cabinetry.
In both show suites, the designers show a similar talent for combining practicality with personality.
To add character to the living room, Insight Design brought together light grey tones in the seating, artwork and rug to offset the floor’s dark shade. The contrast gives the room a warm, masculine vibe.
“We wanted to create visual interest and give the space character by combining light and dark elements,” adds Carter.
“The cooler grey tones work really well with the warmth of the walnut-looking floors.”
In the one-bedroom display suite, they turned a niche between the dining and living areas into a “functional work of art,” according to Carter. The niche shows the ways even design in limited spaces can be as functional as it is attractive.
“To optimize personal storage, we combined different mounting devices of one colour and strategically organized them in such a way to create graphic pattern and balance.”
Insight Design’s work in both these suites provide great details that any homeowner can mimic. For instance, in narrower rooms, mirrors and polished materials can be used to reflect light and open up a space, while built-in millwork helps use every inch of space for storage. Carter advises homeowners to be fearless about mixing up styles.
An attractive dining area with chairs that contrast with the table is an object lesson for exploring beyond the usual matching table-and-chairs dinette set.
“We always combine different pieces together as it creates a more interesting and collected look, and gives the space more personality.”
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