Designer Jen Aram’s Favourite Room

When Jen Aram, principal designer of Lush Designs in Waterloo, Ont., set about designing her kitchen — part of a full renovation that doubled the size of the home — she knew what she didn’t want. “I honestly can’t get down with all-white kitchens. I find them sterile and lacking character,” she says. Instead, she tapped into her eclectic personal style.

By Laura Bickle | 2 minute read

Mar 15

“I’m a free bird and love bohemian and coastal designs, but I’m also a business woman who loves classic and traditional. I let every home I am renovating guide me in the process — I design with the energies of my clients in mind.”

– Jen Aram

What and where is your favourite room?

The kitchen in the home I share with my husband, our four children, ages 3 to 9, and our precious mini goldendoodle. I love to cook nourishing meals for my family and a well laid out kitchen is crucial for food prep. I love kitchens that are timeless but modern — that transitional twist makes them just right. This kitchen grounds itself with white oak, black and brass hardware and gorgeous porcelain countertops that are super easy to clean.

Jen Aram’s kitchen was designed with food prep and cooking in mind, and the porcelain countertops make cleaning up a breeze.

What were the challenges in creating this room, and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge in this kitchen design was the layout. It’s a very long and narrow space, but it offered a lot of opportunities to throw in some architectural features like the arch pantry wall, solid white oak arched door into the pantry, open shelving and tons of storage.

Aram took advantage of the long and narrow layout by including visually interesting architectural features like the arched pantry wall.

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What are your favourite features of the room?

There’s a lot of favourite features to mention, but this entire kitchen was designed with the French-style range in mind. The curved range hood is my favourite we’ve brought to life so far.

One of Aram’s favourite features of her kitchen is the curved range hood above the French-style range.

How does this room make you feel?

This kitchen makes me feel at home. We make Christmas cookies in the pantry and the kiddos can hang out at the island while I cook. That’s what I love most about the kitchen, it brings the family together.