Jena Bula designs a spacious eat-in kitchen to stand the test of time — and the wear and tear of her busy family of four.
by Cathy Martin | photographs by Tiffany Ringwald
Interior designer Jena Bula and her husband found their “forever” home in summer 2022. The south Charlotte house was perfect for their family of four, but the kitchen, with its greige stock cabinets and busy granite countertops, left much to be desired.
With two young children and a dog, Bula, who is founder and principal designer at Delphinium Design, envisioned a large, eat-in kitchen. But a load-bearing wall separating the kitchen from a formal dining room made the space feel small and enclosed.
To open up the space, Bula took out the wall, installing a steel ceiling beam along with new footings in the crawl space to support the additional load. A dry bar, closet and pantry were also removed to make space for a wine fridge, microwave-convection oven, secondary dishwasher and more personalized storage.
A custom kitchen table by Kauffman & Co. can be extended to comfortably seat 12. The diptych is by Dallas artist Taelor Fisher. The rattan-wrapped light fixture brings in a natural element, tying the space to the kitchen pendants over the island.
The main construction took just four months to complete. “I designed the kitchen to be a mix of traditional and modern — clean lines and sleek plumbing with more traditional elements like the three-piece crown that ties back to the rest of my home and natural stone, quartzite countertops,” Bula says.
In the dining area, a custom 60-inch round table made by Kauffman & Co. expands to a large oval that can seat 12. Bula shared an image of an antique table that she liked, and the Charlotte craft furniture-maker brought her vision to life. Periwinkle blue chairs by Serena & Lily bring a pop of color, and a reeded buffet provides ample storage and helps tame the clutter of a busy family.
“With two young kids and a dog, anything I can do to lessen the mess is key,” the designer says.
But for Bula, having small children doesn’t mean having to buy throwaway furniture.
“Although I have a young, busy family, I feel that investing in quality pieces and craftmanship that will stand the test of time — and sticky fingers — make living in your home that much more enjoyable.” SP
Featured: Bula searched for months for the perfect stone slabs; the quartzite countertops and backsplash were fabricated by Universal Stone. The paneled fridge is from Sub-Zero. Other appliances, including the induction cooktop, are by Monogram. The kitchen faucet and instant-hot water dispenser are by Brizo. Roman shades, in a striped fabric by Kravet, were custom-made by a local workshop.
