Where Jim Dove Finds Kitchen Inspiration
One thing’s clear about architect and interior designer Jim Dove: it’ll be a fun ride.
LEFT TO RIGHT: A sky blue-violet range is the heart of this ultra-glam kitchen. Dove looks to Frank Gehry for inspiration for his ‘sheer, breathtaking boldness,’ like this sapphire backlit bar with sinuous gold accents. Dove, in his new West Palm Beach showroom.
FIRST THING’S FIRST…
So much of what we do involves architecture at the entry level, so the first step is to begin a conversation with the architect, if possible. We discuss in deep detail how the client will use the space. What is their daily routine? Do they wake up and go right for the coffee? Do they leisurely check their emails at the kitchen island while their family has breakfast and starts their day? We ask these questions and so much more.
A PROUD CRYBABY
What inspires me is emotion. I am a very emotional person—I’m a father, and have always been extremely emotional when it comes to my kids.
SURPRISE!
“Wowing” people is my inspiration. My specialty is bespoke kitchens, baths and bars, so I would say that my overall style is “experiential.” I want the occupants of these spaces to feel something in addition to simply using them for their intended functions.
TWO WRONGS ALWAYS MAKE A RIGHT
One of my favorite projects was a dramatic kitchen for a surgeon and aspiring rock musician. He’s an extraordinary cook, and the space had to answer to all of his passions, without looking schizophrenic.
UNEXPECTED IS THE NEW EXPECTED
I’m a trained architect and I always sketch by hand, at first. The return of the visually beautiful kitchen, rather than the disappearing kitchen, is a trend that currently excites me.
HOLD ON TO 16 AS LONG AS YOU CAN
I wish avocado, coppertone, and harvest gold appliances would make a comeback, just because I’d love to be a teenager again.
BOLD IS ALWAYS BEST
The architect in me will always be in awe of Louis Sullivan for his innovations in respect to form vs. function, and Frank Gehry for sheer, breathtaking boldness.
“I ENJOY COOKING WITH WINE, SOMETIMES I EVEN PUT IT IN THE FOOD…”
As a kitchen designer, I always think of Julia Child in her own iconic kitchen in her Cambridge, MA house. The combination of natural wood and painted surfaces, butcher block and, of course, her pegboard pot rack designed and built by her husband, Paul, is simply as good as it gets.