Adrienne Marmon Designs Kitchens That Live With You
By Edible Columbus
In the world of home design, kitchens are often treated as functional spaces tucked behind the glamour of living rooms and bedrooms. But for Adrienne Marmon of Studio Black Ink, the kitchen is the heart of the home, a sanctuary where beauty and function dance, and where everyday life unfolds. With a background in Interior Architecture, Marmon approaches each culinary space with the precision of an architect and the intuition of a storyteller, crafting kitchens that are as soulful as they are practical.
Marmon shares her philosophy on the enduring elements that make a kitchen a space for memory, connection, and joy.
EC: How would you define your kitchen design philosophy?
AM: I always begin by studying the space and take note of the way light pours through a window, the connections to surrounding rooms, the architecture of the home, how you naturally move through the space and the views you take in. The kitchen has to flow and each area is considered inside and out. My degree is in interior architecture, and I’m a licensed interior designer; I’m formally trained in holistic space planning, and that’s where every project begins. As the space is being laid out, I develop a palette of honest, enduring materials that age gracefully. Materials with good energy. I’m a bit of a closeted woo-woo person, and I truly believe that the energy of the materials in a space impacts you at a soul level. It all matters: how a leathered natural stone countertop feels as you run your hand across the top, the weight and gauge of a cabinet pull, the experience of turning on a faucet, or the soft closing of a drawer. I’m not interested in trends, but rather in what stands the test of time and brings a quiet calm and a bit of joy to your everyday life. A well-designed kitchen should feel like a sanctuary. We design warm,practical, and beautiful spaces that are ready to hold all the stories and rituals that naturally unfold around food and drink.
EC: Where do you find inspiration when designing a culinary space?
AM: Inspiration can come from so many places and never the same place twice. Of course, there are the obvious sources like well-designed kitchens I’ve dog-eared in my favorite books, or pages torn from magazines over the years. Unforgettable restaurant experiences during my travels can be incredibly inspiring. Watching the use of space while I dine is a favorite past-time. I’ve designed restaurants for over a decade and my experience designing commercial kitchens comes in handy when I think about how a residential kitchen should flow.
The era that a house was built always tells a story if you’re willing to listen. I often pull details from the history of a home: the trim, the hardware, and the little quirks that deserve to be honored. My clients are also one of my greatest inspirations. I spend a lot of time getting to know the inner workings of each family, and their daily rituals often spark the most meaningful custom details. Sometimes this is easier said than done. I really look for clients who can open up to me and my team, trust us and provide us with honest feedback. It’s a dance and we are strategic leads.
Studio Black Ink color palettes are usually inspired by nature. They tend to be neutral, natural, and quietly sophisticated, not overly theatrical or colorful. Sometimes the best color combinations come from happy accidents when we’re making beautiful messes in our studio library, or from an amazing slab we find in a stone yard from one of our local or national sources. Overall, I believe a kitchen should feel real, timeless and connected to its surroundings, so we typically keep big pops of color for art, accessories and the smaller moments that can shift and evolve as life does. It’s all about layering inspiration thoughtfully so that the end result feels personal and welcoming.
EC: How do you translate a client’s personality into their kitchen?
AM: I’m a big believer in asking unexpected questions: What do you wear when you entertain? What does home feel like to you? Do you cook and/or bake? Are you a takeout addict with a penchant for pretty dishes? The answers tell me how they move, what they value and where to invest in custom details. It’s this process that ensures the finished kitchen doesn’t just look beautiful and function well – it feels like them.
EC: What are your non-negotiables in your own kitchen? (Not necessarily your clients)
AM: If it isn’t obvious already, I’m a true lover of natural materials. That’s absolutely non-negotiable in my own kitchen. There’s a time and a place for quartz and laminate, but rarely in my residential projects, and you’ll never find them in my own home (and if you do, they’re on their way out in the next renovation phase!). I love materials that wear beautifully with time and tell a story as they age. That wabi-sabi look and feeling fills me with gratitude for nature. There is true beauty in imperfection.
Another must is well-designed, layered lighting. It’s amazing how much good lighting changes not just how a kitchen looks, but how it feels to live in. Dimmers on every fixture is a Studio Black Ink standard.
Enough concealed storage to keep the beautiful things visible and the chaos hidden is a big one, too. I hate clutter. As a mom of a three-year-old, this is nearly impossible, but if I can control it anywhere, it’s my kitchen. My current kitchen isn’t spacious enough, and it kills me! We love to cook at home, and since we’ve started cooking every day over the past few years, we’ve accumulated so many new gadgets and vessels. We’re outgrowing our space fast and have to get creative with storage.
Lastly, I always want a comfortable place for people to gather. A kitchen lounge is one of my favorite details in my own home: a cozy spot for family or friends to sit, snack, or just keep the cook company. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves being together in the kitchen in a more informal way.
EC: A kitchen is the heart of the home and often a space where physical and emotional sustenance is created and shared. It’s typically one of the most used rooms/areas in a home. How do you approach designing a space that is both truly beautiful but still functional for cooking and gathering?
AM: I think of a kitchen like a well-rehearsed show: it needs flow, zones, and a few stunning moments of drama. Function and aesthetics are never in competition; they’re collaborators. A beautiful kitchen that doesn’t function isn’t successful, and a highly functional one that feels soulless isn’t either. Function first: work triangles, storage, and ventilation—all the unglamorous stuff—so you’re never cursing your beautiful space while hosting 12 people. The ‘fun’ detail work comes next. I like to walk through clients’ existing kitchens with them and take inventory of what they currently own and what’s on a future wish-list. Each item is considered and locations are labeled in the new design. Once that’s locked in, I layer in materials that feel authentic and age well. Think of yourself as the custodian of your home for a period of time. How can we give a stronger and more appropriate design to the next generation? If you do it right, your kitchen will look even better after a decade of spilled wine and Sunday dinners. That’s real life, real beauty and real function.
EC: What role does storytelling play in your design process, particularly in spaces where memories and rituals live in tandem?
AM: Storytelling is so important. The kitchen is where family recipes are cooked or created, new traditions are developed and even arguments are made over how to load the dishwasher. I like to ask clients: What does home feel like to you? Or, what do you want your kids to remember? Maybe we use a vintage tile or color that reminds you of your grandmother’s house, or design a breakfast nook where your family can squeeze in together. A good kitchen should hold your past, present, and future all in one room.
EC: What is your dream kitchen item — no budget limit?
AM: A personal chef! We laughed about this one in the studio. But honestly, that would be amazing. In the real world, I’m currently gunning for a new refrigerator and have my eye on a Sub-Zero for its incredible food preservation features. We often select this brand for our clients and they always love them.
I’d also love to have a large, highly designed and detailed prep space. Tight quarters while you cook can be stress-inducing, and having the room to really spread everything out is a dream. We’re also very into gluten-free baking right now since my son has an allergy. A plump and doughy pizza crust is high on my list to master, so an indoor pizza oven would be so much fun to have at home.
EC: What is an underrated kitchen design element?
AM: Integrated hardware is always a fun design exercise. We work closely with our cabinet fabricators to be sure the functionality is still there. I did this in the Black Ink studio kitchen—no chunky pulls interrupting a gorgeous cabinet face. It keeps the lines so clean and lets the millwork be the hero. Non-integrated hardware can be incredibly unique and I like to think of it as the jewelry of the kitchen. Special pieces like cremone bolts or traditional back plates can really be gorgeous intentional features.
Another is bespoke drawer inserts. They make you feel so organized you just might keep it that way. It’s these hidden, thoughtful moments that make a kitchen sing. We’re currently designing a kitchen that has a specific drawer just for pot lids. A dream, right? Located in reach of the range for an easy grab.
EC: What’s one small change that makes a huge impact?
AM: I always advocate for proper lighting. Under-cabinet and in-cabinet lighting are total game changers. Open a pantry or a deep drawer and actually see what you’re reaching for? It seems like a small thing, but it makes everyday cooking feel so much easier and more pleasant. Good lighting transforms a task into a ritual, and that’s what a thoughtful kitchen is all about.
In the end, Marmon’s kitchens resist spectacle in favor of substance. A Studio Black Ink kitchen is designed to be used, worn in, and remembered—where spilled wine and flour-dusted counters become part of the architecture rather than a flaw. By honoring material honesty, thoughtful flow, and the rituals that unfold around food, her work reminds us that the most beautiful kitchens quietly evolve alongside the people who inhabit them. It’s a kind of design that values longevity and understands that the heart of the home is something you live into, day after day.
