Get Swept Away By This French-Inspired Kitchen + Bath

A Utah sports pavilion’s vibrant kitchen, pantry and bath flourish within a chic retreat inspired by the design of classic French orangeries.

Given that her clients had commissioned a sports structure sited between the tennis and volleyball courts on their property, athletically attired interiors might have seemed like an easy win. But Salt Lake City-based Hillary Taylor’s design scheme blooms from the owners’ love of France—specifically, the orangerie at the Petit Trianon of Versailles, the famed private chateau of Marie Antoinette.

Marrying the architecture of an orangerie with an activity-and entertaining-focused accessory building isn’t even that far-fetched, says Taylor: Both are wellness-minded spaces devoted to leisurely pursuits. “Everything is about access to light,” she notes. A central glass ceiling presides over the pavilion’s multifaceted main gathering area, and is met by columns, cornices and details like a double Greek key frieze and ornamental treillage. The open kitchen, grounding one side of the main room, features a botanical wallcovering that emphasizes the structure’s greenhouse vibe, paired with glossy blue countertops that tie to the sky. A sportier counterpoint comes via the bathroom, rendered in crisp green and white.

“The architectural detailing is a lot more formal than the way this retreat is lived in, but that’s appropriate for life,” comments the designer, who worked with architect Jon Jang, residential designer Bradford R. Houston and general contractor Mike Dahl to complete the sophisticated pavilion. “You should be able to use knockout spaces.”