January 2016 Designer of Distinction Awarded to Regina Garcia




Regina Garcia is the Principal Designer at Regina Garcia Design, LLC. A graduate of Colorado Institute of Art, Regina's interior design career began in Denver, Colorado. With a passion for historic architecture combined with the beauty of the Lowcountry, she started her own interior design firm in Charleston in 2002.

Regina approaches each project with the individuality that truly represents everything that she is as a designer with the reflection of her client’s style. As a certified kitchen designer, an apprentice to a molding architect as well as an apprentice to a local architect specializing in building systems, Regina encompasses the entire design process from conceptual to completion.

Regina's designs have been showcased in over 34 national publications as well as numerous local publications. One of her favorite historic preservation projects was featured on HGTV's “Bang for Your Buck” and was selected as the best value renovation. Without the support of Regina's skilled team members and wonderful local artisans, her portfolio would not be what it is today. Never will she forget her humble beginnings and she is forever grateful for the gift she has been given to create beautiful spaces.

The shared vision for this home was established by my client’s roots, “we want it to feel like an old cotton gin”. It was important to give the space a feel that it had been around for a while albeit it was new construction. Avid chefs and Viking appliances at top on the 5-page list of must haves, I set to work space planning an industrial vintage look. Hand Crafted, old growth brown oak cabinetry from England was also top of the list as it was the perfect compliment to Graphite Gray Appliances. Salvaged copper pendants and barn beams were also incorporated with exposed brick. Stucco finishes, living brass cabinet hardware and milk paint finishes on sections of the brown oak are just a few things that makes this space everyone’s favorite kitchen.

Having had the pleasure of attending several functions in this home and kitchen, the surprising note is that albeit the space is not overly large it is perfectly efficient.

With two chefs in the kitchen and entertaining weekly, the placement of cooking and clean up zones was a crucial part of the well-equipped workstations. The island is the central hub: a zone for the cooking, zone for prepping and zone for refrigeration. Given limited space for each zone, the 36” range provided the perfect cooking scenario and established the focal point of the kitchen. Limited with refrigerator space, the built-in 36” unit was the perfect scale, surrounded by a “brown” oak armoire for added storage.

 

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