After finding the perfect place to call home, Nick and Olga Mandis quickly realized that their nonfunctional kitchen would need to undergo a floor-to-ceiling renovation to echo the welcoming warmth and historic beauty of their Mediterranean heritage. The cozy 195-square-foot entertaining space now brings the growing family together and boasts exquisite detail inspired by the couple’s Greek roots.

For our January/February kitchen issue, we asked local design professionals if subway tile in the kitchen is a classic or a craze. Here’s what they had to say

Elevate the style and seating availability in a room with an accent chair. Meant to complement the existing furnishings, accent chairs come in a variety of designs.

17th C. French upholstered wing chair, available at Restoration Hardware.

Phidias chair, available at Savvy Surrounding Style.

Becket chair, available at Dau Neu.

Singular armchair in terracotta, available at Savvy Surrounding Style.

Both functional and decorative, floor lamps illuminate a space while finishing the look of a room. Tall and narrow, they can be tucked behind a sofa or hidden in a corner.

Parsons bone tile floor lamp, available at West Elm.

Tripod floor lamp, by E. F. Chapman for Visual Comfort & Co., available at KDR Designer Showrooms.

Counter weight floor lamp, available at Holt Lighting Depot.

Offering the finest European gold-rimmed porcelain, custom or in-house designed hand lettering and a fresh take on sustainable commodities, Sasha Nicholas isn’t your grandmama’s china shop.

Patti Porter designs custom floral arrangements that reflect your personality and style for any space in your home. With the holidays around the corner, floral arrangements add an extra touch of something special for your holiday guests.

SLHL: What spaces in a home work best for an arrangement?
Patti: Start with the front door and foyer table, and then move to the dining-room table, mantel and kitchen table. A small piece in a powder room is nice, but it could also be a single stem in a small mercury glass container on the nightstand.