She can hardly picture it now, but when Isabel Ladd first designed this Lexington, Kentucky, kitchen, everything was white. “I was only thinking about resale, so I played it safe,” she says. Eventually she realized she wanted to stay put — and then the fun started. “I’m a maximalist, and I believe that less is never enough!” she says.

Her design philosophy: Mix, don’t match. She filled the space with contrasting colors, patterns and finishes — incorporating three different woods, four metals and two countertop materials. To ground it all, she painted the cabinets and trim a mustard yellow (Fields of Gold by Benjamin Moore). “The color is cozy and happy but definitely not safe,” she says. The family, including Isabel’s partner, Taylor Payne, and sons Oliver, 13, and Theo, 11 (pictured), spend lots of time here and eat many of their meals right at the island — and they all appreciate her bold approach. “I’ve learned to lean in to what I love!”

The Details

Mismatched Finishes

The Café refrigerator, hood and ovens are a sleek matte black, but Isabel chose green for the range. "Having just one pop of emerald is so much more interesting than if it all matched," she says. Gold hardware ties all the appliances — and the cabinets — together.

Showstopping Island

Walnut-stained tambour paneling surrounds the island, and Isabel chose a fusion quartzite surface for the top. (She picked it for its purple swirls.) The counter stools are from Woven, and she found the banana bowl at her grandparents' folk-art store in Brazil.

Pretty Patterns

Isabel installed brown-and-white trellis wallpaper from Quadrille on the walls, ceiling and backsplash. "I am not afraid of lots of pattern," she says. She chose a vibrant botanical print from Sanderson for the Roman shades and a geometric runner from Momeni.

Dramatic Lighting

Wallpaper isn't the only element bringing drama to the ceiling here. The show-stopping 15-bulb chandelier (from Oly) casts unique shadows from it's cone-shaped shades. Even with the lights off, this fixture is major eye candy.