The vinyl floor tile simply would not do. Nor would the standard white builder’s grade cabinets and appliances, the awkwardly placed refrigerator and the crank out windows above the sink. Reworking the kitchen was the last of many projects for homeowners Steve and John as they tackled the renovation of the 1990s mountainside home in Arden that they had chosen as a summer retreat, but it held a particularly high priority.
“We love to cook,” says John, “and we like to work in the kitchen together. There was simply no flow in the existing space and it really didn’t relate well to the adjoining breakfast area.” As veterans of several extensive home transformations, they were undaunted. Up came the offending vinyl tiles. Habitat for Humanity happily carted away the cabinetry and fixtures. Beautifully textured porcelain tiles with a sandstone-like appearance in a palette of deep blue and rich ochre were laid across the entire surface, extending into the breakfast nook. They had established the foundation.
Now what?
Enter Carol Basile, Certified Kitchen Designer, of Forest Millwork. “The other main rooms were complete to their liking, so it gave me a basis to help finish this last room to fit the rest of the house,” she says. Her new clients had set the bar fairly high, however. World travelers and avid collectors of fine art, this design-savvy pair had created homes with personal flair and local flavor in such aesthetically diverse locations as Fort Lauderdale and Santa Fe. They knew what they wanted in their mountain kitchen: efficiency, function, flow, clean lines…but lots of warmth and a nod to the setting. They just couldn’t agree on the type of wood for the cabinetry.
“One liked the lighter woods, the other preferred the darker,” Basile recalls. Her elegant solution was to include both. Working with the shades in the new porcelain floor tile, Basile suggested a European style, frameless, flush-faced cabinetry that combined Birdseye maple with deep mocha-stained cherry wood. To reinforce the modernist feel, stainless steel trims, fixtures and accents would add a touch of brightness and reflect the abundant ambient light.
With the overall look established, Basile began to configure the workspace. The kitchen’s footprint is fairly compact, so Basile set out to utilize every available inch of space for storage and work areas. She was also cognizant of her clients’ wish list: an ample pantry; a center island with electrical outlets; a six-burner Wolf gas range with super-efficient range hood (the original kitchen’s hood did not actually vent outdoors) and the integration of the breakfast area with the preparation space.
Dividing the space into work zones, Basile set the stainless SubZero refrigerator/freezer beside the pantry area, which features deep-drawer style storage and a slender, two-sided pullout rack for staples. Both offer easy access to the island prep area, which is within arm’s reach of the ten-inch-deep Blanco sink and the Miele dishwasher. The sink itself now offers an unimpeded view of the surrounding woodlands through a large, single pane window and features a hand-blown, Italian glass fixture by Ogetti.
The cabinetry was brought flush with the ceiling and stainless framed, flip-up storage compartments with frosted glass insets were set at the top level for easy access to occasionally-used items. These frosted glass panels also conceal the ductwork for a powerful, 1200 CFM stainless steel Vent-A-Hood, which adds a shiny, sculptural element above the range. Stainless steel kick plates echo the frames of the upper compartments and a stainless roll-up “garage” beside the stove keeps herbs and spices handy, but protected from the heat.
Complementing the modern, minimal feel of the cabinetry with earthy stone, Basile and the homeowners chose a polished Verde Cristalino granite from Mountain Marble & Granite and swathed the backsplash in a slender, horizontal Basalt Blue “Bamboo” mosaic tile, accented with Sterling Smooth domed Listello tile and a border of Butte Warm Deco tile, set in a vertical pattern — all from Horizon Tile.
Dishes and cutlery are stored near the breakfast area, which now relates visually to the prep area thanks to the consistent tile and a custom designed buffet, built by Forest Millwork, that repeats the mocha-stained cherry, stainless steel and frosted glass of the kitchen, but offers the refinement of furniture. A stunning, multi-color Murano glass chandelier and circular Tibetan silk rug — brought back from the homeowners’ trips abroad — define the dining area and add a splash of bold color.
Steve and John now delight in preparing meals in a workspace that is stylish and, although not rustic, entirely smpathetic with the mountain setting. “Many of the kitchens we’ve seen are for show. This is a real, functional kitchen…the most functional we’ve ever had,” says John. Which means, of course, that it most definitely will do.