Photographer: Mike Kaskel, Kaskel Photography
Designer Larry Rych of Brookfield, Ill.-based Imperial Kitchens and Baths was tasked with redesigning this previous U-shaped kitchen into a space better suited for a busy family and entertaining.
Photographer: Mike Kaskel, Kaskel Photography
Above the standard wall cabinets, in place of the soffits, the clients desired 12-in.-high cabinets with interior lighting to visually open the room and provide useful storage space.
Photographer: Mike Kaskel, Kaskel Photography
The island location allows seated guests to face the windows with their backs to the butler’s pantry. This also provides more space for someone to pass behind the stools and makes the refrigerator and wall oven/microwave easier to access.
Photographer: Mike Kaskel, Kaskel Photography
“This is the only area in the kitchen proper where we used Shaker Crown molding with uplighting, and the 30-in. doors were cut for glass with interior lighting,” said Rych, in reference to the eating area’s mock china cabinet. “This lighting, plus the task lighting, is 3,000 Kelvin LED lamping – independently switched and on dimmers.”
Photographer: Mike Kaskel, Kaskel Photography
The island’s darker quartz top with the waterfall end emphasizes the visual weight of this piece.
Photographer: Mike Kaskel, Kaskel Photography
The design of the “china cabinet” in the eating area is reflected in the butler’s pantry with 30-in. wall cabinets fitted with glass and interior lighting topped with Shaker Crown and uplighting. The interior lighting, uplighting and task lighting are all independently switched.
This kitchen now has two main work triangles and a working pantry space. The island helps situate all three of these.