February 11, 2010

When a family in Colorado decided to cut down on the commute to their children’s school, they left a five-acre, 15,000-sq.-ft. estate in affluent Cherry Hills Village for a newly constructed 6,000-sq.-ft. home in Denver’s Hilltop neighborhood. Although the house is considerably smaller in footprint, interior designer Debra Toney was able to capitalize on its abundant glazing, as well as its open floor plan, to create a comfortable living environment for this family of five. At the heart of her design—and the home—is a roomy, well-equipped kitchen whose inviting atmosphere, thoughtful layout and
full suite of amenities make it ideal as the hub of family life.

At 265 sq. ft., the kitchen ably accommodates all of the family’s activities, which include meals, homework and, of course, entertainment. However, as Toney noted, for these clients, entertaining friends wasn’t so much a chief consideration as was ensuring that two cooks—the wife and a housekeeper—could work comfortably together without getting in each other’s way. To this end, the kitchen’s layout features dual islands, one of which serves as the main cooking station and contains a cooktop, while the other functions as a cleanup and prep area and is outfitted with a sink, a faucet, two dishwashers and plenty of counter space. Stylish bar seats on one side of the second island also allow for casual dining, snacking and doing homework under an adult’s watchful eye.

To effortlessly handle both everyday needs and special occasions, the cooking station is equipped with six gas and two induction burners, as
well as a deck-mounted pot filler. Below, the island, painted a pale greenish gray, offers easy access to cooking necessities with a variety of storage compartments, while above, a custom hood, bottom-edged with frosted-glass detailing, keeps the room smoke and odor free.

During parties, a bar area situated to one side of the kitchen enables the homeowners to serve drinks without interfering with meal preparation.
Self-sufficient, it consists of a tall wine refrigerator, a bar sink and dedicated storage in the form of a wall cabinet, painted greenish gray to match the two islands, and a base unit that was stained for contrast. Toney added, “It’s a nice little area all on its own.”

Lining the back wall of the kitchen, a host of appliances are ganged together not only for convenience, but also for a little visual drama. “One of
the things I really like to do in all of the rooms that I design is to create one major focal point,” Toney said. “In this case, the focal point is that back wall.” To give the wall a polished look, glass tile and wood trim frame the appliances, which include a refrigerator column, a freezer column, two wall ovens, a microwave and a warming drawer. As Toney noted, “This kitchen has every conceivable appliance you can imagine.” Of interest, a stainless-steel drawer front was added to create the illusion of a second warming drawer and thus enhance visual balance.

The glass tile and wood detailing of the appliance wall easily complement the finishes used in the rest of the kitchen and are part of a color palette inspired by nature. According to Toney, because of the generous views throughout the home, “we really wanted to keep the tones earthy to establish continuity between the indoors and out.” The muted colors lend cohesion and elegance to the design, as does the use of a transitional door style that, as Toney noted, provides a kind of aesthetic compromise between the “quaint country kitchen” the family once owned and “something a little edgier,” which the wife desired.

In fact, the door style, which Toney designed and produces herself, is part of her signature collection “because it’s so popular and versatile.” One could say the same of this kitchen whose functions are many and whose heart is always with family.

SOURCES
Designer: Debra Toney, AIA Assoc.
Manufacturers: Cabinetry: Debra Toney Custom Cabinetry, www.debratoney.com; Cooking appliances: Wolf; Refrigerator: Sub-Zero; Plumbing fixtures: ISE and Rohl; Custom hood: Colorado Custom Stainless; Flooring: Great Danish Craftsman; Countertops: DuPont; Cabinet hardware: Linnea; Tile: BTM Madelyn; Lighting: Illuminating Experiences
Photography: Emily-Minton Redfield