Galleries: Kitchen
Seven Designs, Seven Awards
Large Kitchen, Second Place – Paul Bentham
This 20-year-old kitchen began as a stark black and white room with cabinets that were literally falling off the walls. An awkward peninsula jutted out between the pair of sliding doors and relegated the casual dining area to an out-of-the-way space. In its place, Bentham put a floor-to-ceiling storage armoire that restored the storage lost when wall cabinets were removed.
Large Kitchen, Second Place – Paul Bentham
The 36-in. by 100-in. oak table with waterfall leg was custom stained to match the floors for a seamless connection. The table was so large it had to be lifted into the space by a crane. The table serves as a counterbalance to the Cambria Torquay Quartz working island and delineates the casual eating area with a view out to the open dining and living room.
“The diaphanous pendants that change color via an iPad app are pretty cool, too,” said Bentham.
Large Kitchen, Honorable Mention – Paul Bentham
The homeowners hoped for a large, contemporary space that would reflect their modern aesthetic and allow the wife – an avid baker and hostess – to exercise her culinary skills. Their requirements included an island with lots of prep space and four ovens. On the back wall, the design team faced the appliances and floor-to-ceiling storage with vertical grain, high-gloss cabinetry to give height and depth to that elevation.
Large Kitchen, Honorable Mention- Paul Bentham
The dual-level island has the auxiliary sink and storage beneath a Calacatta Nuvo quartz top that is grain matched and mitered to form waterfalls on both ends.
Medium Kitchen, First Place – Jennifer Gilmer and Amy Gardner
The hot-rolled steel used to frame out the island and the cooktop ‘console’ makes these cabinets feel more like furniture. It adds a certain sophistication that makes this kitchen even more unique. This same material was used under the wood stove and to the left along the wall where the client can stack firewood. Steel was also used within the architecture of the house in various areas.
Medium Kitchen, Second Place – Sarah Turner
The clients purchased a turn-of-the-century row house that understandably required extensive remodeling. The objective was to not only update the finishes and bring the cabinets into the 21st century, but to increase the flow between the outdoor patio and art studio to the living space in the front.
Medium Kitchen, Second Place – Sarah Turner
“The detailed tile backsplash is reminiscent of the patterns seen in vintage paper, which the clients collected,” said Turner. “The clients, who travel extensively, collect antique paper and are fascinated by its intricate patterns. The floating shelves gave us an opportunity to highlight the tile that is similar to the patterns they love in their paper collection.”
Small Kitchen, First Place – Meghan Browne
The clients wanted to open the kitchen to the rest of the first floor, removing the wall between the kitchen and the family room while providing easier access to the dining room. Adding natural light from the family room expanded the feeling of space.
Small Kitchen, First Place – Meghan Browne
“We centered the cooktop in the island with the sink for consistency,” said Browne. “By placing the sink off center, we gained room for a large drawer base to the left, perfect for nesting bowls, pots and pans or small appliance storage. If we centered the sink, we would have been forced to have two smaller cabinets on either side, inconvenient for storing large items. Adding the floor-to-ceiling pantry in a different stain with frosted glass doors makes it look like a furniture piece while providing plenty of storage.”
Small Kitchen, Second Place – Sarah Turner
“Our client is the original owner of this downtown condo,” said Turner. “He has seen neighbors come and go, watched the neighborhood revitalize and decided that after 15 years it was his turn to renovate. Living in an open-concept, garden-level condo meant that we needed to update the finishes and make this kitchen functional but also look more like an extension of the living room.”
Small Kitchen, Second Place – Sarah Turner
By changing the six-panel pantry door to a slab and adding baseboard and trim at the bottom, the designers created the illusion that the kitchen was longer and larger than before – without adding a single square foot.
Large Bath, First Place – Paul Bentham
The clients requested a soothing retreat with unique materials. Contrasting dark-stained walnut countertops with waterfall ends with 24-in. x 24-in. Calacatta marble floor tile, wall-mounted faucets and a triple shower with a centered rain head shower fit the bill.
Large Bath, First Place – Paul Bentham
“An existing skylight and one window were the room’s only natural light sources,” said Bentham. “We built a wood bench centered under the skylight with added storage and framed a huge mirror in the matching walnut to reflect the window’s view and double the light.”