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April 12, 2010

Stepping into this nostalgic kitchen located in the St. Louis suburbs,
you might think you’re in a cozy 19th-century farmhouse tucked along
the Missouri river. But further inspection of the superb craftsmanship,
professional-style appliances and sweeping views might tip you off to
your actual location—a 29th-floor luxury penthouse!

When James
E. Howard, CKD, CBD, of Glen Alspaugh Kitchens & Baths in St.
Louis, first saw the space for the kitchen he’d be designing, he admits
wondering how he’d meet all of the design requirements in the space.
“But the architect did a great job of working around obstructions and
impediments,” he said, noting the particular challenge of
reconfiguring, accommodating and concealing all mechanicals in the open
floor plan.

Howard was charged with creating an open kitchen
with easy flow and plenty of reachable storage space that also fit his
clients’ very distinctive decor. “It was hard to put a label on their
unique style, but they were clear about wanting a comfortable and
casual space,” he explained. “They owned a lot of primitive antiques
and American collectables such as rolling pins and old signs. The end
result is very simple, but consistent, which makes it work in a
high-rise environment.”
kitchen design of the year

Of
all the interesting details that may catch one’s eye, the
old-fashioned-style icebox is the most dramatic focal point. Howard
covered a refrigerator/freezer duo with quarter-figured distressed
white oak and added authentic icebox-style hardware. The arch above
contains chicken-wire inserts and displays the couple’s collections.
“The doors have a very solid, heavy look to them, but they’re as light
as standard refrigerator doors,” he said. “In fact, the vertical and
horizontal icebox pulls make them even easier to open.”

The
owners wanted to include a 1930s-style buffet cabinet for dish storage,
but a typical buffet would have been too heavy and bulky for the space.
To solve this problem, Howard designed a cherry wood cabinet that is
painted in a distressed Red Barn finish and features mouth-blown
antique glass sliding doors on both sides. “This way the dishwasher can
be unloaded and the dishes can be pulled out from the other side. It
also lets the sunlight flow through the entire space,” he noted. In
addition, a shallow platform under the buffet cleverly conceals the
plumbing routed to the adjacent sink.
kitchen design of the year

A
coordinating hutch in the same Red Barn finish is a streamlined
workhorse. It’s packed with a warming drawer, coffee machine and
refrigerator drawers, all of which are concealed behind center pocket
doors. It also features pewter chicken-wire inserts. Directly across,
the lower bar reflects the same finish as the refrigerator and contains
serving cart storage, an ice maker and a hot water dispenser.

Carefully
considered details, such as a tin ceiling, rough-hewn beams, a custom
copper range hood, board and batten cabinet doors and textured Venetian
plaster, complete the overall rural feel. It’s this seamless
consistency that blends the unique kitchen into its surrounding
environment. As Howard said, “The end project was truly a collaborative
effort between owner, architect, designer and kitchen designer.”

SOURCES
Designer: James E. Howard, CKD, CBD—Glen Alspaugh Kitchens & Baths, St. Louis; www.glenalspaughkitchens.com
Architect: Steve Levin
Interior designer: Sonja Willman
General contractor: Markway Brothers
Manufacturers: Cabinetry: Premier Custom Built Cabinetry; Stonework: Stone Fabricators Inc.; Refrigerator, freezer, refrigerator drawers and ice maker: Sub-Zero; Dishwasher: Asko; Range: Wolf; Microwave Drawer and warming Drawer: Dacor; Hood: RangeCraft; Faucets: Waterstone; Sinks: Native Trails; Lighting: Hi-Lite Mfg.; Hardware: Whitechapel Ltd. (cabinet), Roseland Icebox Co. (refrigerator); Audio, video, lighting and climate control: Crestron
Photography: © Alise O’Brien

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