Everyone says the kitchen is the heart of the home and in this case it's absolutely true. The center bay of three timber sections is the kitchen and stairs. Being in a city with neighbors on either side, there's not a lot of direct sunlight. With all the wood and dark tile white was the choice to brighten things. We contrasted sleek contemporary cabinets against the warm natural timber. Traditional beadboard against sparkly tile backsplash. Classic built-in bench seating with contemporary granite table top. This space is all about contrast.
Tile backsplash is Velas, from Porcelanosa. Stainless appliances are a mix of Viking, Bosch, Thermador, and Fisher & Paykell. Cabinets are Ikea's Abstrakt line. The pull-out pantries on either side of the fridge are my favorite - so convenient.
Ordinarily I prefer cabinets that rise to the ceiling, but in this case there was a structural timber beam to be worked around, and we found it best to tile the wall space above the tall cabinets and display my large platters and white ware up there.
The little counter stool is from Pier 1. Under the bench seat (above) there's a small strip at the floor. It's a handy dust pan for the central vac system.
We ate nearly all of our meals here. I'd pull that counter stool around at the end for myself, because - let's face it - I'm constantly up and down from the table anyway.
We considered making upholstered cushions for those benches, but this is a huge crumb collecting spot, so in the end I would have just been creating more work for myself. The pendant and coordinating light fixtures above the sink are Murano glass, designed for us by a Venician glassmaker while visiting Italy a few years ago. The new owners wanted something else (also lovely!) and they were kind enough to mail them to us. Not sure how they'll be re-imagined here yet.
Tiny framed watercolors are by an Italian artist from Siena, from the same trip.
Flooring is Ferro by Porcelanosa, and there is radiant heat in the floor, which makes dark winter morning walks to the coffee pot so much more comfortable.
Having two dish drawers on either side of the sink was pretty handy for running two small loads of dishes a day vs. one large. They're water efficient, but the best part is that they're incredibly quiet. The counters are Black Pearl granite with a textured, leather finish.
Our home was (and is) all about togetherness. If someone was reading in the living room it was so good to have them nearby while I prepared or cleaned up a meal.
Steps away across the open hall is a small dining area that I made a point to use for holidays and special occasions, or for adults when we had friends over and kids monopolized the banquette. The linen chairs, sisal rug, and drum ceiling fixture are all from overstock.com. I priced drum fixtures in a few places, but all things considered liked this option the best. (And I could easily return if needed.)
Most often that table was used for games and puzzles. Especially in the winter.
