Credit: Paul Dyer Photography

Maybe it’s the less than exuberant state of the economy, or perhaps the nation’s growing affection for all things organic, or the imperative to go green. Whatever the drivers, our latest crop of coveted kitchens and baths gives a definitive nod to soothing simplicity. Clean lines, natural finishes, and economical choices were once again bountiful in this year’s Watermark awards, and daylight remains a central ingredient. In the quest for serenity, many designers and home buyers are stripping away the excess and embracing elemental palettes of glass, metal, stone, and wood. They’re also dispensing with some of the old ideas (about work triangles, galley kitchens, and cabinet configurations, for example) and rethinking the rules. This year it’s not so much about what’s hot in kitchens and baths; it’s about what’s functional, essential, and cool.

Credit: Paul Dyer Photography

 

Let There Be Light

Open Box 2, San Francisco

Kitchen of the Year and Grand, best kitchen in a single-family detached remodeled home—2,000 to 3,000 square feet

The original floor plan of this ’50s-built San Francisco home was fairly unimaginative (picture fractioned living quarters stacked on top of a garage and an unfinished basement for a total floor area just over 2,000 square feet). The problem with remodeling was there simply was no room for—nor would the city allow—an expansion of the building envelope. Architect Jonathan Feldman found himself pondering how he might “open up the box” without actually opening the box.

Although the neighborhood was dense, the houses were slightly pulled apart, which meant there were opportunities to bring in light on all sides. This sleek kitchen inside Feldman’s second Open Box project shows how it’s done.

After eliminating unnecessary walls and reconfiguring the interior space to allow the kitchen, dining, and living areas to flow together, the architect threw out the standard cook’s configuration of countertops sandwiched between upper and lower cabinets. As an alternative, he tipped the balance and loaded up the kitchen’s lone interior wall with a floor-to-ceiling bank of cabinets and appliances. Too heavy and monolithic? Not when you consider that this super storage wall is offset by an open composition of large windows and exposed shelving on the opposite side. The sum total is a room that feels much airier than it would have with conventional cabinets blocking the light.

Feldman’s second counterintuitive move involved customization for purposes of cost savings. “We hired a local fabricator to do the open shelving and a raised breakfast bar that matched the finish on the cabinets. That allowed us to use what is basically off-the-shelf stuff from an Italian cabinet company [Scavolini], but then customize the space in a way that worked,” Feldman explains. “They had a scaled-back line with a somewhat restricted choice in hardware that allowed us to stay within modular units. That saved money.”

Visual balance was achieved not only with the clever grouping of the kitchen’s storage components, but also with a sophisticated palette of materials. Light walls and eggshell Caesarstone countertops offset the dark-stained oak cabinets and shelves, with a quarter-sawn engineered white oak floor and stainless kick plates establishing a middle ground. A generous backsplash of copper and glass penny round tile lends just enough texture to prevent the space from feeling too spare. “We wanted to do something modern, but softer and quieter, as opposed to stark modernism,” says Feldman. “This design is very serene and almost Japanese inspired.”

Entrant/Architect/Kitchen and bath designer: Feldman Architecture, San Francisco; Builder: Lara Construction, Daly City, Calif.; Developer: Rick Miller, San Francisco; Interior designer: Lisa Lougee Interiors, San Francisco

Credit: Michael Lowry Photography

Finding Nemo

NeMo, Winter Park, Fla.

Grand, best master bath in a custom home

Phil Kean designed and built this custom home on spec, envisioning a buyer who would embrace indoor/outdoor living, value natural materials, and appreciate contemporary design.

Influenced by the work of mid-century architects such as Paul Rudolph, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Rudolph Schindler, Kean created a master bath that feels like a trip to the spa. The space is split into two volumes—one containing the everyday bath; the other, a spa bath—that are separated by a breezeway and sliding glass doors.

Private yet open and airy, the everyday bath (see inset photo) displays lush materials such as travertine limestone floors, ipe (on the floor and tub surround), and crema marfil marble countertops. In the modernist spirit, the designer extended these ­interior materials—ipe, travertine—to the outside, including an exterior shower area adjacent to the two bathrooms.

Credit: Michael Lowry Photography

In addition to the sliding doors, floating wall cabinets permit a free flow of light. Etched glass walls permit light but offer the toilet and bidet privacy from the shower and bathing areas. “The glass allows light to move throughout the bathroom, and it makes the space feel softer,” Kean says.

In the end, Kean was unable to part with his master work and ended up keeping the house. It turns out that the homeowner he envisioned living there was actually himself.

Entrant/Builder: Phil Kean Designs, Winter Park, Fla.; Interior designer: CRT Studio, Winter Park

Credit: Joel Hakken

 

Island in the Stream

Herrington Residence, Port Austin, Mich.

Grand, best kitchen in a single-family detached custom home—less than 3,000 square feet

When architect Shelley Herrington tore down her family’s lakefront “shack with a view” and built a new cottage in its place, she wanted a communal area that could comfortably accommodate a party of two or 50, depending on the season. But the 40-foot lot (which limited the house width to 30 feet) didn’t afford much clearance for large family gatherings.

Herrington’s response: a galley kitchen that spills into a casual living room at one end and a dining room at the other. Its generous 13-foot island (the length of which aligns perfectly with a parallel staircase) hyphenates the two realms and provides additional seating with tuck-under bar stools. Crisp custom cabinets and a paneled veneer fridge possess a furniture-type feel, so the kitchen feels part of the extended ­living space when the appliances are off. As a bonus, having the cabinets tailor-made for the space allowed for a raised sink counter height of 37 ½ inches (Herrington and her husband are both tall).

Budget concerns factored into other choices such as the sink-side Formica countertop, the sturdy Lyptus island top (which cost $3,000, compared to $8,000 for teak), custom pendant lights that were fabricated for $100 a piece, and MDF walls dressed up with poplar battens to look like authentic wood paneling.

But some of the most price-conscious finishes also proved to be functionally and aesthetically adept. Take the subdued linoleum flooring, which not only promises easy maintenance in this multigenerational beach house, but helps to frame the home’s spectacular view of Lake Huron. “When you have a view, it helps to keep your middle plane clear and do your accessorizing high or low,” Herrington explains. “That’s why I spent more on ceiling beams to define the space, but opted for a black linoleum that recedes seamlessly and doesn’t distract the eye. Had it been a patterned floor, you would be looking at it rather than looking outside.”

Entrant/Architect/Kitchen and bath designer: Shelley Herrington Architect, Bad Axe, Mich.; Builder: K&B Carpentry, Harbor Beach, Mich.

Credit: Thomas McConnell

 

Light Fantastic

Hidden Cove Residence, Austin, Texas

Grand, best master bath in a remodeled home

The U.S. has a surfeit of old (and new) houses that fail to take advantage of their sites. In this Texas home, the master suite and closet had only a single, stained glass window that faced the view to the waters of Lake Austin. The homeowners called on architect Kevin Alter to intervene, and this floating, treehouse-style bathroom is the result.

“It was pretty much a mess,” says Alter. “[The house] is located on a stunning site at the end of a road, but no windows faced the water.” To start over with a clean slate, he gutted the two spaces and reorganized the rooms in a more efficient configuration that maximizes views and light. That meant pushing the bathroom toward the water and relocating the closet and laundry room toward the front of the home.

The bathroom is moderately sized, but it feels more spacious and ethereal thanks to a large floor-to-ceiling glass wall that affords views of the water below and a new glass-enclosed double shower that allows light to permeate the space.

Credit: Thomas McConnell

Given all that it took to obtain that view, the last thing Alter wanted to do was obstruct it with traditional cabinetry. “We didn’t want [the cabinets] to go all the way to the floor,” he says. His solution was a floating cherry-veneered vanity that also adds warmth to the space. Custom designed ipe benches—for the sink and shower—and limestone walls and flooring (with radiant heating underfoot) complete the masterpiece.

Entrant/Architect: AlterStudio Architects, Austin, Texas; Builder: Joseph Zambarano, Austin

Credit: Robert H. McGee

 

Beguiling Tile

Lost Barton Kitchen, Austin, Texas

Grand, best kitchen in a single-family detached custom home—over 5,000 square feet Special Focus, wall treatment

This bachelor kitchen spared no expense when it came to the good stuff. Its high-performance appliances (including three fridges, two dishwashers, a six-burner range, and double ovens) are ergonomically grouped into three functional work zones—prep, cook, clean up. Cherry and glass ­cabinets, granite countertops, xenon under-counter lighting, a hammered copper range hood, and honed travertine floors round out its palette of delectable finishes. It even has a 5-foot-by-13-foot built-in fish tank.

But the space’s defining feature and tour de force is a captivating mosaic constructed almost entirely of tile remnants, which interior designer Jackie Depew sourced from various tile purveyors about town. More than a backsplash, the funky composition, which is mortared onto backerboard, spreads to the ceiling and wraps corners, turning the entire kitchen into an art installation. Hand-cut bricks of thin-coat limestone around the edges suggest a structural wall that has crumbled away to reveal hidden treasure.

The tile collage is a provocative but fitting conceit inside this 14,000-square-foot, Tuscan-style home in the Texas hill country, which winds around a 40-foot knoll and assumes the exterior appearance of a medieval walled city. The kitchen has a secret stair passage leading to twin underground wine cellars (one for whites, the other for reds).

“The client just let us run wild,” says ­architect Bob Wetmore. “Everything in the house plays on the unexpected. The owner fortunately is a very creative person. And we never talked about budget.”

Entrant/Architect: CGA Partners, Austin, Texas; Builder: Heritage Custom Homes, Austin; Interior designer: Depew Design Interiors, Austin

Credit: Ken Myner Photography

 

Now and Zen

Mellor-Pfiefle Residence, Vienna, Va.

Grand, best master bath in a remodeled home

Production homes built in the ’60s aren’t known for having spacious bathrooms. So when Bradley Mellor added onto his own 1961 residence (a California contemporary) in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, a major piece of the expansion plan involved converting a small, utilitarian master bath into a peaceful sanctuary with room to breathe.

“My wife and I had a strong desire for natural light and nature views,” the architect explains. As part of a 1,500-square-foot addition block that now forms a rear courtyard and looks out into the woods, the expanded retreat delivers on that wish. Earthy textures figure prominently, as seen in its rich cherry millwork, bark-like ceramic tile, black river stones, tumbled marble, and limestone walls. Cove lighting in the shower complements the sunlight streaming in from large picture windows. And the space is as comfortable as it is beautiful, with pampering features such as radiant floor heating (with timed activation), a steam shower, and a dressing table with pull-out shelving for manicures and pedicures.

The biggest challenge was aligning all that good wood with the tile, says Mellor, pointing, for example, to the continuous crown band of cherry (the same species used in the custom cabinets) where ceiling meets wall. It serves as a unifying element, but was tricky to execute.

“In a contemporary space, there is minimal trim so everything has to line up,” he says. “But when you’re in rough framing, it’s hard to anticipate the precise location of the finishes. We spent a lot of time making sure those elements matched up perfectly.”

Entrant/Architect/Interior designer: Ponte Mellor Architects, Bethesda, Md.; Builder: Estoril Construction, Bethesda

Credit: Paul Bardagjy

 

Modern Times

Maryanna Drive Residence, Austin, Texas

Grand, best kitchen in a single-family detached remodeled home—over 3,000 square feet

Kevin Alter’s client had fond childhood memories of time spent in this house, but as an adult with a family of his own, he wanted to renovate the kitchen to accommodate a new set of priorities—all the while maintaining aspects of the home’s original personality.

The trick was figuring out what to keep and what to change. “It’s a large and handsome property,” Alter says, “but it had a ’70s character with brick floors, dark oak cabinets, and very inefficient spaces.”

Beginning with a space that had traditional panels, wood beams, and small windows, Alter inserted a decidedly modern new kitchen with a continuous ceiling and three partitions surrounding a large island. One partition houses refrigeration, the other contains cooking equipment, and a third has a wet bar. To bring unity to the three stations (and the space in general), the architect specified book-matched eucalyptus veneer for the cabinetry and replaced the old brick floor with wide-plank mahogany.

A large 6-foot-by-12-foot window brings abundant daylight to the space, while ­recessed cans and pendant fixtures ­supplement artificial illumination. White Caesarstone quartz countertops, highly ­reflective stainless steel, and glass-front cabinets also help brighten the room. “The clients were skeptical that the project was too modern and should have a more decorative aspect to it,” Alter says, but now they are very happy they trusted their instincts and their architect.

Entrant/Architect: AlterStudio Architects, Austin, Texas; Builder: Brian Sheffield Custom Homes, Austin; Interior designer: Tracey Overbeck Stead Interiors, Austin

Credit: Jeff Scroggins Photography

 

Mountain Maritime

The Shore House, Aurora, Colo.

Grand, best kitchen in a single-family detached custom home—over 5,000 square feet
Special Focus, kitchen countertops
Grand, best master bath in a custom home

Waterfront living is hard to come by in landlocked Colorado. This gracious 6,168-square-foot shingle-style home makes the most of its unique vantage point overlooking a reservoir lake. Coastal in flavor, its vaulted, fir-beamed ceiling could easily be interpreted as an inverted ship’s hull, and its distressed sepia kitchen cabinets have a rustic beauty that’s reminiscent of driftwood—a style that contrasts nicely (and somewhat unexpectedly) with the fine filigreed pattern in a concrete ­veneer island countertop. A dramatic juxtaposition of light and dark finishes makes this culinary zone a show-stopper.

A similar palette, emphasizing strong contrasts, carries through to the home’s spa-like master bath, made sumptuous with floor-to-ceiling white Carrara marble and a freestanding soaking tub outlined by a natural pebble floor surround. Windows with leaded stained glass overlays and a custom clerestory skylight provide a delicate counterbalance to the retreat’s muscular stone, all the while channeling natural light inside. The doorless walk-in shower is separated from the tub only by an “air scrubber” waterfall that filters out air impurities and soothes the senses.

Entrant/Builder/Developer: Village Homes of Colorado, Englewood, Colo.; Architect/Kitchen and bath designer: Knudson Gloss Architects, Boulder, Colo.; Interior designer: Hillary Reed Interiors, Littleton, Colo.

Credit: E.L. Imagery

 

Many Thanks to This Year’s Judges

Bill Manion, O’Neil and Manion Architects
Bethesda, Md.
www.oneilandmanion.com

Ilene Kanner, Tunis Kitchens and Baths
Chevy Chase, Md.
www.tuniskitchens.com

The following are award winners from this year's competition that were not featured in the magazine.

Boston Project, Boston

Grand, best kitchen, multifamily

By Nigel F. Maynard

Credit: Stephen Lee

When developers decided to convert this former police station into luxury condominiums, they wanted open-plan kitchens incorporating sleek, cutting-edge materials. The designers responded with a simple configuration that places the kitchen's major functions in ergonomic positions along a primary support wall. A 6-foot island, with sink and commercial-style faucet, anchors the space. Constructed of horizontal-grain teak veneer, the cabinets feature integrated drawer pulls and provide ample storage in the island and wall units.

The teak's warm finish acts as a foil to the white paint, gleaming stainless steel appliances, and Cervaiole marble countertops (for continuity, the marble is also used for backsplash behind the cooktop). Natural light floods in through adjacent glass openings, while overhead pendant fixtures and ceiling apertures add supplemental illumination when needed.

Entrant/Kitchen Designer: Arclinea Boston; Architect: Moda Architects, Boston; Developer: Urbanica, Boston

  • Dishwasher: Bosch
  • Garbage disposal: InSinkErator
  • Microwave: Bosch
  • Range/oven: Bosch
  • Range hood: Gaggenau
  • Refrigerator: Sub-Zero
  • Cabinetry: Archlinea
  • Countertop: Cervaiole by Olympia Marble
  • Faucets/fittings: KWC Systema
  • Sinks: Precision by Blanco
 

Leslie Lane Residence, Los Angeles

Grand, best kitchen in a single-family detached remodeled home, 2,000 to 3,000 square feet

By Nigel F. Maynard

Credit: Michael Weschler

It turns out that even an old contemporary house may be plagued by some of the same problems as an old traditional house. The kitchen in this 1960s modern, for example, failed to take advantage of its site and lacked the open floor plan that today's home buyers have come to love. "The spaces were compartmentalized," architect David Thompson says, and slightly out of sync with the modernist ethos.

Opening up the space created visual access to an adjacent garden and pool, and allowed the kitchen, dining, and living rooms to read as one cohesive volume. "The goal was to modernize while keeping some of the 60s sensibility," Thompson explains. Warm and subdued colors are offset by a white epoxy terrazzo floor, walnut cabinets, and a white CaesarStone quartz countertop. "The [countertop] material is almost bulletproof and picks up the terrazzo nicely," he says.

Entrant/Architect:Assembledge+, Los Angeles; Builder: Above Board Construction, West Los Angeles

  • Dishwasher: Bosch
  • Garbage disposal: InSinkErator
  • Range/oven: Viking
  • Range hood: Viking
  • Refrigerator: Viking
  • Cabinetry: Custom by Miecke Construction
  • Countertop: CaesarStone
  • Faucets/fittings: Blanco
  • Flooring: Terrazzo
  • Sinks: Blanco

Seymour-Gaffney Kitchen, Los Gatos, Calif.

Grand, kitchen in a single-family detached remodeled home, 2,000 to 3,000 square feet

Credit: Matthew Millman

Concrete is sometimes perceived as cold, but not in this warm-blooded culinary space, which combines sensual forms with edgy geometry to lovely effect. Carrying the texture of the home's mission-style stucco cladding to the inside, the design by Fu-Tung Cheng blends colorful plaster walls and a custom plastered range hood with tailored bamboo cabinets, stainless steel countertops, and Brazilian cherry floors with Geocrete concrete accent tiles. A curvilinear concrete countertop wraps around the wall from dining area to kitchen, taking a functional turn with an integrated cook top and brass trivet inlays.

Asymmetrical yet balanced, this kitchen's composition of forms brings delight in the unexpected. Its central prep island comprises a three-inch-thick mahogany table cantilevered over a conical concrete pedestal housing an integral sink, stainless steel compost container, garbage bin, and disposal. A parallel cast iron steel grate underneath the island top provides a low platform for additional storage.

Entrant/Designer: Cheng Design, Berkeley, Calif.; Builder: D. Carlson Construction, Los Gatos, Calif.

  • Dishwasher: Fisher-Paykel
  • Garbage disposal: InSinkErator
  • Microwave: Spacemaker Pro by GE
  • Range/oven: Gaggenau
  • Range hood: Custom plaster by Thom Bruce
  • Hood liner: Fantech
  • Hood fan: Thermador
  • Refrigerator: Sub-Zero
  • Cabinetry: Plyboo
  • Countertop: Custom (geocrete, stainless steel)
  • Faucets/fittings: Grohe (main), Alira (stainless pull-out spray), Hansgrohe (prep island), Interaktiv (prep island spray pullout)
  • Flooring: Custom (Brazilian cherry with Geocrete concrete accents)
  • Sinks: Custom (stainless steel with integral Geocrete concrete)
  • Backsplash: China gold slate
  • Wood top: Mahogany

Tucker Bayou, WaterSound, Fla.

Grand, kitchen in a single-family detached production home, over 3,000 square feet

Credit: Jack Gardner Photography

The open floor plan of this modular (that's right-modular) idea house puts the kitchen on display-and the kitchen rises to the occasion. A snug bank of built-in taupe cabinets, offset by proportional vertical windows, complements the neutral tones in contiguous living spaces, including a sun-splashed breakfast bay on one side and a utility/hobby/pet area (separated by a Dutch door) on the other.

The linchpin of the design, though, is the kitchen's multipurpose island, which artfully buffers the cooking area from the rest of the house, while neatly incorporating a dishwasher and microwave on its workhorse side. Its split level configuration-with an upper countertop wrapping around a sunken prep, sink, and clean up area-allows the kitchen to maintain a social connection without putting mess on display. Taupe cabinetry on its galley side aligns with the style of the cooking space, while white paneling on the opposite side matches the millwork in adjacent dining and sitting areas.

Entrant/Architect/Designer: Looney Ricks Kiss Architects, Memphis; Builder: Haven Custom Homes, Ridgeland, S.C.; Developer: The St. Joe Company, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

  • Dishwasher: GE
  • Garbage disposal: GE
  • Microwave: GE
  • Range/oven: GE
  • Range hood: GE
  • Refrigerator: GE
  • Cabinetry: Kraftmaid
  • Countertop: Zodiaq by DuPont
  • Faucets/fittings: ShowHouse by Moen
  • Flooring: Authentic Pine Flooring, Inc.
  • Sinks: ShowHouse by Moen
  • Windows: JELD-WEN
  • Carpeting: Shaw
  • Decorative hardware: Rocky Mountain and Turnstyle
  • Interior paneling: Custom by Haven Homes
  • Lighting: Graham's Lighting
  • Millwork: Custom by The Meridian Co., St. Joe, Haven Homes, Huff Homes
  • Locksets/handlesets: Schlage, Jeld-Wen
  • Paint/stain/varnish: Vespar  

Paulson Kitchen Remodel, El Cajon, Calif.

Merit, best kitchen in a single-family detached remodeled home, 2,000 to 3,000 square feet

By Nigel F. Maynard

Credit: Marrokal Construction Co.

The original 1970s kitchen, described by designer Steve Walton as "compartmentalized and closed off," was a mess. The owners wanted open spaces and creativity-and while it's hard to be imaginative in a galley kitchen, Walton managed to pull off some tricks.

First, the designer opened up solid walls to create a seamless physical and visual link to the family room and dining room. To satisfy the clients' love of the Craftsman style, Walton specified a farm house sink, 1920s-style bridge faucets, and custom cherry kitchen cabinetry. The adjacent spaces were then outfitted with identical cabinet-style built-ins in a painted white finish for an integrated look.

The simplest design move with the biggest payback was arguably a recessed ceiling in the kitchen that adds very little actual space but makes a dramatic visual difference.

Entrant/Builder: Marrokal Construction Co., San Diego

  • Dishwasher: Bosch
  • Microwave: GE
  • Range/oven: Dacor Duel Fuel
  • Refrigerator: Monogram by GE
  • Cabinetry: Custom by Imperial Custom Cabinets (stained alder)
  • Countertop: Golden Wave (granite slab)
  • Faucets/fittings: Moen
  • Flooring: Brazilian cherry
  • Sinks: Kohler

1899 Rising Glen, Los Angeles

Merit, best kitchen in a single-family detached, remodeled home, over 3,000 square feet

By Nigel F. Maynard

Credit: Felix Sanchez

It's hard to believe, but some Southern California houses do not embrace the outdoors-a shame, given the area's spectacular climate. For the owners of this 1980s post-modern house, architect David Montalba transformed a once-closed-off warren of rooms into a stunning indoor/outdoor sequence. "We just blew everything out," he says. That meant, among other things, replacing a solid wall with a large slider that provides access to an outdoor living room and movie screening area.

"We wanted a sophisticated space with a high degree of usability," Montalba says. Material choices reflect these priorities. The kitchen features streamlined Bulthaup cabinets with a dark charcoal-stained wood veneer, and a CaesarStone countertop in a European-style thin profile. French limestone with radiant heating tops the floor. The new light-filled space has enough panache for serious entertaining, but it's also durable enough for day-to-day family living.

Entrant/Architect: Montalba Architects, Santa Monica; Builder: Sarlan Builders, Beverly Hills, Calif.; Kitchen/Bath Designer: Bulthaup, Los Angeles; Lighting Designer: John Brubaker Architectural Lighting, Los Angeles 

  • Dishwasher: Miele
  • Garbage disposal: Badger by InSinkErator
  • Range/oven: Gaggenau
  • Range hood: Gaggenau
  • Refrigerator: Sub-Zero
  • Warming drawer: Dacor
  • Plate warmer: Miele
  • Cabinetry: Bulthaup
  • Countertop: CaesarStone
  • Flooring: Hagan Flynn (limestone slab)
  • Sink: Franke
  • Gas cook top: Gaggenau
  • Wok cook top: Gaggenau
  • Heated floor: Nuheat
  • Windows: Fleetwood
  • Lighting/dimmers: Lutron  

205 Bayland Kitchen, Houston, Texas

Merit

By Nigel F. Maynard

Creole Design and Allegro Builders restored this 1910 kitchen to its original glory with all the right flourishes. White-painted custom millwork unifies the space, while white oak floors and mahogany counters lend an old-world feel. Instead of stainless appliances, the team opted for a more appropriate black iron, and they even replicated the original windows.

Entrant/Builder: Allegro Builders, Houston; Architect: Creole Design, Houston

  • Garbage disposal: InSinkErator
  • Microwave: Viking
  • Range/oven: Wolf Appliance/Viking
  • Refrigerator: Viking
  • Cabinetry: Custom by Allegro Builders (mahogany)
  • Countertop: Custom by Allegro Builders (mahogany)
  • Faucets/fittings: Kallista
  • Flooring: honed marble
  • Sinks: Kallista
  • Wine cellar: Custom (2000 bottle capacity)
  • Windows: Custom by Jeld-Wen
  • Glass block: Art Glass
  • Tile flooring: Master Tile (ceramic)
  • Wood flooring: white oak
  • Lighting: Baccarat pendants; antique crystal chandeliers
  • Paint/stain: Sherwin-Williams

WoodCreek Reserve (Lily Pond model), Katy, Texas

Merit, kitchen in a single-family detached production home, over 3,000 square feet

Credit: Courtesy KB Home/Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart is known for a classic, timeless style that is quintessentially American. This handsome kitchen-brought to you by the union of KB Home and the design diva herself-preserves that reputation. Traditional elements such as shaker-style cabinets, wide plank floors, and an apron sink have colonial overtones, which are then punched up with contemporary turns, including chrome plumbing and hardware, stainless steel appliances, and a stainless backsplash. Silestone countertops in a bright white finish evoke the feeling of antique porcelain, but are infinitely more durable.

Entrant/Builder/Architect: KB Home, Houston; Interior designer: KB Home/Martha Stewart, Houston; Developer: Woodcreek Reserve Development Co., Houston 

  • Dishwasher: KitchenAid
  • Garbage disposal: Whirlpool
  • Hot water dispenser: Dupure
  • Microwave: KitchenAid
  • Range/oven: KitchenAid
  • Range hood: KitchenAid
  • Refrigerator: KitchenAid
  • Cooling drawer: KitchenAid
  • Pot filler: Aquassence Kitchen
  • Cabinetry: Mid Continent
  • Countertop: Silestone
  • Faucets/fittings: Hansgrohe
  • Flooring: Century Farm Hand-Sculpted by Armstrong
  • Sinks: Kohler
  • Ceramic tile: Daltile, Emser
  • Decorative hardware: Amerock
  • Manufactured stone: Eldorado Stone
  • Lighting: Murray Feiss and Seagull Lighting

WoodCreek Reserve (Katonah model), Katy, Texas

Merit, kitchen in a single-family detached production home, over 3,000 square feet

Credit: Courtesy KB Home/Martha Stewart

Minimalists will find a taste to their liking in this sleek kitchen by KB Home/Martha Stewart. This variation on the theme (see previous project) takes clean lines and value contrasts to the extreme, offsetting pristine white cabinetry with a dark Silestone countertop and Esmer floor tile in Brazilian black. An artful combination of open shelving and glass-front cabinets creates an interesting dimensional effect and makes up for what the space eschews in the way of color. It's a blank canvas waiting to be brought to life by people and food.

Entrant/Builder/Architect: KB Home, Houston; Interior designer: KB Home/Martha Stewart, Houston; Developer: Woodcreek Reserve Development Co., Houston  

  • Dishwasher: KitchenAid
  • Garbage disposal: Whirlpool
  • Hot water dispenser: Dupure
  • Microwave: KitchenAid
  • Range/oven: KitchenAid
  • Range hood: KitchenAid
  • Refrigerator: KitchenAid
  • Cooling drawer: KitchenAid
  • Pot filler: Aquassence Kitchen
  • Cabinetry: Mid Continent
  • Countertop: granite
  • Faucets/fittings: Hansgrohe
  • Flooring: Esmer (Brazilian black)
  • Sinks: Kohler
  • Ceramic tile: Dal-Tile, Emser
  • Decorative hardware: Amerock
  • Lighting: Murray Feiss and Seagull Lighting
 

Andersen Residence, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Merit, kitchen in a single-family detached remodeled home, less than 2,000 square feet

Credit: Adam Wheeler

From the looks of its open, arty interiors, you'd never suspect this house was built in 1971 in a suburban tract development. The clients-both associated with the surf fashion industry-had no qualms about blowing it out and doing away with a stodgy brick fireplace that blocked the view of the backyard. The ethereal realm that now stands in its place, courtesy of Adam Wheeler Design, does a complete 180. Flanked by a sculptural fireplace wedged between two load-bearing walls (one clad in stone), the new kitchen makes bold choices and wears them well. On the island, a CaesarStone countertop wraps around macasa ebony cabinets and runs flush to the floor. Soffits inlaid with redwood paneling take the ceiling from stark to organic. And there's no stopping the view-not even on the kitchen's main storage wall. An elongated span of windows bisects the upper and lower cabinets and complements the horizontal orientation of the floating island.

Entrant/Architect/Designer: Adam Wheeler Design, Santa Monica, Calif.; Builder: Greg Breuer Construction, Big Bear Lakes, Calif. 

  • Garbage disposal: InSinkErator
  • Microwave: GE Profile Spacemaker
  • Range/oven: Thermador
  • Range hood: Thermador (downdraft)
  • Island undercounter fridge: Echelon Series by U-Line
  • Cabinetry: Custom by Dean Daniel Designs
  • Countertop: CaesarStone
  • Faucets/fittings: Grohe
  • Sinks: Blanco
  • Lighting: Con-Tech
  • Windows: Window Master/Jeld-Wen
  • Fireplace: Custom by Greg Breuer Construction
  • Decorative hardware: Mockett + Co.
  • Lighting: Decora
  • Manufactured stone: Art Masonry
  • Millwork: Dean Daniel Designs
  • Sliding door: Fleetwood Telescoping Doors

Mo Residence, Menlo Park, Calif.

Merit, kitchen in a single-family detached custom home, less than 3,000 square feet

Credit: Matthew Millman Photography

Simplicity was the name of the game in this casual chic, eat-in kitchen, which emphasizes clean lines and rich textures. Stainless steel and cast concrete countertops are offset by an Italian ceramic tile backsplash, bamboo flooring, mocha-stained oak veneer cabinets, and light box accessory panels showcasing knife and utensil racks. To offset the angularity of the space, designer Fu-Tung Cheng specified an oval island of ebony cast concrete (fitted with a wedge of poplar cutting block), which segues into a maple table extension.

Emphasizing the horizontal, a soffit plane extends from kitchen into living space, and a built-in band of mahogany shelving becomes a unifying element (at one point doubling as the sill for a stretch of windows). To maintain a feeling of openness, Cheng eliminated upper cabinets, relegating storage to an adjacent walk-in pantry.

Entrant/Designer: Cheng Design, Berkeley, Calif.; Builder: D. Carlson Construction, Los Gatos, Calif. 

  • Dishwasher: Miele
  • Garbage disposal: InSinkErator
  • Microwave: Sharp
  • Cooktop: Gaggenau
  • Oven: Wolf Appliance
  • Range hood: Fu Tung Cheng Padova by Zephyr
  • Refrigerator: Sub-Zero
  • Wine fridge: Sub-Zero
  • Cabinetry: Alno
  • Countertops: Geocrete and stainless steel
  • Faucets/fittings: KWL
  • Flooring: Plyboo
  • Sinks: Elkay (main sink) and Franke (prep island)
  • Potfiller: Danze  

Culaciati, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Merit, kitchen in a single-family detached remodeled home, 2,000 to 3,000 square feet

Credit: Meghan Beierle-O'Brien

Opening up the floor plan was a remodeling priority for this empty nester couple, but there was one small problem: the kitchen wall slated for removal was a conduit for a plumbing line coming down from the second floor. Morey Construction turned the situation into a design plus by tucking the mechanicals neatly inside two decorative columns and a ceiling soffit. In this same vein, a conspicuous drop beam extending from kitchen to family room was integrated into a coffered ceiling that ties the two realms together. It all looks intentional, uncluttered, and seamless.

Entrant/Builder/Architect/Kitchendesigner: Morey Construction, Signal Hill, Calif.

  • Dishwasher: Bosch
  • Microwave: GE Monogram
  • Range/oven: GE Monogram
  • Refrigerator: Jenn-Air
  • Warming drawer: Dacor
  • Icemaker: Scotsman
  • Cabinetry: Drees
  • Countertop: Granite (verde maritaca)
  • Faucets/fittings: Kohler
  • Flooring: Travertine
  • Sinks: Kohler
  • Windows: Milgard
  • Paint/stain/varnish: Dunn-Edwards

Girard Townhouse, Philadelphia

Merit, kitchen in a custom townhome, less than 3,000 square feet

Credit: Barry Halkin

Communal spaces flow together in the open floor plan of this urban infill townhome, and millwork is the unifying thread. Sleek in line, but dramatic in texture, a suite of custom cabinets extends from kitchen to powder room to living room. Given the pronounced grain of the wood, restraint was appropriate for complementary surfaces. In the kitchen, stainless steel, matte paint colors, and a honed Carrara marble countertop serve as neutral counterweights. The floor-to-ceiling banks of cabinets help to frame a large window offering views of historic brownstones across the street, and of Center City Philadelphia in the distance.

Entrant/Architect: Brett Webber Architects, Philadelphia; Builder: Foster-Willson Co., Philadelphia

 

Primrose Pointe, Albuquerque

Special focus, kitchen island

Credit: Mark William Photography

A trip to Tuscany served as the inspiration for this Old World cucina, made rich with distressed wood, rough-hewn stone, wrought iron, Marazzi tile, and even a wood-burning pizza oven. But the most significant unifying element in this kitchen that does not fall along right angles is its massive, marble-topped island of knotty alder, which, on its cooking side, conforms to the shape of the adjacent work zones. Complete with built-in display shelving and a decorative band of Dionysian wood carvings, the split-level design separates the island's dining plane from a lower (hidden) prep/clean up counter.

Entrant/Builder: Joseph Homes, Albuquerque; Architect: Jim Beverly Designs, Placitas, N.M.; Kitchen/Bath Designer: Sowers Cabinets, Albuquerque  

  • Dishwasher: Asko
  • Garbage disposal: InSinkErator
  • Microwave: Wolf Appliance
  • Range/oven: Wolf Appliance
  • Range hood: Vent-a-Hood
  • Refrigerator: Sub-Zero
  • Warming drawer: Wolf Appliance
  • Ice maker: Sub-Zero
  • Cabinetry: Custom
  • Countertop: marble slab
  • Faucets/fittings: Kohler
  • Flooring: Marrazzi tile and mesquite wood
  • Sinks: Kohler
  • Windows: Anderson
  • Skylights: Velux
  • Decorative hardware: Emtek
  • Locksets/handlesets: Emtek
  • Millwork: Custom (knotty alder)

The New American Home 2007, Orlando

Special Focus, kitchen office

As the heart of the home and engine of everyday life, this commercial-grade kitchen is amply appointed for parties, wine tastings, and even cooking classes, as well as daily meals, with clearly delineated spaces for food prep, cooking, staging, and cleaning. Then it takes functionality a step further with an adjoining workspace nook-a perfect spot for mom or dad to pay bills, search for recipes online, help the kids with homework, or otherwise multi-task-far enough from the action to avoid food splatters, but close enough to remain part of the conversation.

Entrant/Architect: BSB Design, West Des Moines, Iowa; Builder: Homes by Carmen Dominguez, Orlando; Interior Designer: Robb and Stucky Interiors, Altamonte Springs, Fla.; Developer: National Council for the Housing Industry, Washington

  • Dishwasher: Sub-Zero
  • Garbage disposal: InSinkErator
  • Range/oven: Wolf Appliance
  • Range hood: Broan NuTone
  • Refrigerator: Sub-Zero
  • Countertop: Formica
  • Faucets/fittings: Kohler
  • Cabinetry: Canac
  • Windows: Anderson
  • Ceramic tile: Dal-Tile
  • Wood flooring: Kahrs International
  • Lighting: Progress Lighting
  • Manufactured stone: Owens Corning
  • Paint/stain/varnish: Sherwin-Williams