We are particularly pleased with our efforts in this mountain home that we designed from beginning to end. One of our favorite aspects of their home is the custom kitchen. We snapped a few pictures to provide a starting point for discussion about successful kitchen design.
Despite the fact that the some contains some grand spaces, the kitchen is first and foremost a functional design–not overdone and a wise use of space. We are always looking to bring comfort and warmth to our clients’ spaces, which is achieved here by lower ceiling heights than the majority of the common spaces throughout the house. The kitchen adjoins, and is open to, the dining and living areas but feels intimate, a great cozy space to hold a conversation late at night in front of the stove. Soft, dimmable, under-cabinet lighting and task light above the island avoid the need for large overhead fixtures. Custom painted white cabinetry with special hand glazing brightens what could otherwise become a dark room given the unfinished timber and ceiling. Levels of contrast are important to any space and illustrated well here.
American-made appliances by Dacor integrate seamlessly into the cabinet work, while a hammered copper farmhouse sink sits such that one can look out to the dining room and beyond to mountain views–a lovely place to work while attending to those seated at the bar that forms the backside of the kitchen island.
Counters are topped with stone, river washed Uba Tuba granite, and a ventilation hood is tucked behind a mantle decorated with some of the Smette’s collection of artwork and bronzes. Integrating art into their home is very important and we took every opportunity to do so here. The room has perfect balance, symmetry, and function. To keep the design symmetrical, a stained wood, stand alone “hutch” was built into the space alongside the fridge. This keeps special glassware handy to the dining room. And, of course, no Kibler & Kirch room would be complete without a handmade rug to grace the floor. In all, we think this kitchen is timeless, workable, cheerful, and a perfect example of quality over excessive size.
