Kitchen Couture

A Kitchen For Every Style

By Kymberly Taylor | Photograph by Michael Kaskel

Kitchens as beautiful as this don’t just happen. They are master-minded; in this case, many top professionals in Annapolis collaborated. Catherine M. Lowe, ASID was the lead interior designer of both home and well-proportioned kitchen. Lowe notes that there is utility at the center of this kitchen’s beauty. “Some kitchens are meant for showrooms and very fancy. But this is a working kitchen for a family,” she says. Cathy Terranova, Allied ASID, and kitchen designer at Kitchen Encounters worked on the custom cabinetry. She points out unusual storage including a message center hidden behind pocket doors between the refrigerator and the freezer. The kitchen’s beams and trim work ensure a polished look and are by Lynbrook of Annapolis.

 

Main Image: INTERIOR & KITCHEN DESIGN: Catherine M. Lowe, Interior Planning & Design, interiorpd.com, Annapolis, Maryland | KITCHEN DESIGNER: Cathy Terranova, Kitchen Encounters, kitchenencounters.biz, Annapolis, Maryland | ARCHITECT: SKA Studio, skastudio.com, Annapolis, Maryland | BUILDER: Lynbrook of Annapolis, lynbrookofannapolis.com, Annapolis, Maryland

 


Bejeweled

By Christine Fillat  |  Cabico – Elmwood Series as photographed by  Craig Kozun-Young of Elmwood

The use of color in the white kitchen is a movement in the evolution of kitchen design. Mark T. White, CKD, CBD, founder of Kitchen Encounters, recalls the 70s and 80s when the cherry kitchen was the pinnacle of fine design. Nowadays, he says, “Cherry cabinets aren’t nearly as popular but they still have a place.” White, a kitchen designer for over two decades, notes, “I think we are going to see continued new ideas in how to use white and how to mix in other colors and other patterns and features.”

Introducing color in subtle ways takes the white kitchen to a new level. A surprise feature in this kitchen is the integration of glass crystal cut balls into the island’s legs; this adds a subtle yet unusual gleam. There is a quiet sophistication in the simplicity of the component parts of this kitchen. The cabinets, stained a dark grey, reveal variations of tones in the wood grain. The backsplash is yet another tonal variation, a light grey subway tile. The floor’s warm oversized porcelain tile brings welcome light into the room. All the fixtures and the stove hood are similarly colored stainless steel or brushed nickel. The countertops are a white quartz composite. Color is used here, but mindfully. The designer is painting with a disciplined palette that has its own special beauty

Resources:

KITCHEN DESIGN: Kitchen Encounters, kitchenencounters.biz, Annapolis, Maryland | TILE: In Home Stone, inhomestone.com, Annapolis Maryland | BUILDER: DLC, Inc., dlcconstruction.biz, Arnold Maryland

 


 

The Perfect Perch

By Kymberly Taylor  |  Photography by Jennifer Hughes

A tree crushed a third of this home on the Severn River, displacing the family for over three years. It was necessary to rebuild an entire wing, including the kitchen. For help, the homeowners turned to architect Scarlet Breeding, principal of Alt Breeding Associates, and kitchen designer, Richard T. Anuszkiewicz, Executive Director of their Kitchen and Bath/Casework Division.

The two merged their arts to create a kitchen that is both an extension of the home’s classic colonial architecture and a high-functioning space where the homeowner can watch over the kids and cook dinner at the same time. “I wanted a perch, to be able to see out the front and back windows and watch what the kids were up to,” she says. “I also wanted a space free of visual clutter.”

To encourage a clutter-free environment, Anuszkiewicz designed fully integrated tall custom cabinetry with special compartments to stow refrigerator, freezer, dual dishwashers and trashcans, microwave, even the coffee maker. All is in proximity yet nothing disrupts the view. “There is strong symmetry to the overall visual plane,” explains Anuszkiewicz. Perhaps this is why, with a larger architectural scale, crisp white finish and matching brass pulls, the cabinetry resembles fine casework.

Breeding placed a breakfast nook overlooking the backyard at one end of the space. At the other end is a secondary sink with views of the front yard. The homeowner can “perch” right in the middle of this “magic corridor” and survey the scene. What’s more, from her perch she can access the “work zone,” composed of Lacanche French range, refrigerator and sink. The range centers this entire kitchen, like a great European hearth with warm brass tones.

Anuszkiewicz has designed many kitchens; he notes why this job stands out: “This was the first time that I saw the marriage of two different disciplines, architecture and millwork. We were able to create pantry storage in an architectural way.” He explains that initially, tall glass cabinetry was proposed to divide kitchen and living room.  However, the team thought the cabinet blocked views, so Anuszkiewicz replaced it with a walnut-topped island, painted a darker color than the main island.

To create storage intended for the glass cabinetry, Anuszkiewicz designed four vertical pantries. Reaching from floor to beamed ceiling, they function much like “pillars.” One pair frames the sink beneath the bay window; the other pair frames the breakfast nook. They look like wall panels but are invisible pantries that spring open with a touch.

With a coffered ceiling that unites kitchen and living room, pantries hidden inside wall panels, and appliances that vanish into cabinetry, the kitchen mirrors this stately home’s clean lines and airy spaces. The homeowner did point out a big problem. “The only thing wrong is that nobody uses the rest of our house now. They all want to be in the kitchen,” she says. Anuszkiewicz looks forward to more problems like these.

Resources:

ARCHITECT: Alt Breeding Associates Architecture, absarchitects.com, Annapolis, Maryland | BUILDER: Bayview Builders, bayviewbuilders.com, Annapolis, Maryland

 


 

Rustic Fusion

By Renee Houston Zemanski  |  Photography by Bob Narod

A pool house kitchen usually conjures up images of a mini-fridge and bar area with a place to sit and get out of the sun. This Bethesda pool house kitchen challenges any inkling of that notion. Bedecked with luxurious Bardiglio marble countertops and backsplash, full-size Thermador appliances and a sophisticated attention to detail, it dismisses any impression that it’s designed merely to be a poolside retreat.

Situated steps away from the swimming pool, the pool house is separated only by a wall of sliding glass doors and a covered patio. The kitchen is integrated with a living area complete with a fireplace for those days when the weather is cool and the pool isn’t in use.

The design of the kitchen summons a grand presence, with custom elongated contemporary cabinets, a marble backsplash and full-sized refrigerator and freezer reaching toward the ceiling. The uniform columns placed between the base cabinets extend all the way to the floor to emulate separate, self-standing pieces, says kitchen designer Steve Church of Stuart Kitchens in Bethesda.

“It gives it a much more contemporary flair,” says Church who adds that the custom cabinets and their hardware are sleek and understated to give full attention to the dramatic materials of marble and barn wood.

The waterfall island has a three-inch mitered edge framing the barn wood in front and cabinets and appliances behind it. The tray ceiling highlights three modern, round globe chandeliers.

The focal point of this expansive kitchen and lounge area is the barn wood hood positioned above the massive six-burner range. Designed with functionality and aesthetics in mind, the rustic barn wood takes on a whole new persona as it is juxtaposed with the simple lines of the sleek slab cabinetry, island and well-appointed modern accessories.

The hood was placed 36 inches above the stove. Wood hoods need to be placed a little higher than standard to avoid mishaps.

Church said that he was a little leery of the aesthetics of using barn wood to wrap the hood even though he used it for the island front.

“Knowing how contemporary the design was, I wasn’t sure it would work as a focal point,” he said. “But, we built a prototype to see what it would look like and as soon as we saw it in place, we knew we had it. I was surprised, but you learn stuff every day. You have to trust the process.”

The overall effect: a stunning fusion of modern and rustic simplicity that signifies elegance and redefines the pool house kitchen.

RESOURCES:

KITCHEN DESIGN: Stuart Kitchens, stuartkitchens.com, Bethesda, Maryland | BUILDER: Mike Magruder, Magruder Design/Build, magruderdesignbuild.com, Gaithersburg, MD | RECLAIMED BARN SIDING: Vintage Lumber, vintagelumber.com, Woodsboro, Maryland |  CUSTOM CABINET MANUFACTURER: Greenfield, greenfieldcabinetry.com, Indianapolis, Indiana | BARDIGLIO MARBLE: Thomas Marble and Granite, Gaithersburg, Maryland | TILE FLOORING: Waterworks, waterworks.com, Washington, DC

 


 

Luxe Kitchen Re-Do

By Sarah Hagerty  |  Photography by Tracey Brown at Papercamera

 

The collaboration of Glenn Donohue, Senior Designer at Kenwood Kitchens, and David Sutphen, founder of SouthFen Restoration Home Builders, has produced a kitchen that elevates an older home in a well-established Baltimore neighborhood to a new (but undeniably tasteful) level.

A kitchen renovation is about so much more than choosing cabinets and a new backsplash. Construction was the first step to accommodate the new layout while working within the footprint of the home. A brick wall had to be removed to open up the kitchen into the dining room while keeping the load-bearing wall intact. The floor had to be leveled and uniformed a complicated process to suit the new layout which involved the kitchen and an office area that included a wall of wonderful new windows—perfect for working on a laptop on the Bolivian rosewood desk or zen moments taking in the view.

Donohue, of Kenwood, which also supplied the cabinets, tells us about the technical accoutrements used. A 48-inch Wolf dual fuel range, with its signature red knobs, is the cornerstone of the new appliances. The innovative gas cooktop and electric oven are a chef’s dream. Floating shelving above it guarantee easy access to the tools of the trade. A state-of-the-art ventilation system keeps odors down and surfaces clean. A microwave drawer is located below the island countertop to reduce visual clutter. The island is topped with double-thick marble. A “15 year Dry Treat Sealer” was used, per the fabricator’s recommendation, rather than the standard sealer, because it is “honed marble” and guarantees a uniformed refined look.  Kitchen countertops are in a dark green soapstone for a dramatic contrast. Illumination includes the out-of-the-ordinary square recessed lights.

A kitchen with custom details right down to the microwave drawer is created only by professionals obsessed with perfection. “We love working with contractors with similar goals like David Sutphen. It’s a win for all including homeowners looking for the best possible results” says Scott Waldhauser, an owner of Kenwood Kitchens.

Even the antique-styled wall mount faucet on the farm sink boasts a special side spray with hose for easy rinsing. This well-appointed kitchen manages to strike just the right balance between traditional and contemporary styles.   

RESOURCES:

KITCHEN DESIGN: Kenwood Kitchens, kenwoodkitchens.com, Annapolis, Maryland  | CABINETRY:  Brookhaven by Woodmode | APPLIANCES:  Fretz, fretz.com, Columbia, Maryland |  SOAPSTONE & MARBLE COUNTERTOPS: Classic Granite and Marble, classicgranitemarble.com, Jessup, Maryland  | BOLIVIAN ROSEWOOD COUNTERTOP: Kenwood Kitchens through Grothouse Lumber, glumber.com, Germansville, Pennsylvania

 

 

Annapolis Home Magazine
Vol. 10, No. 2 2019