A Simple, Classic Open Kitchen

This open kitchen, built for the Twin Cities’ 2011 Green Dream Home, combines intelligent function with simple, classic beauty.  The wide center island serves bakers and cooks alike while providing ample room for guests or family to sit directly across from the action – engaged in conversation or wrapping up homework under mom’s watchful eye.  Generous, enameled cabinet uppers house everyday necessities while the adjoining butler’s pantry and bank of open shelves serve as an extension of the kitchen for food prep and storage.  No detail is unlooked; every space is made to work and shine: a built-in chalkboard on the pantry door announces dinner party menus, a butcher block counter provides the “sous chef” with a large work area when chopping, and a microwave drawer makes cooking accessible to little beginners.  Marble counters combined with a neutral palette of hand-made crackle tile and brushed stainless appliances – a sub-zero fridge, Kohler apron front sink, and the latest Bertazzoni range from Italy – add an air of sophistication and timeless aesthetic.  Some might even call it “dreamy.”