This kitchen blends a soap stone countertop with a dark stained butcher block island to avoid the coldness of too much stone in the kitchen. The columns and soffits that drop down serve to set off the kitchen from the adjacent family room. An extra sized peninsula provide ample serving and staging are for cooking as well as a bar area for entertaining area. While butlers pantry and bars set in adjacent formal living rooms have been popular in the past they do not reflect the reality that most guests flock toward the kitchen area. This kitchen sets up like many of the new open restaurant setups where the kitchen is exposed and draws in the guests to the energy in the kitchen rather than trying to hide that activity. The generous use of glass front cabinets adds to that sense of letting the guests into the home and kitchen with nothing to hide. The vintage pinepapple lighting fixture provides needed aging to a brand new construction home. Photo by: Sam Fentress.