Kitchen Design
Kitchen of the Week
Kitchen of the Week: Superstar Windows Let In Forest Views
A designer pays homage to the Pacific Northwest’s natural surroundings with a minimalist design and natural materials
A kitchen remodel gave these Redmond, Washington, homeowners a space with expansive forest views, smarter storage and a new coffee-wine bar in the adjacent dining room. “This home is nestled into the trees and was already gorgeous, except for the kitchen. It was this dark corner of the house,” interior designer Tamar Kestenbaum says. While the layout was functional and the footprint was adequate, extensive upper cabinets thwarted the potential for leafy views. The designer removed the cabinets to make room for expansive windows, opening up the kitchen to beautiful views of the trees.
Before Photo
After: “My clients are minimalists who didn’t need a ton of storage. Plus they already had a walk-in pantry,” Kestenbaum says. This left them plenty of storage space after she eliminated the upper cabinets to make room for the windows. She used casement windows because they’re easy to crank open over a countertop. The neutral color palette and wood accents complement the colors of the nature outside.
In the lower cabinets, Kestenbaum installed recycling, trash and compost pullouts near the sink. The dishwasher is to the right of the sink and its paneled front lends a seamless look. Kestenbaum also mixed in drawers for a better and more ergonomic use of space. And she used pullout inserts on arms to take full advantage of the space in the corner cabinets.
Windows: Kolbe Windows & Doors
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In the lower cabinets, Kestenbaum installed recycling, trash and compost pullouts near the sink. The dishwasher is to the right of the sink and its paneled front lends a seamless look. Kestenbaum also mixed in drawers for a better and more ergonomic use of space. And she used pullout inserts on arms to take full advantage of the space in the corner cabinets.
Windows: Kolbe Windows & Doors
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The countertops are soapstone, a favorite of the homeowners. “These clients wanted to use as many natural elements and details as possible,” Kestenbaum says. This included wood details and solid wood cabinets. The homeowners selected a farmhouse sink, and the elegant kitchen faucet is polished nickel with an integrated pull-down sprayer.
This photo provides a great look at how the designer seamlessly incorporated the bottom of the black windows with the backsplash. She recessed the windows into the drywall to extend the countertops into the window wells. Then she added a low soapstone backsplash to line up at the same height as the bottom rails of the windows. This created one continuous black line around the room. “I had a really good fabricator who helped pull this off,” Kestenbaum says. “It really helped pull everything together.”
Also seamless are the electrical outlets. Rather than losing the clean aesthetic by interrupting the walls with them, the clients wanted them placed as discreetly as possible. Kestenbaum hid pop-up outlets in the countertops. They have black covers that match the soapstone.
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This photo provides a great look at how the designer seamlessly incorporated the bottom of the black windows with the backsplash. She recessed the windows into the drywall to extend the countertops into the window wells. Then she added a low soapstone backsplash to line up at the same height as the bottom rails of the windows. This created one continuous black line around the room. “I had a really good fabricator who helped pull this off,” Kestenbaum says. “It really helped pull everything together.”
Also seamless are the electrical outlets. Rather than losing the clean aesthetic by interrupting the walls with them, the clients wanted them placed as discreetly as possible. Kestenbaum hid pop-up outlets in the countertops. They have black covers that match the soapstone.
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On the left side of the kitchen, Kestenbaum concealed the fridge by using panels that match the cabinetry. The door with the glass panel opens to the walk-in pantry. She also replaced the existing island. “We squared it off and reconfigured the footprint subtly to maximize the kitchen layout,” Kestenbaum says. It has a prep sink and storage space for dishes and silverware. Its location makes it easy to grab things from the fridge to prep and lay out for cooking at the nearby range.
The homeowners already had a very nice range from Wolf that Kestenbaum kept, but she installed a new range backsplash and vent hood. The tile on the range backsplash is by Fireclay. “This tile is handmade, which appealed to the homeowners,” Kestenbaum says. “It’s subtle and quiet and not too distracting with the way it had to stop and start in this area.”
The designer paid special attention to small details throughout the design. For example, her clients loved the Parisian bistro look of the Eddystone pendant lights from Urban Electric. “They have this really special polished nickel canopy at the top that’s like a piece of jewelry. I wanted that to show,” Kestenbaum says. “So I had a soffit dropped between the wood beam and the back wall in the ceiling.” The lowered ceiling shows off the canopies.
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The homeowners already had a very nice range from Wolf that Kestenbaum kept, but she installed a new range backsplash and vent hood. The tile on the range backsplash is by Fireclay. “This tile is handmade, which appealed to the homeowners,” Kestenbaum says. “It’s subtle and quiet and not too distracting with the way it had to stop and start in this area.”
The designer paid special attention to small details throughout the design. For example, her clients loved the Parisian bistro look of the Eddystone pendant lights from Urban Electric. “They have this really special polished nickel canopy at the top that’s like a piece of jewelry. I wanted that to show,” Kestenbaum says. “So I had a soffit dropped between the wood beam and the back wall in the ceiling.” The lowered ceiling shows off the canopies.
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The wood beams and flooring were existing. “The flooring had yellow undertones and the beams had orange undertones. We wanted to find a third wood that would pull them together and read more brown,” Kestenbaum says. She chose an alder mantel for the vent hood that does just that. And it provided a great spot to place a piece of art. The placement of the range hood creates a nice focal point from the opposite end of the house.
The kitchen was already open to the dining room. This presented an opportunity to use other areas for some of the kitchen’s functions. “He is very passionate about coffee and she wanted to keep the countertops clear of small appliances,” Kestenbaum says. “There was a niche off the dining room that wasn’t being used for anything. It was a really convenient spot for a coffee-wine bar and he already had a beautiful espresso maker.”
Browse rectangular wood dining tables in the Houzz Shop
Browse rectangular wood dining tables in the Houzz Shop
Before Photo
Before: This was the coffee bar niche.
After: The designer added new cabinets and a wine fridge to create the bar. The upper cabinets provide space for glassware and a hidden spot for the microwave. Coffee grounds are great for composting, so Kestenbaum added a second composting pullout as well as a trash pullout in the lower cabinetry of the bar. LED lighting under the upper cabinets illuminates the space. “The underlighting provides a beautiful glow at night,” Kestenbaum says.
Another way she paid careful attention to detail can be seen in the proportions of the cabinetry. She dropped a soffit below the beam to enclose the bar and maintain the lines of the kitchen.
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Another way she paid careful attention to detail can be seen in the proportions of the cabinetry. She dropped a soffit below the beam to enclose the bar and maintain the lines of the kitchen.
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two dogs
Location: Redmond, Washington
Size: 168 square feet (16 square meters); 10½ by 16 feet
Designer: Tamar Kestenbaum of Sienna & Sage Interior Design
Before: This was the existing kitchen, which hid the views of the trees. There was more cabinet storage than the homeowners needed. And the island had outdated angles on the corners that didn’t fit with their clean-lined aesthetic.