A convergence of sleek contemporary style and organic elements culminate in this elevated esthetic. High gloss white contrasts with sustainable bamboo veneers, run horizontally, and stained a warm matte caramel color. The showpiece is the 3” bamboo framing around the tall units, engineered in strips that perfectly align with the breaks in the surrounding cabinetry. So as not to clutter the clean lines of the flat panel doors, the white cabinets open with touch latches, most of which have lift-up mechanisms. Base cabinets have integrated channel hardware in stainless steel, echoing the appliances. Storage abounds, with such conveniences as tray partitions, corner swing-out lazy susans, and assorted dividers and inserts for the profusion of large drawers. Pure white quartz countertops terminate in a waterfall end at the peninsula, where there’s room for three comfortable stools under the overhang. A unique feature is the execution of the cooktop: it’s set flush into the countertop, with a fascia of quartz below it; the cooktop’s knobs are set into that fascia. To assure a clean look throughout, the quartz is continued onto the backsplashes, punctuated by a sheet of stainless steel behind the rangetop and hood. Serenity and style in a hardworking space. This project was designed in collaboration with Taylor Viazzo Architects. Photography by Jason Taylor, R.A., AIA. Written by Paulette Gambacorta, adapted for Houzz Bilotta Designer: Danielle Florie Architect: Taylor Viazzo Architects Photographer: Jason Taylor, R.A., AIA

A passion project for The Fernandes family, “The Haverly” is the culmination of a multi-year dream for the clients, who had envisioned a complimentary pool house to go with their authentic mid-century modern home since purchasing it years ago. They took their time, scouring construction sites for the unique Haver Block, a pre-cast signature brick, long since out of production, that was a staple of famed local architect, Ralph Haver. They also obtained and held onto period-appropriate decorative panels from the Biltmore during one of its many remodels. The structure itself takes outdoor/indoor living to another level, with 30 linear feet of the exterior being retractable floor-to-ceiling glass panels, meeting on a corner. This presented a fun design challenge for Zach Burns of MODE Architecture, who had to figure out how to cantilever the majority of the exterior roof with a minimum of visible support. The glass is offset by exposed CMU, with a specific linear grout pattern, and a metal roof fascia with complementary linear detail. The focal point of course is the custom-made walnut bar, complete with period-specific “boomerang” laminate tops and padded leather bar rail. Behind the bar is a commercial-grade bar set up, highlighted by an 80” TV with the capability to split into 4 smaller pictures (period specific to the 21st century!) The bathroom tile matches the pool coping tile, the cozy semi-private office is enhanced by a gorgeous piece of 1950s furniture, and the one-of-a-kind neon sign was a gift from Regency to close friends.

A tea pot, being a vessel, is defined by the space it contains, it is not the tea pot that is important, but the space. Crispin Sartwell Located on a lake outside of Milwaukee, the Vessel House is the culmination of an intense 5 year collaboration with our client and multiple local craftsmen focused on the creation of a modern analogue to the Usonian Home. As with most residential work, this home is a direct reflection of it’s owner, a highly educated art collector with a passion for music, fine furniture, and architecture. His interest in authenticity drove the material selections such as masonry, copper, and white oak, as well as the need for traditional methods of construction. The initial diagram of the house involved a collection of embedded walls that emerge from the site and create spaces between them, which are covered with a series of floating rooves. The windows provide natural light on three sides of the house as a band of clerestories, transforming to a floor to ceiling ribbon of glass on the lakeside. The Vessel House functions as a gallery for the owner’s art, motorcycles, Tiffany lamps, and vintage musical instruments – offering spaces to exhibit, store, and listen. These gallery nodes overlap with the typical house program of kitchen, dining, living, and bedroom, creating dynamic zones of transition and rooms that serve dual purposes allowing guests to relax in a museum setting. Through it’s materiality, connection to nature, and open planning, the Vessel House continues many of the Usonian principles Wright advocated for. Overview Oconomowoc, WI Completion Date August 2015 Services Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

The look of luxury can only be achieved with authentic custom designed garage doors by Dynamic Garage Door. Dynamic Garage Doors are custom designed and crafted by our own team of savvy designers and finish carpenters. The finish look is immediately noticeable compared to other semi-custom garage doors that are available in the market. Our traditional style garage doors stand alone in the industry because of their design integrity, quality manufacturing and specialized finishing. Each and every step of the manufacturing is done in-house to achieve the highest level of excellence giving you results that are indisputable. These custom garage doors feature designer style windows with an embedded diamond pattern glass pane that was fitted with clear glass while the surrounding glass panes were done in glue chip glass. The purpose of this glass distinction within the window cluster was to create contrast and accentuate the gorgeous diamond glass shape which culminate the beauty and craftsmanship of this traditional style garage doors with craftsman design influences. Let our team of season garage door designers and builder create a one-of-a-kind garage door design that will make your home stand out from the rest! Design Center Inquiries: (855) 343-DOORS

RHEINZINK ROOF PANELS PLAY KEY ROLE IN UNIQUE RESIDENTIAL WATER COLLECTION SYSTEM Located on a steeply sloped site in the central Texas hill country, visitors to the Cascading Creek House look down on the unique water-collection system of the house when entering from the street above. Descending the steps at the property’s entry, the experience begins with the structure’s paired zinc roofs. The northern roof collects rainwater from the sudden downpours that are characteristic of the area and deposits it into a central trough concealed by a line of solar thermal assemblies. The trough culminates in a giant scupper that feeds rainwater into an open cistern before being stored in a 30,000 gallon tank buried beside the house. The scupper can be run artificially as a fountain. The storage tank also collects runoff from the hardscape on the sloped lot. The stored water ties into an extensive climate conditioning system which utilizes water source heat pumps and radiant loops to supply both the heating and cooling for the residence. Design for the project and its innovative technological features was done by Bercy Chen Studio, Austin. Principal Thomas Bercy selected RHEINZINK PrePATINA blue-grey Double Lock Standing Seam Panels to clad the 3,200 sq. ft. roof area. “We used the zinc for aesthetic purpose as well as durability,“ Bercy said. “We were looking for a natural color palette that would work with the other materials on the house. The grey of the RHEINZINK worked perfectly with the grey tones of the Lueder limestone. And I’ve always loved the patina that aged zinc presents.“ The RHEINZINK distributor on the project was MetalTech—USA, Peachtree City, GA. Photographer: Tom Bardagjy

The couple who embarked on this Lake Zurich Illinois home renovation spent years planning a move from Virginia to the rolling hills of Northern Illinois when their first grandchild was born. Wanting to be closer to their grown children so they could enjoy their new role, they first embarked upon finding the right realtor and the right home. They settled on the “perfect” home; perfect that is to transform. The seriously outdated 1,800 square foot ranch had a closed outdated kitchen, 3 bedrooms, a living room with a fireplace, a full basement and 2 baths. Although it had “good bones”, it was straight out of a builder’s catalog with wall to wall carpet, standard tile and honey oak everywhere you looked. But this couple had big plans for this home. In tandem with their home purchase, they began the search for the just the right renovation company. The team they chose needed to be cohesive, as the whole house renovation would be designed hundreds of miles from their home several states away. She found Advance Design Studio, Ltd. online, and was quickly enamored by the team and by Common Sense Remodeling, simply by studying the website. Her decision to choose Advance Design to partner on this complete ranch renovation was confirmed quickly upon her first face to face meeting with owner Todd Jurs, and later by Advance’s designer, Nicole Ryan. Three bedrooms were converted into a one master suite with ample bath and walk in closet, laundry, and a 2nd multi-purpose room designed for movies and entertainment, a home office, and a guest room all in one. A doorway leading to the garage was reconfigured to create a foyer area, and allowed for a better flow to an open modern kitchen complete with a large island for cooking and entertaining, which included a wide bench seat overlooking the back yard and opening onto an eating area flanked with a fireplace and TV. The piece de resistance culminated with 3 walls of full glass anchored by a striking fireplace in the new four season’s room where the homeowners enjoy coffee every morning while gazing at the current day’s mid-western landscape. The open floorplan encourages living in “one space” throughout the day. Ryan worked with the couple remotely, exchanging 3D color renderings and floorplans with detailed budget updates until the project took on the very image they had envisioned. “Working with them was a change from our normal meeting process since they were literally in a different state. We conducted meetings by phone, while reviewing materials and drawings via computer. It was a fun process that necessitated lots of detail and careful coordination, but we made it happen and the process was as smooth as if they were right here like normal”, says Nicole. During a stressful time planning their move, the constant interaction with Nicole assured the couple that all was being addressed by the Advance team and they could relax and focus on other important things (like moving cross country). The new master bath incorporated heated flooring, a walk in shower with seating and custom shower niches, and an elegant double sink vanity with ample space for two. “The layout of each of the rooms is exactly what I envisioned,” the client said. “Advance’s attention to details such as light switch placement, electrical outlets, and many other minute details you wouldn’t even think of was the icing on the cake. If I didn’t think of it first, they certainly did,” said the happy homeowner. Small details like the crown molding, the custom designed fireplace mantle, the under-cabinet lighting and etched door glass, and even subtle rhinestones shimmering like delicate jewelry in the tile backsplash brought the whole project together. The clients were extremely happy with the way the Advance team made sure these small things were executed perfectly. “It’s just gorgeous,” they said at a celebratory event in their home hosted shortly after completion for the entire Advance Design team that made it happen. “The entire crew at Advance Design was a pleasure to work with. We couldn’t have done this with a lesser team,” they concluded.

Nestled at the end of a long flag lot driveway in Amagansett, NY, a young couple purchased the property with intentions to construct a second home for their growing family. A home that would not only be comfortable for the immediate family but also serve and grow on busy summer weekends to accommodate extended family, friends, children and guests. The tight lot along with the sizable program culminated in the building envelope being pushed to every limit, restriction and regulation one could imagine. The resulting architecture possesses a traditional Hamptons cottage exterior juxtaposed with modern elements that help break up the single mass. Centered on the entry façade is a large double story window that shrouds the floating switchback staircase on the interior. A bluestone patio wraps three sides of the home, which, in the rear, leads to a small in ground pool with a frameless glass railing. In the interior, custom white washed white oak floors run throughout the home as well as on the floating central staircase. For a more modern style of living, the open living, kitchen and dining area serve as one large entertaining space. In an area surrounded by sprawling Mcmansions, this tightly knit home functions more similar to that of a large NYC apartment by serving the perfect balance between maximized form with the right amount of function given the strict parameters. Large glass sliders open the living and dining rooms to the backyard patio and pool creating harmony between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Shaker style cabinets in the kitchen pair with a more contemporary staircase softened by the warmer wood tones of the vertical slats that surround it.

RHEINZINK ROOF PANELS PLAY KEY ROLE IN UNIQUE RESIDENTIAL WATER COLLECTION SYSTEM Located on a steeply sloped site in the central Texas hill country, visitors to the Cascading Creek House look down on the unique water-collection system of the house when entering from the street above. Descending the steps at the property’s entry, the experience begins with the structure’s paired zinc roofs. The northern roof collects rainwater from the sudden downpours that are characteristic of the area and deposits it into a central trough concealed by a line of solar thermal assemblies. The trough culminates in a giant scupper that feeds rainwater into an open cistern before being stored in a 30,000 gallon tank buried beside the house. The scupper can be run artificially as a fountain. The storage tank also collects runoff from the hardscape on the sloped lot. The stored water ties into an extensive climate conditioning system which utilizes water source heat pumps and radiant loops to supply both the heating and cooling for the residence. Design for the project and its innovative technological features was done by Bercy Chen Studio, Austin. Principal Thomas Bercy selected RHEINZINK PrePATINA blue-grey Double Lock Standing Seam Panels to clad the 3,200 sq. ft. roof area. “We used the zinc for aesthetic purpose as well as durability,“ Bercy said. “We were looking for a natural color palette that would work with the other materials on the house. The grey of the RHEINZINK worked perfectly with the grey tones of the Lueder limestone. And I’ve always loved the patina that aged zinc presents.“ The RHEINZINK distributor on the project was MetalTech—USA, Peachtree City, GA. Photographer: Tom Bardagjy

A convergence of sleek contemporary style and organic elements culminate in this elevated esthetic. High gloss white contrasts with sustainable bamboo veneers, run horizontally, and stained a warm matte caramel color. The showpiece is the 3” bamboo framing around the tall units, engineered in strips that perfectly align with the breaks in the surrounding cabinetry. So as not to clutter the clean lines of the flat panel doors, the white cabinets open with touch latches, most of which have lift-up mechanisms. Base cabinets have integrated channel hardware in stainless steel, echoing the appliances. Storage abounds, with such conveniences as tray partitions, corner swing-out lazy susans, and assorted dividers and inserts for the profusion of large drawers. Pure white quartz countertops terminate in a waterfall end at the peninsula, where there’s room for three comfortable stools under the overhang. A unique feature is the execution of the cooktop: it’s set flush into the countertop, with a fascia of quartz below it; the cooktop’s knobs are set into that fascia. To assure a clean look throughout, the quartz is continued onto the backsplashes, punctuated by a sheet of stainless steel behind the rangetop and hood. Serenity and style in a hardworking space. This project was designed in collaboration with Taylor Viazzo Architects. Photography by Jason Taylor, R.A., AIA. Written by Paulette Gambacorta, adapted for Houzz Bilotta Designer: Danielle Florie Architect: Taylor Viazzo Architects Photographer: Jason Taylor, R.A., AIA

A tea pot, being a vessel, is defined by the space it contains, it is not the tea pot that is important, but the space. Crispin Sartwell Located on a lake outside of Milwaukee, the Vessel House is the culmination of an intense 5 year collaboration with our client and multiple local craftsmen focused on the creation of a modern analogue to the Usonian Home. As with most residential work, this home is a direct reflection of it’s owner, a highly educated art collector with a passion for music, fine furniture, and architecture. His interest in authenticity drove the material selections such as masonry, copper, and white oak, as well as the need for traditional methods of construction. The initial diagram of the house involved a collection of embedded walls that emerge from the site and create spaces between them, which are covered with a series of floating rooves. The windows provide natural light on three sides of the house as a band of clerestories, transforming to a floor to ceiling ribbon of glass on the lakeside. The Vessel House functions as a gallery for the owner’s art, motorcycles, Tiffany lamps, and vintage musical instruments – offering spaces to exhibit, store, and listen. These gallery nodes overlap with the typical house program of kitchen, dining, living, and bedroom, creating dynamic zones of transition and rooms that serve dual purposes allowing guests to relax in a museum setting. Through it’s materiality, connection to nature, and open planning, the Vessel House continues many of the Usonian principles Wright advocated for. Overview Oconomowoc, WI Completion Date August 2015 Services Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

The client’s request was quite common - a typical 2800 sf builder home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living space, and den. However, their desire was for this to be “anything but common.” The result is an innovative update on the production home for the modern era, and serves as a direct counterpoint to the neighborhood and its more conventional suburban housing stock, which focus views to the backyard and seeks to nullify the unique qualities and challenges of topography and the natural environment. The Terraced House cautiously steps down the site’s steep topography, resulting in a more nuanced approach to site development than cutting and filling that is so common in the builder homes of the area. The compact house opens up in very focused views that capture the natural wooded setting, while masking the sounds and views of the directly adjacent roadway. The main living spaces face this major roadway, effectively flipping the typical orientation of a suburban home, and the main entrance pulls visitors up to the second floor and halfway through the site, providing a sense of procession and privacy absent in the typical suburban home. Clad in a custom rain screen that reflects the wood of the surrounding landscape - while providing a glimpse into the interior tones that are used. The stepping “wood boxes” rest on a series of concrete walls that organize the site, retain the earth, and - in conjunction with the wood veneer panels - provide a subtle organic texture to the composition. The interior spaces wrap around an interior knuckle that houses public zones and vertical circulation - allowing more private spaces to exist at the edges of the building. The windows get larger and more frequent as they ascend the building, culminating in the upstairs bedrooms that occupy the site like a tree house - giving views in all directions. The Terraced House imports urban qualities to the suburban neighborhood and seeks to elevate the typical approach to production home construction, while being more in tune with modern family living patterns. Overview: Elm Grove Size: 2,800 sf, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Completion Date: September 2014 Services: Architecture, Landscape Architecture Interior Consultants: Amy Carman Design

We had a ball turning an “original garage turned media room” into a dreamy bourbon lounge for our special clients. The extensive bourbon collection deserved all the best highlights including custom bistro shelving, ambient lighting and both beautiful and functional cabinetry. The vibe is moody and mysterious and the finishes are sophisticated. Cork metallic wallpaper, deep hued paint and the quartzite countertops, which immediately draw the eye with their beauty, all culminate to this amazingly relaxing space that make one want to put up their feet, light a cigar and enjoy a fine pour. The traditionally inspired furnishings keep the room cozy and comfortable, and ever so plush. The lounge and its adjacent bathroom were designed with masculine inspired finishes and speaks to the client’s love for music. The powder bath on the other side of the home is a jewel box of a room with a custom mural and vanity, dancing crystal lights and a pink lacquered ceiling. The two distinctly different spaces delivered exactly what each spouse was hoping for!

A tea pot, being a vessel, is defined by the space it contains, it is not the tea pot that is important, but the space. Crispin Sartwell Located on a lake outside of Milwaukee, the Vessel House is the culmination of an intense 5 year collaboration with our client and multiple local craftsmen focused on the creation of a modern analogue to the Usonian Home. As with most residential work, this home is a direct reflection of it’s owner, a highly educated art collector with a passion for music, fine furniture, and architecture. His interest in authenticity drove the material selections such as masonry, copper, and white oak, as well as the need for traditional methods of construction. The initial diagram of the house involved a collection of embedded walls that emerge from the site and create spaces between them, which are covered with a series of floating rooves. The windows provide natural light on three sides of the house as a band of clerestories, transforming to a floor to ceiling ribbon of glass on the lakeside. The Vessel House functions as a gallery for the owner’s art, motorcycles, Tiffany lamps, and vintage musical instruments – offering spaces to exhibit, store, and listen. These gallery nodes overlap with the typical house program of kitchen, dining, living, and bedroom, creating dynamic zones of transition and rooms that serve dual purposes allowing guests to relax in a museum setting. Through it’s materiality, connection to nature, and open planning, the Vessel House continues many of the Usonian principles Wright advocated for. Overview Oconomowoc, WI Completion Date August 2015 Services Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

A tea pot, being a vessel, is defined by the space it contains, it is not the tea pot that is important, but the space. Crispin Sartwell Located on a lake outside of Milwaukee, the Vessel House is the culmination of an intense 5 year collaboration with our client and multiple local craftsmen focused on the creation of a modern analogue to the Usonian Home. As with most residential work, this home is a direct reflection of it’s owner, a highly educated art collector with a passion for music, fine furniture, and architecture. His interest in authenticity drove the material selections such as masonry, copper, and white oak, as well as the need for traditional methods of construction. The initial diagram of the house involved a collection of embedded walls that emerge from the site and create spaces between them, which are covered with a series of floating rooves. The windows provide natural light on three sides of the house as a band of clerestories, transforming to a floor to ceiling ribbon of glass on the lakeside. The Vessel House functions as a gallery for the owner’s art, motorcycles, Tiffany lamps, and vintage musical instruments – offering spaces to exhibit, store, and listen. These gallery nodes overlap with the typical house program of kitchen, dining, living, and bedroom, creating dynamic zones of transition and rooms that serve dual purposes allowing guests to relax in a museum setting. Through it’s materiality, connection to nature, and open planning, the Vessel House continues many of the Usonian principles Wright advocated for. Overview Oconomowoc, WI Completion Date August 2015 Services Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

A passion project for The Fernandes family, “The Haverly” is the culmination of a multi-year dream for the clients, who had envisioned a complimentary pool house to go with their authentic mid-century modern home since purchasing it years ago. They took their time, scouring construction sites for the unique Haver Block, a pre-cast signature brick, long since out of production, that was a staple of famed local architect, Ralph Haver. They also obtained and held onto period-appropriate decorative panels from the Biltmore during one of its many remodels. The structure itself takes outdoor/indoor living to another level, with 30 linear feet of the exterior being retractable floor-to-ceiling glass panels, meeting on a corner. This presented a fun design challenge for Zach Burns of MODE Architecture, who had to figure out how to cantilever the majority of the exterior roof with a minimum of visible support. The glass is offset by exposed CMU, with a specific linear grout pattern, and a metal roof fascia with complementary linear detail. The focal point of course is the custom-made walnut bar, complete with period-specific “boomerang” laminate tops and padded leather bar rail. Behind the bar is a commercial-grade bar set up, highlighted by an 80” TV with the capability to split into 4 smaller pictures (period specific to the 21st century!) The bathroom tile matches the pool coping tile, the cozy semi-private office is enhanced by a gorgeous piece of 1950s furniture, and the one-of-a-kind neon sign was a gift from Regency to close friends.

A passion project for The Fernandes family, “The Haverly” is the culmination of a multi-year dream for the clients, who had envisioned a complimentary pool house to go with their authentic mid-century modern home since purchasing it years ago. They took their time, scouring construction sites for the unique Haver Block, a pre-cast signature brick, long since out of production, that was a staple of famed local architect, Ralph Haver. They also obtained and held onto period-appropriate decorative panels from the Biltmore during one of its many remodels. The structure itself takes outdoor/indoor living to another level, with 30 linear feet of the exterior being retractable floor-to-ceiling glass panels, meeting on a corner. This presented a fun design challenge for Zach Burns of MODE Architecture, who had to figure out how to cantilever the majority of the exterior roof with a minimum of visible support. The glass is offset by exposed CMU, with a specific linear grout pattern, and a metal roof fascia with complementary linear detail. The focal point of course is the custom-made walnut bar, complete with period-specific “boomerang” laminate tops and padded leather bar rail. Behind the bar is a commercial-grade bar set up, highlighted by an 80” TV with the capability to split into 4 smaller pictures (period specific to the 21st century!) The bathroom tile matches the pool coping tile, the cozy semi-private office is enhanced by a gorgeous piece of 1950s furniture, and the one-of-a-kind neon sign was a gift from Regency to close friends.

A tea pot, being a vessel, is defined by the space it contains, it is not the tea pot that is important, but the space. Crispin Sartwell Located on a lake outside of Milwaukee, the Vessel House is the culmination of an intense 5 year collaboration with our client and multiple local craftsmen focused on the creation of a modern analogue to the Usonian Home. As with most residential work, this home is a direct reflection of it’s owner, a highly educated art collector with a passion for music, fine furniture, and architecture. His interest in authenticity drove the material selections such as masonry, copper, and white oak, as well as the need for traditional methods of construction. The initial diagram of the house involved a collection of embedded walls that emerge from the site and create spaces between them, which are covered with a series of floating rooves. The windows provide natural light on three sides of the house as a band of clerestories, transforming to a floor to ceiling ribbon of glass on the lakeside. The Vessel House functions as a gallery for the owner’s art, motorcycles, Tiffany lamps, and vintage musical instruments – offering spaces to exhibit, store, and listen. These gallery nodes overlap with the typical house program of kitchen, dining, living, and bedroom, creating dynamic zones of transition and rooms that serve dual purposes allowing guests to relax in a museum setting. Through it’s materiality, connection to nature, and open planning, the Vessel House continues many of the Usonian principles Wright advocated for. Overview Oconomowoc, WI Completion Date August 2015 Services Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

Nestled at the end of a long flag lot driveway in Amagansett, NY, a young couple purchased the property with intentions to construct a second home for their growing family. A home that would not only be comfortable for the immediate family but also serve and grow on busy summer weekends to accommodate extended family, friends, children and guests. The tight lot along with the sizable program culminated in the building envelope being pushed to every limit, restriction and regulation one could imagine. The resulting architecture possesses a traditional Hamptons cottage exterior juxtaposed with modern elements that help break up the single mass. Centered on the entry façade is a large double story window that shrouds the floating switchback staircase on the interior. A bluestone patio wraps three sides of the home, which, in the rear, leads to a small in ground pool with a frameless glass railing. In the interior, custom white washed white oak floors run throughout the home as well as on the floating central staircase. For a more modern style of living, the open living, kitchen and dining area serve as one large entertaining space. In an area surrounded by sprawling Mcmansions, this tightly knit home functions more similar to that of a large NYC apartment by serving the perfect balance between maximized form with the right amount of function given the strict parameters. Large glass sliders open the living and dining rooms to the backyard patio and pool creating harmony between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Shaker style cabinets in the kitchen pair with a more contemporary staircase softened by the warmer wood tones of the vertical slats that surround it.

Slab style doors in shades of gray lend drama to this landscape architecture professor/artist’s kitchen. Special heights and depths culminate in a top alignment that defines a visual upper plane extending from the kitchen to the great room (at the tops of the windows and doors) creating a unified interior horizon. On a more prosaic front, the upper cabinets were held somewhat low to be easier to reach for a shortish cook. Differing cabinet depths allow for a structural post to be integrated through the island cabinetry; the oven cabinet is held forward to align with a full depth refrigerator; and depth was added at the washer/dryer surround for needed ventilation. Also, the base cabinets were pulled forward for deeper counters to accommodate several small appliances and still allow for work area. In addition, the client wanted a built-in shelf unit to blend with existing rough hewn paneling in which to display objets d’art. An organically shaped island breaks with tradition and softens the otherwise linear nature of the room. A unique sweeping curve expands and defines the bar seating -- the wall beneath is lined with an accent stripe of cork (same materials as in the flooring) to act as a shoe-scuff deterrent for the wall. A small but significant detail - the upper doors and side of the tall microwave cabinet had to be finished Silvermist (light) while the interior, edge banding and bottom drawerhead needed to be finished in the darker Slate to continue the color theme of the kitchen. Integrated lighting was also a mandatory component of this kitchen - indirect top, bottom, picture and toe lights can all be adjusted myriad ways; and we can’t forget the very unique undulating pendant lighting at the island.