These homeowners live in a 1960's Colonial Revival style home. The old kitchen was situated toward the back of the house which received very little natural light. They desired their new kitchen to be large enough to host parties, maximize the natural light and open the kitchen to the rest of the house. To meet these goals, the homeowners decided to relocate the kitchen to a little-used formal living room. This space was already quite large and had windows on three sides. By adding a sliding glass door in place of small windows on the back of the house, the homeowners maximized the natural light and provided a connection to the backyard patio.

The formal living room had been adjacent to the old kitchen, and accessible by a small pocket door. To achieve better flow to the rest of the house and open up a circulation pattern, Big Woods demolished the opening and wall, worked with plumbers to move water supply and waste lines serving the second story, and re-framed the opening with a laminated beam to support the wider opening.

These homeowners were very passionate about how the functionality and style for this kitchen came together. Considering the placement of windows, the couple decided not to add any traditional wall cabinets to their plan, instead focusing on a symmetrical design that is anchored by two large pantry cabinets that rest on the countertop on each end, and a central focal point of the range nook.

Range nooks are often found in traditional English homes, but these homeowners wanted to give their modern spin to this design element. Sitting at the center of the kitchen work zone, it was an opportunity to create a special focal point that also served the purpose of providing venting for the 6-burner Viking range. Big Woods tiled the interior with an accent tile, added LED lighting for task lighting, and wrapped the outside in a vertical v-groove planking, a design element repeated in other areas throughout the home. Two floating shelves and sconces for accent lighting pull together the design elements on the main wall of the kitchen.

​The homeowners chose cabinets in quartersawn white oak with no stain, just a clearcoat finish. The wood provides so much character and will naturally darken over time. To keep the focus on the graining pattern, the couple choose a flat drawer style, and all drawers and doors are inset into the frame of the cabinet, providing a sleek yet traditional appearance. The main wall of cabinets has primarily drawers, which the couple choose to make access to pots, pans, bowls, serving ware and even everyday dishes and glassware easy to access. The island houses the sink, dishwasher, silverware and knife drawers, and a garbage/recycling cabinet.

For the countertop, the couple chose a green-black soapstone, with heavy white veining. Soapstone is a natural stone that is resistant to bacteria and completely heat-resistant. A cast iron pan can be pulled from 400-degree oven and placed directly on the counter with no damage. While durable for direct heat, soapstone is extremely soft and prone to dings and scratches. For lovers of soapstone, this is considered to be a patina, that shows the age of the stone over time. To care for the stone, the homeowners treat the stone with a food-grade mineral oil or a oil/wax combination every few months.

These homeowners are thrilled with their warm, modern kitchen that blends well with the traditional architectural style of their home. The classic elements are offset with black-trimmed windows, a marble-topped dining table where the family regularly eats their meals, and modern Danish chairs by Normann Copenhagen.