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Wayfinder from Kitchen Trends volume 2403
An elongated island can provide much more than the outer boundary of a open-plan kitchen. Given the right emphasis, it can also provide an aesthetic linchpin that draws together the greater space.
This open-plan living area, by design team Shannon Rankin, Kyle Gaffney, and Brian Collins-Friedrichs of SkB Architects, occupies the entire first floor of a modest-sized home.
"Originally this floor had contained three rooms – a small kitchen, a dining room and a living area," says partner-in-charge Collins-Friedrichs. "We knocked down walls to open up the space to light and views and set the new kitchen along one side."
A run of terrazzo tiles defines the kitchen floor space, while the adjacent dining area is anchored by a dramatic, cantilevered island.
The 10ft-long island serves as a dining table and a centerpiece for the greater space. A hidden framework of steel, bolted to the floor joist, supports what appears to be a physics-defying piece of furniture.
"We wanted the dining table to have a sense of both permanence and lightness," says the architect. "The proportions accentuate the length of the space and also point the eye towards the views. In material terms, it provides a linking device – the vertical element is in the same blackened steel as the double-height fireplace surround, and the veneer finish matches that found on the kitchen cabinetry."
The space has a simple material palette – steel, oak veneer, and painted surfaces predominate. An red-based mosaic backsplash and a low-set window bring splashes of color. Some darker mosaics within the backsplash pick up on surrounding colors.
The overhead cabinets are made of frosted glass and aluminium to avoid them having a weighty look. These also provide another material connection – tying in with the window and door frames that are finished in the same anodized metal.
"Despite the advantages of introducing an open-plan design, it does mean that everything – mess included – tends to be on show to the greater space," he says. "To address this potential problem, the cabi-netry features myriad dedicated storage options."
The kitchen is defined partly by the island and also by the floor tiles running the length of this area. Both kitchen and dining space are also demarcated by the ceiling. A soffit was introduced that wraps up and around to the bedroom on the floor above. This ceiling feature connects to the table visually, a cutout niche echoing its vertical element directly beneath.
"Both the soffit and island bring visual interest and spacial definition," Collins-Friedrichs says.
A simple tonal and material palette means the owner can choose furniture and furnishings to alter the ambiance of the space. The dining chairs were chosen in part for their clear acrylic legs, which accentuate the lightness at the unsupported end of the island. The soffit overhead also plays off the shape of the cantilevered table.
Steel, veneer and painted surfaces predominate in this open-plan space. A central cantilevered island doubles as a dining table and provides a point of focus. It also has a less obvious utility – the island's supporting upstand is hollow to accommodate a storage niche that was a request of the owners.
The refit has made the modest-sized space appear more generous. Both the soffit and dining table direct the eye towards the living area, and the views beyond. Placing the kitchen to one side of the open-plan room accentuates the view and also the elongated nature of this first-floor space.
Credit List
Architect and kitchen designer
:
Brian Collins-Friedrichs,
SkB Architects (Seattle, WA)
General contractor
:
Heartwood Builders
Countertops
:
Custom ballard sheet metal in stainless steel
Flooring
:
Terrazzo tiles from Rock Solid; pickled oak from Euro American Hardwood floors
Windows and doors
:
Loewen clear anodized aluminum-clad exterior with painted interiors
Lighting
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Tobias Grau pendant; Juno recessed
Sink
:
KWC undermount in stainless steel
Faucets
:
Luna from KWC in brushed nickel
Oven, cooktop, dishwasher
:
Miele
Refrigeration
:
Sub-Zero
Story by Charles Moxham
Photography by
Jamie Cobeldick
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