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On retreat from Kitchen Trends volume 2507
Contemporary kitchens are invariably part of an open-plan living space – a design that reflects the more relaxed nature of modern lifestyles. This close association often means similar materials are used throughout the living areas to provide visual continuity.
The designer of this kitchen took this one step further – he chose a material that connects the house to the woods beyond. Architect Geoff Prentiss of Prentiss Architects says many of the trees surrounding the house are Douglas fir, which made this wood a natural choice for cabinets and window frames.
Prentiss says the extensive use of fir suited the brief from owners Michael and Patricia Dekema, who wanted a house that would be in harmony with the natural setting. The couple also wanted the house to reflect the simple, unadorned Northwest contemporary architecture that characterizes many homes in Washington state.
Prentiss says one of the owners had grown up in a Craftsman bungalow designed by architects Greene & Greene – this helped determine the interior.
"This house is a simpler, and much more contemporary version of the bungalow Arts and Crafts style," he says. "The design was also influenced by the owners' appreciation of Japanese architecture, and the way this has evolved in the Northwest."
The kitchen is positioned on one side of an open passageway that forms the spine of the house. Four long wood peninsulas help delineate the kitchen, passage and living area. Prentiss says these solid masses give the space a sculptural, chunky look. The effect is heightened by the deeply recessed toekicks and negative detailing beneath the countertops – a steel C channel forms a dark band that repeats throughout the cabinetry.
"We specified raw, honest materials throughout – notably glass, steel, wood and concrete," says the architect. "Steel features on the posts and beams that define the spine, and the open shelves in the fir cabinets are simple steel plates. The flooring is concrete – another raw material that fits with the aesthetic."
Other materials include honed black granite, which features on countertops on the perimeter cabinetry. Other cabinets have reclaimed fir countertops, complete with blackened nail holes.
A band of overhead cabinets wraps around the corner of the kitchen and incorporates a small window above the sink. All the larger windows include transparent and opaque glass panels reminiscent of traditional Japanese shoji screens.
Clerestory windows also help lighten the kitchen, and expansive glazing in the living area ensures the owners can enjoy the sea view from the kitchen.
A simple palette of materials, including fir, steel, glass and concrete, was chosen to complement the woodland setting of this house.
Four parallel Douglas fir cabinets line the central spine of the house, visually separating the kitchen and main living area.
The overhead cabinetry incorporates open shelving and a small window above the sink. Additional light from the south is provided by a row of clerestory windows along the passageway that forms the spine of the house.
The cabinetry features negative detailing, in the form of a steel C channel recessed below the countertop. The Japanese shoji-style windows are framed in fir that matches the cabinetry.
Honed black granite features on the main food preparation countertop. Other countertops are made from solid reclaimed fir. The kitchen incorporates a built-in breakfast area with a table top in madrona – a highly grained, reddish wood that grows locally.
Credit List
Architect
:
Geoff Prentiss, Prentiss Architects (Seattle)
Contractor
:
Mancuso Construction
Sink
:
Shaw's Original farm sink
Lighting
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Resolute pendants; recessed cans and under-cabinet lights
Oven, cooktop and ventilation
:
Viking
Story by Colleen Hawkes
Photography by Steve Keating
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