Character kitchen traditional detailing by Cooper Pacific

Religiously adhering to one particular style is not always the most successful recipe for a great kitchen. Today, the most interesting kitchens like to mix it up a bit.

This kitchen, co-designed by Neil Cooper of Cooper Pacific and the owner, interior designer Judy Hampton of Hampton Place Interiors, puts a contemporary spin on the traditional. The kitchen is in a Eastern Seaboard-style house designed by William (Bill) H Harrison of Harrison Design Associates.

"The owner wanted a very large, open kitchen that would be good for entertaining," says Harrison. "The space, like the whole house, is also very light and airy with tall windows. Essentially the architecture derives from the classical the rafters in the living room give it a slight Arts and Crafts look but it's a slimmed-down, minimized version."

To complement the design elements, Cooper specified a highly symmetrical kitchen with tall, white-painted cabinets topped by a four-piece crown moulding.

"The owner wanted to maximize the height of the kitchen the ceilings are 10ft high so the cabinets provide plenty of storage," he says.

The cabinets are teamed a furniture-style walnut island, which features similar panel doors, but has a deep, square-edged marble countertop.

"This is a classic white kitchen with a sprinkling of the contemporary," says Cooper. "The countertops, for example, give it a modern feel. And we chose stainless steel appliances rather than integrated models."

Because the owner likes to entertain, high functionality was a priority.

"It was a challenge to use all of the space," says Cooper. "But we separated the work zones so that several people can work in the kitchen at the same time and not get in each other's way. Ergonomics also determined the layout. The owner didn't want to bend down to the wall ovens, so these are positioned at waist height."

Cooper says the symmetry creates visual balance.

"The ovens, for example, are positioned on either side of the refrigerator; and the cooking center and arched window are visually balanced by the cabinets on either side."

The island forms a table at one end, so the entire countertop is lower than the perimeter cabinets. This avoids the need for a split-level counter.

There is also an adjacent butler's pantry, with a pass-through to the formal dining room. The pantry, which features similar paneled cabinets in a glazed finish, accommodates wine storage, an icemaker and sink.

Story by: Trendsideas