Coming up roses

Double-sided glass cabinets are windows to the garden in this remodeled kitchen, which was designed to maximize a leafy green outlook

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Kitchens, by their very nature, tend to look inwards the emphasis is firmly on food preparation and socializing with friends and family.

While that is true of this remodeled kitchen, the design was equally influenced by the view of a beautifully landscaped garden.

Architects Julie Hacker and Stuart Cohen, who also remodeled the house 10 years ago, say the existing kitchen was close to a neighboring house. When that property came on the market, the owners of this house bought and removed the building to create an extensive garden.

"The new kitchen needed to maximize this attractive outlook, and the view over an existing garden at the side."

To better focus on these aspects, a breakfast room was removed from one end of the kitchen. This created a much larger space, and opened up the view from the work areas.

Decorative two-sided glass cabinets in front of the windows feature shelving aligned with the mullions. The windows also form the backsplash on the perimeter countertops.

"The space was further enlarged by the removal of a wall between the kitchen and family living area," says Cohen. "A former study is now a casual dining area, which in turn leads to the family room. This entire space is effectively one large living area, which is ideal for the owners, who love to cook and entertain."

The kitchen cabinets have a simple, yet classic design, with white flat-panel doors, bead detailing and crystal and polished chrome pulls.

"To create a furniture look, the island has a turned table leg, and similarly detailed feet," says Hacker. "But while the kitchen has a sense of tradition, the contemporary elements lift it out of the ordinary. The modern Euro-style hood, for example, appears to float in front of the windows."

The kitchen also features contemporary faucets and the latest appliance technology.

A number of different work zones ensure the kitchen functions as well as it looks. One perimeter countertop, in statuary marble, is the baking center. The other countertops are White Fantasy granite the slabs were selected for their extra-white color tones.

There is also ample storage, with extra space provided in laminated glass cabinets in the informal dining area.