Family meets formality

A kitchen placed centrally within a run of formal rooms needs to sit well with its neighbors while offering the functionality required for family life. The trick is finding an effective balance between the decorous and the day-to-day. Integrating your appliances can play a part in this, and so too can cabinetry treatments.

This kitchen, designed by Maureen O'Neill, connects to the family room, hearth room, and, via a butler's pantry, to the formal dining room. Because of its central location, the owners wanted the kitchen to have a dignified air.

"In response to this, we created a kitchen with fully molded cabinetry doors on the island and perimeter cabinetry," says O'Neill. "Chandeliers hang from the ceiling and most appliances are tucked away behind cabinet doors."

Some elements are a continuation of features found elsewhere for example, the backlit leadlight windows are also seen at the front of the home.

However, the gracious look of the kitchen, almost a dining room in its own right, belies the functionality of the space. Distinct work zones include a food preparation area opposite the freestanding range, a cleanup space under the kitchen windows, and a storage area comprising a large refrigerator and freezer, and a food pantry. There is also a separate space for wine storage, which doubles as a breakfast nook.

Most of the appliances from warming drawer through to dishwashers and a wine cabinet are integrated into the cabinetry to further the formal look. However, some elements of the design have a lighter ambiance.

"Perimeter cabinets are painted off-white. This tone is not only less solemn than the dark wood of the island, but the lighter color also downplays the ornate finishes and moldings," says O'Neill.

In addition, a local artisan was asked to paint decorative elements on both the ceiling and hood. While the ceiling painting complements the ornate chandeliers, the artwork on the oversized hood is reminiscent of a French Provincial kitchen.

"There is something of a dual personality to this kitchen," says O'Neill. "The owners often entertain and the furniture-like fittings and ornate decoration are appropriate for this use. But when children's lunches rather than cocktails are being served, it takes on a more breezy air."

Story by: Charles Moxham