From small beginnings bold and dramatic kitchen remodel by Partners 4 Design

Just as the best ideas are often the simplest, so too can the best feature of a design have humble origins.

When interior designer Stephen Lanak and client were looking at materials for a remodeled kitchen, so taken was the client with a sample of zebrano veneer that she made the decision to use it extensively throughout the space. The finished result forms a strong counterpoint to the other materials selected and to the equally compelling view.

"Everything else, the countertops, the remaining cabinetry and the flooring were chosen to work around the zebrano," says Lanak. "Even once the project was finished, we were asked to install yet more of the veneer on a couple of side walls."

The remaining cabinetry was given a blue high-gloss lacquer finish to reference and complement the lakeside locale. The neutral quartz countertops finish the look.

The last area of the house to undergo remodeling, the kitchen was extended to incorporate an existing balcony, providing extra room for a much larger island.

"The island is really the focal point of the kitchen," says Roger Zierman, kitchen designer at Partners 4 Design. "As well as being a major design feature, it also houses the cooking centers, refrigerator drawers and a sink for washing hands.

"Also, the raised central portion was designed to display pieces from the client's extensive sculpture collection, and as a device to incorporate outlets so as to not mar the surface of the book-matched zebrano veneer."

Functionally, the remodeled island has also improved the amenity of the kitchen, as has the inclusion of a butler's pantry, says Zierman.

"Entertaining is a vital part of the family's activities at the property and as such, there is a vast array of serving dishes and dinnerware, which required an efficient means of storage. Much of the cabinetry in the kitchen and the butler's pantry was given over to this function after an exhaustive inventory of every piece was carried out."

As well as the kitchen, the adjoining dining-living area was also remodeled to make more of a feature of the lake view.

"Like the kitchen, this area was extended out to the edge of the existing eaves," says Lanak. "As part of my design, the room was reorganized, with the fireplace moved to its current position from the opposite side. This allows the family to interact with the view more readily when they're in this space."