Sequel to success

Clean lines and natural light in this guest kitchen create an expressive reflection of the contemporary architecture in the rest of the house

View of this contemporary kitchen island floor, furniture, interior design, product design, table, gray — View of this contemporary kitchen island

View of this contemporary kitchen island - View floor, furniture, interior design, product design, table, gray

View of the open space kitchen - View cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, floor, interior design, interior designer, kitchen, real estate, room, gray

Close up view of island - Close up countertop, interior design, kitchen, real estate, window, gray

View of kitchen island - View of kitchen countertop, estate, interior design, kitchen, real estate, window, gray

Kitchen island with pool in the distance outside architecture, countertop, daylighting, estate, house, interior design, kitchen, real estate, window, orange, brown

Exterior view of the kitchen - Exterior view architecture, estate, house, interior design, lobby, property, real estate, gray

View of pool area outside, evening with outdoor interior design, lighting, swimming pool, orange

In expansive residences it is often a challenge for one kitchen to service the entire house. For this two-story lakeside urban loft-style property, a functional second kitchen in the guest quarters was imperative for entertaining by the pool.

The area also acts as a retreat for the homeowners an independent sanctuary from the main living area of the house.

Architect Charles Stinson wanted to achieve a design which was reflective of the existing contemporary architecture, but in a more expressive manner.

"The second kitchen needed to mirror the main one in the upstairs area of the house, but I wanted the aesthetic to maintain the vacation-home feel of this section of the property," he says.

Stinson collaborated with kitchen design company Valcucine and chose materials and colors which were similar to those in the first phase of the house.

View of the open space kitchen cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, floor, interior design, interior designer, kitchen, real estate, room, gray — View of the open space kitchen

"We wanted to create a feeling of continuity, while establishing that the architecture in this wing is a different manifestation of the existing design. We were aiming to achieve a shared language of composition," he says.

Stinson says he wanted the design to not only reflect the rest of the house, but also complement the surroundings.

"The guest house is very private, with no exposure to traffic and extensive views of the pine forest and the lake beyond. The kitchen design is refined and understated, and does not compete with the natural environment," says Stinson.

To make the most of the open-plan space, which is accentuated by a generous outdoor living area, the designers used an island as the feature of the kitchen.

Emily Little of Valcucine approached the design process by echoing elements of the upstairs kitchen while continuing the fresh ambiance of the guest house.

Exterior view of the kitchen architecture, estate, house, interior design, lobby, property, real estate, gray — Exterior view of the kitchen

The dark-stained oak finish on the refrigerator and oven tower in the main kitchen is repeated here on the island, while the white cabinets mimic the colors in the space surrounding them, keeping the look clean and light.

"The upstairs kitchen set the precedent for this design. However, we also wanted to stay mindful of the open nature of the space by creating an aesthetically quiet area," says Little.

"As this cooking space is secondary we made the layout neat and compact. We didn't want the design to overwhelm the other elements of the guest house the kitchen needed to be at one with the space," she says.