KITCHENS
Go full-size. Pantries are huge news in kitchen storage and for good reason. While a conventional base unit requires you to get down on your knees with a flashlight to find that last can of beans, anything stored in a tall pantry like this one is easily visible and accessible. Typically fitted with drawers, racks, baskets and even lighting — and performing valiantly even when ultra-slender — these modern beauties offer plenty to love.
Scale up. A pantry that’s also a breakfast station is sure to set any storage fanatic’s pulse racing. This is perhaps the ultimate piece of kitchen furniture, one most of us can only dream about. It combines oodles of storage with a dedicated space where you can prepare your coffee and toast. You can then stand and gaze at your neatly arranged shelves while you eat. Life doesn’t get much better than that, does it?
Roll-out pantry. When drawers roll out, as they do in this English pantry cabinet, you don’t have to worry about digging behind things to find what you need. The glass drawer fronts and sides also allow maximum visibility of items in the drawers while keeping everything in place. The sleek design works well for a contemporary kitchen.
Pantry cabinet. This pantry cabinet in Ireland brings a highly efficient storage area into the kitchen workspace. Pantry storage areas like this are seen in the U.K., where it is known as a larder. It often is hidden behind double cabinetry doors in the kitchen rather than being in a separate room. The doors open to a storage system with open shelves on top, spice racks on the doors and bottom drawers or bins. The shelves usually are shallow enough so everything can be seen at a glance. This larder has a pullout work surface and a tall appliance shelf as a stand mixer, turning it into a baking center as well.See more U.K. pantries like this one
2. Contemporary and ComfortableDesigners: Pam Chandler and Patrick Ousey of FAB ArchitectureLocation: Austin, TexasSize: 480 square feet (44.6 square meters), 20 by 24 feet (6 by 7.3 meters)Year built: 2014Homeowners’ request: Turn four 30th-floor penthouse units into one single unit with a centralized kitchen. Special features: A custom burnished brass shelving unit helps conceal a TV while providing display space. White oak wall cabinets hold a full-size refrigerator and freezer on one side of the work islands, and ovens, a microwave and a coffeemaker on the other. Both sides feature pullout pantries and central workspaces concealed by retractable doors. Why the design works: The burnished-brass shelving unit brings an opportunity for decor in an otherwise utilitarian space, while the quarter-sawn white oak walls give an ease and warmth to the space. Seating on the back sides of both islands creates a hub for gathering. Who uses it: Active empty nesters who split their time between Texas and Wisconsin.
3. Contemporary CoolDesigners: Jeffrey Goodman and Steven Charlton of Goodman Charlton Location: New York CitySize: 238 square feet (22.1 square meters); 17 by 14 feet (5.1 by 4.2 meters)Homeowners’ request: Reconfigure an 1830s townhouse to move the kitchen into the center of the home. Special feature: American walnut cabinetry has a distinct linear grain that, when applied horizontally, accentuates the length of the kitchen. “Painted cabinets would have been the more expected choice,” designer Jeffrey Goodman says. “But walnut provided an interesting juxtaposition against the age of the house.” Nitty-gritty: Countertops: Calacatta Gold marble; stools: Bertoia; light fixture: pool table light with custom large high-gloss shades, Visual Comfort; flooring: slate-style porcelain, Lea CeramicheSee more of this homeMore:Find a kitchen designer in your areaBrowse 60,000+ warm wood kitchens and save your favorites
The nitty-gritty: Perimeter countertop: Caesarstone in Pure White; island countertop: Silestone in Fun; backsplash tile: Orange Burst C13, Glazzio; feature wall tile: travertine, 12 by 24 inches; refrigerator: RF201ADx4, 20.1 cubic feet, 36-inch counter depth, French door, stainless steel, Fisher & Paykel; range: HIIP054U, 30-inch induction slide-in, stainless steel, Bosch; dishwasher: 500 Series SHSHX65T55UC, stainless steel, Bosch; microwave: NN-SD681S, Panasonic; range hood: PRH6-K30, stainless steel, Vent-A-Hood; cabinet boxes: full overlay with slab doors, Ikea; cabinet drawers and doors: ¾-inch walnut slab; display shelving on island, cabinet pulls and cabinet hinges: Ikea; sink: Hahn Chef extra-large double bowl, Costco; faucet: 33870760, single-lever mixer with pullout spray, chrome, Dornbracht; flooring: Almada cork, Marcas; wall, trim and ceiling paint: Pure White, Benjamin MooreTeam: Friberg Industries (carpentry, tile, plumbing and HVAC); Paramount Granite (countertop fabrication); Roe’s International Furniture Services (cabinet finishing); R Johnson and Sons (electrical); Scherr’s Cabinets & Doors (cabinet doors and drawers); Troy Thies PhotographySee more of t...
Who uses it: A food scientist and a writer with two children. Designer secret: “If you have a very colorful palette in your kitchen, introduce some white to create a visual break,” Knutson says. “I did this with white countertops and walls.”“Uh-oh” moment: One homeowner was unsure of the orange glass tile backsplash that Knutson had selected, and became stuck in “analysis paralysis,” Knutson says, trying to find an alternative that looked similar but didn’t have the vibrancy. “Sometimes your job as a designer is to push your clients to make tough choices, to say, ‘Trust me,’” Knutson says. In the end, the homeowner was glad to have listened to Knutson.
1. Modern MirthDesigner: Paul Knutson of Knutson Residential Design Location: MinneapolisSize: 230 square feet (21.3 square meters)Year built: 1964Homeowners’ request: Undo a previous owner’s lackluster 1990s kitchen renovation and introduce a midcentury modern look. Removing a peninsula eliminated a restrictive U-shaped layout and made room for an island that provides better flow. Storage walls on each side pull the appliances out of the middle, creating an airier feel, while cork floors help lighten the once-dark space.Special feature: The homeowners chose walnut cabinetry — no stain, just two coats of clear postcatalyzed lacquer — because “they wanted each element in the design to clearly and simply emphasize its material qualities, a hallmark of midcentury design,” designer Paul Knutson says. “They never considered using white cabinets.” The cabinets establish a warm, organic backdrop for other natural materials, like the travertine feature wall and cork floors, while playing up the manufactured materials, like the orange glass tile, glass-front cabinets and green and white solid-surface countertops.
SMART STORAGE!!!!!
YES YES YES LOVE ALL OF THIS
white and wood combo
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