“All open, all windows” was the challenge faced by kitchen designer Dan Johnson of Giorgi Kitchens & Designs (now with Cornerstone USA, Ltd., in Morristown, New Jersey) and interior designer Nancy Conklin in envisioning Natalie and George Popel’s new kitchen. Architect Michael F. Looney, AIA, and architectural designer Zachary Davis were already at work on the design of the contemporary house to be built in Greenville, Delaware. Johnson and Conklin were able to fully integrate the 300-square-foot kitchen into a long expanse a few steps above the entry, living room, and dining room, providing excellent sight lines of the woods beyond.
Johnson and Conklin’s design scheme is a study in contrasts—two tones of wood sparked with pastels, as well as curves meeting straight lines to subtly delineate areas. For the cabinetry, Johnson used maple with a less figured, paler look than is usual in the species. He also applied the wood to the support columns and low cabinets defining the open hallway that partitions the kitchen from the other living areas.
The relative lack of wall space, a trade-off for all the openness, presented difficulties in terms of appliance placement and adequate storage space. A sinuous 14-foot-long island with seating on one side and an array of appliances on the other resolves much of the former challenge, all the while maintaining a calm atmosphere that is compatible with the rest of the house. A walk-in pantry supplements cabinet storage in the kitchen proper.
Sculptural mahogany pieces bracket either end of the island. One el-shaped piece butts up against the 42-inch-high eating bar, which is topped with cantilevered glass; another, smaller one wraps an appliance tower.
The overall color scheme, says Conklin, was drawn from the clients’ first selection: pinkish beige limestone-tile flooring. Both the blond and reddish woods complement the stone, while counters of honed Absolute Black granite and reverse-painted frosted-glass tile backsplash provide pleasing contrasts.
The dramatic island range hood, designed by Johnson, sums up the aesthetic. “The hood is a half barrel, so there are a lot of curves,” he says. Conklin concurs: “That’s the same kind of geometry used throughout the house—curves playing off hard lines. Everything is really tied together.”
For Popel, the kitchen is a welcome departure from the more traditional one in her previous home. “While that kitchen was three times the size,” she says, “I like this better.”