k + b studio

Residential Architect, July, 2004 by Shelley D. Hutchins

kitchen mellow marsh.

This Verdant Cape Cod setting abutting the Sippewissett Marshh called for a whole-house renovation to maximize indoor-outdoor connections. Laid-back clients who adore socializing over meals required a high functioning yet guest-worthy kitchen. Architect Charles Orr, a principal at Mark Hutker & Associates Architects, Vineyard Haven, Mass., put it all together in this combination casual cooking/dining/bird-watching room (and workhorse pantry) that invites the outside in.

"The owners had some clear ideas about how open and transparent they wanted the house to be," says Orr. Achieving the desired diaphaneity meant purging walls, so Orr designed a floating kitchen defined by furniture-style elements and open shelving. A copper-clad pantry stows countertop appliances and other ungainly items. The layout permits the kitchen to visually and physically expand into adjacent areas without forfeiting valuable storage. As an added bonus, says Orr, "leaving space exposed and open means the owners can know where everything is and get at it without opening a door."

A 6 1/2-foot-tall maple and cherry cabinet that stops well short of the ceiling is the primary workstation. Seamlessly flush-framed drawers and doors have "gouged out finger holes" rather than hardware to emphasize the room's informality. Untreated copper lines the curved pantry wall, continuing through to the exterior. The 28-by-16-inch copper shingles will patina naturally, albeit at different rates, inside as well as out. To balance abundant light coming from parallel glass walls, a ridge skylight runs the length of the living spaces. "Instead of doing a cathedral ceiling and exposing the skylight, we did a flat ceiling and cut slits where we wanted indirect light," Orr explains. Low-voltage fixtures line the slits so the effect is not lost at night.

"As a firm we've started to look hard at how kitchens really work," Orr says. This concept of creating pieces of furniture within a flowing space instead of lining walls with cabinets is one result of that pondering. For a home that's all about its view and clients who are "all about function and comfort" it definitely fit the bill.

bath: artful ablution

The owners didn't want anything but occasional marsh gazing to interfere with relaxing in their masroom. Architect Charles Orr d that wish by creating a completely separate space that removes every aspect of facing the world from the bedroom. "There's a bed and windows and that's it," he says.

In contrast to the monastic sleeping quarters, this 20-by-24-foot dressing suite has an abundance of appurtenances and its own stunning view. Sybaritic dressing and bathing facilities encircle an art storage piece that's as creative as the collection it displays. Orr sketched out proportions and dimensions for the 10-foot-long-by-7 1/2-foot-tall unit then worked out the finer points with finish carpenter Tom Marston. "Since the artwork was mostly sculptural," says Orr, "we played with different ways of punching or extruding chunks of this divider to exhibit the objects." More mundane storage is confined to base drawers within reach of the recessed sitting cubby.

The art storage unit is angled, shielding the dressing area from the 12-foot-by-8-foot glass wall opposite. Twin vanities, designed by glass artist Bert Weiss, appear to float in front of the glass, allowing unfettered views and natural light.

Privacy both inside and outside of the bath is ensured by the marsh, which is protected from development. The owners therefore may pass between indoor sauna and outdoor spa and shower with carefree abandon.

architect:

Mark Hutker & Associates Architects, Vineyard Haven, Mass.

general contractor:

Robert Bowman Builders, West Falmouth, Mass.;

cabinetmaker:

Tom Marston, Key West, Fla.

glass artist:

Bert Weiss Art Glass, Chatham, N.H.

resources:

cook top and ovens: Gaggenau; plumbing fixtures: Grohe; refrigerator drawers: Sub-Zero; refrigerator: Viking.

photographer: Brian Vanden Brink