Elegant and open: a kitchen that beautifully blends storage and display - Brief Article

Sunset, June, 2002 by Jil Peters

Because the owners of this Los Angeles home entertain often, they wanted their kitchen to open gracefully into the surrounding rooms. With this in mind, their architects designed a space in which open shelving and cabinets combine to create beautiful and efficient storage.

The cantilevered shelving conceals uplighting (on the uppermost shelf) and countertop lighting (beneath the bottom shell) and provides display space for the owners' collection of Bauer pottery and Fiestaware. The ceramics, which were gathered over the years at flea markets in Long Beach and at the Rose Bowl, are set off by the pale green backsplash of 3- by 6-inch glass tiles in a subway pattern, the maple cabinetry, and the amber-colored carbonized bamboo floor.

To keep the kitchen feeling as open as possible, the architects stopped the cabinetry short of the ceiling. This--in conjunction with the clean lines, pale colors, and generously sized windows--creates a light and airy backdrop for entertaining.

DESIGN: Nicholas Budd Dutton Architects, Los Angeles (323/653-0226); Hanes Wohl Design, Los Angeles (310/289-9559)

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