I love it all! So glad I saw it first. May I say how beautiful AND authentic it looks (if that makes sense)!

What a lovely, sunny space! Really like your charming sink area with the valance. It's apparent that a LOT of thought went into the planning, so many useful nooks. The black walnut counter is really a nice touch.... love the natural edge... I'm hoping for the same thing for our fireplace
mantel.
Just wondering, how do you like your silverware drawer down in the lower drawer... guessing you did that for the kids? Also, your dining room paper is gorgeous! Very pretty!

That is a great kitchen - beautiful and functional, with lots of family warmth. I want a breakfast room!

Oh, that is amazing!!!

Congrats!!!

I love all the great details but the best one for me is your dining room chandelier - beautiful!

Congratulations...enjoy!!

WOW, beautiful and very nicely thought out. I love the granite and the walnut countertop.

White, yet very warm. Love the way you stepped out of the box by putting the big light fixture next to the hood (and in other ways, too). Of course the butler's pantry is a dream.

Only one thing I would change -- I think your overall feeling is elegant and substantial enough to support an oriental in the DR.

And I have to ask about the fake? sisal in the kitchen eating area. I believe I had the identical in a previous home, and it was custom order and custom bound. Did you by any chance source this from a ready-sized vendor (perhaps at a price that *I* might consider reasonable?) I'd like to repeat it in my current house.

Love your choices, including the wallpapers.
Diane

Beautiful job! I love all the functionality you've built into the space! Love the dual action plate & silverware drawers! The walnut counter is gorgeous! And I love the sun filled breakfast room! Great job!

LOVE the "band-aid" - OMGosh! What a great touch! Beautiful beautiful space!

wa-woa-WOW! What a great space! I'll bet you and your family are loving it! I like the arch details under your cabinets. That's an idea we might borrow.

Congratulations on a beautiful kitchen. : )

Quick question.

Is that a Stokke (high) chair?

How do you like it?

I have been considering it for my soon-to-be-pre-schooler.

TX!

I absolutely adore your walnut top! Other favs are the butlers pantry, ss backsplash, and your stools. But that walnut counter is beyond spectacular!

What a beautiful, functional space you've created! It is obvious you've put a lot of thought into the function and making it work for your family. Love the dual drawers! That walnut counter is stunning! Love the outlets in the splash. Took me a moment to find it in your kitchen!

I get just what you mean about the kids being together at the counter. A blessing and a curse. lol Mine isn't even done yet and the kids already fighting about who will sit where. lol

Enjoy your beautiful new space!

The walnut counter is beautifully crafted. I always try to use live edges in my own work whenever I can.

The butterfly key (what another poster very descriptively called a bandaid) is an unmistakeable sign of hand-craftsmanship by somebody who knows and cares about what he's doing. That's really a piece of art to be proud to own, and the person who crafted it is probably quite proud of it as well.

Looks like a single plank too. Did it come off your property?

Interesting wood counter you've got there, very unique.

Congratulations! As others have said, I love the little bandage in your counters, the dual-action drawers...just awesome!...and the little ledge with the flower pots above the sink. I also love the wallpaper in the rest of your home! Enjoy!

Love the butterfly joint - a la Nakashima! That slab has such warmth and life balancing the cleanness of everything else. And love love love the KA storage with the side door - very cool.

Love it! The walnut counter is my favorite, but I love all the touches for your children, as well. It's absolutely beautiful but comfortable.

oh oh oh oh ohhhhhhhhh

that is so great!!!

let's see, what's my favorite thing? Can't pick just one. But the island is fab-u-loussss, the side door for the mixer is brilliant. Love the drawers with access from both sides, love the red lantern. Really a great job!

Bee

Oh, my, oh, my, oh, my! Nicely done, especially that stunning walnut counter and its adorable "band-aid." I think the island hood looks great - very much in scale with the island and room.

Fantastic idea to have the dish and silverware drawers slide both ways! Did this require special glides? Tell us more how it works, please.

What I love most about your new kitchen is how you designed a space that works for you and your family. It looks to me like your kitchen is truly the heart of your home. My favorite feature is that gorgeous black walnut counter. You will love having the stove in the island~so many frown on that~but its where I put mine and I love how easy it is to cook and socialize when the kids are home :) beautiful job!

Nicely done and sooo functional! You thought of all the things that are important to you and your family and that's what makes a great kitchen! The walnut countertop is just beautiful! Enjoy for many years to come!!!

Beautiful!

LOVE that walnut counter! Where did you get that (or get the idea for it?) So unique and lovely.

Clever drawers opening to the kitchen side and the table side! What a perfect idea for easily emptying the DW and then easily setting the table. It's such a good idea, I'm surprised I haven't seen that before.

Great job!

Ditto Kudos on the unique walnut countertop and the drawers that open from both sides! You put a lot of thought into the unique details and it shows!

What line of cabinets did you get? I must have missed that somewhere.

Your kitchen is one of my favorites! I love the unique island. The entire project is wonderful. (Can you just find matching screws for the outlet?) :)

Ditto everything the others said - so beautiful & so functional (love the DR as well). Could you please tell me about the sink in the butler's pantry (& what size cabinet it is in)?

Beautiful space and my favourite is the sink wall with the granite backsplash, the granite shelf and the glass cabinets above combined with the symmetry of the space. Very nice.

Ratz! There are so many great ideas that I would have loved to have incorporated into my kitchen. Unfortunately I was too late to the forum to have been able to glean for ideas and to solicit feedback. Great job!

Very lovely -- you'll enjoy this so much! That high walnut counter is what we in our old house called "the poodle-free zone" -- you now can have a really tall, clever and voracious dog and still have dinner on the table when evening comes!
Lynn

Very well thought out!!
Love the side garage!
Your lovely wood countertop - just needs some strings to turn it into a giant musical instrument - it is beautiful!
Is there a plan to fix the "butterfly"?

Oh wow I never expected this response. You guys are too much!

I will try to answer questions as they were posted:

I love my silverware and plate drawers. I much prefer them in drawers than in high cabinets. Much easier to unload the dishwasher, kids can access etc. We have an extra step of course by having to open the cabinet to then pull open the drawers. This is b/c we have overlay. If they weren't dual, I would have put them in regular drawers.

The rug in our breakfast room is indoor/outdoor custom cut and bound. I don't remember the name (but do remember it was the name of a professional football team.) I have all indoor/oudoor rugs pretty much. Marinara and red wine have already spilled on them and it is no big deal. Hence no oriental in my dining room :) That rug is also indoor/outdoor.

Lots of interest over the "bandaid"! I love it. As was correctly pointed out, this was a technique by a master woodworker named Nakashima. The issue is the crack. I suppose it's a matter of taste, but with live edge pieces, I don't consider this to be an imperfection at all; but a true integral part of the piece of wood. However, the crack could get larger, and the butterfly key is a way to keep the wood from being able to expand. Nakashima would use a piece of wood stained either much darker or lighter than the slab. In other words, rather than trying to hide or fill the crack, we highlighted it.

Both the slab and the cabinets were made by a small millwork in Pennsylvania owned by the Design Build firm who did our project. Our contractor called couple of different mills waiting for a slab like this to come in and then it got sent up to the shop and finished there.

Stokke chairs are awesome. I have 2 and have used them for years!

The plate drawers did require special glides. I don't know much more, other than they fully extend in both directions. My silverware drawers do not fully extend because it would have cost an extra $500 per drawer (!!!).

Love it all! I instantly thought "character" and "craftsmanship" when I saw the butterfly key.

Very nice! Bet you are thrilled.

Spectacular kitchen!

Add me to the growing list of your walnut counter's admirers. I have a particular affinity for walnut--we have handcrafted walnut DR furniture-DR table, buffet, floating shelf, and a little occasional table, all from the same log (DH took pics of me standing next to the walnut "log" slices when we went to see them in the shop--that tree was huge!).

I wish you many years of enjoyment and happiness in your new kitchen!

What a fantastic space. Ditto what everyone else ha said about cabinets , countertops and the walnut. So far though no one has mentioned your outlet and the switch plate cover that is in your granite backsplash area. That is so cool. Please tell us about it.

The outlet covers! I searched online and found a place in FL where I sent a small piece of granite and they fabricated 2 outlet covers for me. I know the screws don't match but had forgotten! It is www.graniteplates.com. It took about 6 weeks and cost about $50 per plate. It makes all the difference on the wall.

Oh mymymymy GOODNESS! So many things to LOVE! First thing that caught my eye was that superduper cool pendant next to your hood. Me likey. Then your sink wall with that amazing stone backsplash with the shelf--gorgeous! Then I scroll down to see this droolworthy walnut piece of ART! Just spectacular, really! On top of that, you have these truly INSPIRED drawers that open from both sides--hello--that is GENIUS! Scrolling down, I see you have a butler's pantry that is FAB! Those stainless counters are beautiful!

Congratulations you ACED both form and function! It is amazing!

You certainly made the most of the information learned from this forum and also came up with more than a few great ideas of your own! Congratulations on such a wonderful reno! Your walnut counter is gorgeous--it really is a show stopper! Your dual track drawers, step up at the sink, and granite backsplash are wonderful. Enjoy your new spaces in good health!

PS I also love both of the wallpapers!

Totally cooOOoooo!

I think you've incorporated every single fabulous idea I've read over the years on these boards.

What a lovely, warm kitchen.
Great job and just WOW!

Thanks again everyone for your wonderful comments. We are SO happy here. Every day I find it a pleasure to cook in and be in my kitchen.

I forgot to answer a question about the sink in the Butlers Pantry. It is integrated - so the stainless steel guy made one piece of ss with a sink. It was not dropped in. I believe they are regular 24" depth cabinets. Let me know if I can help more!

Thanks about Stokke! I think I'll get one as I love the looks and the functionality.

I have a few more questions.

I see that the cabinets (where the sink is) in your buttler's pantry have legs. Are they free standing (FS) or I just cannot see the base on the pix?

I love the FS look and cannot decide which way to go.

BTW, I couldn't figure out where the entrancs from the kitchen to the pantry was. Is it adjacent the ktichen or in a totally separate location? If the latter, I am curious why and how it works in relationship to the kitchen.

OK, I can't stop looking at your pics! Just gorgeous! My favorite parts so far: Easy access to cookbooks, the plant shelf above your sink, the stone switchplate, the organic shape of your bar, the step for washing hands (I'd like these all over my house!, and most of all, the step/chair beside your desk! Just drooling over your space!

WOW! that walnut counter is to die for, it is gorgeous!!!

love the full granite backsplash, butler's pantry, the granite shelf over sink and all the special touches and "hidden treasures".

you guys did a great job and i am sure you will enjoy it for a long time...

congrats, relax and have fun making lots memories in your beautiful kitchen!!!!

Beautiful! And what fabulous unique elements that you don't see around here too often. I love the drawers that are accessible from both sides. Very clever. And the switch plate. And the step up near the sink. Great ideas. Congratulations on a beautiful kitchen.

I loved several of the things everyone has stressed-- the walnut, the two-way drawers. Also the wallpaper choices. Also the cozy desks corner.

Thanks Megamuffin. I finally see a beautiful large sink that will fit in a 24" cabinet, and it is custom (I should have known).

Here are a few more pictures. In terms of the relationship of the BP to the kitchen, it is right off of it. There is also a doorway into the dining room and into my mud room from it.

The cabinets in the BP are freestanding. But we also have some feet under our main sink in the kitchen. But in this case there is a toe kick. The freestanding is great but a little harder to keep clean. I would never want this in my kitchen. I would constantly have grapes, popcorn and everything else under there!

decordummy - I took another picture of my sink for you. I use it mostly for filling the dog water and it is also my laundry room sink. My husband uses it for perfecting his espresso.

Megamuffin, I just came across your post and I LOVE everything about your kitchen! It is not only beautiful but clearly very functional for your family! We are still in the design phase of renovating our kitchen, and our layout is very similar to yours- breakfast room, small entry on the side from the hall, and larger doorway to adjacent room (family room in our case.) Can I ask you what the width of your kitchen is? And did you ever consider taking down the wall next to the larger doorway between the kitchen and the adjacent room, and why did you not do it? I am debating whether or not I want to take down that wall to open up the space and would appreciate any input. We also currently have a peninsula and are planning to take it out to put in an island, but I love how you have both so now I'm thinking maybe we might consider that also!