Although the original kitchen was pretty and it had good cabinetry, the traditional raised panel doors were out of sync with the very modern style of the home and the client’s taste. The family also wanted the island to serve as their main dining space and needed room for six people who would all be able to see each other and have conversation. They also entertain large crowds and while the man of the house is cooking, he wanted to look out toward the action and have lots of room for guests to gather around the kitchen, as people do at parties, but without being in the way of the cooking activity. Pangaea designed an enormous island that offers plenty of room for prep work on cooking, angles the cook toward the living area, and includes a raised, curved Brazilian Cherry dining table with room for six. And, to include the smallest member of the family, LeBeau, their adorable dog, has his own special “dining room” where he is safely out of the way of feet and can watch the action. The perimeter cabinets were refaced with new slab-front cherry cabinetry to complete the more contemporary look.

Note: We replaced an old Subzero refrigerator freezer with a narrower model, leaving a skinny 8-inch wide gap. To use that space effectively, we created a narrow spice pull-out and covered the space with doors for the full cabinet.

Photography: John Valls Photography