Kitchen Design
Kitchen of the Week
Kitchen of the Week: White, Wood and Dreamy in Wine Country
A quartzite-topped island, a butler’s pantry and indoor-outdoor flow are among the highlights of this new-build kitchen
With one of their kids in college and another in their last year of high school, these soon-to-be empty nesters turned their eyes to the future when buying property in Sonoma, California, to build a vacation home. The Bay Area couple plan to make the wine country retreat their full-time residence after they retire.
At the heart of their new home is a dreamy open kitchen that features a large center island, custom oak cabinets, a breakfast nook, butler’s pantry and much more. Designer Jennifer Wundrow and architect Nick Lee worked together to create a layout that embraces indoor-outdoor living and is ideal for hosting large groups of family and friends.
At the heart of their new home is a dreamy open kitchen that features a large center island, custom oak cabinets, a breakfast nook, butler’s pantry and much more. Designer Jennifer Wundrow and architect Nick Lee worked together to create a layout that embraces indoor-outdoor living and is ideal for hosting large groups of family and friends.
Large retractable sliding glass doors in the great room lead to the pool area. “This house is truly all about California indoor-outdoor living,” Wundrow says. The kitchen layout encourages family and guests to walk freely from the pool area into the house. They can circulate around the large island, grab a snack and then head back out to the pool.
While the material palette includes lots of white and wood, the designer says she wouldn’t describe the aesthetic as strictly modern farmhouse. “It has elements you see in a lot of modern farmhouses, but we tried to elevate it,” Wundrow says. “From the low-profile hardware to the fluted range hood to the grasscloth wallpaper in the breakfast nook, we added elements that make for a more refined look.”
While the material palette includes lots of white and wood, the designer says she wouldn’t describe the aesthetic as strictly modern farmhouse. “It has elements you see in a lot of modern farmhouses, but we tried to elevate it,” Wundrow says. “From the low-profile hardware to the fluted range hood to the grasscloth wallpaper in the breakfast nook, we added elements that make for a more refined look.”
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The large island is topped by quartzite with a waterfall edge; the stone features brown, gray and gold swirls. “I absolutely love quartzite,” Wundrow says. “It’s a real stone like marble, but it’s much easier to clean and maintain.”
The island base has Shaker-style cabinets painted a lovely shade of blue (Thousand Oceans by Benjamin Moore) intended to draw the outdoors in. The trio of glass-and-black-metal pendant lights above the island are large enough to fill up the space but their open structure makes them feel light and airy. “I wanted the lights to recede into the background and not distract from the views,” Wundrow says.
Counter stools: Palecek; countertop: Opus White quartzite, Da Vinci Marble
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The island base has Shaker-style cabinets painted a lovely shade of blue (Thousand Oceans by Benjamin Moore) intended to draw the outdoors in. The trio of glass-and-black-metal pendant lights above the island are large enough to fill up the space but their open structure makes them feel light and airy. “I wanted the lights to recede into the background and not distract from the views,” Wundrow says.
Counter stools: Palecek; countertop: Opus White quartzite, Da Vinci Marble
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The custom flat-panel light oak cabinets have low-profile matte black ledge pulls that are horizontal on the lower cabinets and vertical on the uppers. The custom range hood has a fluted design that helps break up the wall of cabinets.
The backsplash is covered in handmade glazed ceramic subway tiles. “Since they’re handmade, each tile has a slightly different variation to it,” Wundrow says. “Those little differences make a big impact and keep the range wall from feeling too sterile.”
Backsplash tile: Tile Bar; hardware: Top Knobs
The backsplash is covered in handmade glazed ceramic subway tiles. “Since they’re handmade, each tile has a slightly different variation to it,” Wundrow says. “Those little differences make a big impact and keep the range wall from feeling too sterile.”
Backsplash tile: Tile Bar; hardware: Top Knobs
The breakfast nook has a custom built-in banquette with cushions covered in an indoor-outdoor fabric that’s ideal for guests in wet swimwear. The walls are covered in grasscloth wallpaper. “The grasscloth helps to define the breakfast nook and makes it feel warm and inviting,” Wundrow says.
A pair of black wood chairs provide extra seating and tie in with the black metal hardware and light fixtures found in the rest of the kitchen. The woven wood light fixture is another airy piece that doesn’t impede views out the window.
Chairs: Four Hands
A pair of black wood chairs provide extra seating and tie in with the black metal hardware and light fixtures found in the rest of the kitchen. The woven wood light fixture is another airy piece that doesn’t impede views out the window.
Chairs: Four Hands
The butler’s pantry includes a wall of lower cabinets on the left with a concealed dishwasher, quartzite countertops and sink. On the opposite wall is a double oven, a warming drawer and a tall cabinet that opens to reveal the coffee station. The floors are French oak.
A pass-through window above the sink in the butler’s pantry allows food and beverages to be handed out to the patio and grilling station.
“It’s an ideal setup for a barbecue,” Wundrow says. “You don’t have to walk back and forth through the kitchen for ingredients.” The setup also allows glasses to be handed back and forth without worrying about breaking them near the pool.
Great Home Project: Pass-Through Kitchen Window
“It’s an ideal setup for a barbecue,” Wundrow says. “You don’t have to walk back and forth through the kitchen for ingredients.” The setup also allows glasses to be handed back and forth without worrying about breaking them near the pool.
Great Home Project: Pass-Through Kitchen Window
The floor plan shows the location of the kitchen in relation to the great room. It also shows the location of the breakfast nook, butler’s pantry and walk-in pantry.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of four uses this as its weekend home
Location: Sonoma, California
Size: About 400 square feet (37 square meters)
Designers: Jennifer Wundrow Interior Design and Nick Lee Architecture
The kitchen opens to a great room with a dining and living area. The center area of the kitchen includes a large island and a range wall. To the left is a breakfast nook with a built-in banquette and a hallway that leads to the butler’s pantry and a coffee station. To the right is a hallway lined by custom built-ins that conceal a refrigerator, freezer and lots of storage. Behind the range wall is an enclosed walk-in pantry.
“While this house is currently used as a vacation home, it was designed to be a full-time residence,” Wundrow says. “And for these homeowners, who really like to keep their countertops clear, that means lots and lots of storage. When they move out of their current home to this one, they will have more than enough storage for all their items.”
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