Cappuccino Kitchen

The profound change in the look of this kitchen shows how style can really matter

I call this the cappuccino kitchen because the conceptual color scheme is similar to cup of Italian coffee: milk-white subway tiles on top,  Java-tone (cherry Wood Mode) cabinets in the middle and espresso-ground color wood floor. Plus, there’s a Miele espresso machine built into the wall (visible on the right of the first photo) — a droolworthy appliance if ever there was one. But that’s just the foam in the cup. There is much to savor in the modern industrial style that transformed an ordinary suburban Atlanta Tudor-house kitchen into the first place winner of the annual  Wolf and Sub-Zero kitchen design contest.

Here’s the before-the-renovation shocker — notice that the existing steel-casement windows,  original to the house, were not moved or changed. However, they were hardly visible because the upper cabinets overpowered them.

Large-scale white tile is used on walls and over the range hood.  To heighten the effect there are no upper cabinets. Contrast is provide by the darkly stained cherry on base cabinets and the island — all topped with soapstone counters. As expected, the gas range is a 48-inch Wolf but the the freestanding 48-inch Wolf Pro refrigerator with its glass door reinforces the quasi-restaurant aesthetic. Other noteworthy stainless steel details include a custom shelf mounted over the tile and the popular style of cargo pendants launched by Urban Archaeology .

While the kitchen has a main sink with wall-mounted faucet, the butler’s pantry houses a deep prep/clean up sink, complete with sliding cutting board and high-arc rinse faucet. Open shelves add handy additional storage in an area where the white tile continues on some walls while others are whitewashed, exposed brick.

Looking from the butler’s pantry into the kitchen, there’s a  tiny bar-sink with single cold-water tap near to service the bar (note the Sub-Zero wine chiller) as well as the coffee machine around the corner. Upper cabinets with frosted-glass doors offer storage space out of the main sightline.

While the style is very different, the use of tile is similar to the Greenwich Village kitchen, also inspired by French mid-20th century design.

(Source: hammersmith.net)