A designer’s culinary work space, a glass ceiling kitchen is built to satisfy artistic aspirations as well.
In this home in suburban Connecticut, a personal vision based on travels to France combined with a love for European furniture inspired a blockbuster glass ceiling kitchen. With its own language of ideas and surfaces and a budget sufficient to transform the dream into reality, this kitchen is truly unique. Chief among the many striking features is a complex steel and glass ceiling that resembles a greenhouse. There’s an imposing black La Cornue range with hood to match. An island cabinet, styled like antique English furniture, also houses a stainless steel prep sink and features a teak-wood top. Mounted on the island is an unusual set of polished nickel and glass bistro shelves.
Actually, the ceiling is patterned after the Passage Verdeau, one of Paris’ mid-19th century shopping arcades with a transparent roof and skylight.
But the kitchen’s ceiling is not an actual skylight. It is a faux skylight that projects up into attic space where there is some natural light. To add to the effect, the attic ceiling is painted glossy white and there is lighting from above as well as below. A mix of black-painted track lights and handsome hanging lanterns appear to be part of the ceiling frame.
White-painted perimeter cabinets have marble counters and include furniture details such as the plinth-style bases (instead of toe-kicks). Corner chest-on-chest cabinets seem especially refined. Just look at how those mirrored doors help reflect the light and provide a glimpse into the breakfast room!
The richness of the island cabinetry comes from panels of burled walnut veneer banded by mahogany. Rather than being anchored into the reclaimed wood floor, it sits on fluted legs connected by half-moon stretchers.
This antique George III mahogany cabinet is a prototype for the cabinet style.
Deep drawers in the island include pegs that house Villeroy and Boch Petite Fleur china.
A polished copper backsplash adjacent to the paneled SubZero also helps reflect light in the kitchen. Both the refrigerator and freezer are fitted with Baldwin “Springfield” polished nickel exterior door pulls.
One wall of the breakfast room, adjacent to the kitchen, is devoted to a rustic hutch — a third and far less formal cabinet style. That hutch houses a pair of U-Line refrigerator/freezer drawers concealed behind panels. Two open sections are for basket storage and a pet feeding station. The counter top is inset with durable black granite since this counter gets heavy use. Black-painted, decorative wall shelves for dishes and mugs have a robust antique style similar to those in my post Antique to Modern Kitchen Shelves. Their height above the dresser easily accommodates appliances.
A bar sink, with filtered water faucet, serves the breakfast bar. Plumbing is visible at the back of the sweet doggie space for Gracie.
(Source: tradhome, Apter Fredericks, google images)
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Just wow and perfectly coordinated with puppy..
I love everything about this kitchen! I started saving pics to my inspiration file, but just ended up bookmarking the page, because the kitchen is so fabulous in it’s entirety. Thanks for sharing.
that ceiling! I have to admit I was disappointed it wasn’t a real glass ceiling. But what a concept!
Ok, the island is not really my style, but I love, love, love it and everything else in this kitchen… The breakfast area is too wonderful for words.
Actually, everything would stay but the bistro shelf. After I knocked it down and broke it all over, I’d be just as happy without it in the way. 😉
What a gorgeous kitchen, Jane! Thank you for sharing it! The ceiling is fantastic but I just love the whole kitchen.
Haha Elaine, after you saw a display of your home baked pies and breads on that bistro shelf I think you might have a change of heart.
mb wife, it is actually a real glass ceiling. It just isn’t open to the outside — too hot I guess — though I would give anything for half that type of ceiling and would gladly pull fabric shades across it if necessary.
Oh my–what a cool kitchen! Totally not my preferred style, but I could adjust! Not only that ceiling, but the space, the cabinets (that wood!), I could deal with it! 🙂
One of my all-time favorite kitchens, and one of my inspiration pics for my range wall! I thought the backlit glass ceiling idea was so clever. Hadn’t seen the other side of the kitchen before–how beautiful! So glad you featured this one.
This kitchen is just loaded with super refined ideas. My favorite is the breakfast bar base.
That’s gotta be one of the best kitchens I have ever seen in my life! Unbelievable . . . and yet there it is. Right on the pages of AM. I love the bistro shelf! And, the bar sink!. And, of course the ceiling! (Although what puts this kitchen over the top, I’m sure, is Gracie!) :- Thanks so much, Jane, for these few moments of voyeuristic kitchen pleasure.
I personally know the builder of this fine kitchen, Ian Dowell, of Dowell Woodworking LLC in Connecticut. I would like to give kudos to the perfection in the craftsmanship…a talent often overlooked as being such an imperative component in the success of such designs.
To contact Ian Dowell: dowellian@gmail.com
Erin Kelly
Interior Deisgner
Westport, CT