With a slight gesture to traditional design on the exterior, the modern, open, light-filled interior was preferred by the client for the design of their new house.  The client expressed the desire to have the kitchen as the metaphorical heart of the house so that they could work there but feel connected to the rest of the house, a place where they could sit, relax and share things over food.  The location of the kitchen became the pivot point situated between the living areas and the children's playroom area.  From the kitchen area, there is visual access to the front door, through all the main rooms and outside to the pool. 

With this open plan, we lowered the ceilings in the gathering areas to make them more intimate and to help define the cooking and dining spaces. We also implemented partition walls to create a subtle transition from formal to informal areas.  Because the client loved to cook and entertain often in their previous loft space in Chicago, they wanted a kitchen system that would look elegant within their home's open floor plan, be both efficient and durable.  Therefore, we worked with Bulthaup, the German manufacturer known for ergonomic, visually refined designs.

Little Rock, Arkansas | 2007

Featured in Metropolitan Home May 2008, "Core Values" by Diane Carroll.