I remember when my client, Sarah, called me for the first time.  Sarah and her husband, Chuck, had purchased some stunning property in the rolling hill country of Kentucky and were in the design stage of building their custom dream home.  Chuck wanted Sarah to have her ideal luxury white kitchen and that is how they first came across my website.  After telling me that she had admired a number of my portfolio kitchen designs, I asked her which had been her favorite design.  This is usually the point at which someone firmly tells me their favorite and that gives me a fairly good jumping off point.  However, Sarah proceeded to tell me that she loved a lot of the kitchens that I had done and couldn't really pick a favorite!  You see, Sarah is simply an admirer of good design.   A woman after my own heart.  This passion for design had grown into a successful boutique in her hometown, where she offered tableware, gifts and home decor accessories.  She had the same problem that many of us in the design industry have when it comes to our own homes - how to pick a direction when so many different things appeal to you.   After working with her further, I came to see some of the threads that tied her different tastes together.  I began to realize that while she appreciated cooler colors, she wanted the space to feel cozy and inviting.  Likewise, her appreciation of clean lines needed to be paired with some sophisticated details and touches of luxury.  

We began by selecting the "Architectural" range of cabinetry by Clive Christian.  It has all the luxe details that Sarah appreciated but also has a refined, crisp feel to it, especially when painted "Simply White" by Benjamin Moore.  (A very modest amount of smoky glaze was used to enhance the strong lines of the cabinetry, but it was so intentionally minimal that it was difficult to tell that it was glazed).  In my opinion, this is how to really set a white kitchen apart from the rest of the pack.  How many minimal, shaker-style white cabinet designs do we see nowadays?  While they are all beautiful and timeless, if you're a little like Sarah, then you probably appreciate details that provide a little drama too.  Using classical architectural details and then painting it crisp white accomplishes that.  Contrast it with a dark wood Wenge (species of wood) countertop, add some dark beams, and throw in some sexy chandeliers and you have a unique, interesting and dramatic luxury white kitchen.

Because the clients approached me fairly early in the design stage of their home, we were able to specify the desired location, type, and number of windows.  One of the luxury ideas that I often dream about is having two full-size sinks.  Maybe it's just me, but sometimes I go into the kitchen to start dinner and realize that there's still a bunch of dirty dishes from breakfast that need to  be dealt with...or maybe a large pot that needs to keep soaking before you can wash with it.  How cool is it to just be able to slide over to the other--- totally clean sink?  So we went with the idea of two cute little windows and two matching farmhouse sinks.  Of course, we also had to have two dishwashers - paneled so well you can't even see them.  The island also had a small prep sink, Sub Zero refrigerator drawers and a cabinet with a lift-up mixer.  At the far end of the kitchen are a set of Sub Zero fully integrated refrigerator/freezers. 

The range hood was a departure from things I had done in the past over this size of range, but the total length of the wall there required a more compact solution.  Also, I was so charmed by these beautiful corbels and pulvinated (curved) frieze detail.  The finished product was just the right scale for the length of this wall.  When looking towards the butler's pantry, it made such a lovely picture - especially with the custom designed transom above the doorway. In the other room, you can see beautiful glass cabinet doors with a painted blue interior to show off glassware.

Photography by Anthony-Masterson.  Used with permission from Beautiful Kitchens and BathsTM magazine.  © Meredith Corporation 2013.  All Rights Reserved.