GROOVY & GREEN

This is a kitchen for a family of four, friends and more friends. This main social and gathering area is open to the family room and the outdoors. This home is new construction.

Ample space for many hands in cooking preparation was a requirement. Long counters with plenty of space on either side of sinks, cook tops were designed. Storage was also key. The home is semi-secluded, making a quick trip to the grocery a major excursion. A separate 36” refrigerator and 36” freezer (in the pantry) was provided. Additional freezer and refrigerator drawers were included in the prep area. The microwave, next to refrigerator, has (2) snack drawers below, gives each child their own space, and is away from the “cook zone”. An extra large trash compactor and (2) dishwashers were provided. One dishwasher is a full load appliance. The other is 2 drawers for smaller and overload washes. This promotes energy and water conservation.

This open kitchen design includes a walk-in pantry. The majority of the pantry has open shelving, no doors, with pullout drawers for easy viewing and access. The floor to ceiling heavy-duty steel lazy Susan makes a dead corner 100% usable space. (A stepladder is provided). The cabinetry in the pantry reverses the use of light and dark woods. In the kitchen, the ribbon eucalyptus, light, is the accent surrounded by sapele, dark. In the pantry maple was used with the sapele acting as the accent.

Wherever possible, sustainable materials were selected. The counter top, Vetrazzo, is approximately 85% recycled material. The back splash tile is recycled glass.

The light panel is a recyclable colored resin, produced with no off gassing and is lit with florescent fixtures. The hanging lights are low voltage halogen. There are florescent lights above the cabinetry for ambiance and PUC lighting underneath the cabinetry for function. The 4” recessed ceiling lights, as well as all lighting, except for florescent, are on dimmers and other lighting controls, conserving energy.

The Cabinet insets are recyclable resin, produced with no off gassing. The wood is a combination of Sapele and Ribbon Eucalyptus veneers. The flooring is an engineered wood plank from a managed forest, using approximately 85% of the tree, Aspen. This is an extremely efficient use of the tree with low waste. The steel cap and metal laminate counter surface are sustainable and recyclable. The house uses a tank less water heater, thus conserving energy.

The refrigerator side panel is a tack board. The beauty of this recycled fabric is that no pinholes from tacks can ever be seen and the washable surface is inherently antibacterial. The refrigerator as an art and message board is now a thing of the past.

Function, combined with environmental sensitive finishes, make for a groovy design experience.