Image via Wikipedia“I think the fish tank was the inspiration for me; it dictated that the kitchen design reflect a natural, organic feel,” she says.
Homegrown Design
Reynolds says the clients’ personalities informed the design.
“The homeowners began diving on vacations years ago and now it’s a shared passion,” she says. “They wanted to bring that into their home as a focal point, as a unique element.”
The fish were the inspiration for the color and texture choices, which the designer selected to create a warm, organic look. But Reynolds adds, “While the tank is certainly a focal point, I did want to establish that the rest of the kitchen would have its own beautiful flow.
“The kitchen cabinetry is solid alder in two different stains: a deep honey on the perimeter and a stain two shades darker for the island,” she continues. She selected granite for the countertops. “It has beautiful greens and blue-greens as a base, with muted pistachio green and bronze/copper veining throughout. When I found this granite, I knew it was complementary for the space and wouldn’t compete with the fish tank.”
Repeating the subtle notes of bronze and copper in the granite, the bronze/brushed stainless steel hood from RangeCraft Manufacturing sits above a 48" Viking dual-fuel gas cooktop. Between them is a mosaic tile backsplash in shades that further set off the blues and greens in the granite.
“The main ‘working’ part of the kitchen is a large L-shape that begins with a 48" Viking refrigerator near the kitchen table, ending at the 30" double oven cabinet, also from Viking,” adds the designer. “At the far end of the kitchen is a 30" nook where we added some Sub-Zero 700 series refrigerator drawers so the children would have easy access to drinks and snacks. Above that nook is a bookcase with wine cubbies for everyday wine storage.”
The island mimics the kitchen’s overall L-shape, with radius cabinetry at both ends. Reynolds specified a lowered wood tabletop for casual dining on one side, while the other side is all business. Within the island is a second dishwasher, trash pull-out and microwave, Franke’s Beach sink, plus additional storage space.
“Off the kitchen is an informal dining area with seating for six and, beyond that, a homework nook for the children with two different work areas and wall cabinets for homework projects and art supplies,” says Reynolds.
She also addressed the needs of a modern, busy family by adding a desk/work station beside the fish tank.
Tank Talk
As for the fish tank, Reynolds observes, “It’s certainly a conversation piece.” And it was certainly a challenge, as well.
“From an experience standpoint, I went into this project with a lack of knowledge about designing cabinetry around salt water fish tanks of this magnitude,” Reynolds says. The local fish tank company that sold the homeowners the tank didn’t add much in the way of clarity on the subject, Reynolds notes, so the approach was to imagine all of the worst case scenarios and provide built-in solutions.
“The structural details for the support of the tank was on the shoulders of the architect, but we needed to work very closely with him to ensure every 1/16th of an inch was accounted for,” she adds. “With a fixed floor, a dropped steel I-beam above and a huge glass fish tank weighing tons when filled in between the two, it became obvious that the cabinetry and millwork surrounding had to be done on-site.”
The custom cabinetmaker who did the work on the perimeter and island also did the millwork panels around the tank, to ensure consistency throughout the space.
The tank and surrounding floor-to-ceiling cabinetry eventually amounted to a kind of feature wall, separating the kitchen from the family room. “Some of the base cabinetry had to be accessible to service the pump, in case there was a problem with it. Likewise, some of the cabinetry above the tank needed to be easily accessed for daily feeding and cleaning,” Reynolds says of the solutions devised for the tank. “That ‘A-ha!’ moment is common in this line of work.”
A Better Butler
The final room Reynolds was responsible for was a formal butler’s pantry adjacent to the dining room. Describing the room’s aesthetic as “luxury and sheer elegance,” the designer chose a Sub-Zero full-height wine refrigerator from the company’s 700 series, which became the focal point.
“The room was challenging to design because it had two entries, but was only 12'x6' and had no access to natural light,” she says. To give the illusion of space, Reynolds painted the cabinetry a buttercream shade and added a glaze; she also added a few glass doors to add depth.
Both the countertops and the mosaic tile backsplash are a honey-colored onyx; the backsplash also features a burnt umber glass rail in a slight arch, designed to mimic the arch in the cabinet above the sink and set off the dark bronze faucet.
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