This California Kitchen Makes a Strong Case for Double Islands
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For a family big on entertaining, building a home from the ground up in Bakersfield, California, was an opportunity to customize everything in the kitchen. This space serves as the nexus—where two wings meet—in the roughly 12,000-square-foot contemporary ranch, so the room needed to do it all and then some. “They’ve got three kids and wanted their home to be the hangout house,” designer Lindye Galloway says.
Mission accomplished, thanks to her cleverly zoned layout. A double island area, one with a surface in Calacatta Borghini marble and the other in black powder-coated metal, provides ample space for cooking and casual dining. Secondary spaces like a butler’s and walk-in pantry allow the primary kitchen to stay tidy. When spending time together by day, a breakfast nook is an intimate setting with a calming view of the backyard. At night, the hotel lobbyesque home bar sets the mood for pre-dinner gatherings.
Amid all this action, a mix of materials in a neutral color palette keeps the mood subdued and cohesive. Stained white oak cabinetry and warm white walls are contrasted by matte black accents. Thoughtful design details also help minimize clutter. Namely, the spice cabinets flanking the plaster range hood are “designed so the reeded glass doors retract behind the range backsplash,” Galloway explains.
Kitchen
“They wanted the foundational elements and finishes to be very neutral and calming,” Galloway says of the homeowners. The black powder-coated metal waterfall counter balances the light oak and marble.
Paint: Whisper, Dunn-Edwards. Pendants: Apparatus. Faucet: Waterstone Faucets. Counter stools: custom.
The custom raked plaster range hood by Kamp Studios adds texture.
Range: Lacanche. Backsplash: Calacatta Michelangelo marble. Pot filler: Waterstone Faucets. Hardware: Armac Martin. Rug: Exquisite Rugs.
Pantry
Custom cabinetry with fluted glass doors, open shelves, and deep drawers ensure organization.
Sconces: Blueprint Lighting. Hardware: Alice Tacheny. Countertop: Calacatta Michelangelo marble.
Butler’s Pantry
Glossy Zellij Gallery stick tile provides depth and dimension. The custom sink and countertop are made of the same polished White King quartzite.
Lighting: Katy Skelton. Roman shade: Solé Shades. Faucet: Waterstone Faucets. Hardware: Ashley Norton. Cabinetry: custom.
Breakfast Nook
The custom banquette in this sunny corner by Roberto Pedraza Custom Furniture (in Cowtan & Tout fabric) looks good from every angle.
Chandelier: Arteriors. Table: custom, Madera Build. Chairs: custom, in Rose Tarlow fabric.
Bar
Dark walnut cabinetry and Noir Francia marble create a bold backdrop for wine tastings.
Pendants: Allied Maker. Counter stools: J.M. Szymanski. Appliance pulls: Jay Teske Leather Co. Flooring: Warren Christopher.
Outdoor Kitchen
A trough sink in the island holds chilled drinks on hot summer days.
Pendants: Visual Comfort & Co. Counter stools: Casamidy, in Perennials fabric. Grill: Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. Countertop: Laminam. Hardware: Ashley Norton.
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