A thoughtfully designed minimalist layout with plenty of pantry space, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, and easy-to-clean quartz countertops.
While kitchens and pantries have vital complementary roles to play when it comes to comfort and the essence of making a log or timber home truly functional, they also present opportunity for expression. The personality of the homeowner defines both function and form in today’s kitchen and pantry design. And the possibilities are exciting.
Blending both utilitarian and aesthetic qualities in the one-two punch of pantry and kitchen is prominent on the list of necessary items when design comes to life. Features in design and style add both subtle and dazzling accents from easy access to ambient light and materials that literally set the modern kitchen aglow.
“Unlike conventional homes, many log and timber kitchens and pantries include a lot of stained wood on floors, walls, ceiling, and cabinets,” advises Jay Parmeter, president and co-owner of Golden Eagle Log and Timber Homes (Wisconsin Rapids, WI) “Designing large windows in the kitchen provides natural light which brightens the space and takes advantage of any surrounding nature views.”
Other prime influencers of kitchen and pantry design according to Jay include the support of an entertaining and hosting lifestyle in response to owner preference. Large islands with lots of under-counter stool seating for groups of people, an overflow refrigerator for storage when large groups of people are visiting, or possibly an undercounter refrigerator can add convenience. At the same time, building for the future is a wise move, and when planning a forever home the convenience of pot fillers, microwave drawers, cabinet drawers, and timeless cabinetry styles and colors are not only practical but add to decorative longevity.
Style and structural smarts go hand in hand with the kitchen and pantry designs of today, and convenience starts at the door. When Diana Allen, architect with Woodhouse Timber Frame Company (Mansfield, PA), sets to work she always looks at efficiency. “The closer I can get the pantry to the main kitchen, the better,” she related. “If you have to travel down the hall or around the corner, it’s not as useful. This means I need to sacrifice something else – dining spaces, or in a perfect world I can add the pantry off the mud room from the garage. Pantries that have dual entries allow for ergonomic flow from car to pantry to kitchen, hopefully in a straight line. All this means I need enough square footage in the budget to make this happen. Tight budgets and small square footage homes need to sacrifice this space in favor of the tall pantry, but definitely not a walk-in pantry.”
Dala Voit of the Golden Eagle design team looks at showcasing the potential of the kitchen and pantry combination with eating areas as well. Her perspective involves utilizing the positive aspects of every such space. “When you’re designing a home with a million dollar view, why not make it the centerpiece of your dining experience,” Dala says. “Many of our clients love being able to take in their view while they eat and entertain. It’s part of what makes these homes so special. We often consider large pantries to be a ‘must have’ because our clients are located in areas where a grocery store isn’t a simple 10-minute drive. To define the kitchen and dining spaces, we often use timber trusses or log tie beams. These architectural features add incredible character and set the tone for the room. Pair that with uplighting to highlight the rich textures of the timbers and ceiling finishes, and you’ve got a space that feels both special and cozy.”
Zack Parmeter of Golden Eagle stresses a consultative approach to determine the customer’s wants and needs while a common thread pervades the kitchen and pantry design experience. “Most people that are building a timber home want to use rustic woods such as hickory, alder, and oak. This helps tie in the knots that you may see in wood products throughout the home. They are tired of the traditional conventional home where your cabinets are a smooth wood like maple or painted. They want to step away from their everyday life and create a space that stands out more. This usually is done by using larger trim around the windows, doors, ceiling, and baseboards. We see a lot of homeowners drawn to the reclaimed woods, stone, glass, and metals. Tones used in these spaces tend to be warmer.”
On the technical side, Jay adds a note of advice in cabinet fit. Log homes typically have rounded walls, and working with square cabinets can be a challenge. He advises consulting with a company that is tuned into this common concern. “Deal with a company that can handle it,” he says. “We design our cabinets so that they have extended stiles and grooves cut into the logs to fit the cabinets.”
Diana sees the big picture, takes note of client preference, develops a strategy, and then tactically makes form and function come together. “The goals are like designing any other kitchen,” she said, “but the challenges come with post and wall braces. The desires and wish lists are the same–double ovens, big islands, where to locate the sink so it hides the mess when entertaining. The trend I see is the desire for butler’s pantries that have an additional sink and dishwasher so the mess can go there and keep it out of the main kitchen. There is still a sink and dishwasher in the main space, but it’s for show during the height of entertaining.”
One strong trend that Diana sees is the return of the cabinet depth refrigerator rather than the refrigerator sticking out beyond cabinet edges or surrounding base units. These were popular in the 90s, but faded for a while due to limited size and mechanical problems. “Those issues seem to have been resolved, so the fitted kitchen is popular again,” she says. “The difference now is the client wants a standard depth unit but not to have it stick out. This requires the wall behind the refrigerator to be recessed.”
Then, of course, the visual aspect of the kitchen and pantry ensemble rises to the surface. Eye-catching options are available in materials and design. “Solid slabs of granite are still popular, but more exotic slabs are being desired as well,” Diana says. “This includes marble slabs, but be careful with marble. It stains, and the lighter the color the more you will see when it yellows in time. Rolling out pastry dough is a dream on marble, but don’t spill grease – or worse – red wine. It is porous, and stains are permanent. One of my favorites is to use solid slabs for backsplashes. Run them up to the underside of the wall cabinets and up the wall behind the exhaust hood over the cooktop or range. This instantly jumps a kitchen to the next level of elegance. If budget isn’t an issue, onyx that is backlit so the whole backsplash glows is just one of the most dramatic choices one can make.”
Remember too, rustic has its place. Diana suggests floating wood shelves set against high contrast wall finishes like stone veneer or stone slabs. Black cabinetry with light wood floating shelves and countertops are “really hot right now,” she said. “Black is one of those colors that always evokes elegance and when combined with the rich wood tones the effect is striking. Lastly, tons of glass and natural light are still very much in demand.”
Making the most of the kitchen and pantry design means considering every aspect of visual and behind-the-scenes convenience. While allowances must be made for the specifics of cabinet installation, easy access, and space utilization, these essential areas make a statement all their own.