The existing cabinets were painted white and poorly executed, with odd spacing and no connection to the other architectural elements in the house. Making matters worse, it was only a door opening away from beautifully detailed cabinets in anigre, part of an earlier fireplace remodel.
The initial inclination was to build the new cabinets entirely in anigre—and indeed, that intention was realized not just at that transition point, but throughout the kitchen.
What makes these truly custom, though, is the addition of sapele to the cabinets and building the entire island in that same mahogany.
The island design was a collaborative process and integrates elements from the existing stair railings and posts.
Those same tapered posts are replicated at the corners of the island, giving it a furniture-like appearance.
The previous island had run into the floor, with a baseboard around it, making it read like a wall. The new design, with soapstone counters and room for the slide-in range, makes it a centerpiece of the kitchen.
The island stove employs an unusual flush-mount hood for ventilation. This was chosen to avoid blocking the expansive view of the Olympics from that spot in the kitchen.
All of the perimeter counters are in quartz, with under-cabinet lighting.
That lighting also illuminates the wavy backsplash tile--Paper Moods by Ambiente. It's hard not to touch it once you see it.
Now the kitchen successfully integrates design elements from the adjacent rooms, functions as it should, and has a view inside that rivals the one outside.