Bridgehampton, N.Y.
Food is a passion for the owners of this weekend house in the Hamptons, hence the open kitchen concept. The layout is conducive to dinner parties in which cooking is both a participatory and spectator sport. Extensive countertop surfaces provide extra prep space for group culinary adventures, and the galley is an ample 48 inches wide.
As befits a laboratory of fine cuisine, the space offers useful and task-efficient touches. One stretch of butcher block includes a recessed canister that chutes compost into an undercounter receptacle. A swath of black granite features deep overhangs, making it easy to sweep chopped vegetables into a bowl held underneath. Channeled grooves etched into the stone create a built-in dish drain, and the Elkay 10-inch commercial-grade stainless sink is outfitted with twin Miele dishwashers, one on either side. A heated Johnsonite rubber floor is easy on the feet and holds up to spills and stains.
The hanging pot rack—a veritable piece of art in the center of this wood and glass beachfront pavilion—is a custom job with integrated stainless steel light fixtures. “We also made smaller matching hooks to hang on the cabinetry hardware for tea towels, oven gloves, and such,” says Donnelly. “These clients weren’t afraid to put cooking on display. They wanted to have everything out in the open and within reach.”
Entrant/Architect: Stelle Architects, Bridgehampton, N.Y.; Builder: Wright & Co., Bridgehampton; Photographer: Jeff Heatley.
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Mendota, Minn.
This bathroom in a spec home was not designed with a particular buyer in mind, but for builder Ray Miller and Albertsson Hansen Architecture, the vernacular theme was clear. “The overall idea was to do a contemporary rendition of a farm-style home,” says Miller, who also was the developer. “We wanted the space to be soft and warm, but we didn’t want the lines to be traditional or conventional.”
The basic palette is restricted to three primary materials—ceramic, wood, and glass. Ceramic fixtures anchor the space, while the glass enclosures help distribute light throughout. “We sandblasted the glass halfway up the enclosures to give users privacy,” Miller explains.
At first glance the bathroom walls appear to be painted sea-foam green, but closer inspection reveals a surface clad in the same sandblasted glass as the enclosures. Perhaps the most surprising material of all, though, is the reclaimed Australian jarrah wood floor—a tropical species chosen for its “moisture resistance and hardness qualities not present in all hardwood species,” architect Todd Hansen says. The jarrah conveys warmth and acts as a counterpoint to the ceramic and glass. The result is a contemporary master bath that possesses the homespun warmth of traditional style.
Entrant/Architect/Interior designer: Albertsson Hansen Architecture, Minneapolis; Builders: Millerville Inc., Eagan, Minn. and Birch River LLC, Lakeville, Minn.; Photographer: Peter Kerze.
