The combo kitchen and informal eating nook in this Pepper Pike, Ohio, home had varied ceiling heights and shapes, so architect Fred Margulies used a wood panel to tie the rooms together as well as to create a focal point in the 450-square-foot space. Four squares of clear maple are connected in a checkerboard pattern using the direction of their natural grain for contrast. The 8-foot-square panel is attached to sleepers in the lower drywall ceiling with a joist on top to keep the wood steady as it cantilevers out into space where the ceiling jumps from 10 feet to 14 feet above the kitchen. Recessed spacers between the maple and drywall create a shadow line that gives the wood a floating effect. Four pendants hang down in an offset but symmetrical pattern in relationship to the L-shaped island. Says Margulies, “it’s a wonderful piece that ties everything together.”
Builder: HLF Homes, Pepper Pike, Ohio; Architect: Herschman Architects, Beachwood, Ohio; Photographer: Kevin G. Reeves Photographer.
Resources: Kitchen plumbing fixtures: Elkay; Lighting fixtures: Juno, Progress, Starter.
