Once Gregory Fonseca devised the three-dimensional layout of this Linthicum, Md., remodel, he donned his artist’s cap and began thoughtfully applying finishes and surfaces that would bring the kitchen to life. “It’s like making a painting,” says the architect. “I select materials that will complement each other with a visual balance of light and color.” Stainless steel appliances and surfaces set in a background of white floor-to-ceiling cabinetry provide the light while cherry veneered drawers, bamboo flooring, and stone tiles bring on the color. The textural depth of the cherry and bamboo warm the chill of stainless steel and icy white-on-white walls. The room has the cutting edge look the client wanted, but the mixture of natural materials helps it blend with the more casual feeling of the rest of the home.
As with any masterpiece, the kitchen’s finishes weren’t applied haphazardly. The stainless double ovens, steaming and warming drawers, built-in coffee machine, and super-sized refrigerator are grouped together in a cooking center clad in chef’s white. The cherry cabinets stand opposite and form a furniture-like alliance with the adjacent sitting area. Fonseca designed two oval islands that bisect the space in a deliberately planned axis of steel. He says, “We began by establishing the focal point—that being this series of islands—which then generated the rest of the plan.
“The aesthetically pleasing visual balance also translates into physical efficiency,” adds Fonseca. The prep island lines up with the cook-top and the wine storage. In turn, the cooktop is on direct line with the warming drawer and steamer. The stone flooring aligns with the edge of the double wine coolers to produce a spill-friendly path along appliance row.
Contractor: Jones Premium, Barnsville, Md.; Architect: Gregory J. Fonseca, AIA, Mobius Design, Washington, D.C.; Stainless fabricator: Stromberg Metals, Washington, D.C.; Photographer: Hoachlander Davis Resources: Cabinets: Poggenpohl; Cooktop, dishwasher, and ovens: Gaggenau; Lighting fixtures: Flos; Refrigerator and wine coolers: Sub-Zero.
