Kitchen and Great Room Celebrate Wood, Steel and Natural Light
Raw materials and open space capture the untamed feeling of the nearby Texas Hill Country
Kitchen: Family life here centers around the large island topped with white honed Namibian marble. Built-in bar stools are anchored to the floor with steel posts and feature dark walnut hand-turned seats.
The owner says the feel of the island’s materials is but one of the many understated pleasures of living in this great room and that keeping the shapes in the kitchen simple and surfaces uncluttered allows attention to be drawn to the interesting materials.
Cabinetry: The business end of the kitchen, where most food prep and cooking happens, is dominated by stainless steel, including the professional-grade refrigerator, range and custom vent hood. The gleaming steel surfaces contrast with the finely detailed, full-height walnut cabinetry with glass fronts.
Materials: Contrast plays a major role in making the simple forms in the kitchen dynamic. Pairings of light and dark materials, such as the steel island panel with the matte white marble top, match similarly high-contrast combinations such as the unfinished hickory and pecan ceiling planks with dark horizontal steel ceiling joists. Also, smooth white walls contrast with the unfinished concrete block wall at one end of the room.
Refrigerator: Sub-Zero; range: Wolf; dishwasher: KitchenAid; sink: Kohler; faucet: KWC Systema Pro
The owner says the feel of the island’s materials is but one of the many understated pleasures of living in this great room and that keeping the shapes in the kitchen simple and surfaces uncluttered allows attention to be drawn to the interesting materials.
Cabinetry: The business end of the kitchen, where most food prep and cooking happens, is dominated by stainless steel, including the professional-grade refrigerator, range and custom vent hood. The gleaming steel surfaces contrast with the finely detailed, full-height walnut cabinetry with glass fronts.
Materials: Contrast plays a major role in making the simple forms in the kitchen dynamic. Pairings of light and dark materials, such as the steel island panel with the matte white marble top, match similarly high-contrast combinations such as the unfinished hickory and pecan ceiling planks with dark horizontal steel ceiling joists. Also, smooth white walls contrast with the unfinished concrete block wall at one end of the room.
Refrigerator: Sub-Zero; range: Wolf; dishwasher: KitchenAid; sink: Kohler; faucet: KWC Systema Pro
Alterstudio Architects worked closely with the owners and contractor Blue Horse Building & Design to mix simple forms with bold materials. From the outset, the owner committed to celebrating the craftsmanship of nearly every surface in the room, such as the welds and tool marks of the waxed hot-rolled steel panel on the island. “When you see a piece of steel that shows its manufacturing marks, it tells a story about that material,” architect Kevin Alter says.
Pendant lights: Acquatinta by Michele de Lucchi, Produzione Privata; browse bar and counter stools
Pendant lights: Acquatinta by Michele de Lucchi, Produzione Privata; browse bar and counter stools
Lighting: The philosophy of simple design allows quieter moments to come forward, such as the daily progression of natural light through the space. “I love the presence of light,” Alter says. “It suggests a way to occupy a place, a nice invitation to come over and sit, have a conversation.”
Table: Black soapstone top and raw hot-rolled steel base, designed by the homeowner, built by Blue Horse Building & Design and Austin Iron; chairs: Eames molded plastic dowel-leg side chair, Design Within Reach; pendant light: Atelier Robotiq
Table: Black soapstone top and raw hot-rolled steel base, designed by the homeowner, built by Blue Horse Building & Design and Austin Iron; chairs: Eames molded plastic dowel-leg side chair, Design Within Reach; pendant light: Atelier Robotiq
Window wall: The windows and doors take full advantage of the light while showcasing authentic materials, in this case hot-rolled steel. The architect designed a broad overhang outside to shade the great room from the most intense and direct sunlight.
Windows and doors: Fenestration Metal Smiths, Salado, Texas
Windows and doors: Fenestration Metal Smiths, Salado, Texas
The outdoor connection: The steel and glass doors open wide to the pool and garden beyond.
Eames lounge chair and ottoman: Design Within Reach; orange Eames molded plastic rocker: Design Within Reach; find armchairs and accent chairs
Eames lounge chair and ottoman: Design Within Reach; orange Eames molded plastic rocker: Design Within Reach; find armchairs and accent chairs
Landscaping: The homeowners chose to play off the austere landscape of the woodlands surrounding the home. They installed their own version of an informal English cottage garden, which should explode in a riot of color when it comes into bloom next spring.
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Kitchen and Great Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A lawyer and record label owner and family
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 745 square feet (69.2 square meters)
Designers: Alterstudio Architects and Blue Horse Building & Design
Scope of work: This is a new custom home on a 5-acre property in a subdivision on the outskirts of Austin, Texas.
Style: The modern family home showcases the warmth and patina of natural materials. The main house features a spacious great room that opens to a pool and English country garden. The home also has a recording and design studio for the husband and a crafts studio for the wife.
Green sectional: Oxford model, custom configuration, BuildASofa; coffee table: unfinished, untrimmed duplexed BC plywood, designed by homeowner; floor lamp: Bestlite BL4 in solid raw brass, Gubi