5 Amazing Kitchens: Inspired by Nature In the kitchen of a house perched on a hillside, views of the treetops abound. These vistas provided Sharon Kleinman with a mandate for the kitchen, which she redesigned along with the rest of the house. Though their home is traditional, the owners wanted a contemporary sensibility. “Modern kitchens can feel cold,” Kleinman says. “The challenge was to make it warm, and I did that by bringing in natural materials to tie it in with the outdoors.”

Kleinman paired custom maple cabinetry from Montgomery Kitchen & Bath with a slate backsplash; distressed, reclaimed walnut floors; and leatherized granite counters. To incorporate the windows into the overall design, she framed them in panels, boxing those flanking the stove and adding glass shelves in front of them. 

The new kitchen is a rectangle dominated by a massive center island. Since the owner is a serious cook, Kleinman devised four stainless-steel work stations to suit her specialized needs; they punctuate the expanse of wood cabinetry. A cooking station centers on a Thermador stove and warming drawers, a Viking grill and a custom Viking hood; a cleanup station includes a Franke sink and two ASKO dishwashers; a breakfast station houses a Jura coffee maker, two Sub-Zero refrigerator drawers and a Viking convection oven; and a storage station offers a Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer drawers. 

A pantry supplies additional storage and an extra refrigerator, as well as a cabinet on wheels that holds an industrial-sized Hobart mixer. It fits flush with the other cabinetry and can be moved as needed.

RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: MARK KRAMER, AIA, Kramer Architects, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland. KITCHEN & INTERIOR DESIGN: SHARON KLEINMAN, Transitions by Sharon Kleinman, Potomac, Maryland.

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Contemporary Classic
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