Great Ideas From Top Designers - Vol. 7, No. 3
Contemporary Light hamptons Style
Burkhardt made the most of this limited space by removing the wall between the two rooms
The owner's of this contemporary Hamptons, Long Island weekend retreat provided kitchen designer, Linda Burkhardt, with a series of challenges.

The space originally consisted of a 10' x 11' kitchen and adjoining 5' x 6' closet that housed the washer and dryer. Burkhardt made the most of this limited space by removing the wall between the two rooms and by sloping the laundry room's ceiling to match the sweep of the kitchen ceiling. This dramatically increased the volume of the light-filled space, making the entire room seem larger. The designer then cleverly concealed the washer and dryer behind bi-fold doors, dropping the deeper upper cabinets down to the counter to provide sorely needed pantry storage.

The necessities of upscale weekend entertaining required dual dishwashers and a commercial style range which provided maximum utility. The angled base cabinetry at the kitchen's entry also dramatically increased the room's clearance. The custom stained hood and exposed ductwork emphasizes the vertical space in this otherwise confined area, blending well with the extra-long custom cabinet pulls and all stainless industrial refrigerator.

The light and `beachy' color scheme, along with the natural maple cabinetry and desert sand polished granite evokes the nearby dunes, humanizing the stark lines and angles in this dynamic space ideal for Hamptons entertaining.