Residence in West Little Rock

With a slight gesture to traditional design on the exterior, the modern, open, light-filled interior was preferred by the clients for the design of their new house. The clients expressed the desire to have the kitchen as the metaphorical heart of the house so that they could work there but feel connected to the rest of the house — a place where they could sit, relax and share events of their day over food. The location of the kitchen became the pivot point situated between the living areas and the children’s playroom. From the kitchen area, there is visual access to the front door, through all the main rooms and outside to the pool.

With this open plan, the ceilings were lowered in the gathering areas to make these spaces more intimate and to help define the cooking and dining spaces. Partition walls were implemented to create a subtle transition from formal to informal areas. Because the clients loved to cook and entertain in their previous loft space in Chicago, they wanted a kitchen system that would look elegant within their home’s open floor plan and be both efficient and durable. Therefore, the German manufacturer, Bulthaup, known for ergonomic, visually refined designs, was brought on board as part of the project team.

Featured in: Metropolitan Home, “Core Values” by Diane Carroll, May 2008