This open-volume kitchen is part of a modern barn addition to a cape-style house in North Haven. The new space melds beautifully with the dining and living area, thanks to high-gloss paint on the ceiling and light from multiple sources. Judge Paul Goldberger says, “The open shelving and farmhouse look blend gracefully with a modern aesthetic.” Another unifying element: a top shelf that wraps the circumference of the kitchen and works its way into the dining area. “The room feels warm and cozy,” says judge Madeline Weinrib.
Given this Bridgehampton kitchen’s unimpeded ocean views and inviting surfaces, it’s likely every meal cooked and served here tastes delicious. The space occupies a 50-foot-long expanse, the north and south sides of which are fully fenestrated. (The appliances and most cabinetry have been relegated to the east and west sides.) The preparation surfaces even double as buffet tables for the clients, a sizable family that entertains often, yet the minimal aesthetic makes the kitchen seem to disappear when it’s not in use.
Like many homes in the Hamptons, this one is designed “upside down” to capture the views, many of which are visible from this vaulted kitchen space. The room is configured as a series of informal, but practical, pavilions, each defined by distinctive colors and materials, including metallic charcoal-gray cabinets, a leather-flamed marble countertop, and a birds-eye maple slab that juts out of the island. In singing the room’s praises, Madeline Weinrib admires its “good use of textures.”
Bright and dark at the same time, this Water Mill kitchen, part of a gut renovation, is now distinctly contemporary. “The soft gray cabinetry contrasts nicely with the rough timber ceiling beams,” notes judge Mario Nievera, who also admires how “the dark window trim has a contextual weekend-house feel.” In addition to the spacious island illuminated by three globe fixtures, the adjacent dining area also contains a custom-designed two-tone marble table.
A kitchen can be muted and moody, as long as its task lighting is well thought out, argues judge Kim Seybert, who recognizes that “this kitchen, though dark, is a beautifully designed space.” Part of an extensive renovation/retrofitting of an existing East Hampton house—the aim of which was to depart from the shingle style—it has been reworked into a new open plan by Mojo Stumer Associates , who incorporated a host of natural and industrial materials.