Appleton Living Kitchen

Project Details

Project Description

Design
Project Of The Year And Grand, Kitchen In A Custom Home—3,000 To 5,000 Square Feet

Creating homes that blur the line between indoor and outdoor living is one of the greatest pleasures of working in Southern California. For clients living a hectic life—restaurant owners with four kids, five rescue dogs, and a cat—designing this way is also a matter of practicality. Appleton Living Kitchen nabbed Project of the Year because it masters all that and more. The idea behind the kitchen—and the entire home—rests on its openness, say architects Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdóttir and Tryggvi Thorsteinsson, principals of MINARC. Parents can cook while keeping an eye on everyone. Kids can jump in the pool, then come inside for something to eat. Guests can congregate at the working islands and enjoy a full view of the courtyard.

In this family house, all activity radiates from the kitchen, so durable materials were essential. Islands are made of bamboo veneer and Caesarstone; the floor is limestone and ipe, a wood that can withstand water. The metal staircase that cascades from the second floor was left unpainted. “We let the materials just be themselves,” say the architects.

From the courtyard, the kitchen appears to be a box that’s floating just above ground. This was achieved by wrapping the overhang around the sliding glass entryways so they’re set off by a frame. The upper edge houses heat lamps, the lower edge serves as a patio, and the entire outline helps define the massing. The frame’s lower edge—raised slightly above ground, its reveal lit up at night—highlights this home’s inside-outside personality and makes it a place that feels at once dreamy and grounded.