Green With Luxury

With regard to the appliances, Binkley notes that the selected items “are of a high design, often becoming a point of conversation with guests.”

The appliance line-up includes a 48" refrigerator, cooktop, oven, microwave, warming drawer and wine cooler, all from Sub-Zero/Wolf, plus a KitchenAid trash compactor, dishwasher and coffeemaker.

Other items in the kitchen include a stainless steel sink and faucets from Kohler and track lighting from Progress Lighting. Oversized hardware in stainless steel adds to the contemporary feel of the room.

However, it is the hood, according to Nowfel, that takes center stage.

“The NuTone hood is absolutely the focal point of the space,” he boasts. “Even if you aren’t cooking in the kitchen, you have that hood lit at night. It is an architectural element to that third-floor space.“

Iaconis interjects: “It’s stained glass, which keeps your sightline open to look outside or at guests.”

Nowfel adds: “The hood provides a friendliness and also the high-tech look we were after.”

Complementing the hood are two low-voltage halogens that shine down from the glass onto the hood. Dal-tile metal tiles in the backsplash were chosen as a complement to the metal in the hood.

Cabinetry Collection

The key design for the cabinetry, Nowfel points out, was to maintain a streamlined look and ensure a practical use of storage space.

An espresso finish on the cabinets is teamed with glass-front doors framed in stainless steel. A white solid surface finish on the countertops provides dramatic contrast.

Iaconis adds: “We wanted a white, very clean look for the countertops, contrasting with the espresso finish on the doors. Our vision in there was to be industrial – very high-tech and very contemporary – but also be very user-friendly.”

“We also tried to utilize the cabinet space as best we could because we didn’t have a butler’s pantry. To that end, we had upper doors above the sink on the exterior of the house wall that lifted from the bottom up for easy access and additional storage,” Nowfel explains.

The island also plays a key role within the overall kitchen space, he points out.

“The 5'x12' island serves as a piece of furniture. It’s a serving piece and an entertaining piece. It is the primary space that you can revolve around when entertaining,” Nowfel says. A wine refrigerator is located in the island for added convenience when entertaining.

To complement the overall look of the kitchen, the design team chose Kahrs black oak wood floors in a Herringbone pattern.

Light Up a Life

According to Nowfel, both natural and decorative lighting add unique aesthetic and functional elements to the kitchen.

He explains: “Certainly on the third floor we have a lot of natural light. Over the sink we have little square windows providing natural light. All along the side of the house, we have windows, and on the other end of the kitchen there are doors that stack over in one corner that are very light and airy.”

He continues: “Since the roof, the walls and the sub-floor are all concrete, we could not use chandeliers. So, we did a track system around the whole area, including the kitchen.”

Iaconis interjects: “There is in-cabinet lighting [halogens] as well as undercabinet lighting.”

She reports that the halogens were incorporated for the bridge, while task lighting was incorporated over the bridge above the sink for a more convenient work environment.

Nowfel adds: “It is all part of the look at night, so when you are entertaining, the kitchen is the focal point of the living space. The unusual thing about designing a kitchen for the third floor is that we had no real walls to hang any art, so the art is really the kitchen itself. It is a living sculpture.”

Spa Time

As Nowfel notes, the goal for the master bath in the New American Home was very straightforward: Create the ultimate in a luxury spa environment.

He explains: “The 310-sq.-ft. master bath, teamed with the master bedroom, takes up the entire second floor. It is truly a master retreat.”