A Kitchen With A View

The focal point of Michael and Jackie Craven’s sunny kitchen is hard to miss. Perfectly framed through an opening over the sink are the rolling hills and shores of Lake Sunapee. “The pass-through is the same size as the window in the sunroom (next to the kitchen) so you can stand in the kitchen and look at the lake,” Michael says. “It’s a great view.”

The kitchen was part of new home construction the Cravens undertook a few years ago. They worked with builder Jay Tucker of Old Hampshire Designs, a design/build firm in New London, who had worked with the family on another home they built. John Napsey designed the kitchen and Laura Perrier worked with the family on the countertop and tile selections; both are with Shaker Hill Granite Company in Enfield.

The Cravens wanted a streamlined kitchen that followed the same open concept as the rest of their home. “I didn’t want anyone isolated in one area of the kitchen,” Michael says. The sixteen-foot-by-sixteen-foot room opens directly onto the family room; its pass-through window over the sink looks into the adjacent bright sunroom. White, custom cabinetry lines the room; two attractive glass-fronted corner cabinets frame the gas range and custom hood. Behind the stove is a mosaic tile backsplash, tying together the room’s colors: sage green, blues and creamy whites. The pantry is easily accessed near the stove.

Appliances like the refrigerator/freezer and dishwasher are hidden behind custom cabinetry as are the built-in waste and recycling bins. The family is especially fond of their refrigerator/freezer, which is full-sized. “The space is enormous,” Michael says. “I’ve never filled the freezer!”

There’s ample storage in the kitchen. Rollout shelves in the perimeter cabinets include a storage drawer for K-cups for the family’s Keurig coffee maker. The center island—topped in a double-thick, ogee-edged white quartz (the same material as the perimeter countertops)—contains a built-in microwave as well as a drawer facing the sink with a custom cutlery divider. Two deep drawers facing the sink have dowel racks for plates and saucers; rollout shelves in the island and tray storage next to the microwave provide additional space for pots and cooking utensils. Family and friends can sit either at counter-height at the island or at the walnut semi-circular table built into one end of the island. Adding the table was Michael’s idea. “We use it as a serving area during cocktail parties or for a buffet,” he says.

Just past the island is a glass-fronted, white hutch that the Cravens use as their bar area. Standing apart from
the other kitchen cabinets, “It looks more like furniture than cabinetry,” Tucker says.

The kitchen came together beautifully. “We wanted the kitchen to be user-friendly and open,” Michael says. “It’s perfect for us.”