Kitchens of the Year: By David L. Coddon • Photography by Martin Mann
Kitchen Connection
TAKE A KITCHEN, CONNECT IT to an outdoor deck, and what do you have? The “indoor/outdoor” lifestyle prized by homeowners throughout San Diego County, says designer Susan Bachand Morone of BM Studio. Thanks to Morone’s ingenuity, this Vista kitchen is ideally equipped for preparing meals and enjoying them al fresco without moving more than a few feet.
This home’s deck originally was separated from the kitchen by two step-downs. Morone added oversized sliders that, she says, “brought everything to one single level and created a living room outside. We extended the kitchen and the house, so your eye continues all the way out.”
Rather than attempting to expand the kitchen’s footprint as first requested, Morone “reoriented” the room, opening up walls in addition to creating the smooth connection to the outdoor deck.
Her client yearned for Madagascar ebony wood throughout, but for cost effectiveness and “balance,” Morone countered with a dark-stained walnut and white cabinetry. An “appliance garage” (actually two sliding cabinets) neatly conceals appliances like the microwave and coffee maker.
“I designed,” says Morone, “so that everything would have a place.”
The result is a “highly functional small kitchen with sleek finishes and a streamlined asthetic,” praises judge Tony Garcia.
“Love the dropped and extended sushi counter in the zebra--wood,” says judge Michelle Strausbaugh. “Gorgeous!”
For Morone, the remodeled kitchen is all about visual continuity. “There’s a linear quality to it … your eye kind of travels around and doesn’t just stop. It’s clean and smooth to the eye.”
