One of the architects’ primary objectives was to open up the kitchen to the adjoining dining room, art gallery, and other spaces. Because the house has radiant heat and no basement, they were forced to work around existing pipes, remove walls and doors, and annex small spaces, such as an old laundry room and service area. Bates and Corkem decided to replace the row of hanging wall cabinets with a bank of leaded restoration-glass windows to
let in much-needed light. They also added a graphic beamed ceiling using a geometric crossbeam pattern. Now the expanded kitchen stands at the center of the house and is visible from one end to the other.

While Dick prefers contemporary styles, Sallie has a more traditional eye, so the architects sought to create a blended environment, juxtaposing mahogany tambour-front cabinets and concrete-paver flooring with period materials, such as subway tiles and leaded-glass windows. Dick, who has a bachelor’s degree in interior design, specified that the cabinetry should be constructed like fine furniture. North Carolina-based master craftsmen josh and
Marcus Burch meticulously applied each reed to the drawer
fronts using tiny brass brads; In lieu of handles, the craftsmen
installed pressure-activated mechanisms to release the drawers.
Special modular drawers safely store fragile Stemware.

Charlotte designer Cindy Smith created an interior plan that provided a natural palette for the kitchen, using soft fabrics and varying textures, such as 2-inch-thick white statuary marble countertops. f‘The thicker surface gives a more finished, grounded look, and the countertops don’t look like they are floating,” Smith says.

The 48-inch dual-fuel range boosts the functionality of the kitchen, while two new storage pantries keep counters clutter-free. Two stainless steel refrigerators, ideal for entertaining, stand at either end of the marble-topped counters. The center-piece of the room is a custom-made leather banquette tucked into the back of the kitchen island. Smith paired the banquette with an oval English oak table of her own design, which rests on a metal pedestal. “It is meant to be strictly utilitarian,” she says. “A pedestal doesn’t crowd space the way table legs can.” The seating arrangement serves as a buffer between the kitchen’s two faces-one that works and the other that entertains. A chandelier with an oversize silk shade adds the cuhninating note of drama to this richly executed space. For details, see Sou rcebook, page 186.

BY GRACE COLLINS HODGES
PHOTOGRAPHED BY LISA ADAMS
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN SOUTHERN ACCENTS | MARCH-APRIL 2005