This sleek kitchen offers a full-bodied taste of the larger green agenda in a house that is completely off the grid—one destined to become the first LEED platinum-certified residence in the Kansas City metro region. On the matter of sustainability, it hits all the important points, incorporating Energy Star appliances, low-VOC paints, low-flow plumbing fixtures, recycled paper composite countertops, an induction cooktop, and operable windows and skylights to create a stack ventilation effect. All this occurs inside a concrete thermal mass envelope with radiant floor heating to minimize temperature fluctuations, thereby cutting down on energy usage. And it’s an urban infill structure in a rundown part of town that is badly in need of revitalization.
But the spare, streamlined kitchen is also easy to love from a purely aesthetic standpoint, offering clear evidence of Studio 804’s design finesse. A dropped ceiling of FSC-certified Brazilian hardwood brings warmth and a more intimate scale to the casual cooking and eating area. And the designers opted for two undercounter refrigerators in lieu of a traditional tall standing fridge to preserve the space’s lean lines and incredible sense of openness.
Entrant/Builder/Architect/Kitchen designer: Studio 804, Lawrence, Kan.