Northshore Home magazine highlights the best in architectural design, new construction and renovations, interiors, and landscape design.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/974577
38 SPRING 2018 A RCHITECT STEVEN BACZEK TACKLED THIS 3,500-square-foot new build in Reading with an eye toward the gathering of friends and family. It needed to be flexible enough to accommodate daily life as well as the Super Bowl parties and frequent get-togethers the homeowners are fond of hosting. The kitchen was key. The house is organized such that the kitchen and din- ing and living rooms function as one large space—with the farmhouse-style kitchen in the middle, overseeing all. The intent was for the configuration to be equally comfortable for the four-member family's activities— now and as the children grow—and for entertaining groups of 30-plus people. To that end, Baczek tucked the "cooking zone" into the corner of the L-shaped kitchen, thereby accommodating the chef's needs while leaving room for people to gather freely on the periphery. kitchens nshoremag.com/nshorehome/ The custom-designed center island and cabinets are the work of Mottl Builders & Cabinetry. Though the island top is meant to read like dark walnut, Baczek used maple for its durability; "farmhouse legs" on the Athena Green base play a significant role in the kitchen's character. Clean lines throughout lend the room a slightly modern feel, and dark-stained wide- plank oak floors contrast nicely with the painted white maple cabinetry. Of special note is something Baczek calls "coast lining," which refers to the way in which the gran- ite countertops are deeper at the stove, then recede. Similarly, the upper cabinets have different depths, so their faces push forward, and then back—much the way a tide comes in and goes out. "That gives a sense of scale and breaks down a long run of cabinets into a few significant pieces, so it's easier for the mind to The custom- designed six- by- eight-foot center island is ideal for the activities of children, teens, and adults alike.