Kitchens are often described as the heart of the home — and we tend to agree. They’re where families and friends gather, celebrate, and often spend life’s precious time connecting with one another.
We recently flipped through our archives and hand-picked some of our favorite thoughtfully designed kitchens we’ve previously featured created by some of the region’s top builders and designers. Read on for an inside look at our front-runners below.
Modern Meets Farmhouse in Lakewood
This Lakewood home — which also was the 2018 Northwest Idea House (which is sponsored by West Sound’s parent company, Premier Media Group), was built by Zetterberg Custom Homes and carefully blends farmhouse charm and classic elegance while incorporating smart features that streamline life for its five inhabitants.
The kitchen is notably the home’s centerpiece, with an oversized island that doubles as a gathering spot and offering loads of storage and a slew of appliances.
“A warm, calm, timeless palette and design allows this kitchen to feel fresh and long lasting,” designer Stefanie Brooks said. “(A) light and bright monochromatic scheme with warm wood accent and special touches like the custom steel hood and custom cabinetry are just a couple of features in this stunner.”
The kitchen also touts a grand farmhouse sink by Keller Supply Co., a full-size sink faucet and convenient pot-filler by Chown Hardware, built-in coffee bar by Albert Lee Appliance, and a custom-made cold-rolled steel and black patina range hood from Honan’s Custom Metal.
A Mountain Getaway in Gig Harbor
When guests step into this five-bedroom family home in Gig Harbor, most will question if they were suddenly transported into a luxury stay in the hills of Colorado or Montana.
“Thinking about our vision for the home, we were hoping for a modern mountain feel. A place where you felt like you could disconnect and relax,” the homeowners, who wish to remain anonymous, told our sister publication South Sound in a joint statement last year. “We wanted to make sure we built a home that could grow with our family. We considered all seasons of life. We looked at how we would use the home with kids in the house, what it would look like with our kids off to college, as well as with them bringing their own families back to visit someday.”
The wish list for the family’s kitchen space included large windows that offered abundant natural light, wood flooring throughout, Montana Timber Products materials, and decorative pendant kitchen lights.
“Regional Northwest architecture is characterized by the use of natural wood, large glass walls, and low-pitched or flat roofs,” designer Greg Zetterberg told South Sound last year. “This allows the home to integrate with its landscape and bring natural light into the spaces while protecting them from the elements.
Zetterberg Custom Homes checked off nearly everything the family had envisioned: a rustic white stone wall backsplash by Harristone, warm natural light from a large multipaneled window, luxury oak flooring by Anderson Tuftex, and dual islands suited for entertaining and food-prep.
The kitchen also features several luxury features suited for a family on the go like an Elkay filtered water bottle station for quick fill-ups, a built-in espresso machine, a pot-filling faucet, and a spacious Wolf gas range.
A Michelin-Level Kitchen in Clyde Hill
When builder Lochwood-Lozier began plans for this Clyde Hill residence, they kept in mind that the couple wanted a kitchen that offered space for socializing, entertaining, and gourmet meal prep.
“Functionality was the driving force behind every design decision in this kitchen,” a Lochwood-Lozier representative said. “The homeowners are passionate about fine dining and frequently host gatherings, so the kitchen needed to perform like a professional workspace while still feeling warm and approachable.”
This Michelin-rated kitchen includes energy-saving elements like LED lighting; Energy Star-rated appliances; and high-tech features like a Zip Water USA faucet that produces chilled, sparkling, or boiling water in an instant, dual full-size faucets, a built-in glass cleaner, three convection ovens, and gas and induction cooktops by Gaggenau that also feature a 18K BTU wok burner.
The centerpiece of this kitchen, though, is arguably its cleverly designed walnut bench seating with a heated tabletop that offers a cozy restaurant-feel.
“We refined it through real-world testing, with people of different heights and body types invited to sit, linger, and give feedback …,” Lochwood-Lozier Architecture Director and designer Matt Mamiya said. “Instead of sitting shoulder to shoulder at a counter, this space invites everyone to slow down and connect.”