FIVE PROS ROCK COASTAL KITCHEN DESIGNS, Boston Design Guide, Prelude Fall 2019

Kitchen by Venegas and Company; photo by Michael J. Lee Photography

Venegas' Rockport clients, who love to cook, entertain and value natural material choices, also wanted their kitchen to feature panoramic ocean views. Venegas, owner and designer of Venegas and Company, and lead designer Michele Kelly had only one option to deliver what they wanted: "We had to move the kitchen from the front of the house to what was originally the living/dining room space." Maintaining the ocean views also required that the kitchen to be predominantly constructed in the center of the room. "We used only one interior wall for the wall ovens, a refrigerator column and a coffee station/food pantry," explains Venegas, "but the majority of the kitchen is designed in two islands—a prep island and a working island—to create comfortable work zones, with seating around the perimeter so the homeowner can engage with family or guests at all times."

Wire-brushed butternut veneer was used for the large island and the appliance wall, with the grain run horizontally in a matched pattern to subtly guide the eye around the room. The large island is topped with natural schist counters from Western Massachusetts. The smaller food-prep island features end-grain Wenge wood as a hard-working counter surface, accented that with an iron metallic painted finish on the cabinetry below. All of the materials blend harmoniously with a metallic porcelain tile on the floor and oak planks on the ceiling. Limited wall space dictated a 30-inch refrigerator column with a combination drawer unit in one of the islands. A low-profile induction cook top and downdraft add to the sleek look. "The homeowner loved the handle-less design of the contemporary wall oven, and the matching black steam oven blends nicely with the overall palette," adds Venegas.

See more photos of this kitchen here!