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WBM april 2012
The Mays decided it was
the perfect spot for a
permanent home but it
had no kitchen — just
a microwave in a bedroom. With
designer Mindy Heu they mapped
out a kitchen that maximized river
views through original windows.
From heart pine attic planks an
oversized heart pine island was built
by Mike Powell of Coastal Cabinets.
“I wanted to look out a window
and watch the horse and buggies go
by and see what people are doing,”
says Kris May. “And if you are at a
bar stool you can look at the river.
It works well.”
Common kitchen appliances
such as the microwave, coffee
maker, and a second refrigerator
and freezer were placed in the
butler’s pantry built in a hallway
between the main house and the
detached servants’ quarters.
“My kids can come in and get
what they need without coming
through the actual cooking
space. No one is crashing into one
another,” May says. Even when she
hosted 30 people for Thanksgiving
last year, the kitchen functioned
beautifully with plenty of space.
Producing a meal for 30 isn’t
hard when you have an Italian
Heritage Series Bertazzoni gas range
and oven. The stove’s black finish
compliments the black granite
countertops and is offset by a custom
built hood that at first glance
looks like copper, but is actually
wood.
“The cabinet maker made a replica
of the one I wanted for about
$10,000 less,” May says.
Dark glass tiles add sheen to
the backsplash and are echoed in
the butler’s pantry and desk area.
Mercury glass hardware from
Anthropologie adorns the distressed
cabinetry. Leaded glass panels were
added to showcase the owner’s collection
of cookbooks and carnival
glass.