Echelon Custom Homes just had the honor of winning Best Kitchen for the seventh straight year at the Annual Delaware Regal Awards. While we won many other awards this is the one that we have captured consecutively, something we take a lot of pride in.
This year’s winner was a project we recently completed in Kings Creek Country Club and was created to fit the design aesthetic of the entire home.
It starts with the main part of the kitchen which was done in Wellborn Cabinets, Sonoma door style in Glacier white. The crisp white cabinets lends itself to the beach house style while offering a sharp contrast to the honed Absolute Black granite countertops. The honed finish was chosen to mimic the look of soapstone while providing the durability of granite. It’s white subway tile backsplash helps play off the contrast of the black countertops as well, while providing a backsplash that will still be in style over the years and never “date” this kitchen. We finalized the contrasting finishes with black cabinet knobs and drawer cup pulls reminiscent of the cabinet hardware used in cottages for decades.
Stainless steel sinks offer durability while the polished chrome plumbing fixtures finish off the crisp, clean look of this kitchen. The main sink faucet and secondary sink faucets are from Kohler and the pot filler by Danze. While all three are from different collections we were careful to choose fixtures with similar lines so they all tie together. You don’t always have to pull everything from one line, just be sure to pick items with similar styling.
The island which was also done in the Glacier White cabinets was topped with a Walnut, Edge grain wood top from Grothouse Lumber. This wood top was done with a Durata finish, which is a marine-grade finish, and will withstand the abuse that a kitchen countertop can endure. While more expensive than the granite perimeter the addition of the wood top adds warmth to the entire space. The lifetime warranty on the top makes the investment a worthwhile one. The island is finished off with beautiful, bronze pendant lighting from Rejuvenation. The lights, which are finished off with large glass globes, adds the final touches to a large and functional island.
On the outer wall of the kitchen we designed a wall of pantry cabinets as well as an area to set up a coffee/drink station. These cabinets were done in a rich Caramel Java finish to tie in to the finish of the walnut island top and add additional warmth to the space. On one end we added an ice maker with a custom cabinet paneled front (an essential item for filling up those coolers for the beach) with an oversized appliance garage above. This is a space for the client to set up a bar during functions but also a spot where guests can come and grab a cup of coffee without getting in the way of the person cooking in the kitchen. The opposite end houses a broom closet for all those kitchen cleaning items. In between is a wall of pantry storage. It starts with oversized, deep drawers in the base and then is topped with 21” deep pantry cabinets for all the kitchen storage needs. In order to get the cabinets to the ceiling we stacked cabinets above the pantry cabinets for storage of items used on special occasions. To access these items we added a rolling ladder for both function and a unique design aesthetic.
While the kitchen is beautiful, it was designed with a chef in mind. With appliances from Viking, Sub Zero, Bosch and Scotsman, this space was meant to be used. Anyone who knows there way around a kitchen would feel right at home whipping up culinary masterpieces in this space.
