“The kitchen had ’90s written all over it,” says designer Erin Henkle. “We wanted to update it in a way that would feel cohesive with the house and bring simplicity to the space.”

The home had a unique blend of rustic and modern characteristics that IDBP needed to take into consideration.

“The client has modern taste but appreciates natural materials,” says co-designer Kate Ruszczyk, pointing out the river rock in the fireplace surround, heavy ceiling beams and log timber columns. “They love that part of the house. This was about marrying those two together.”

It was also about finding the right flow.

“Not only was the kitchen outdated, but after living there a few years, they got a sense of what was not functioning for them,” Ruszczyk says. “Circulation, storage, how they cook together, where the sink was located—the natural flow was not working well for them.”

The designers altered the space’s existing cabinet layout, utilizing a solid wall of tall, dark-stained white oak cabinetry that captures the majority of the functional requirements of the kitchen. The adjacent wall is freer—lighter and layered, with visual interest.

An Ijen blue quartzite slab adds movement and color to the countertops and full-height backsplash.

“The organic nature of it plays to the natural features of the house,” Henkle explains.

At the end of the wall, the designers installed a semi-translucent glass cabinet.