Kitchen Design Case Study: Contemporary Kitchen with Zebra Wood Cabinetry

• Project: SV Kitchen – Contemporary Kitchen with Zebra Wood Cabinetry
• Futuro Futuro Product: 2x 14″ Jupiter Island Range Hood
• Kitchen Design: Steve Price of Beautiful Remodel LLC
• Kitchen Fabrication: Cabinetry built by Castle Cabinets, installed by Beautiful Remodel 
• Location:  Phoenix, AZ
• Client: SV residence

This kitchen layout was completely redesigned and expanded as part of a whole house remodel.  Check out the final result, before we get into details:

• The awkward angled center island was replaced by a much more spacious rectangular one, which offers plenty of room for preparation, cooking, socializing, and enjoying a meal together.The 9′ x 5′ island cabinetry is Zebra wood, with white oak at the perimeter. The white oak is rift-cut, which produces superior structural stability in the lumber, as well as emphasize the grain and make the grain lines more parallel compared to traditional cuts. Rift cut is less common, since it produces more lumber waste (diagonal pieces between boards), and thus more expensive.All cabinetry was also grain- and sequence-matched.

• The countertop is made from LG Viatera quartz in Lunar Ice. Quartz countertops are made from approximately 95% crushed quartz crystals mixed into ultra-tough acrylic resin.  It’s an excellent material for countertops, since it combines the appeal of natural stone with stain and scratch resistance, and does not require sealing.  For an overview of this and other countertop materials, check out our article “Top 10 Materials For Kitchen Countertops“.The new center island features a raised toe kick with a mirror background and LED lighting, for a cool and unique “floating” effect. The floating effect is further enhanced by the mosaic “crop circles” pattern in the floor, which is reflected in the toe kick mirror, making it seem like the circle continues under the island, and the island is supported only by the waterfall leg.  When the client sits in the adjacent living room area, they can see almost an entire full circle.  Who knew you could make a kitchen island look like a magic trick?

• The cabinet casework is made from 3/4″ plywood and high-pressure melamine, which offers superior scratch and stain resistance, and cleans easily.  The wall cabinetry inserts are a combination of clear glass + brushed stainless steel + frosted glass, creating a 3D effect.

• The backsplash material is 3D Versailles Illusion tile in Gun Metal finish (also available in stainless steel and other colors & materials). Backsplash is subtly illuminated by LED lightstrips at the back edge of the cabinets, placed directly above the splash to accentuate its “depth”.Directly behind the LED lighting is low profile Plugmold outlet strips, which feature an outlet every 6″ across the length of the cabinetry.  Standard wall outlets were not used as they would both detract from the beautiful backsplash but also would not “sit” correctly on the variable-depth surface of the splash.

• A large exterior propane tank was added as part of the remodel to supply the new Wolf 366LP 36-inch rangetop.  The other new appliances include a Sub-Zero  BI-36U 36″ refrigerator, Sharp 30″ microwave drawer, and Wolf L-series wall oven, Bosch dishwasher,  Scottsman Ice Maker, and Marvel wine cooler built into the center island.Ventilation is provided by twin Futuro Futuro “Jupiter” Island range hoods, paired to provide superior airflow and lower operational noise (2 blowers at 1/2 speed produce the same airflow as 1 blower at full speed, but with 1/2 the noise). Each range hood can produce airflow up to 940 CFM, and is equipped with 3x 20-watt halogen lights, dishwasher-safe filters, and electronic control panel.