Collaborating with Michael Lewis Architects on an Expansive Kitchen Design
Artfully nestled among the trees just beyond the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail in Westchester County, this 1962 home blurs the line between interior and exterior environments. Its lower level is lined with south and west-facing floor-to-ceiling windows, connecting an open floor plan to the warmth and seasonality just beyond. When new owners purchased the property in 2019, architect Michael Lewis came to Rowan Woodwork ready to collaborate on a design that continued this narrative.
The original layout of this lower floor placed a narrow kitchen in the middle of the room, separating the living room and dining room on opposite ends of the home. Working closely with Michael Lewis and the homeowners, the renovation produced an expansive new kitchen with an asymmetrical footprint to better integrate the other living spaces for a family that enjoys cooking and entertaining.
The kitchen cabinetry style was designed to celebrate the mid-century architecture of the home in a contemporary way. Rift-sawn white oak was used with steel edge pulls and a dead flat finish to promote warmth against the slate floor and changing seasons. And we never forget the inside—extensive conversations with the homeowners informed the integration of interior kitchen drawer components into the design to accommodate cooking tools and dining pieces.
“Working with Michael was a pleasure. He connected us with the homeowner right away so that we could work directly with them to tailor the original design to suit their specific needs and that of the space. This type of collaboration with homeowner and architect is our favorite way to work”, Brady Jennings, Rowan’s CTO.
Interested in collaborating? Let’s chat.
