In order to create a kitchen that looked less like a sterile laboratory and more like a cozy master den, designer Gary White filled the room with "furniture"-an elegant table holds the range and an armoire doubles as a pantry. His clients, a Southern California cancer specialist and a wine representative, wanted an "unfitted" kitchen, one that resembled a collection of treasured family antiques and furnishings rather than an assemblage of identical cabinets.
White provided the room with his own interpretation of an unfitted kitchen but insisted that a continuous run of counter and storage space be incorporated as well, in order to maximize the enjoyment of the space. "A true unfitted kitchen may be stirring aesthetically but it can arouse negative emotions when it's difficult to clean up or put things away," says White. Varied custom finishes, as well as different styles and dimensions in the cabinetry make the individual pieces seem unique. Multiple colors and types of stone, including limestone tiles and honed green marble, break up the monotony of the work surfaces and give them a warm patina, as though they'd originally come from an old family estate. -Kathryn Loosli Pritchett