The 2007 Watermark Awards

By Jenny Sullivan and Nigel F. Maynard

Click here to see the 2007 Watermark Awards multimedia slideshow featuring photos from our winners.

You can always count on the wet areas of a home to serve as laboratories for experimentation and as harbingers of what's hot in residential design. Clean lines and contemporary finishes continued to make inroads in this year's Watermark Awards, even in homes whose exteriors ring traditional. Pocket doors—valued both for their versatility and for their ability to instill ordinary spaces with a sense of surprise—are popping up often enough to be noteworthy. And more and more builders are viewing natural light as an essential ingredient in any respectable kitchen or bath. The projects that follow show how it's done.

1748 Winchester, Chicago

Best kitchen in a single-family detached custom home—over 5,000 square feet

Click here to see the 2007 Watermark Awards multimedia slideshow featuring photos from our winners.

Secondary prep kitchens—i.e., backstage zones where mess can be corralled during parties—are all the rage in luxury homes on big lots. But doubling up on culinary space wasn't an option in this slender urban row house measuring just 19 feet wide. Although the owners were happy to forgo a formal dining room in favor of an open kitchen with casual island seating, clutter remained a concern. The notion of having dirty dishes on display while entertaining (or even during a quiet weekday dinner for two) seemed less than savory.

What a difference a pocket door can make. This simple accessory, creatively applied by Studio Dwell Architects, lends maximum function to the kitchen space, while boosting its style quotient. The handsome central island, with its suspended vent hood, prep sink, industrial range, and wood veneer tabletop, creates the perfect set-up for cookery as a spectator event. But once a meal is ready, those crusted, splattered pots and pans can be whisked from the scene and hidden from view. An adjacent niche—housing the oven, dishwasher, laminate storage cabinetry, and a full-size sink—can be closed off with sliding wood veneer doors when it's time to dine.

“The clients have very contemporary taste, and they like clean lines, but they also realized that's not necessarily how they live all the time,” says architect Mark Peters. “So we figured out how to make one area they could close off, while leaving the other side presentable.”

Skinny row homes, by nature of their anatomy, often feel dim and dark on the inside, but not this one. Translucent laminate glass walls, inlaid with rice paper, at either end of the enclosed niche allow natural light penetration while hiding mess. On the public side of the kitchen, three oversized, custom patio doors (one swings open while the other two fold away) create a 12-foot passage onto a spacious cedar deck that sits on top of the garage. This generous glazing exploits southern exposure and floods the interior space with a natural glow.

“In essence, this is a pretty standard kitchen with one back wall and an island,” Peters says. “The sliding door takes it to another level, but the emphasis is still on simplicity. There's no need to create a complicated situation when something cleaner will be more successful.”

Entrant/Architect: Studio Dwell Architects, Chicago; Builder/Developer: Ranquist Development, Chicago

Kitchens are busy, workhorse spaces that can quickly become chaotic when too many textures and materials are introduced. Studio Dwell kept the vibe sophisticated with subdued colors and a continuity of materials. For example, the wood veneer sliding door panels and transom were specified in a “medium gray” oak to match the island's Arclinea wood veneer tabletop. A strong physical connection to the outdoors is enhanced with the introduction of horizontal raked brick and ground face masonry on the kitchen's interior walls—elements drawn from the home's urban exterior vocabulary.

Old Dominion Showhouse, Mclean, Va.

Best master bath in a custom home

Click here to see the 2007 Watermark Awards multimedia slideshow featuring photos from our winners.

Is it retro? is it contemporary? This heavenly, 340-square-foot master bath defies any one label, proving that eclecticism can be stunning when its done right. “The entire house was designed to resemble a farmhouse that evolved over time, so mixing different elements and genres in the bath felt appropriate,” says Mitchell Racoosin, a principal with Artisan Builders.

If a space can feel both hip and serene at the same time, this bath pulls it off with panache. Old-school features such as shiny chrome, exposed plumbing, classically detailed cornices, and an elliptical groin vaulted ceiling blend with decidedly modern elements—the centerpiece being a dramatic “floating” frameless shower cube. The shower backs up to an enclosed water closet (mechanicals were plumbed up through a shared wall partition) and can be accessed via a frameless glass door on either side. The cube creates a peninsula effect that delineates his-and-hers areas of the bath, but its translucency keeps the overall space from feeling compartmentalized.

Try to put your finger on what makes this design a winner, and much of it boils down to a supreme balance of weight and levity. Take the alcove hugging an oversized tub, where a rounded wall of iridescent tiles mimics the tub's sensual curves.

“We could have stayed true to form and gone with one of those leggy clawfoot tubs from the 1920s, but the one we picked seemed more interesting and substantial,” says Stephen Yeonas, also a principal with Artisan. But heft wasn't appropriate everywhere. On the flip side, he says, closed cabinetry underneath the custom, 8-foot marble vanity tops would have felt too blocky. The team opted instead for slender chrome legs with an open towel bar to keep the aesthetic light and airy—a combo that feels just right.

Entrant/Builder/Developer: Artisan Builders, McLean, Va.; Architect: Harrison Design Associates, Atlanta; Kitchen and bath designer: David H. Mitchell & Associates, Washington

How do you keep a 340-square-foot master bath from having the cavernous feeling of a locker room? Tiles by Waterworks were an important part of the solution in this home outside the nation's capital. Designer David Mitchell specified subtle variations in tile color and pattern to create visual hierarchies and intimate interludes within the context of the larger space. For example, 4-inch-by-4-inch slate-blue glass tiles are used only on the shower wall, while iridescent gray mosaic tiles appear exclusively in the tub alcove, making it another discrete niche. A geometric floor pattern of brilliant white and moss green tiles unifies the entire room.

Kwan-chiliade Residence, Washington

Best kitchen in a single-family detached remodeled home—less than 2,000 square feet/Interior details

Click here to see the 2007 Watermark Awards multimedia slideshow featuring photos from our winners.

This D.C. kitchen proves that a well-organized small space is much more efficient than a poorly designed large one. Located in a 1,670-square-foot row house, the new kitchen was reduced by one-third, but better circulation, abundant light, and architectural details help the space live large.

“Our goal was to create a relationship to an existing screen porch and to add light,” says architect William L. Feeney. In addition, the clients wanted to keep the existing powder room, add a new laundry room, and create better access to the dining area.

After gutting the space, Feeney reorganized the cave-like volume into a galley kitchen with dishwasher, sink, and fridge on one side and the range on the other. The party wall features overhead birch cabinets. “We used birch instead of maple to save money and used a stain to add texture,” he says. On the opposite wall, closed cabinetry was sacrificed in favor of open shelving, which allows natural light to stream through a large fixed glass window. A small but efficient laundry niche just off the kitchen is separated from the main galley by a wall partition. The partition further facilitates light penetration with a small cut-out window inlaid with a decorative resin panel.

The kitchen is further articulated with stainless steel countertops and backsplash to foster the interplay of light, cork flooring for comfort, and a glass and steel range hood for style. The architect even designed a curving ceiling pad and corridor that divides the laundry and powder rooms and provides a visual entrance into the kitchen.

Despite its smaller footprint, the new kitchen offers twice as much surface work area as the previous space, three times as much storage, and easy access to the porch. Great things do indeed come in small packages.

Entrant/Architect: William L. Feeney, Washington; Builder: Premier Quality Construction, Alexandria, Va.

Nothing adds drama or visual interest better than a well-placed architectural element. In the Kwan-Chiliade kitchen, architect William L. Feeney achieved this with three-form resin panels. Because the material can be pricey, Feeney used it in limited applications on the wall separating the laundry room from the kitchen and on the wall to the powder room. “We wanted something to catch the eye,” he says. This solution “creates a really neat feature.”

Meadow Residence, Edgartown, Mass.

Best kitchen in a single-family detached custom home—3,000 to 5,000 square feet

Click here to see the 2007 Watermark Awards multimedia slideshow featuring photos from our winners.

From the outside, this second home on Martha's Vineyard looks traditional, insofar as its building forms hark back to the agrarian structures that once occupied the land. Inside, however, the design takes some delightful and unexpected turns.

The comfortable open space occupied by the kitchen and dining and living areas maintains an old-fashioned quality, thanks to generous rows of clerestory windows and exposed, whitewashed roof trusses. But these details boldly engage in a playful dialog with contemporary elements, such as full overlay maple and laminate cabinets in sprightly hues that celebrate the colors of the hardy meadow grasses outside. Generous stretches of stainless steel—seen not only in appliances and countertops, but also on an 8-foot backsplash covering the entire back wall—introduce a reflective element that enhances the natural light. Concealed lighting on top of the cabinets shines up and bounces off the ceiling.

One of the kitchen's most playful features appears behind the sink in the center of the stainless wall. What seems to be a translucent window to the outdoors is actually a pocket door that slides open to reveal another interior space. When open, the window creates a bridge to the adjacent “tack room,” which houses storage cubbies and a built-in workstation.

“One of the owners is an artist, so this house is filled with little surprises, plus lots of built-in storage in the walls for her materials,” says architect Phil Regan. “It has been interesting to see how the space has taken on a new personality as she has accessorized it with her art. It's a great complement to the architecture.”

Entrant/Architect: Hutker Architects, Vineyard Haven, Mass.; Primary builder: Johnson Vineyard Builders, Vineyard Haven, Mass.; Kitchen builder: Fletcher Cameron Design, Guilford, Conn.

Ragavan Residence, Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Best kitchen in a single-family detached remodeled home—2,000 to 3,000 square feet

Click here to see the 2007 Watermark Awards multimedia slideshow featuring photos from our winners.

This 1960s kitchen suffered some of the typical ailments that usually afflict out-of-date spaces—low ceiling, lack of adequate natural light, poor access to the outside (both visual and physical)—but a series of simple interventions by architect Stephen Varenhorst brought the space into the 21st century.

“The house was untouched since it was designed,” the architect says, so “we opened up the walls to the outside and opened up the ceiling to reclaim empty space.” Glass doors and a clerestory wall of windows filter light into the space and provide access to the exterior.

Once Varenhorst modernized the structure, he sought out high-end German kitchen cabinets from Bulthaup. “Because we had a simple volume, the Bulthaup would have a great presence in the volume,” he says. “It's a beautiful object.” Clean of line, the true European cabinets feature laminate countertops that do not extend beyond the surface of the cabinet fronts, while a series of hidden compartments on the backsplash conceal storage for small items, such as spice bottles.

The rest of the house has a wide plank floor that was also in the kitchen and the architect wanted to preserve. But because the surface was beyond saving, he installed a new red oak floor with contrasting walnut plugs. The end result is a kitchen filled with character that is also highly functional.

Entrant/Architect: Stephen Varenhorst Architects, Conshohocken, Pa.; Builder: We Service Co., Philadelphia; Kitchen designer: Bulthaup Studio, Philadelphia

James Residence, Minneapolis

Best kitchen in a single-family detached remodeled home—over 5,000 square feet

Click here to see the 2007 Watermark Awards multimedia slideshow featuring photos from our winners.

Gutting a space and starting over from scratch is one thing. Integrating new materials with elements preserved from a kitchen's former life is another story. That's what the design/build team at Streeter & Associates was up against in the remodel of this 1908 home.

The biggest problem with the original kitchen was its split personality. At one end were stark white cabinets and finishes, while the other end held a stretch of incongruous beech wood cabinets the owner had imported from Germany 10 years prior (and insisted on keeping). The refrigerator was the dividing line.

Step one in unifying the space was to replace the white cabinetry with a warmer, richer combination of wood species. Bottom cabinets were switched to a dark Peruvian walnut, while upper units of Euro steamed beech wood were chosen to match the older cabinets and amber-toned window casings at the far end of the room.

“To blend everything and make the space more cohesive, we ran a Peruvian walnut soffit ledge along the perimeter of the entire space—including over the fridge—and outfitted it with recessed lighting,” says designer Jeff Lindgren. “The soffit also serves a utilitarian function, as it hides the mechanicals for a high-velocity HVAC system we installed.” Granite countertops in tropic brown and a striking backsplash of iridescent mosaic tiles in warm tones further unify the dark and light woods.

Ever mindful of the budget, the team did pull a few tricks to conserve costs, including preserving the kitchen's original granirex flooring (a mixture of granite and quartz) and filling in areas that needed replacement with a matching Cambria product. To avoid having to rebuild the existing window over the sink (which would have required structural work to the exterior envelope), trim carpenters cantilevered the upper cabinets about 6 inches beyond the window jamb “to create a floating look,” says Lindgren.

These moves freed up some extra cash for, among other things, one highly personalized feature. “The owner is in the medical field, so we installed a stainless, commercial-grade foot pedal down at the kick-plate level that activates the sink faucets,” says Lindgren. “It's a habit for her—and it's a nice control to have if your hands are full of something and you don't want to touch the faucet.”

Entrant/Builder/Architect/Interior designer: Streeter & Associates, Wayzata, Minn.BEFORE

60 Clermont Street, Denver

Best kitchen in a single-family detached custom home —over 5,000 feet; Best master bath in a custom home

Click here to see the 2007 Watermark Awards multimedia slideshow featuring photos from our winners.

Designer Debra Toney describes the exterior elevation style of this Denver spec home as Asian-influenced Arts and Crafts. It's an aesthetic that clearly set the stage for a succession of serene, zen-like interiors. The professional-grade kitchen, for example, is a study in restraint, eschewing bold colors in favor of a more sophisticated palette that focuses on texture. Movement is suggested by the natural veining of its soapstone countertops, the reflective sheen of a “zen weave” glass mosaic backsplash, and the pronounced wood grain of the espresso-stained, rift-cut oak cabinetry. The floors are Chinese mahogany, and the whole space is anchored by a formidable (5'4”x13') bamboo butcher-block island.

“Our philosophy is that color should be kept to a minimum when you are introducing a lot of different materials,” says Toney. “Otherwise a space runs the risk of appearing clownish.”

This same monochromatic simplicity extends to the luxurious master bath, where Carrara marble, penny floor tiles, espresso cabinetry, and subway tile wainscoting with mocha brown grout are combined for a similar effect. To exploit mountain views (and to accommodate 8-foot French doors leading to an outdoor deck off the bath) his-and-hers vanities were freed from their typical wall-mount location and instead placed back-to-back in the center of the space.

Entrant/Developer/Architect/Kitchen and bath designer: Debra Toney Residential Design, Denver

Locker Residence, Washington

Best kitchen in a single-family detached remodeled home—less than 2,000 square feet

Click here to see the 2007 Watermark Awards multimedia slideshow featuring photos from our winners.

Because of their (usually) diminutive size and their single-loaded views, condos are challenging spaces to renovate and brighten, especially the kitchen area. Fortunately for architect William L. Feeney, this condo in a 1950s building had features he could work with.

Specifically, the unit had windows on the north, south, and east, meaning it had potential for the architect to introduce more natural light to the interior. To this end, Feeney opened up the compartmentalized kitchen to adjacent spaces and windows. In doing so, he transformed some of the kitchen's functional features, such as the sleek, tube-shaped range hood and the overhead light box, into architectural elements.

“We tried to promote light in the kitchen,” Feeney says. Highly reflective surfaces such as stainless steel countertops, backsplash, and appliances, help to achieve this goal, while full overlay wood cabinets add warmth.

Entrant/Architect/Interior designer/Kitchen and bath designer: William L. Feeney, Washington; Builder: J.S. Construction, Rockville, Md.

235 Eudora Street, Denver

Best master bath in a custom home

Click here to see the 2007 Watermark Awards multimedia slideshow featuring photos from our winners.

When you're building in an infill environment, neighbors inevitably become part of the design equation. To avoid putting on a show for the adjacent house, this handsome bath features an oversized picture window, the bottom half of which is obscured glass. “This feature lets light in and maintains clean lines without requiring any sort of window covering,” explains designer Debra Toney. And clean lines are what this bathroom is all about.

Ah, but where to mount the vanity mirrors? Two custom suspended numbers did the trick, although they did require extra 2x10 blocking between the ceiling joists, plus a little extra collaboration with the electrician, mirror cutter, and stainless steel fabricator.

Entrant/Architect/Developer/Interior designer: Debra Toney Residential Design, Denver