Knotty Alder Kitchen

The old kitchen was closed off from the rest of the house by a wall. We took the wall out, and the island went in where it used to stand, so the kitchen opens onto the dining area instead of turning its back on it.

The room is built around that island, knotty alder with a white quartz top, with a wall of full-height alder pantry cabinets along the back. Alder is a warm, knotty wood that hides daily use well, and it's a good match for a kitchen that actually gets cooked in.

What we planned up front: every appliance spec checked against the cabinet openings and the power before anything was built, and the cabinet lead time on the schedule, so the kitchen wasn't torn out for weeks waiting on boxes.