From the Design Studio: Butternut

Benvenuto and a warm welcome to Butternut, our tribute to the fine cooking and design traditions of Italy and the many wonderful woods of the Americas. While our kitchen is named for the now-rare, subtly grained blonde wood that wraps the island base and backs our glass display cabinet, the molto bello Officine Gullo range, matching hood, and solid brass sink grab more immediate attention.

Seen above, the electric hearth oven by Monogram delivers the performance of a wood-fired brick oven and restaurant-worthy results right in your kitchen, but it uses a 240v connection, requires no ductwork, fits flush in a standard 30-inch-wide cabinetry, and is WiFi enabled. Choose temperatures from 80-1300 degrees F. The oven's catalytic component removes the smoke and discharges the heat at 200 degrees F.

Our black steel and solid brass-accented gas range, with its prep sink, coup de feu, and pasta cooking station, is just one of the limitless options the respected Florentine manufacturer offers in its line of bespoke metal cooking appliances and accessorties. Officine Gullo represents both timeless design and top performance - tradition and innovation - to set the stage for a cooking and dining experience that engages all your senses.

I love how the various materials - the stone, metals, woods - are beautifully integrated in this kitchen. It's not something most people think about or notice, but our plan created precise lines where materials meet up, allowing for their varied expansion and contraction rates. That precision ensures the room's integrity, so you know this kitchen won't start to look worn in a few years just from its own materials working against each other.

Butternut, also called "white walnut," is a light-colored wood native to the eastern U.S. and southeast Canada. It's very stable, with little tendency to warp or crack in use. Unfortunately, a blight has been killing these trees since the late 1960s, making the wood extremely rare. We work with manufacturing partners who can source many materials, from exotic or rare woods to durable metals and stones, so that the kitchens we create remain gorgeous and unique years from now.

Learn more about our showroom's Butternut kitchen in our From the Design Studio magazine.