Denver, CO — Custom kitchens take patience and a creative vision.

Elaine Hall Murray, CMKBD, allied member ASID of Brisbane, CA-based BMI, says her clients had both the patience and that vision.
"They had done their homework and enjoyed every aspect of this project," says Murray. "They wanted a clean-lined, elegant, gourmet kitchen with only the very best appliances and materials."
In the space the couple sought to create a refuge. "They travel a great deal, and they wanted a divine home to which they would look forward to returning," Murray continues.
She was charged with designing the kitchen, auxiliary kitchen, bar, pantry and dining area.
"All of the areas were special, but the ability to have different areas function in totally distinctive ways while being part of a totally homogenous open area is unique," Murray offers.
"It is an extremely open-plan layout; the space dedicated to the kitchen and dining area is approximately 750 sq. ft.," she says.
The perfect melding of high performance appliances, cabinetry, great project management and a flawless installation all contributed to making the project sizzle, according to Murray.
Choosing Challenges
The home's location in a high-rise posed several challenges.
"The project was a new construction high rise in Colorado," notes Murray. "The space was the top floor penthouse. The greatest physical challenge was to reconfigure the space from the cookie-cutter, asymmetrical layout provided by the developer."
Load-bearing columns would also have to be worked around. Walls were added in places, removed in others and ceiling and lighting patterns were revamped dramatically to satisfy the clients' requests. One of those requests was to keep the mountain view as unobstructed as possible.
"Privacy was also a paramount concern," the designer adds.
Functionally, the challenge was to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere in spite of the kitchen's very open layout and large proportions.