When it came time to renovate this Wisconsin lake home, the homeowners wanted to make sure their kitchen and dining room were designed for multiple generations of family and friends to come together each day. Views of the lake and surrounding forest could be seen from the expansive windows, but the spaces were greatly lacking in storage. In addition to completely renovating the kitchen, interior designer Amy Carman and her team added a run of cabinetry in the dining area, which includes a pantry, bar, and window seat. Rather than using the standard birch interior of the other cabinets, the bar interior is finished in a rich walnut, making it appear more furniture-like and elegant. As the doors to the bar are opened, in-cabinet lighting automatically illuminates the interior. The window seat is outfitted with large drawers for the family’s extensive collection of board games.

Design and Construction Amy Carman Design, Wauwatosa, Wis., amycarman.com (with help from Meg Baniukiewicz)

Photos Elisabeth Witt, courtesy of Amy Carman Design

From Fine Homebuilding #295