Photography by Jason Varney

The kitchen, with all its various functions, is incredibly complicated to design. And that’s without personal preferences and needs to take into account. So when Mark Weiss was asked to design just such a space for clients who love to entertain, they decided they were “going to embrace this idea that it’s almost mandatory to have a bar in the kitchen.”

“Wine, at its core, intersects with the refrigeration of wine, so integrating a striking full-length wine column from True in the space was a no-brainer. Coupled with adjacent cabinetry for glasses and bar staples, plus ample counter space, and you have a clever built-in bar in the kitchen,” say Weiss. Weiss also welcomes the concept of bringing the restaurant aesthetic into the home and treating the entire room as one bigger composition—a feat he says is easier to accomplish when the right lighting is chosen throughout.

In this particular home—which he describes as Modern Farmhouse 2.0—a rustic white oak floor with a flat finish, 13-foot-tall wood ceilings, and a bar outfitted in an inviting navy with brass cabinetry defines one side of the expansive kitchen. The dark blue hued bar shelves, which feature integrated in-cabinet lighting and a smoky mirrored backsplash, are contrasted with one of our Dual Zone Wine Columns in a matte white finish and gold hardware. It offers the perfect pop of color while still highlighting the moody, inviting navy and honey bronze and gold hues. “From a functional standpoint it’s dynamite,” says Weiss, of the column. “They’re into wine and it has the dual zone temperature controls and it offers the perfect blend of aesthetics and beauty with functionality.” He continues, “I saw True Residential at a trade show a few years ago—the brand projects a certain quality and then the colors, finishes, and hardware steal the show.” The entire design scheme also showcases just how appealing a restaurant-like design can work in a residential setting.

“No one wants to stay in the dining room anymore,” comments Weiss of his choice to move towards the future by blending the dining room, kitchen, and bar into one room. “The bar, in general, tends to pull people away while the kitchen island tends to draw people towards it,” he explains. Offering a bar in the same room, for example, allows for a more engaged way to entertain where the cook has his/her space to cook while the bar area becomes a destination in itself. It’s a design decision we can certainly get behind.