Not too long ago, La Puerta Originals was lucky enough to be involved in the remodel of an expansive custom home nestled in the foothills of the Santa Fe National Forest. We did a number of doors and gates and everything for the entirely remodeled kitchen.

The house is built in the Territorial style popular here in Santa Fe, so the kitchen, while replete with modern conveniences, retains a traditional look. There is a mix of solid cabinet doors with pillow panels and upper cabinet doors fitted with bubble glass. The floors of the kitchen are dark brown wood planking. The cabinets feature a lightly distressed white finish, the contrast of which almost makes the floors disappear.

The focal point of the kitchen is the gold stove hood surround. Crafted from sections of plaster coated, gold-leafed antique crown moulding, the original bright gold finish was given a more muted, aged patina. The combination of the stove hood and the sage green tile backsplash pull the white cabinetry and the disappearing dark floor together, giving the room a softer, more romantic feel than just the white cabinets and dark floor would have.

But don’t let that softness fool you – this kitchen was made for cooking. The presence of the cream colored Aga cooker below that gold stove hood lets you know that. It is the center of activity for the kitchen and all of the customization radiates from there.

Bookending the stove are pull-out pantry cabinets serving up the most used cooking items – herbs & spices, cooking oils. To the left of the stove are the divided drawers with knives and prep tools. To the right of the cooker is a coffee bar cabinet. With doors that fold back and a pull out tray, this first stop of the day can then be closed up, out of sight until the next morning.

To the right of the coffee bar is the pantry cabinet. With pull out, rotating shelving and hanging shelves on the doors for the most used items, this pantry cabinet is easier to use than a walk-in pantry. The best feature is the interior lighting, activating when the doors are opened, turning off shortly after the doors are closed.

The pantry cabinet’s near twin is the wood paneled refrigerator. While the coffee bar and pantry cabinets featured scalloped pillow panels, the fridge features square panels.

The large island opposite of the stove features seating on one side, with a raised dark wood countertop that matches the floors. The raised countertop of the seating side gives the other side of the island a bit of a backsplash. It gives an edge to the poured concrete countertop and room for the barely noticeable outlets and garbage disposal switch.

The working side of the island features several antique accents. The mini columns at the corners of the island were made using the carved legs from antique dowry chests. And the cabinets within the island front are differentiated with the feet made from finials from the antique dowry chests.

To the right of the farmhouse sink is a wood paneled dishwasher, and to the left a pull out garbage and recycling center. The island features two beverage coolers. On the right corner is a wine cooler with two temperature zones, and on the far end is an under counter refrigerator for beer and sodas.

Working in a kitchen that has been thoughtfully designed, or customized to the way you use it is a breeze. By spending some time studying how you use your kitchen, the flow that works best and the customization needed for a kitchen remodel or new build, your efforts will be rewarded multiple times over.

A custom kitchen is an investment so worthwhile for the cooking enthusiast. The quality is evident with every drawer opened, every cabinet closed. You can really feel the difference in custom, solid wood kitchen cabinetry. The substantial feel and even the sound convey a quality not found in factory-made kitchen cabinets.

A La Puerta Originals custom kitchen is a step above. With the inclusion of antique material and cabinets designed to your space, the look is exclusive to you and your kitchen. The hand-rubbed finishes, the customization, the special touches like the stove hood, really make every La Puerta Originals kitchen unique and so special.