The Vintage-Modern Kitchen

WHY WE LOVE THIS KITCHEN 

• It's anything but cookie-cutter yet doesn't feel like an anachronism next to the rest of the town house. It's clean and spare, but it has all the technological gadgets a dedicated cook needs -- they're just concealed.
• The carefully balanced composition of dark and light materials, which makes for a visually striking kitchen.
• Luxury applied in small, judicious doses, such as the panels of wenge wood and the marble countertops.

ROY OTWELL'S TIPS FOR STREAMLINING A KITCHEN

• The kitchen is often open to other parts of the house, so it's important that it feel integrated and consistent.
• On countertops, we use a lot of natural stone and stainless steel. I prefer a matte or honed finish on a stone surface because it is softer. We use an enormous amount of marble and are constantly fighting the myth that it's hard to care for. If the Romans used it and it still looks great, chances are it's going to work in your kitchen.
• Be practical, honest, and realistic about your needs. The homeowner chose one wall oven because she knew the times she needed two were few. Nonessential kitchen gear, such as the turkey roaster, can be stored in the basement rather than taking up valuable cabinet space.

RESOURCES: Kitchen design by Roy Otwell, Poliform Atlanta, 404/605-0196, www.poliformatlanta.com, and SWITCH, 404/ 605-0835, www.switchatlanta.com; contractor, Fletcher Arrowood, 770/231-2315; Le Creuset cookware in lemongrass from Williams-Sonoma, www.williams-sonoma.com; cabinetry, Time series, by Varenna/Poliform, 404/605-0196; cooktop, dishwasher, and oven by Miele, 888/346-4353, www.miele.com; stainless steel hood by Varenna/Poliform, 404/605-0196; sink by Kohler, 800/456-4537, www.kohler.com, faucet by Grohe, 630/-582-7711, www.grohe.com.