CANYON COTTAGE KITCHEN
Castle Pines, Colorado
I probably spent more time choosing the cabinet color than anything else in this kitchen.
I knew from the beginning that the cabinetry was going to carry the room, so finding the right color mattered. I wanted something with depth, but I didn’t want it drifting too far into gray or beige or feeling too dark. Benjamin Moore Pashmina ended up being exactly what I was looking for. The kitchen gets beautiful western light, which brings out the warmer side of the color and gives the cabinetry a completely different feel throughout the day.
Once that decision was made, every other material followed.
The goal wasn’t to fill the room with statement pieces. It was to create a kitchen where everything worked together and nothing felt like it was competing for attention. The Mont Blanc quartzite has soft movement that complements the cabinetry rather than distracting from it, so we continued the stone up the backsplash instead of introducing another material. It creates a quieter backdrop while letting the natural veining become part of the architecture of the space.
The custom Venetian plaster range hood became another defining feature of the kitchen. We designed integrated spice cubbies into the hood surround so that something practical could also feel considered. Small details like that are often the ones that make a space feel custom because they’re designed around how people actually cook and live.
Along one wall, reeded glass cabinets break up the run of solid doors and allow light to move through the space. They add texture without making the kitchen feel busy, which was especially important in a room where the cabinetry was intended to be the focal point.
The hardware is a mix of unlacquered brass knobs, latches, and pulls paired with polished nickel plumbing fixtures. I almost always gravitate toward unlacquered brass because it develops a natural patina over time. It doesn't stay perfectly polished, and that's exactly the point. The polished nickel keeps the overall palette feeling balanced, while the combination gives the kitchen more character than using a single finish throughout.
This kitchen is part of our larger Canyon Cottage renovation in Castle Pines Village. Throughout the home, we focused on natural materials, thoughtful details, and a restrained palette that lets the materials do most of the talking. I wanted the kitchen to feel settled, comfortable, and easy to live in from the very beginning.