By Ben Frieler
Nestled in the cozy mountain community of Carbondale, this stunning design was inspired by the ski chalets of Aspen. The homeowner partnered with Sabina Berend of Sabina Design, and Caletta Construction to make her dream of a chic, Mountain Contemporary kitchen a reality.
High ceilings meet at a vaulted peak and lead the eye to large windows that fill the space with natural light and provide an incredible view of Mt. Sopris. Taking full advantage of this light and height, a crystal chandelier hangs above the dining table and anchors the space.
While the vaulted ceiling is undeniably grand, it presented one of the main design challenges that Sabina had to overcome. Her client desired a luxurious and comfortable space for hosting family and friends, but as Sabina explains,
“The ceilings are very high, so selecting pieces that would fill the space and make it feel cozier was crucial.”
Sabina worked closely with the homeowner, designing mood boards and making multiple trips to Aspen together for inspiration, to ensure that the pieces they selected would bring her vision for the kitchen to life. The expansive, rustic dining table is surrounded by shearling chairs that bring an inviting sense of restfulness to the space.
Rich, leather stools line the Calacatta Gold waterfall island and balance the crisp white of the rest of the kitchen with their refreshing, earthy contrast. A large island was one of the homeowner’s “must-have” features. The placement gives guests a second gathering point in the kitchen area that is still oriented around the beautiful view while adding functionality to the kitchen.
Beneath these gorgeous furnishings, a full suite of Dacor luxury appliances is the beating heart of this kitchen. The centerpiece is a massive 48-inch professional gas range. This full-featured masterpiece of cooking perfection features six burners and has dual-valve, dual-stacked burners that can go all the way down to 800 BTUs for a true simmer, or up to 18,000 BTUs for a moisture-sealing sear.
A generously sized, self-cleaning oven compartment contains a three-part convection system that can comfortably accommodate commercial-size baking sheets, a major perk when entertaining a large number of guests. Panel-ready refrigerator and freezer columns are flush-mounted into the cabinets with push-to-open doors for a true luxury experience. The all stainless interiors feature seamlessly integrated 3D lighting that illuminates the interior from all sides, and precise cooling technology to minimize temperature fluctuations and preserve fresh food for longer.
A 24-inch undercounter wine cellar completes the refrigeration options. Designed to control light exposure, humidity, and storage temperature, this unit ensures that wine is always ready for spontaneous get-togethers. The shelf components are constructed from beechwood to naturally absorb humidity and lower the chance of label abrasion typically associated with metal wire racks.
The dishwasher embraces the phrase “the more the merrier” and is ready for even the largest gatherings. It has a max capacity of 14 place settings and the largest cleaning zone available in its class. Innovations like Water Wall™ and ZoneBooster™ technologies ensure that when the AutoRelease door opens, every pot, plate, and glass is spotless. At 42 decibels, this panel-ready model is whisper-quiet for discrete cleaning any time of the day. Both the homeowner and design team described working on this project as a dream come true.
Sabina explains, “We share the same style and eye for design, so it was a lovely experience.”
The homeowner is excited to share the clean lines and elegant features with her friends and family over the holidays, and looks forward to spending time relaxing with a morning cup of coffee or glass of wine in the evening as she enjoys the view from her dream kitchen.