Clean sweep

With its strong horizontal lines and clean details, the 18-foot-long kitchen in a renovated Washington, D.C., row house is minimalist without appearing ultramodern. Even a backsplash was deemed gratuitous; the aluminum window sits right on the countertop, which in turn slips between cabinetry under the microwave. "We liked the idea of the horizontal plane of counter not being stopped and connecting to the outside," architect Janet Bloomberg says.

** Details Designer Fu-Tung Cheng selected bamboo cabinetry and flooring for its beauty, durability, and sustainability. "In a span of 5, 10, or 15 years, you can grow a full forest of bamboo," he says. "Its hardness quotient falls somewhere between that of oak and maple."This Napa Valley, Calif., wine country kitchen represents the culmination of designer Fu-Tung Cheng's 20 years of experience. It's stuffed full of ideas about materials, space, and efficiency, all working to enhance the owner's gourmet lifestyle. "Cooking is the owner's avocation--it's his form of creativity and entertainment," says Cheng. So the room's island holds a range, built-in wok, grill, and deep fryer. Three strategically placed sinks--one for making beverages, one for food prep, and one for cleanup--serve three different purposes, and three dishwashers ensure there's never a backup of dirty dishes. ** Because of the house's overall architecture (the rammed-earth, wood, and glass structure designed by Seattle firm Cutler Anderson Architects has a massive, organic feel) Cheng needed to make sure the kitchen left an equally strong, solid impression. The hefty island and some walls and counters consist of Geocrete, his proprietary line of custom concrete infused with fossils, auto transmission parts, and other found objects. "It's like looking for antiques," he says of his fossil-finding process. "I go to rock shows, rock stores, and now sometimes the Internet." A 10-foot-long range hood, also designed by Cheng, rids the space of extra odors and heat. The kitchen is featured in the book Concrete at Home (The Taunton Press, 2005) by Fu-Tung Cheng with Eric Olsen.

Builder: Madden Corp., Rockville, Md.; Architect: KUBE Architecture, Washington, D.C.; Photographer: Alan Karchmer. * Resources: Cabinets: Burger Custom Cabinets, Circle 175; Countertops: Concrete Jungle, Circle 176; Dishwasher/oven: KitchenAid, Circle 177; interior doors: Raydoor, Circle 178; Kitchen fittings/fixtures: Grohe, Circle 179; Lighting: Illuminations Inc., Circle 180 and W.A.C. Lighting, Circle 181; Paints: Duron, Circle 182; Patio doors: NanaWall Systems, Circle 183; Refrigerator: Sub-Zero, Circle 184; Sinks: Blanco America, Circle 185; Windows: Sherwood Windows, Circle 186.

Author: Cheryl Weber