The design for the kitchen at Boyce Residence in Huntsville, Alabama, won the Pinnacle Award of Excellence, a prize awarded by the Natural Stone Institute to interventions “whose beauty, creativity, ingenuity, and craftsmanship exemplify professional mastery in the use of natural stone in commercial and residential applications”, according to the jury.

We are located in the center of the Ledges of Huntsville community, and here the firm Matheny Goldmon Architecture oversaw the design for a private residence spread over 8,000 square feet, with the aim — especially in the kitchen — of retracing the style and tradition of English Arts & Crafts.

The clients are a family of acclaimed local chefs and restaurateurs who, given their background, expressed the request that the heart of the project should be the kitchen itself, to be designed starting from the choice of the best materials, both from a functional and a design point of view. Natural stone prevailed.

"Offering unmatched durability, character, and beauty, natural stone was the ideal material choice for the heart of this client’s home, the kitchen. The featured slabs were hand-picked by Ceramic Harmony International (CHI) from Antolini with Owner/Designer input. Various hues of natural gray accompanied by metallic hints of rust and dark iron perfectly anchor the kitchen palette and complement materials found in the adjacent dining and living areas", said Janna Collins, designer at Matheny Goldmon Architecture.

Winning the award is thus the result of a great team effort: the designers collaborated day by day in selecting the best natural stones to be installed in the Boyce Residence kitchen, and the extreme variety proposed by Antolini made it possible to achieve the best result.

Specifically, in harmony with the interior design choices of the other rooms where natural stone is as well a star, the following materials were selected for the kitchen:

• Kitchen island – Calacatta Macchia Vecchia Marble Lux finish, two slabs with a book match 
• Wine Room – Calacatta Macchia Vecchia Marble Lux finish and Crema Champagne Limestone floor 
• Butlers Pantry – Calacatta Macchia Vecchia Marble Lux finish 
• Main Pantry – Calacatta Macchia Vecchia Marble Lux finish 

"Among the standout features they provided are seamless veining and a built-up mitered edge at the island. Using a complementary stone, CHI layered and sculpted a custom sink and drainboard to the exact size and specification requested by the client. The arched backsplash at the sink provides an elegant focal point between brass shelves displaying the homeowners’ collection of copper cookware", Janna Collins further details about the natural stones chosen for the kitchen.

In announcing the award, the Natural Stone Institute stated: “This kitchen entry immediately impressed, due to how the veining of the stone was treated, not only on the island, but specifically in the backsplash. That is the first thing you are going to see and they did a really good job with a wild material choice”.