Inside Tahoe Pines' Charming Custom Kitchen

The Tahoe Pines kitchen is one of the most customized spaces in the project (the brainchild of builder Structerra and Marsden Architects), perfectly outfitted for the lifestyles of our active clients. From an integrated apron-front sink to green leather with X stitching, there’s a few details that Shea and the design team think exemplify what it’s like to work with Studio McGee as design clients. Here are some of the standout moments inside the Tahoe Pines kitchen, dining room, breakfast nook, wet bar, and pantry.  

Tahoe Pines’ kitchen is outfitted with two sinks, one below the steel frame windows and one on the island centered to the range. “We have a great layout in the kitchen,” Shea describes of the footprint, “there’s a lot of space to work with.”

A custom built-in wet bar sits at the end of the dining table, acting as a divider between the kitchen’s built-in breakfast banquette and the living room. The light oak cabinetry features a mesh paneling on the door fronts, a small design detail that goes a long way for the mountain rustic aesthetic.

“We did a really pretty zellige tile that goes all the way to the ceiling,” Shea explains of the range wall’s backsplash. “We added a tint ledge with some pretty pewter sconces,” she adds.

Shea and the design team installed an integrated apron-front sink centered on the range and designed the island with open shelving for plenty of space to style out and add character. “It’s a really nice blend of modern and traditional because an apron-front sink is more traditional but we’ve done it in a very streamlined way to speak to the architecture of the home,” explains Shea.

“On one side of the kitchen we have a great prep area and on the opposite side we have a kitchen nook,” Shea explains of the room’s layout. In lieu of an overhead pendant, Shea and the design team opted for a huge sconce. “It adds a lot of interest and the asymmetry plays off of the niche we have on one side.” Styled on the niche’s shelves is a beautiful collection of antique and heirloom pieces.

“I love the banquette because we did a green leather with X stitching,” Shea exclaims. “It’s interesting and cool. It adds the character needed to make this architecture feel a bit warmer.”

The kitchen’s pantry is a good example of a design element that Shea loves incoporating, which is a pop of a darker hue in a small room. The rich charcoal color helps add depth and an element of surprise.

“We had a big, flat wall where we decided to create a niche that spoke to the niche we have in the kitchen nook,” explains Shea. Inside the niche they built in a plate wall with a railing along the front side. “We wanted to do a plate wall in a more modern way so we just did textural plates instead of a vintage look,” adds Shea.

“I love to have a surprise color in these small spaces, especially when you have light neutrals in the main areas.”

Shea McGee

Flint

The pantry is painted in Flint by Benjamin Moore, a cool charcoal tone.