Martha's Cantitoe Corners Kitchen

See how clever storage, fine materials, and surprising details make this space shine.

Martha did not want the cupboards to look like ordinary built-ins, so she designed a pair of long counters with marble tops; on one of them are glass-sided cabinets. They look so light and keep the area very airy in appearance.

Two islands offer seating and storage. An overhead steel rack keeps pots and pans reachable but out of the way.

Here is a view of two of the islands and the ovens behinds them, looking into the kitchen from the servery. It's where Martha sometimes has breakfast.

The office functions as a media center. There's a large-screen television for watching programs and DVDs, plus a computer, printer, and scanner for email, projects, research, and accessing recipes. Several small cubbies hold messages, paper, and supplies. At the desk, you'll also find telephones and a Sirius satellite radio.

A very well-used part of the kitchen is the cappuccino counter; there's the grand machine and two grinders -- for regular and decaffeinated beans -- for fresh grounds. On the machine, Italian cups stay warm, and everyday dishes and the like fill shelves.

Martha keeps a vintage juicer near the deep vegetable sink, where she rinses and preps produce. She has a few paper towel holders around the room, and old enamel brackets with milk-glass shelves hold kitchenware. The windows let in sunlight, which at times is tempered by translucent shades.

The small dining room can be accessed through the double doors in the servery. The space includes freezer drawers for storage, plus an ice maker and warming drawers for entertaining. Two dishwashers ease clean-up, and the marble floor can be vacuumed and washed with a damp mop. The wall color is matched to the cupboards, and the gentle, cool tones make a cohesive whole of many diverse features.