The Ultimate Open-Plan Kitchen

Don't underestimate the power of an even plane of surfaces to polish up any kitchen. That's why Lopergolo took great pains to achieve that look in her own space. Her main reason for adding the extra-deep cabinets over the refrigerator and wall ovens was so they'd extend out enough to create an integrated look with the doors on the appliances. That meant the crew needed an extra day to build a 3-inch recess in the drywall behind the fridge, so it could be pushed back until the doors and cabinetry lined up. "People like to imagine how appliances will look head-on. But what really finishes a kitchen is how integrated everything looks from the side," says Lopergolo. Her own kitchen now presents a clean line viewed from any angle—just as she envisioned it.