Nice Stripes
Zebrawood veneer panels form a unifying thread in the open floor plan of this Philadelphia townhouse, designed by Brett Webber Architects, which garnered a 2008 Watermark Award. Sleek in line but dramatic in pattern, a suite of custom cabinets and millwork extends from kitchen to living room, allowing the spaces to intermingle. In a clever space-saving move (one of many executed by builder Foster-Willson Co.), one bank of floor-to-ceiling kitchen cabinets actually hides a small powder room.
Given the pronounced grain of the wood veneer, restraint was appropriate and necessary for complementary surfaces. In the kitchen that meant a stainless steel backsplash and appliances, matte paint colors, and a honed Carrara marble countertop, all of which serve as neutral counterweights.
