Photography by Wade Blissard, 45hillsphotography
High above downtown Houston, where cloud-like plastered walls and ceilings meet floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping city views, a newly built penthouse awaited transformation. When the homeowners visited with Kitchen Designer Shawna Roorda at Bentwood of Houston, they brought a clear and compelling vision: create a gallery-like residence that would showcase their impressive art collection while embracing their love of bold, joyful color.
These homeowners are not afraid of color, particularly blue, which brings them tremendous joy, and they wanted cabinetry that would contribute to the carefully curated experience rather than simply fade into the background.
The challenge was clear: create woodwork that could hold its own alongside museum-quality art while complementing rather than competing with it.
Bentwood Luxury Kitchens and Harmoni cabinetry would be thoughtfully deployed throughout the penthouse to create a cohesive yet distinctively artistic environment.
The Kitchen: Where Art Meets Function
The kitchen serves as the heart of this extraordinary penthouse, where culinary pursuits meet gallery-worthy design. Plain Sawn White Oak in a custom finish wraps the perimeter cabinetry.
“The perimeter finish is calm and cohesive, allowing statement elements like the island and chandelier to shine without competition,” notes Roorda.
This intentional restraint on the perimeter demonstrates sophisticated design thinking—knowing when to whisper so that other elements can sing.
But the island tells the story of true collaboration between designer, homeowner, and craftsman. The homeowner envisioned a radius back half with a distinctive reeded texture; a request that required innovative problem-solving and pushed the boundaries of what custom cabinetry could achieve.
The Bentwood team 3D printed several samples of various reed sizes for the homeowner to evaluate in the actual space, touching and comparing each option until the perfect proportion revealed itself. This marriage of cutting-edge technology and traditional craftsmanship exemplifies the Bentwood approach to custom cabinetry.
Once the texture was perfected, the homeowner selected a blue Sherwin-Williams paint color that brought her joy. The Bentwood team then translated that paint into a custom stain and applied it to Alder wood for the final finish.
The result is an island that feels simultaneously organic and architectural, its curved form and textured surface creating visual interest that complements rather than competes with the sculptural lighting installation floating gracefully above.
The Galley Workstation and Tap fixtures continue the theme of thoughtful curves throughout the space.
The elegant arc of The Galley tap echoes the softness of the radius elements on the island, creating visual harmony between functional elements.
A Breakfast Room for Treasures
Adjacent to the kitchen, the breakfast room continues the Plain Sawn White Oak in the same custom finish, maintaining visual continuity throughout the living spaces. However, here, the cabinetry assumes a supporting role of a different kind entirely.
The layout was custom designed specifically to accommodate the homeowners’ sculpture collection, with proportions and placement carefully considered to showcase each piece as the artwork it truly is.
This meticulous attention to detail exemplifies the gallery-like approach that defines the entire residence. The cabinetry doesn’t merely provide storage; it creates intentional moments for art to shine, serving as both functional storage and architectural framework for the homeowners’ treasured pieces.
Elegant Touches in the Baths
The powder bath makes a bold statement with Bentwood’s Klein door, painted and fitted with Shagreen leather inserts that add tactile luxury and sophisticated visual intrigue to an often-overlooked space.
It’s the kind of unexpected detail that transforms a functional room into a memorable experience, leaving guests with a lasting impression of the home’s attention to craft and quality.
In the primary bath, the Bonn door in Rift Cut White Oak with Pearl Stain brings warmth and quiet sophistication. The wood grain’s linear pattern complements the clean lines of modern bath design while maintaining the organic warmth found throughout the penthouse.
This careful selection demonstrates how material choices can unify disparate spaces into a cohesive whole.
Where Function Meets Form
Not every space demands a starring role, and the design team understood that supporting rooms could embrace a different approach without sacrificing quality or beauty.
The scullery, wine room, and laundry room all feature Harmoni cabinetry in laminate finishes. This is practical, durable, beautiful, and perfectly suited to these hardworking spaces where performance matters as much as appearance.
The premium custom cabinetry appears where it will be most appreciated and experienced daily, while the supporting spaces receive equally well-crafted solutions optimized for their specific purposes and demands.
A Curated Experience Above the City
Throughout this downtown Houston penthouse, every element contributes to a singular, cohesive vision. The cloud-like plastered walls and ceilings create an ethereal backdrop that seems to float against the urban skyline. The sculptural lighting installation hovering above the island draws the eye upward toward those remarkable ceilings. And the cabinetry—far from disappearing into the background—adds its own artistry to the gallery-like atmosphere.
This project exemplifies what happens when homeowners, designers, and craftsmen collaborate without compromise or limitation.
Bold color. Thoughtful curves. Custom finishes that translate paint into stain and vision into tangible reality. This is Bentwood craftsmanship at its finest: transforming woodwork into art, one extraordinary project at a time.
Find Inspiration Near You
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