Toll Brothers’ kitchen wins Silver Nugget Award

Harmonization is achieved when there is a balance between the elements. The award-winning Toll Brothers kitchen reflects this melody of symmetry through the use of natural materials and textures.

Designed by Savannah Design Group in Escondido, California, the Mesa Ridge Overlook Collection Sandstone model is the recipient of the Silver Nugget for Model Home Kitchen-Single Family Production Home, sales price $750,001 to $1 million category.

“An essential part of this modern age is to feel connected to and balanced with our surroundings,” Savannah Design Group founding principal Michele Coseo said in an email. “The Sandstone kitchen is a reflection of this balance achieved.”

The distinct, 320-square-foot model kitchen is defined by its unique symmetrical architectural elements and color palette.

“The earthy palette is a ‘crowd-pleaser,’ allowing the subtle tones to mingle together naturally,” Coseo said. “There are color variations of wood tones, textures and metals. This fluid connection of varying tones creates depth and subtle richness.”

Coseo said the kitchen, as a function of the home’s design, was driven by the active, social lifestyles of the Mesa Ridge buyers. Centrally located, the kitchen flows easily from the dining room, great room and exterior loggia.

“The key design element is balance,” Coseo said. “Balance was created by anchoring full-height, full-depth cabinets on both sides of the main cooktop wall, the use of a dark contrasting stained island and unique quartz raised eating bar.”

The lavish white quartz island counter with raised seating bar contrasts the dark brown wood cabinetry, creating a commanding focal point. A stunning waterfall edge and four walnut backed bar stools complement the kitchen’s aesthetic.

Four white globe pendants hang from an eye-catching architectural soffit, differentiating it from the soaring 16-foot ceiling. The line of pendants draws the eye into alignment with an expansive central island.

“It’s a stunning kitchen with those high-volume ceilings,” said Toll Brothers Division Vice President of Community Planning Dan Wright. “The waterfall quartz-edge island is amazing.”

Stacked stainless steel appliances flank the main wall of white cabinetry, enhanced by a central stainless steel hood. The upgraded appliance package consists of a 48-inch Wolf stove, double ovens, microwave, espresso machine and dual Aska dishwashers.

Dual full-height wine towers, on each side of the expansive 60-inch Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer installed on the outer perimeter wall, contrast the full-height wood and iron wine storage on the opposite side of the kitchen. The unique wine storage divides the kitchen from the formal dining area.

The espresso-stained wood border frames two of the three kitchen walls, the central wall with stacked white cabinetry and the refrigerator/wine cooler perimeter wall.

“Wood elements are one of the key materials used in this kitchen,” Coseo said. “We solely designed the wood border to accentuate the natural light coming from the upper windows, while adding a special architectural feature of rich stained wood to the sleek white cabinets.”

Upper windows above the wood border and the engineered Shaw Hackettstown wood floor complete the modern aesthetic.

“I do not call this kitchen strictly modern,” Coseo said. “It is modern in its clean lines but transitional in terms of its versatility.”

Right off the kitchen, a home management area provides organization and leads into a walk-in pantry.

“We designed the home management area to be multifunctional,” Coseo said. “We added a bench and hooks for an everyday ‘drop station’ at the garage entry, a place for a home computer and a place to keep all the calendar events organized.”

The spacious walk-in pantry is customized with California Closet built-ins offering extensive storage.

“The California Closet built-ins are amazing,” Wright said. “We offer our buyers the option to work with California Closets to design and install those in their homes.”

Mesa Ridge, which opened January 2019, is adjacent to the 19-acre Mesa Park in Summerlin, at 10920 White Clay Drive. The staff-gated community has four distinct modern collections with 322 home sites from 3,236 square feet to more than 5,000 square feet. A state-of-the-art amenity center features a bocce ball court, fitness center, resort-style pool and outdoor entertaining areas with fire pits.

According to Wright, the production builder began designing and building modern design in 2016.

“There is more appetite for that type of design,” Wright said. “In the past, it’s been difficult to do because it’s very expensive. We’ve been working on ways to make it more affordable.”

The Overlook Collection showcases 73 single-story homesites, from 3,236 square feet to 3,467 square feet, priced from $953,995 to $998,995.

The award-winning Sandstone Model is the largest floor plan offered in the Overlook community. At 3,467 square feet, it features a range of customizable options.