Faced with the challenge of completely remodeling a kitchen last updated in the 1970s, the homeowners emphasized their desire for a modern kitchen that brought the outdoors inside. This goal dictated the color palette and led to the incorporation of natural elements throughout the space, such as the finished materials, light fixtures and decorative accessories. The biggest design challenge was developing a creative solution to replace the existing wood guardrail. To the delight of the homeowners, the design of a custom bench provided extra seating and storage while maintaining the open feel the kitchen has with the living room below.