In plain site…This Boulder, Colorado, kitchen is completely integrated with it’s surrounding great room.

MOUNTAIN LIVING MAGAZINE, MARCH/APRIL 2021 | |  IMAGES BY DAVID LAUER

Earth, air, fire, water: the four elements converge in the kitchen, where cooking is the magical alchemy compelling people to gather around the proverbial heart of the home. These featured kitchens embrace the natural world with honest materials and open spaces.

Here, wood comes in many forms: exposed beams, custom cabinets and slab tables. These woods mix with steel, resin, granite and glass. Materials display the source of their origins in textural patterns, whether they’re soldered, sanded or smooth. Instead of pops of saturated color, layers of earthy tones give the kitchens a welcoming feel.