Yvette and Gary Coursey had lived in their Cape Cod home for more than 25 years when they decided to take a leap of faith — gutting their outdated, traditional kitchen in favor of something sleek and contemporary that kept clutter at a minimum.

And they knew exactly what they wanted.

Frank Niemeir / AJC (ENLARGE)

Visitors can see the clean lines of Yvette and Gary Coursey's kitchen on the Junior League tour.

Frank Niemeir / AJC (ENLARGE)

Cindy Wallace's kitchen in her Morningside home will be one of 14 showcased on the Junior League of Atlanta's annual kitchen tour.

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"When we first saw the Bulthaup product, we fell in love with it," said Yvette Coursey, an interior designer who is attracted to Bulthaup's minimalist style.

"We've gotten to the stage in our lives when we are paring down," she said. "We really like the clean lines and no-muss, no-clutter look."

When the German-born company opened a location in Atlanta, the couple teamed with designer Adrienne Grzeskiewicz for the renovation.

"They are modernists at heart, though they live in a very traditional home on Northside Drive," Grzeskiewicz said. "They wanted something contemporary, but they didn't want something alien to the house, which is a fine line to walk."

Their new kitchen, completed last September, will be featured this weekend with 14 others in The Junior League of Atlanta's 11th Annual Tour of Kitchens.

Grzeskiewicz designed the kitchen with three zones in mind — cooking, cleaning and entertaining. She placed all of the major cooking appliances, such as Gaggenau double ovens, warming drawers and a Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer along a single wall of tall oak and aluminum cabinets. A beverage area, including a Sub-Zero wine storage system and a built-in Gaggenau coffee unit (with a cup warming drawer), also was installed in a wall of appliances.

At the end of the unit, she designed a small desk area with a shutter unit that easily rolls down to disguise clutter.

"That was a clean way to deal with the activity of the kitchen, without having to see it," she said.

The functional kitchen island features a prep sink and custom Gaggenau Vario range with both a gas and electric cooktop, as well as an indoor grill. On the opposite wall, Grzeskiewicz created the "cleanup" zone with a large kitchen sink, two dishwashers and storage for glassware and flatware.

"We isolated that activity, thinking that if big groups are there, we want to distinguish the paths," the designer said.

Underfoot, Grzeskiewicz and Coursey chose Walker Zanger decorative porcelain tiles in a gray tweed-like pattern.

Grzeskiewicz said the different zones work for the couple daily and also accommodate larger parties, allowing them to control traffic and activity while entertaining.

"It sets up an opportunity for a more social, interactive kind of space, which responds to how we live today."

Earth-friendly in scale

In her job as a Realtor, Cindy Wallace sees a lot of kitchens. So when it came time for her and her husband, Richard, to move from their 1940s bungalow and build their own home, she had a pretty clear idea of what she wanted her kitchen to be: earth-friendly and intimate.

"Some of the new houses I go into don't feel very personal," she said. "I wanted to create a cozy atmosphere — that was very important to us. Plenty of space, plenty of storage, but kept in scale to the house."

Wallace worked with designer Bryan Marquardt and builder Carl Seville to create a space that served the needs of her and her husband's busy lives, while meeting EarthCraft standards.

"We created a very soft, relaxed atmosphere," said Marquardt, a designer with more than 10 years experience.

Wallace's linen-colored maple cabinetry and rustic alder island were manufactured by Showplace Wood Products, an energy-efficient company that participates in the Environmental Stewardship Program of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. Because the kitchen is roughly 600 square feet, Marquardt maximized storage space by outfitting the cabinetry with a double-trash pullout, cutlery dividers, pullout pilasters along the farmhouse sink, pantry pullouts and more.

Marquardt and Wallace also selected neutral brown Silestone quartz counter tops, which Marquardt explained have Greenguard certification for promoting indoor air quality and have Microban protection.

The homeowners' favorite feature is the travertine stone hood above the KitchenAid eight-burner range and double oven, Wallace said. The travertine is repeated in the adjoining keeping room's fireplace. She also enjoys her customized walk-in pantry and the adjoining butler's pantry, with a wine storage unit and prep sink, that connects the kitchen to the formal dining room.

To accommodate the couple's busy lifestyle, Marquardt employed what he says is a must-have for today's kitchen — a warming drawer.

"Their lifestyle is very hectic, and they don't eat together as often as they'd like," he said. "This really allows you more control over the preparation and delivery of your meal."

A chocolate bar reality

Jenny Rothman's Ansley Park client is a serious cook, so it only seems fitting that her kitchen design be based on food itself.

"It was a funny inspiration of a candy bar," said Rothman, an interior designer with HammerSmith. With backsplash tiles in hues of brown, Rothman described her creation as looking like "a chocolate candy bar with caramel inside."

Rothman said the challenge in designing this kitchen was delivering a functional, contemporary aesthetic that worked with her client's love for antiques.

The designer opened the kitchen up, literally, by raising the ceiling and installing beams and skylights to give the small space a loft-like feel. The women chose chocolate-stained cherry for upper cabinetry and maple cabinetry at the base for a sweet-inspired contrast. The cabinetry's warm woods are contrasted by Viking stainless steel appliances and sleek, New Venetian Gold granite counter tops.

The L-shaped layout of the kitchen maximizes the space — giving the homeowner room to prepare and cook food while allowing her guests a mingling area. Uniting the kitchen and the formal dining room is a butler's pantry, where the homeowner keeps china, fine wines, and cleaning supplies.

"It's not a huge kitchen, but there's a lot of prep space," Rothman said. "Now she has the modern canvas to put her antiques against, and it works very well."

IF YOU GO

The Junior League of Atlanta's Tour of Kitchens is Saturday, March 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, March 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance, $35 day of tour. Tickets are good for both days. Each kitchen will feature a celebrity chef. For details, visit jlatlanta.org/tok.