Nyumbani

This home was built in a neighborhood of vacation homes priced at $5 million and up. The home’s earthy color palette and indoor/outdoor connections lend to the home’s name, Nyumbani, which means “home” in Swahili, inspired by the movie The Lion King.

The home was designed to accommodate a large family and guests. The oversized kitchen and its connection to outdoor living were planned to create a resort-like dining and entertainment atmosphere. With three islands, the first offers a breakfast bar; the middle features induction, gas, and Teppanyaki cooktops with a ceiling mounted hood; and the third supports the wine system with a bar sink and icemaker. The kitchen also has a built-in coffee maker, two dishwashers, and two pantries, one with a catering kitchen.   Inside the home, the kitchen opens to the family and dining rooms. It also opens to an outdoor counter bar for six via a large pocketing window. Beyond the bar is an outdoor dining room and summer kitchen.   The architectural details help create the luxury resort feeling. From the three-tier backlit floating ceiling, art niches, floating shelves, and use of warm walnut against a white canvas, the kitchen is a statement of thoughtful visual design.