To temper the scale of the large room and maintain the friendly feeling the Lehmans wanted, Liederbach designed matching alcoves at each end of the kitchen with substantial, 16-inch-thick archways separating the two spaces from the rest of the room. In one alcove, there’s a hood and a heavy-duty range bracketed by under-counter cabinets. Smaller niches built into the side walls hold cookbooks, a few decorative pieces, and a small television on a pull-out swivel base. The alcove at the other end of the kitchen is designed as a cozy seating area arranged around a fireplace—just the spot for a cold winter’s day in Chicago, when maybe a view isn’t so desirable.

In contrast to the built-in pieces, Liederbach designed a work table to take the place of the usual center island. The Lehmans knew they needed to have some kind of work surface, says the architect, but they didn’t want it to feel like an island. So the architect designed a long table of reclaimed hickory. With its turned legs and storage drawers, it fulfills most of the functions of a standard island but without the visual weight. It also adds the rich, warm brown of the wood to the room.

And speaking of warmth, John and Peggy were so pleased with the results, they invited Liederbach’s firm to host a party for 100 friends and colleagues in their home. Says the architect: “It was a wonderful way to kick off the Lehmans’ tenure in the house. It entertained and flowed beautifully, just as the Lehmans wanted.” And, of course, it was a great test run for the house, which operated perfectly and without a meltdown.