When the owners of this suburban Boston home — both natives of Florida — looked to build a kitchen addition, they elected to do it in 2002, which proved to be the coldest winter Massachusetts had seen since 1950. But this climate challenge didn't stop Mitchell Construction.

With windows spanning two walls, the kitchen addition is bigger, brighter and more user friendly. Packing storage space into the mahogany-topped central island and eliminating upper cabinets allowed natural light to enter unobstructed.

The overarching goals of this project, says Mitchell, were to refresh the exterior and ensure the addition looked like part of the original structure, bring more light into the home, and make the interior more spacious and efficient. The owners especially wanted a well-appointed kitchen that would provide a view of the backyard pond while they cooked.

The old kitchen lacked space, light and a view.

Providing the maximized backyard view required eliminating most uppers from the cabinetry design. The Mitchell team designed just one upper, a display cabinet with glass sides and doors. When placed in front of the window, light shines through, while it still functions as a cabinet. "It was a simple, but fun solution," says Mitchell.

A custom glass cabinet adds functionality without blocking natural light.

"Because of the harsh winter, costs were higher than anticipated on this project," says Mitchell. "In the end, we made less than we hoped, but we earned the respect of our clients, who have referred us to many others. That has more than made up for the lost profits."