Upscale, Rustic Kitchen reflects beauty of surrounding area
When Susie Riessen and her husband, Rick Woodman, envisioned building a second home in Ellicottville, New York, two passions played a big role in the design — love for the outdoors and cooking. The home, perched at the top of a long winding driveway on 4 acres of land in the shadow of the Allegany Mountains, supports those passions.
In an upscale, rustic style that reflects the surrounding woods, valleys, and streams, the house’s centerpiece is a spacious specialty kitchen. At 500 square feet, it boasts a 48-inch Wolf range, convection oven, steam oven, Sub-Zero refrigerator and wine storage unit, and coffee bar.
“When we got the steam oven, we didn’t know how much use we’d get from it,” Riessen said. “We soon discovered that it’s marvelous for cooking veggies and fish, and you can roast a chicken in a very short amount of time.”
With its aesthetics, size, and amenities, the kitchen meets the couple’s penchant for whipping up everything from roasted chicken to fruit crisps that they share with Riessen’s daughter and son-in-law who visit frequently with their two young sons. All four adults love to cook and have their own specialty dishes.
“We wanted to make the surroundings work with the home’s exterior and interior designs,” Riessen said, adding that Woodman, who owned a commercial construction company, oversaw the build, and did much of the work himself. “It’s definitely been a labor of love.”
For the kitchen’s design, Riessen turned to Tom Halloran of Modern Kitchens of Buffalo, a trusted friend she’s worked with in her interior design business and her primary home in East Amherst.
In addition to designing the layout to accommodate the many appliances, Halloran helped Riessen add such whimsical additions as a long, narrow stream sink that mirrors the streams outdoors. They chose to complement the chic look of the kitchen with black galaxy granite countertops, maple cabinets painted latte and slate, and a backsplash made from antique brick in shades of gray, taupe, and beige.
One important element is a large center island that comfortably seats all six family members.
“We’re there almost every weekend — fall through spring,” Riessen said. “In the winter my husband and son-in-law snowboard, and they’re teaching my 7-year-old grandson to ski. During the pandemic, we holed up here. Everyone was able to work from home, and my older grandson did his classwork online.”
She added that the welcoming home has become their go-to spot for family holidays, too.
“Our favorite place in the whole world is Ellicottville,” she said. “And our home has become what we envisioned when we built it — something that can be handed down from generation to generation.
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