Truth be told, LeeAnn and Paul Gersmeyer didn't set out to build a "green" kitchen in their new 6,000-square-foot home on Forest Lake.

"I just wanted a beautiful kitchen," LeeAnn admits. "I was hoping for a room that was welcoming and functional - a space that had all the features that I'd been dreaming about."

Then the Gersmeyers teamed with Roger W. Zierman, a kitchen and bath designer at the Minneapolis-based design-and-build firm Partners 4 Design. As the couple described their dream kitchen, Zierman suggested "green" alternatives to traditional building materials and appliances.

"Usually, if you give clients a choice between eco-friendly and traditional materials, their conscience kicks in and they end up making the right choice," Zierman says. "And if the prices are comparable, it's a no-brainer."

The Gersmeyers wanted a kitchen that featured luxurious dark-stained custom cabinetry.Traditionally, a kitchen designer would suggest old-growth wood for such a project, Zierman says - something such as cherry, oak or even mahogany.

But because he is concerned about deforestation and interested in ecofriendly construction, Zierman suggested Lyptus, a fast-growing wood made from a hybrid of two species of eucalyptus tree. The trees, which are grown on plantations in Brazil, reach maturity in as little as 15 years - and new trees can grow from the stumps of harvested trees.

"I told Roger that I wanted a dark wood, something that looked dramatic," LeeAnn Gersmeyer says. "He showed us the eucalyptus, and I immediately fell in love with it.The grain is stunning, and the quality of the wood is amazing."

The Gersmeyers' cabinets were constructed by Crystal Cabinet Works, a 65- year-old shop based in Princeton, Minn. Zierman says he enjoys working with Crystal because the company is committed to environmental sustainability, recycling and resource conservation.

"Crystal Cabinet Works is very close to becoming a zero-waste facility - which is amazing for a cabinet factory," Zierman says of the 250-employee firm."They even heat their plant with scrap wood."

Sandy Nierengarten, creative design coordinator at Crystal Cabinet Works, says Lyptus is one of the company's most popular hardwoods. "It's really catching on," she says. "Our customers love it.We now use more Lyptus than red oak."

Working with local companies such as Crystal Cabinets is an environmentally conscious decision, Zierman adds. It cuts down on transportation costs and supports local economies.

"Whenever possible, I try to source or purchase products from local companies," he says. "Caring about the environment isn't just being aware of whether something pollutes the atmosphere. It's also about working with companies that have a long history of community involvement and caring about their employees."

LeeAnn Gersmeyer is happy to know her new kitchen left a smaller footprint on the earth, but she's even happier with how the room works - and looks. "My kitchen is fabulous. And I can't say enough about those beautiful cabinets."

Andy Steiner is a Twin Cities writer.

(Andrew Ostreim)

One of LeeAnn Gersmeyer's favorite features of her kitchen is Roger W. Zierman's unique "island/peninsula" design. The room features a center prep island as well as a separate peninsula with a row of barstools for easy seating. Zierman designed the contrasting-color Cambria natural-quartz peninsula countertop to highlight the area and add a touch of color. All of the appliances, including the doubleovens, are Energy-Star by Bosch. The floors are a light porcelain tile that resembles limestone but is more durable. "Roger's design creates a real open feeling, but the peninsula also creates a sense of defined space," Gersmeyer says. "Now, when I have company over, they gather around the peninsula rather than crowding my work space in the center island. I can still talk to everybody and see them, but I've got my personal space, too."
(Andrew Ostreim)

The center island features a small prep sink and an
under-counter microwave. “It’s a great place for
chopping vegetables and getting things ready,”
LeeAnn Gersmeyer says.

Another unique feature of the kitchen is the freestanding freezer/refrigerator columns camouflaged behind custom cabinetry. "Mrs. Gersmeyer wanted a larger-than-typical amount of refrigeration," Zierman says, "but she didn't have a wall space big enough to accommodate that. Splitting the fridge and the freezer was a great solution to the problem."
(Andrew Ostreim)

Zierman specializes in designing kitchens that work with the cooks who use them. The kitchen he created for the Gersmeyers includes hidden spice drawers and towel racks within easy reach of the spaces where they'll be most used, like the streamlined induction cooktop - which is vented by a shiny, modernistic Gaggenau hood. "I chose it for the crisp, clean low-profile lines," Zierman says of the hood. "It mirrors the home - and the natural setting outside."