MANHASSET, NY — When it comes to designing interior spaces, the norm is often for the overall aesthetic to blend with the home’s architectural style. It becomes an added challenge for the designer when the bones of the house lend themselves to one look and the homeowners express an interest in something entirely different.
For John Starck, president and CEO of Showcase Kitchens in Manhasset, NY, that challenge was evident when working with clients who leaned into a more modern look for their classic Tudor home on Long Island. While the designer focused on meeting the homeowners’ desire for a clean and minimalist design for their kitchen, he also looked for ways to nod to the home’s architectural roots through the use of traditional touches.
Starck worked with the homeowners to create just the right color palette for the space. “We discussed colors at length, and this is where her taste brought her,” he comments. “She wanted to add some flash, some color, and we came across this powder blue,” a custom Sherwin-Williams paint that was achieved by mixing several colors together.
Starck notes that the client was considering an all blue kitchen at first, but he thought it would be too much. Instead, he opted to pair it with a white that is “sublime.”But, “if not for the blue, you probably wouldn’t notice this kitchen,” he adds.
The existing footprint provided a workable space, allowing the designer to do what he wanted. He relays that the “before” kitchen was ugly, with multiple soffits and a peninsula with a seating area rather than an island.
To open up the design and make it more functional, a closet was removed to make space for the refrigerator and tall wall with built-in appliances from Thermador. All of the soffits were removed as well, allowing the cabinets to go to the ceiling.
A desk was also eliminated since the new island serves as a place to sit and work. And even though there is a formal dining room, the island was designed to act as a spot for the homeowners to entertain family and guests.
“This island is really more of an entertaining space, since it’s not a working island,” notes Starck. “I am big on making the island a working space, but the client didn’t want to do prep there, so that is happening by the sink wall.”
“The biggest statement this kitchen makes is the blue – it’s the tie in to everything.”
- A custom powder blue paint, as well as a ‘sublime’ white, are featured on the custom Italian cabinets with clever interior storage
- Mont Blanc polished quartzite countertops showcase a hint of blue in the veining
- Oversized Chapman and Myers light fixtures from Visual Comfort provide a classic, industrial touch, tempering the overall modern feel of the space
- The flooring, from Versace Ceramics’ Eterno collection in ICE, is an oversized wide, wood-look ceramic tile
- A taller, multi-temperature wine refrigerator that can house champagne met the clients’ request for a wine unit
- The clients are big coffee drinkers, so they opted for a built-in coffee appliance instead of a second wall oven
- The sink area below the window is the true working prep space in the kitchen, per the clients’ wishes
- The island, which incorporates a microwave, is designed for entertaining rather than prep
- Open shelving that matches the powder-blue cabinets provides additional storage
- The clients’ collection of cutting boards, in different shades of blue, is displayed here, acting as the driver for the room’s overall design
- A sleek cooktop and hood from Thermador are surrounded by ample space for prep
- The backsplash – a mosaic from Pental Surfaces – is comprised of Thassos and Carrara marbles with a hint of blue and runs from countertop to ceiling throughout