While they were mindful of resale value and making sure any renovations would appeal to all home buyers, they did have their own aesthetic and functional goals, which included modernizing the space with a timeless and classic look that matched the traditional elements of the rest of the home. As well, to reduce the overall renovation budget, they decided to keep the existing travertine floor, which would have been costly to replace since it ran throughout the entire main floor.

With these parameters in place, the couple opted for a mix of painted and stained cabinetry from Neumann Custom Woodworking where the perimeter is a warm Stoneware color and the island, interior cabinetry accents and ceiling beams are natural white oak.

“She knew she wanted to bring wood elements into her kitchen, and oak works well,” the designer relates. “It doesn’t necessarily match the floor exactly, but they complement each other. And, it’s what looks best with the natural light, which is dramatically different throughout the day. It’s either bright sun or filtered shade, and my client watched meticulously throughout the day to see what looked best in each condition.”

The oak island, which is topped with honed Imperial Danby marble, grounds the space and is home to a Miele dishwasher and Fisher & Paykel dishwasher drawers. It also offers abundant storage and its custom construction meant Benton could design specialized solutions such as an integrated step stool in the toe kick and a paper towel holder above the double pullout trash bins. Shallow cabinets on the seating side of the island are perfect for storing less-frequently used items, and a custom cabinet beneath the 4′ workstation sink from The Galley corrals extra sink accessories when they aren’t being used.

“We tried to create as much storage as possible,” Benton relates. “This isn’t necessarily a small kitchen, but we did run out of inches quickly.”

Oak is also used prevalently as accents around the perimeter. Notably, it serves as a backdrop for the niches that are recessed into the walls on each side of the Lacanche range that is accented with a slab marble backsplash and a Brizo pot filler. Oak tongue and groove beadboard, installed vertically, contrasts against white shelves in the beverage center, which includes a coffee machine with a dedicated water line, an espresso machine and a Zip Water HydroTap for boiling, cold and sparkling beverages. This wall also includes a paneled Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer and a Scotsman ice maker, paneled to look like a trio of drawers.

On the wall opposite of the range, oak has a focal-point moment where shelves and drawers are visible through tall, custom glass doors that offer a visual of dishes and glassware precisely stacked by the homeowner.

“This is actually how she lives!” says Benton, acknowledging that not everyone can live with full exposure to everyday items. “She has beautiful things and she keeps them neatly organized.”

The glass doors are framed with black metal that matches the window trim and the exterior doors in the rest of the home. Expanding the opening between the kitchen and great room gave Benton the perfect canvas for adding a black-trimmed transom window that allows more natural light to flow into the kitchen from the great room.

“The pops of black make sense with the rest of the home,” she indicates.

Another focal-point moment in the kitchen is the baking center, sited between the two glass cabinets.

“She makes sourdough regularly, so this area is very important to her,” the designer relates.

A pair of pocket doors retract into the cabinetry, revealing multiple shelves and countertop-level rollouts that allow her to keep her baking appliances plugged in and ready at a moment’s notice. The cabinet’s relatively shallow depth provides efficient storage while also leaving some countertop work space. Base cabinetry drawers keep additional supplies and ingredients handy.

Configuring this entire wall, which is shared with the great room on the backside, proved to be one of the biggest challenges with the renovation. The kitchen side needed to provide adequate storage for the baking center, while the great room side needed to be deep enough to include a paneled column Sub-Zero wine refrigerator and paneled refrigerator drawers in the built-in entertainment center/bar.

“We didn’t move or change the depth of this wall, so it was a bit of a Tetris situation where we were playing with miniscule increments of inches,” she says. “For each side of the wall we had competing depth requirements with a lot of things fighting for the same space. It ultimately affected everything on both sides of the wall – even the range wall, walkways and island location in the kitchen as well as how we centered everything on the great room side. We had many different renditions, but we ultimately got everything to work together.

“This kitchen definitely isn’t a ‘sleeper’,” she continues. “And even with some restrictions, we were able to include a lot of interesting finishes and design elements that make the kitchen special.”

Tucked-Away, Colorful Pantry Packs a Decorative Punch

As part of the renovation, Krista Benton also redesigned the butler’s pantry and increased its footprint by grabbing a few feet of closet space from an adjacent bedroom. Though small, the room packs a punch with its Sherwin-Williams Pewter Green cabinetry and honed Imperial Danby marble countertop that matches the kitchen.

“The wall color is the same color as my client’s media room,” she indicates. “She loves it and thought it would be a fun pop of color for this cute, tucked-away pantry.”

Full-depth cabinetry on one side accommodates a Wolf speed oven with storage above and below. Shortening the depth of the cabinetry on the remaining two walls gives her client enough room to open the oven and maneuver freely within the space. Shelves on the back wall display neatly organized dry goods.

The remaining side wall, at just 8″ deep, is perfect for storing small jars and cans that are accessible via bypass doors that conceal contents while eliminating more extensive clearances required by traditional hinge-style doors.

Because the ceilings are tall, a last-minute change included the addition of a library ladder that can attach to solid brass railings that match the cabinetry hardware used in the pantry and throughout the kitchen. Including brass rails in the kitchen and on the entertainment center/bar give her the ability to use the ladder in multiple places.

“For various reasons, the ladder was one feature that moved in and out of the design over the course of planning,” she relates. “But it was always a part of the inspiration photos she shared with me initially, and in the end, she realized she would regret it if we didn’t include it.”

The post Kitchen Balances Today with Tomorrow appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.

Such was the case for this home located on Lake George, where the new-build construction focused on ensuring an enjoyable indoor/outdoor experience for the homeowners and their guests. 

“This is their summer house, so it’s all about entertaining,” explains the founder of Zobel & Co. Kitchens, who worked in collaboration with architect AJA Architecture & Planning and builder Hilltop Construction Company.

For Zobel, that meant designing an indoor kitchen and butler’s pantry that functioned in concert with their outdoor counterpart, which is sited where it conveniently shares a wall (see at bottom). The former exudes a classic Adirondack design theme supported by Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry shaker-style cabinetry painted in Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter and accented with Top Knobs Riverside hardware in a Honey Bronze finish. 

The cabinetry’s custom construction allows for paneled appliances, including the GE Monogram refrigerator, Miele dishwasher and XO beverage center, and built-in appliances such as the GE wall oven, warming drawer and speed oven. A custom Plain & Fancy wood surround, flanked by a pair of windows, conceals the ventilation hood above the GE range.

Specialized organizational accessories, such as those for spices, knives and trays, keep door and drawer contents easily accessible, while a LeMans pull-out shelving system maximizes the corner cabinet. A narrow custom floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinet takes advantage of otherwise wasted space along the kitchen’s perimeter.

“We had a skinny 12″ space between the wall oven and refrigerator where we included a pull-out cabinet with shelves that is chock full of pantry items from nuts to soups to pastas,” he relates. “All throughout the kitchen we put a lot of detail into the interiors of the cabinetry, so it certainly isn’t lacking for organizational storage.”

As well, the kitchen designer tailored the upper-most tier of cabinets, which feature hinge-up doors, to incorporate the beams that criss-cross the ceiling. 

“That was a very technical design feature where we had to accommodate different heights of the cabinetry so it wouldn’t interfere with the beams,” he explains. 

The centuries-old reclaimed timber was sourced locally and serves as an architectural feature that bridges old and new materials while offering support to other Adirondack-style elements visible from the kitchen, including the stone-clad fireplace in the living room and the deer antler chandelier that hovers above the dining room table. Designed with wheels, the table is purposefully the same height as the island.

“It can roll up and connect to the island to serve as one huge entertaining surface,” Zobel explains.

The expansive island provides a bit of storage as well as extra seating and is home to the dishwasher, trash/recycling and a 4′ Create Good Sinks workstation sink with a pair of faucets that can accommodate multiple cooks. A second sink, a single-bowl undermount Kohler model sited around the kitchen’s perimeter, features a water filtration faucet and a
sparkling water faucet so the husband can enjoy his carbonated drinks. 

Since his clients spend extended periods of time in the home away from their primary residence, Zobel also gave special consideration to the family’s dog by creating a dedicated pet feeding/storage cabinet, complete with a pot filler for conveniently topping off his water.

“They love their puppy, so we designed a dog station with built-in bowls and a drawer for storing treats and other items,” he says, noting that the top drawer includes built-in outlets for charging cell phones, tablets and other electronics.

Caesarstone’s Palm Shade quartz serves as a durable, easy-to-clean surface at the countertop level as well as at the dog bowl level. Aesthetically, its milky white foundation with light greige veining pairs well with the neutral, warm gray cabinetry, so Zobel used it as the countertop surface throughout the kitchen and in the butler’s pantry.

The latter space is located adjacent to the kitchen and is accessible via a pocket door with a reeded glass window that offers a glimpse of its interior. Plain & Fancy base cabinetry, open shelving and panels for the 18″ GE column freezer and a second Miele dishwasher are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Wolf Gray, which complements the blue/gray hue found in the bold, graphic tile floor. A white Nantucket Sinks fireclay apron-front sink adds to the room’s versatility and the white subway tile backsplash matches the one in the kitchen.

Living It Up in Style in the Outdoor Space

Because this family loves to entertain, their home’s outdoor living space was as important as the interior spaces, so Arthur Zobel designed an outdoor kitchen that reflects that significance.

Tucking it beneath a second-floor bedroom gives it some protection from the elements. The ceiling also provides a place to include a fan, heater, lights and speakers. As well, a nearly 8′ ceiling-mounted Trade-Wind ventilation hood removes smoke created by cooking on the 36″ Alfresco grill and smoking in the 30″ smoker from Coyote Outdoors.

“When working on outdoor kitchens that are enclosed, even partially, it’s pretty important to have an exhaust system,” he relates. “We had this one custom designed to fit the space.”

The interior wall, shared with the main kitchen, features a trio of sliding windows so the homeowners can conveniently pass food, drinks, etc. from inside to outside. To create continuity between the two kitchens, Zobel repeated the Caesarstone Palm Shade quartz, which is rated for exterior use, as the countertop. It floats on one end and cascades into a waterfall edge on the other, passing over cabinetry from NatureKast Weatherproof Cabinetry. 

The cabinetry’s Cobalt Linen colorway matches the trim and complements the stone used as an accent on the interior wall and as the exterior façade on the kitchen’s perimeter. The cabinetry provides an abundance of storage, including a double trash/recycling pullout located next to the sink from Nantucket Sinks and a drawer dedicated to storing a Gozney Roccbox pizza oven and its related accessories. Additional appliances include a Coyote warming drawer and two undercounter refrigerators, a Summit Appliance two-drawer model and a Zephyr single-door unit. The refrigerators are located conveniently for guests who are sitting at the bar-height countertop or who are entering the kitchen from the adjacent outdoor dining and lounging areas.

The post Summer Home Spaces Built for Entertaining appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.

“We included some very strong design features that others may shy away from,” says the principal designer who co-founded Deborah Gregg Interiors in Boca Raton with her husband, Michael, who serves as president of the company. “They wanted a home that was very different from their neighbors.”

As she continued through to the primary bedroom and bathroom, that same philosophy applied. For example, Brizo Litze plumbing fixtures are modern, yet anything but minimal. Their Brilliance Luxe Gold finish offers a cool, champagne hue that isn’t too brassy, she notes. Jewel-esque Hubbardton Forge Link clear glass mini pendants emulate an adornment hanging from a chain, and backlit Elegant Lighting Helios mirrors provide a rectangular frame of dimmable LED illumination that matches their shape. A custom wall frame brims with faux greenery to add a touch of no-maintenance biophilia.

FOCAL-POINT TILE

Gently pulls attention with texture and dimension

DOUBLE VANITIES

Provide homeowners with custom his/hers storage

GOLD-TONE PLUMBING FIXTURES

Offer a cool, champagne hue that isn’t too brassy

RECESSED NICHE BEHIND FREESTANDING TUB

Offers a place to set candles and other spa-related products that set the mood for a relaxing soak

These bolder choices are set against a backdrop of classic ‘investment pieces,’ i.e., more permanent design elements like the custom double vanities and tile selections that provide a quiet foundation within a newly reconfigured space.

“The biggest challenge was this bathroom’s footprint, which had a lot of angles and broken- up space,” she recalls.

The homeowners wanted their new space to include a wet room for more open and spacious showering and bathing.  

“Previously, their shower was really small, with three solid walls and a glass door,” she says. “It was very dark, so they wanted something much lighter and brighter.”

As well, they wanted double vanities, including a separate makeup station where her client could comfortably sit to fully enjoy her beauty routine. To achieve those wishes, Gregg, who collaborated with Grand Plan Building Co., reallocated unused space created by the inefficient angles and grabbed a few feet from a guest closet behind the bathroom.

Since the wet room is the first thing her clients see upon entering the room, the designer showcased one of its walls as a focal point by cladding it in Island Stone’s Crescent V dimensional tile in a honed finish and Sandstone Mint colorway.

“We focused not on color, but rather texture and dimension to gently pull attention,” she explains. “The tile also accentuates the bathroom’s tall ceilings. At 12′ tall, it is an expansive wall, but that makes it even more unexpected when you enter. It is very imposing, but in a good way. 

An oversized window, with frosted glass for privacy, allows an abundance of natural light to flow into the space.

A monochromatic color palette with a variety of tile in a shared colorway gives the wet room a luxurious feel. Two niches included on the shower side of the wet room keep toiletries close at hand.

“The color is soft, too, so it isn’t overwhelming,” Gregg continues. “She wasn’t comfortable with a lot of color, so we kept the palette monochromatic. But to keep it from being flat and uninteresting, we added texture and dimension with understated, honed and textured surfaces, such as the tile.”

The designer complemented the focal-point tile with Kronos’ Nativa ceramic tile on the remaining wet room walls. Its Aurum colorway and matte finish give it a travertine look, which complements the Artistic Tile Bianco Dolomiti vein-cut honed marble floor tiles.

“The dimensional tile is the main actor and the star of the show, but we wanted to have a supporting cast made up of other tiles in the same colorway to give it a luxurious feel,” she explains.

The wet room also includes a Signature Hardware freestanding tub. A long, recessed niche located in the wall behind the tub, accented with the wall tile, offers a place for her client to set candles and other spa-related comforts that set the mood for a relaxing soak. LED lights on a dimmer switch give her the ability to further create the desired ambiance at the touch of a button.

“Creating a mood was a primary goal for our clients,” Gregg relates.

Two more niches are included on the shower side of the wet room to keep toiletries close at hand. An oversized window, with frosted glass for privacy, allows an abundance of natural light to flow into the space.

Additional light is provided by a transom window above one of the vanities and pendant lights with dimmer switches that float at face level near the mirrors. 

“We kept lighting zones separate to give options for day and night when using the bath and vanity areas, the shower and the water closet,” she says. “We also included layers of light, with dimmers, such as high hats and pendants.”

Dedicated Storage

While the wet room takes center stage, Gregg also focused on the vanity and water closet areas to ensure their updated features served her clients’ needs.

In that regard, custom Guararapes laminate vanities from RT22 Creations provide stylish storage via plentiful drawers in his/her vanities positioned on opposite sides of the room.

“We specify drawers whenever possible for their ease of access and function,” Gregg indicates. “We also don’t have basements in Florida, so storage is always a focus. While it may not have been as great of a concern for these clients since this is a second home, we still had the conversation about how to best store the items they need in their bathroom.”

Her vanity includes a separate makeup station where the client can comfortably sit to fully enjoy her beauty routine.

The custom wall frame brims with faux greenery to add a touch of no-maintenance biophilia.

For them, that meant dedicated spaces, such as a custom linen closet inside the water closet, which features an integrated recessed toilet paper holder and tissue dispenser. As well, a shallow, long drawer keeps cosmetics organized in her makeup station, and drawers with outlets give her the ability to store hair appliances plugged in and ready to go at a moment’s notice.

The vanities are topped with Cosentino’s Silestone Ocean Storm quartz. Drawers are left unadorned but kept easily operational thanks to dual-touch push latches.

“In keeping with the ‘quiet’ feel of the room, we chose to make the cabinets with push latches that keep the vanities sleek and simple so the attention can be focused on other areas,” Gregg indicates. “These clients are overjoyed with the outcome of their new space, as are we. It is special to have confident clients with great taste who are willing to take risks and trust the process.”

The post Dimensional Tile Creates Focal-Point Moment appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.

Slack’s first task was to replace the grill with a custom cutting board.

“It was a short-term fix that gave them more usable counter space,” says the owner of Fox Interiors in Minneapolis. “But long-term they wanted to transform the cold, dated kitchen into a warm, welcoming and functional environment for cooking, eating and working from home.”

FLOATING SHELVES

Serve as display for travel mementos

RAISED ISLAND BAR

Adds interest and gives the island a unique look

BOOK-MATCHED WALNUT CABINETRY

Grain flows perfectly from panel to panel and from drawer to drawer

Fast-forward a couple of years and the homeowners were ready to embark on their long-awaited complete kitchen renovation. With a desire to introduce neutral, classic and sophisticated modern finishes that would fit with updates recently made throughout the rest of the home, Slack focused on including an earthy palette with warm wood and warm gray tones, premium appliances and plenty of storage. As well, she widened the opening to the adjacent den, which brought in more light and improved circulation throughout the spaces.

Warm tones for the kitchen were addressed via custom walnut cabinetry and floating shelves from Steven Cabinets; Coco Cohiba granite countertops; greige ceramic backsplash tiles from Fireclay Tile; 24″x24″ gray floor tiles from Fioranese Ceramica, and an accent wall sheathed in Schumacher wallpaper.

A ‘drop-zone’ area at one end of the island provides a convenient place to set a sheet of cookies freshly baked in the built-in wall ovens.

The interior rollouts are faced with walnut so they match the cabinetry.

“The cabinetry in this kitchen is stunning,” says the designer. “We did amazing book-matched walnut where the grain flows perfectly from panel to panel and from drawer to drawer. Even the end panels and the faces of the end drawers on the island are mitered to create a continuous, horizontal grain wrapping, without a visible end panel front edge. The sides look completely flush.”

Slack also faced the interior rollouts with walnut so they would match the cabinetry.

“There is a tiny gap between the cabinetry doors due to the edge-pull door hardware [from Emtek],” she explains. “The rollouts are visible through that gap, even when the doors are closed, so I wanted them to match the cabinetry for a seamless aesthetic.” 

Slack repeated walnut for the floating shelves, which her clients use to display mementos from their travels, including excursions to Mount Kilimanjaro, the Alaskan wilderness, South America and Africa. Recessed LED lights beneath the shelves and Cedar & Moss spotlight sconces on the wall illuminate their treasures and cast a warm glow on the handmade tile backsplash.

In addition to providing casual seating, the banquette also serves as a work-from-home ‘office’ where the homeowners can sit with their laptops and enjoy the verdant, treehouse-like view.

Biophilic benefits

With its brown and black tones, the granite countertops pair beautifully with the walnut cabinetry and unite the project’s overall color palette. Selecting a suede finish provides a bit of texture that highlights the veining pattern and creates a tactile user experience that enhances the biophilic benefits of using natural materials.

“These clients love natural stone and they wanted to include it in this kitchen,” she indicates. “We used a gorgeous light-colored granite with a lot of movement in their previous home, but they wanted something more subtle and textural this time around. This Coco Cohiba has more quiet movement, which provides interest without overpowering other design elements. It draws attention to the beautiful wood as a supporting actor, rather than as the star of the show.”

To add interest and give the island a distinctive look, Colleen Slack created a raised bar with a thick 6″ mitered edge and waterfall detail. The former delineates a place for casual seating while the latter provides a visual break. 

Colleen Slack focused on including an earthy palette with warm wood and warm gray tones, premium appliances and plenty of storage. As well, she widened the opening to the adjacent den, which brought in more light and improved circulation throughout the spaces.

To add interest and give the island a unique look, Slack created a raised bar with a thick 6″ mitered edge and waterfall detail. The former delineates a place for casual seating while the latter provides a visual break. Custom steel framework beneath the stone supports its weight and distributes it across the island. 

A ‘drop-zone’ area at one end of the island ensures the homeowners have a convenient place to set a sheet of cookies freshly baked in the built-in Wolf wall ovens or a dinner plate of chicken reheated in the Wolf microwave drawer. As well, items cooled in the Sub-Zero refrigerator are within easy reach. 

The island is also home to a 48″ Wolf cooktop, ventilated with a remote-controlled ceiling-mounted Wolf hood.

“The homeowners were more than happy to get rid of the much-hated giant vent hood, nicknamed ‘the head basher’ because it was a point of pain every time they cooked,” she remarks, in reference to the original 36″x90″ double vent hood above the island. “On the day of its demolition, they even joked about skipping work to swing the sledgehammer!

“Replacing the original hood with a sleek, ceiling-mounted model was a key design move since it opened up the kitchen, allowing the design to take center stage,” she continues. “It also created better sight lines through the space so the homeowners can actually enjoy the view.”

The homeowners were more than happy to get rid of the much-hated ‘head-basher’ double vent hood above the island. Replacing it with a ceiling-mounted model opens up the kitchen and creates better sight lines so they can enjoy the view.

Specialized storage

Improved storage was critical to the design as well. As such, Slack included wide drawers below the island cooktop for pots and pans. Pullouts on either side keep spices and oils close at hand. Pantry rollouts on the perimeter wall were designed for specific pantry items with height spacing predetermined for canned goods versus cereal boxes versus jars of nuts, etc. Additionally, a bread drawer, corner drawer unit and cookie sheet/cutting board pullouts are positioned strategically for their point of use.

Slack also addressed storage needs for the couple’s two rescue dogs by including adjustable-height rollouts that can accommodate large food containers in the sideboard located next to the banquette. In addition to providing casual seating, the banquette also serves as a work-from-home ‘office’ where her clients can sit with their laptops and enjoy the verdant, treehouse-like view. Sillite outlets, which are also used on the island, are integrated into end panels to blend into the walnut. Schumacher wallpaper, which sheaths an entire wall, brings in texture and pattern to the quiet palette.

“This entire section of the kitchen was previously underutilized,” the designer relates. “But now it’s a very functional, cozy area with a strong connection to adjacent rooms and the outdoors.”

The post Earthy Palette Warms Cold, Dated Kitchen appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.

So, when these clients’ realtor reached out to the design duo with a request to help their Salt Lake City, UT client, Walsh and DeVries didn’t hesitate to delve in.

“Most of our projects aren’t actually located in our home states,” notes Walsh. “We work all over the country, including Salt Lake City, where we have been fortunate enough to have had a couple of projects.”

“This project was designed fully remote,” adds DeVries. “Our clients really trusted us in the design process. We also had a contractor who followed our finish schedules, elevations and renderings really well. Any questions that came up, we were able to answer via Facetime, phone call or text.”

OAK CABINETRY

Combines a mid-century modern and Scandinavian aesthetic

SIMPLE VENTILATION AND HOOD SURROUND

Contributes to the kitchen’s refined feel

PORCELAIN COUNTERTOP AND BACKSPLASH

Serve as a focal point for the space

Like designers who work closer to their homes, the entire renovation process began with discussions about what the client wanted. 

“These clients are two young professionals who both work in the medical field,” explains Walsh. “Plus, they have two kids under the age of five. They wanted their home to look elevated, but also be durable for daily living with two small children.”

To start, they entirely reworked the layout, enlarging the kitchen by extending it into the previous eat-in area. They also eliminated a pantry and opened up the adjacent staircase and living and dining rooms.

“The kitchen hadn’t been updated since the home was built, which was in the early ’70s,” offers DeVries. “The lighting was terrible, the kitchen was small and closed off, and the staircase divided the home. Now, the kitchen, the dining room, the entry and the living room are all open and connected to each other. This couple loves to entertain, so it’s nice that guests in one room can still be part of the conversation with those in another room.”

With a larger kitchen, their clients also gained more cabinet space, which was previously in limited supply.

“Now, they probably have more storage than they need, which is a great problem to have!” Walsh quips. “I don’t think she has even filled all of her cabinets yet!”

Repeating the porcelain as the backsplash continues the vertical view of the marble-look material. Extending it into a narrow shelf between the cooktop and ventilation hood creates a ‘wow’ factor.

Ashley Walsh and Maddy DeVries entirely reworked the kitchen layout and extended it into the previous eat-in area.

Because the rooms are visible to one another, the designers wanted to create continuity. As such, the custom kitchen cabinetry and built-in storage beneath the television, which wraps around the living room and morphs into bench seating beneath a window, are all clear-finished, knot-free oak. The cabinetry is accented with sleek, Honey Bronze bar-style hardware from Top Knobs. Its gold tone matches the Brizo Luxe Gold faucet at the Delta Faucet workstation sink.

“The home was built during what is considered mid-century, but it didn’t really have much of the expected original architectural charm of the time period,” Walsh relates. “But our clients did want to give a nod to the era. They also love the simplicity and natural color palette of Scandinavian design, which often brings a design back to the basics and pairs it down to what is most important. We felt that oak was a way to merge both aesthetics. Also, using a thin shaker detail, instead of a standard 2″ detail, gives the cabinetry a modern feel with a bit more sophistication than a flat panel.”

Durable focal point

The homeowners also wanted durable finishes, thus the incorporation of the Bedrosians Magnifica Encore Calacatta Macchia Vecchia porcelain countertops and backsplash. The material’s heavy veining delivers an elevated touch, which the designers contrasted with a honed finish that creates a more casual, lived-in aesthetic that resonates with the home’s mid-century design principles.

“Our clients were drawn to the look of marble, but its cost and lack of durability made it impractical for their home,” DeVries explains. “With their two young kids, they use their kitchen every day, so it was important for us to design a space that aligns with their aesthetic but also suits their dynamic lifestyle.”

Given the porcelain’s resemblance to marble, the ‘stone’ also becomes a focal point for the space, particularly on the island where its waterfall edges garner attention.

“When our clients walk into their home, the kitchen is slightly off to the right,” Walsh indicates. “We included waterfall edges on the island so they would see the beautiful ‘stone’ as soon as they walk in. The decision to incorporate the detail was crucial to the overall design, adding both depth and subtle contrast. Had the island been paneled, it would have fallen flat and disappeared with the cabinetry behind it. The waterfall edge also allows them to see the beautiful veining from all angles.”

The requested coffee station was moved from its original designation to an area between the kitchen and dining room, which allowed for the creation of a built-in planter for the husband’s plants to fill the space.

To continue a vertical view of the porcelain, the designers repeated it as the backsplash around the kitchen’s perimeter, extending it into a narrow shelf between the cooktop and ventilation hood to create a standout feature.

“It creates a ‘bookmark’ moment for the kitchen that adds a ‘wow’ factor without overwhelming the space,” says DeVries. “Also, using the same material for the island, perimeter and backsplash allows the material to speak for itself, rather than forcing it to compete with other materials.”

While the porcelain certainly stands out, it isn’t alone in creating the desired aesthetic for the kitchen.

“The finishes we paired with the porcelain tie everything together,” Walsh relates. “For instance, the white oak cabinetry complements the warm veining in the countertop and backsplash while the hardware and ventilation hood surround, which is deliberately simple, contribute to the refined, modern feel. The hood is a key component in the kitchen’s fresh aesthetic where its plaster finish allows a moment for your eyes to rest. Extending it to the ceiling also creates a sense of balance across the visual planes so that no one element overpowers another.”

Walsh and DeVries wanted to create continuity between the kitchen and living room, so the custom kitchen cabinetry and built-in storage beneath the TV – which wraps around the living room and morphs into bench seating beneath a window – are all clear-finished, knot-free oak.

Kitchen accessories

While much of the renovation project was executed seamlessly, even with its designers living remotely, there was one hiccup that required a reassessment. Originally the coffee station was positioned by the staircase so it would meld with the kitchen. However, it had to be moved when it was discovered that a measurement that had been provided to them had been taken incorrectly, which didn’t leave enough room for a walkway between it and the island.

“Our clients wanted a coffee station so we designed this custom, furniture-style piece that matches the kitchen cabinetry,” indicates DeVries. “But when we discovered that it wouldn’t fit, we reworked the layout and moved it to an area between the kitchen and dining room. In the end, it actually worked out perfectly because it carries the kitchen cabinetry closer to the dining room.”

The designers also utilized the coffee station’s original location, turning it into an indoor planter.

“The husband has a green thumb and a ton of plants,” Walsh adds. “We thought this was a great opportunity to create something special for him. It was a happy accident!”

Problem Solving for More Functional Living

From a number of perspectives, most rooms within the home just didn’t suit the new homeowners’ lifestyle. The primary bathroom was no different.

“There was only one sink, and the shower was so tiny and tight our clients couldn’t even lift up their arms,” Ashley Walsh explains.

During the renovation, Walsh and her design partner, Maddy DeVries, included a much more functional oak vanity with dual Kohler sinks and Brizo faucets set within a Taj Mahal quartzite countertop.

Moving the closet to the bedroom gave the designers space for a much larger shower, which is clad with Bedrosians’ Makoto matte ceramic tile in a mix of Umi Terracotta and Shoji White, the latter of which extends to the walls beyond the shower. Tilebar’s True Terrazzo Sonora Beige tile on the floor gives a nod to the home’s mid-century roots.

“We love how this bathroom came out,” says DeVries. “There is really much more problem-solving that goes into our jobs than most people realize. Design is so much more than just selecting pretty finishes that will look good in the space. It’s really about trying to find a solution for the home that allows it to work in a way that better suits our clients. This bathroom is a great example of that.”

The post Mid-century Modern Meets Scandinavian appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.

When Antonio Matrēs first connected with this client, he quickly realized that her reasons ran much deeper than anything purely physical. For her, changes were emotional as well as poignant.

“When we first met, she told me she had just lost her husband to suicide and she wanted to get new furniture to freshen up the New York City apartment she shared with her daughters,” says the owner/founder of Antonio Matrēs Design who does design/build work throughout New York City and Madrid, Spain. “But as we talked, in one case for more than five hours over several cups of coffee, she realized she was ready to not only get new furniture but also explore a full renovation of her entire home so everything would be new.”

Plans called for a complete demolition of the apartment, down to its bones. The kitchen would be opened up, yet downsized a bit so one of the bedrooms, which features a configuration that is the only one of its kind in the entire apartment building, could be made larger. Two other bedrooms, including the primary bedroom and bathroom, a dining room, a living room, a foyer and two additional bathrooms were also slated for updates. Then the COVID pandemic hit. 

“We got the final approval to start construction, only to be halted shortly after by the city for almost a year,” he recalls. “She questioned her decision to renovate and briefly thought about putting everything back like it was. But we persevered through the challenges.”

• OAK CABINETRY Offers a connection to nature and grounds the space
• ROOM-DEFINING ISLAND Delineates the kitchen within the open floor plan
• BLACK METAL ACCENTS Minimize the abundance of ‘cold’ metals by adding warmth

• LEFT At the heart of this apartment’s transformation is a neutral color palette that runs throughout the home. In the kitchen, that design theme is supported by white oak floors and solid oak custom cabinetry, the latter of which features a white-wash stain and slab-style, handleless doors and drawers that promote a clean aesthetic.
• RIGHT Tearing down walls opened up the kitchen to the dining room to promote open-concept living. A perimetrical floating console, crafted from the same oak as the kitchen cabinetry, runs throughout the kitchen, dining room and living room and hides the HVAC system. It also provides the family with much-needed extra storage.

Creating a Vessel for Healing

At the heart of the transformation is a neutral color palette that runs throughout the home. It is complemented with custom cabinetry, furniture and one-of-a-kind accessories, such as radiators designed by Matrēs. 

“The overall design is unique, harmonious and serves as a vessel for healing and change,” he relates.

In the kitchen, that design theme is supported by white oak floors and solid oak custom cabinetry, the latter of which features a white-wash stain and slab-style, handleless doors and drawers that promote a clean aesthetic. A panel for the Miele refrigerator conceals its existence along the perimeter wall. The Miele range’s ventilation hood is also tucked behind a panel that is flanked by matching wall cabinets to create a seamless aesthetic that extends the length of the wall. A perimetrical floating console, crafted from the same oak as the kitchen cabinetry, runs throughout the kitchen, dining room and living room and hides the HVAC system. It also provides the family with much-needed extra storage.

“Every millwork element was designed and custom made to perfectly fit her needs,” Matrēs explains. “Each one needed to be beautiful and functional, with the floor, cabinetry and furniture pieces stained to match to bring the space together.

“Using all-wood cabinetry, rather than including any painted pieces, grounds the space and gives it warmth,” he continues. “Also, being able to see the grain pattern in the wood offers a connection to nature, and a connection to something that is handmade by someone who took great care to make it. Even if you don’t know who that person is, when a piece is made with wood, it creates a special connection, which helps my client and her daughters feel better when they are in the space.”

Minimizing an abundance of any ‘cold’ metals also adds warmth to the space, so the designer opted for a black Kohler kitchen faucet, which matches the black Miele range and Blanco sink. A trio of black pendants hovers above the island and coordinates with a quartet of pendants from ferm LIVING, in an attractive mix of sizes, above the dining table. All are complemented with dark, chocolate-colored quartz countertops and backsplash.

Tearing down walls, including those that once divided the kitchen into two spaces as well as those that separated it from the living and dining rooms, opened up the kitchen and made it possible to include a room-defining island with seating.

“I kept all of the spaces open, rather than having individual rooms, so having one wall of cabinetry and an island is sufficient for the kitchen,” he remarks.

Custom Design Features

Matrēs continued the neutral palette into the bathrooms, two of which feature floating white-washed oak vanities custom designed by Scarabeo Ceramiche. Shelves beneath the sinks provide storage. Custom radiators, designed by Matrēs, are functional as well as beautiful. Their black finish matches other black accents, including shower and window trim and Cocoon wall-mount faucets.

“The previous radiators just didn’t fit with the new design, so we worked with a metal fabricator to create these custom radiators,” he explains. “They look like sculptural waves along the wall and they match the flowing, wave-shaped lights [custom designed by Hot Wire Extensions]. They are unique, beautiful and functional.” 

Neutral-colored handmade tile from Fireclay Tile sheaths the walls and showers while oversized mirrors above the vanities make the rooms feel larger.

The third bathroom is a small space that, at one time in the apartment’s historical past, was likely used by a maid. It is just big enough for a toilet, shower and very small, yet functional, sink. The latter is accented with a black, wall-mount faucet that matches the black window and shower trim. 

“While this renovation was a delicate process with a sad but touching backstory, it shows how therapeutic and transformative interior design can be,” Matrēs relates. “There was a time when my client could barely get out of bed, and the daughters were reluctant to invite any friends to the apartment. But now everyone has their own new space designed specifically for them, which they can also share with family and friends. We took a home replete with painful memories and transformed it into a fresh canvas for a family starting anew.”

• The neutral color palette is extended into the primary bathroom where a floating oak vanity is complemented with neutral handmade tile on the walls and in the shower. The custom black radiator is designed to look like a sculptural wave along the wall.

• LEFT This small bathroom space, which at one time in the apartment’s historical past was likely used by a maid, is just big enough for a toilet, shower and very small, yet functional, sink.
• RIGHT This bathroom, designed for one of the daughters, includes a custom-designed radiator that complements the waves of the vanity light. An oversized vanity mirror helps make the room feel larger.

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“The entire home was designed and built with good health and well-being in mind,” says Amy Storm, owner/principal designer, Amy Storm & Company in Glen Ellyn, IL, who worked with Greenside Design Build and Moment Design to bring the dream to fruition. “All of the decisions that were made – everything from how the home was framed to the materials, finishes and fabrics, even any paint, sealer, etc. – were approved by an outside consultant who specialized in healthy materials. We wanted to ensure that everything we sourced met the strictest health standards. That meant we had to ask a lot of questions, and in some cases, find new trade partners to meet these high standards. 

“Each of us learned and grew our knowledge and skill sets around healthy home building products and procedures,” she continues. “Many products are in the marketplace, but are hard to find, generally more expensive and never just ‘so easy’ to spec. However, when a client is passionate about something, so are we!”

As that health-focused objective evolved in the kitchen, the team even paid close attention to where they positioned appliances, strategically locating them so they wouldn’t have any negative impacts on health, the designer relates. As well, an abundance of windows and doors, which encompasses an entire wall floor-to-ceiling, maximizes the amount of natural light that flows into the space to minimize the amount of artificial lighting needed during the day. 

“And, since the home is positioned and landscaped to offer privacy, we didn’t really need to put any window treatments on the back of the house,” she adds. “We were able to allow those windows to bring in a ton of natural light. Also, the doors, which lead to the patio, give them easy access to the backyard where they can sit and enjoy the outdoors.”

With regard to materials, a focus on health led to choices such as the natural stone slabs, specifically Bettogli Superiore quartzite, selected for the countertops, the backsplash behind the BlueStar range and the accent behind the open shelves.

“We chose quartzite because it is a natural material, rather than something that is manmade,” Storm explains. “This particular quartzite also has an aesthetic benefit because it has such depth to it. When you look at it on the surface, it looks white, but as you look deeper you find dark blues and browns beneath. That depth is such a beautiful characteristic of quartzite, in general. It has so many layers, colors and textures within it.”

• Wall of Windows: Allows an abundance of natural light to flow into the kitchen
• Bettogli Superiore Quartzite: Echoes the home’s exterior colors to provide continuity inside
• Copper Details: Add warmth to the space

Promoting Continuity

Inspiration for the quartzite, as well as for many other finishes throughout the home, came from the home’s exterior and its wooded lot location.

“The home’s exterior is clad with a really beautiful stone with a lot of color,” she says. “Besides the typical buffs, tans and creams, it also has dark blues and grays. We brought that same stone into the foyer and lined one of its walls as a way to connect the inside of the house to the outside. This Bettogli Superiore quartzite also has those same colors, so when my clients walk into their kitchen, the space feels very connected to the rest of home. It’s all very fluid.”

Continuing the palette, Storm repeated the stone’s colors elsewhere in the kitchen, including as the custom Hoosier House cabinetry, which, since there aren’t any upper cabinets, is customized for optimum functionality. A classic white, Benjamin Moore’s White Heron, echoes the stone’s background and dominates as the perimeter cabinetry, which includes a tall pantry for dish storage and as panels for the Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer. A dark blue hue, Benjamin Moore’s Raccoon Fur, is featured on the super-sized island.

“The island is huge!” she relates. “It’s the size of two king mattresses side by side. You do need some go-go gadget arms for cleaning the middle, but it has appliances, seating and lots of storage built in all around it, so it is highly functional, fits perfectly in the space and is quite stunning with its natural stone top.”

To provide further continuity, the designer continued the blue hue as wing walls along the cooking and perimeter walls.

“We designed the cabinetry to be captured within the wing walls to give it a built-in feel,” she explains. 

Dark hues continue within the space via a pair of custom light fixtures from The Urban Electric Co. that hover above the island. As well, the BlueStar range showcases a deep, dark blue finish with stainless steel trim and copper knobs and handles. 

“We loved the copper accents on the range so we invited that detailing into the rest of the kitchen,” Storm relates. “For example, we lined the hood over the range, and we incorporated some copper into the shelves along the perimeter wall. It is just enough to make it feel super intentional and to connect all the parts and pieces of the kitchen and add some beautiful warmth.”

Features for the Whole Family

Storm carried the dark blue cabinetry color from the main kitchen into the working pantry to make the spaces feel connected. Tucked behind the cooking wall, the pantry is conveniently accessed to one side of the range.

“This home was designed to not only be functional for the husband, wife and kids who are still living at home, but also for the college-age kids when they come home so there are a lot of bathroom/bedroom ensuites and the basement is outfitted with a ping pong table, golf simulator, bar and even a workout room and guest spaces,” she relates. “One of their daughters also loves to bake, so the scullery was created for her.”

A wall of windows allows natural light to flow into the room where the daughter can make her creations on the Caesarstone Piatra Grey quartz countertop below. A nearby sink allows for easy cleanup. A cabinet with folding and recessing doors conceals small appliances and convenient shelving, while a wealth of storage in base cabinetry drawers keeps baking supplies close at hand. A pair of JennAir refrigerator drawers keeps perishable items and beverages cold. Retaining space for a stool gives her a place to dream about her next masterpiece.

The post Kitchen Design Supports Healthy Living appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.

“My clients waited 16 years for their renovation and new kitchen,” says the senior interior designer at Jackson Design and Remodeling in San Diego, CA. “Before, it was a ‘spec’ kitchen that wasn’t very conducive, functionally or aesthetically, to the way they lived.”

Now, however, the homeowners, along with their son, can more fully enjoy their spaces.

“They have created certain rituals now that just weren’t possible in their old kitchen,” he relates, drawing particular attention to those that happen at the island, where each side is focused on a particular function.

For example, seating on two sides gives the husband options for joining his wife in the kitchen when she cooks. As well, they can sit together and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, the latter of which can be brewed in the built-in Miele coffee station conveniently located along the perimeter wall. The island’s prep sink, accented by a pair of Brizo faucets, is flanked by a Miele dishwasher and pullouts with specialized storage for cookie sheets, trays, etc. Additional storage, and a pull-out trash can, continues around the remaining sides, tucked into the Caramel Apple-colored quarter-sawn white oak cabinetry supplied by R.D. Henry & Co. and intermingled with waterfalls of Taj Mahal quartzite that cascade from the matching horizontal surface.

“The island, with its four waterfalls, was a bit of an evolution,” he explains. “We started with just two, but as we sat down and talked about it, we explored the possibility of doing a waterfall on every side. We had the resources, budget-wise, and since most of the time it’s just the two of them, they didn’t need a lot of seating. That gave us the opportunity to create a really interesting island.”

Creating Consistency

Sepulveda-Villarini continued the quarter-sawn white oak as base cabinetry around the perimeter of the kitchen and extended the oak into the adjacent family room where he created a 20′-long built-in shelving unit/TV surround. The recurring use of the wood ties the two rooms together and matches the panels for the Miele refrigerator and freezer, also sited around the kitchen’s perimeter. The concealed cooling appliances flank a suite of Miele cooking appliances, including a convection oven, speed oven, steam oven, warming drawer and the coffee station.  

“She especially loves the steam oven,” Sepulveda-Villarini relates. “She had never really cooked with steam before, but now it has become her predominant way of cooking.” 

The cluster of cooking appliances was painstakingly pieced together like a puzzle to create an eye-pleasing balance.

“As a designer I’m always looking for balance, rather than pure symmetry,” he indicates. “This cluster of appliances is an example. The cluster isn’t necessarily symmetrical because I don’t have the same elements on the right and left sides. But it is very balanced. I also have balance on both sides of the window above the sink where I have cabinets to each side. But I also added the floating shelves for a bit of drama, which is also something that I like to include in my designs.”

Sepulveda-Villarini repeated the island’s Taj Mahal quartzite as the perimeter worktop surface, chosen for its neutral, yet rich, aesthetic. 

“We looked at several different slabs,” he indicates. “We especially liked this one because it offered some interesting veining. Often Taj Mahal can be very ‘consistent,’ but the slabs we used have a little bit more wild veining, which is great for the waterfall edges.”

Sepulveda-Villarini complemented the oak and quartzite with custom wall cabinets painted in Sherwin Williams’ Drift of Mist, where the uppermost tier is illuminated with LED lights, offering a bit of display space for his clients. 

“She had a really dark kitchen previously, with dark cabinetry and dark countertops,” he says. “We wanted to lighten it up while keeping everything ‘warm’ with an updated look.”

To further brighten the space, the designer used Sonoma Tile Maker’s Market Collection ceramic tile, in an Ashbury Pebble color, as the backsplash behind the Miele cooktop and ventilation hood. He continued the tile – set in a herringbone pattern and accented with a light-colored grout – around the window and behind the floating shelves. Its crackle finish adds interest without being busy.

“The tile has a subtle handmade look,” the designer explains. “It isn’t consistently a single color, but rather several different shades of the same color. That’s what makes it look interesting and rich…which adds to its beauty.”

Finishing touches for the kitchen include a trio of Kichler Edmar pendants above the island, all lined up perfectly to create a continuous line of light. The pendants feature a frosted half-globe design and an open top. 

“I didn’t want lights where you would see a lot of bulbs through clear glass,” he says. “And I love how light can flow out of the top to illuminate the ceiling.”

The pendants’ polished nickel finish matches the polished nickel Brizo plumbing fixtures and Berger Hardware cabinetry pulls and knobs. 

“We wanted something that would give some warmth to the space,” Sepulveda-Villarini explains. “The polished nickel elevates the kitchen, too, and adds a little bit more sophistication.” 

• Puzzle-Pieced Appliances: Creates balance via precisely positioned elements
• Focal-Point Island: ‘Cascading’ quartzite distinguishes one-of-a-kind statement piece 
• Rich, Interesting Herringbone Tile: Brightens the space while also adding beauty

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Upscale and Glamourous

The team at Jackson Design and Remodeling, headed by senior interior designer Gabriel Sepulveda-Villarini, renovated most of the interiors of this home. Part of the remodel included creating an official beverage bar between the kitchen and dining room, thereby eliminating the make-shift bar cart, accompanied by an unsightly trash can, previously parked in the pathway between the two rooms. 

The new space features a Taj Mahal quartzite countertop and custom white painted wall cabinets – with glass doors and LED lights – to offer a connection to the kitchen. 

“I wanted to create some consistency between the spaces,” he says. “Otherwise, it can be chaotic.”

The designer also included a Miele beverage refrigerator. Wine glasses, stored on a rack beneath the wall cabinets, are reflected in the smoke glass mirrored backsplash.

“I believed that a traditional mirror would be too metallic,” Sepulveda-Villarini explains. “This smoke glass mirror adds depth and warmth, and it makes the space feel more upscale and glamourous.”

The post Statement Island Inspires New Traditions appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.

When asked how they wanted to change the space, her clients expressed a desire for a cozy, warm sanctuary that was reflective of their interest in travel and new foods. As the owner/principal designer of Madelyn Roberts Design in Austin began delving into the kitchen’s transformation, which she carried out in collaboration with Longbow Construction, she found a one-of-a-kind piece at a local Habitat for Humanity thrift store that ultimately drove the entire project.

“I had some ideas about where I wanted to go with the project, but I hadn’t actually selected any materials yet,” she says. “As I was looking for inspiration, I found a beautiful, apron-front marble sink tucked into a crate on the floor of the store. It was in perfect condition. I knew it probably wouldn’t be there the next day so I took a picture of it and sent it to my clients right away. They loved it, and it ended up kicking off the entire kitchen!”

With the sink in hand, Roberts began building the kitchen, filling it with functional and aesthetic design elements and materials like the Bianco Carrara marble island and perimeter countertops that complement the sink.

“I love this particular marble,” she remarks. “It’s one of my favorites to use. It’s the little black dress of countertops because it can go modern or traditional, and it plays well with so many other materials used in a kitchen.”

Hand-Selected, Custom Backsplash

Another one-of-a-kind element is the focal- point custom backsplash, comprised of ceramic tile from Fireclay Tile. Roberts hand selected each of the five colors for the Sintra pattern, creating a unique palette that features multiple blue and blue/green hues accented with white and yellow.

“The client really loves blue, so I leaned heavily into it,” the designer relates. “Yellow serves as a complementary color and the white really makes the whole design pop.”

Roberts found the custom process easy to navigate, working closely with a Fireclay Tile representative to achieve the vision.

“I knew I wanted subway tile for the perimeter walls, and I also knew I wanted something attention-grabbing for behind the range,” she indicates. “Initially I went the route of Mexican clay tiles because my client loves patterned tile, but we just couldn’t nail down the colors for any that were in stock. I’ve always loved using tiles from Fireclay Tile, and when I found the option to do something custom, it was perfect.”

Roberts built the rest of the kitchen around several of the colors within the tile. For example, the 2″x6″ matte white subway tile used for the perimeter matches the tile’s white central burst and corners. Light gray grout adds a slight differentiation to the white, without being too overpowering. The designer stacked the subway tile horizontally to elongate the wall and add a bit of contemporary yet classic styling to the space.

“My client wanted some contemporary touches without being too stark,” she explains. “And, she didn’t want anything too trendy or too traditional. We actually had a lot of conversations about trends and fads, and she didn’t want anything that would date her kitchen. So, as I considered stacking patterns – ironically a horizontal stack, although popular now, is actually quite historical and has staying power without being too traditional like a stacked brick.”

Roberts pulled the cabinetry color from the tile as well, using Benjamin Moore’s Lucerne on the custom pieces.

“Initially my client was hesitant to do painted cabinets because she was used to the wood cabinets in her previous kitchen,” she relates. “But I let her see renderings with the colored cabinets to help her understand just how it would look.”

• Bianco Carrara Marble Countertops: Complement the apron-front marble sink, which kicked off the entire kitchen
• Focal-Point Custom Backsplash: Comprised of ceramic tile that was hand-selected to create a unique color palette 
• Blue Painted Cabinetry: Inspired by the client’s love of the hue, as well as the custom backsplash

Improving Functionality

Roberts contrasted the blue hue with white oak for the island, which although about a foot shorter than the previous island, is actually much more functional than its predecessor. 

“We made the island shorter so it was easier to navigate around,” she explains. “Before, it was a tight squeeze between the refrigerator and the countertop, so to maximize walking space, we shrunk the island a bit. But even after doing that, we ended up with more storage and countertop workspace in the new kitchen.”

In part, that improved functionality is achieved via the island’s single-plane design. Roberts also made it just a touch wider and moved the seating to an adjacent nook where her clients can have a cup of coffee while they eat their breakfast and enjoy the view to their backyard.

Roberts repeated the white oak as custom spice storage in the cooking niche and as floating shelves that flank the custom range hood, the latter of which is painted in Dunn and Edwards’ Foggy Day to further brighten the space. The floating shelves’ open design breaks up the expanse of cabinetry situated along the perimeter wall.

“That back wall is nearly 17′ long,” she indicates. “Having that much cabinetry, without any breaks, can get really heavy visually. My client was hesitant at first because she didn’t want décor and tchotchkes that would collect dust. But she now loves them. And, by using the shelves for items she uses every day, she doesn’t have to worry about anything getting dusty.”

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Extending the Kitchen

Improving storage was a main consideration for this kitchen’s transformation. To accommodate, Madelyn Roberts removed the awkward closet-style corner pantry and replaced it with a more streamlined and functional 3′-deep, step-in pantry.

“Now it is more of an extension to the kitchen, sort of like a butler’s pantry on a smaller scale,” she explains. 

Access to the pantry is made via vintage doors that were restored and shipped from Peoria, IL. Installed as pocket doors, they slide into the wall to provide an expansive 48″ opening that reveals shelves, drawers and a Pure White quartz countertop from Maestro Quartz. A ceiling-mount light illuminates the space.

“She can store all of her countertop appliances – her crockpot and coffee maker, stand mixer and microwave – in the pantry, along with dry goods,” Roberts relates. “Because the doors open so wide, she can easily use the countertop to assemble a meal for the crockpot, brew some coffee or reheat some leftovers, without feeling claustrophobic. When she is finished, she can close the doors and not have to worry about a cluttered counter.”

The post Kitchen Shines with Unique Finds appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.

“She grew up going to this house,” says Susan Yeley, creative director/owner of Susan Yeley Homes in Bloomington. “After ‘Bloomeranging’ back to Bloomington, she and her husband purchased it so they could breathe new life into it for their family. 

“They were great to work with, too,” she continues. “I refer to them as ‘unicorn’ clients because this was such a happy project…in every possible way. My clients were fun and trusting. They have great taste themselves, yet they were completely open to our suggestions. It was a great process. We had a lot of minds coming up with ideas and thoughts…reinforcing each other and getting excited about things like the unique green monkey [shaped] tile that we used in the laundry room. They are vibrant, fun people to be around and we loved designing their home. And, since we also do decorating, we were able to curate furnishings, art and accessories to fill it so nothing, neither windows and cabinetry nor art and furniture, was an afterthought.”

Over the course of about two years, starting in the middle of the pandemic, Yeley and her team transformed the home’s interior, including the kitchen and an addition, which became the new primary ensuite (see sidebar at the bottom), as well as the exterior. As an historic home, she wanted to be respectful of its iconic architectural heritage, yet honor the way her clients live in it today.

In that regard, they removed a wall that opened the kitchen into a former hallway, thereby also exposing some quintessential clerestory windows and creating a better connection to the adjacent dining and living spaces.

“It was typical of mid-century modern architecture to have the kitchen separated from the other rooms,” she explains. “There are purists who want to keep it that way, and sometimes a home’s architecture doesn’t uphold an open concept. But these clients didn’t want to live in a museum. They wanted to keep a sense of the original structure and its history, but not compromise contemporary living and more connectivity between spaces.”

The wall’s removal also had the added benefit of increasing the kitchen’s relatively small footprint, as did the inclusion of a former breakfast nook, which is now home to a plethora of kitchen functions, including a pantry and coffee station for small appliances, refrigerator/freezer drawers, built-in open shelves with a pull-out corner base unit below, a microwave and a wine/beverage refrigerator. 

“The kitchen, as well as the entire house, isn’t particularly large, so there wasn’t really any room for dead space,” Yeley indicates. “That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, since it allowed us to make it a bit of a jewel box…to really lean into every square inch of space.”

Expanding the footprint also gave the team the ability to include a large peninsula, which provides in-kitchen seating as well as storage and a pull-out trash/recycling bin. Since it is a peninsula rather than an island, they were able to continue the countertop up the wall, extending it into a shelf where the homeowners can display collectibles, such as the vintage German clock, mixed with contemporary conveniences such as the television.

“Everybody loves an island,” she relates. “I suppose we could have included one here, but we didn’t really need another passageway for traffic flow.”

Maintaining the Right Focus

Since her clients like to cook and entertain, maximizing worktop surfaces and incorporating an abundance of appliances were important objectives. The former is addressed via Caesarstone Calacatta Nuvo quartz countertops, chosen for their durability and relatively ‘quiet’ aesthetic. Yeley also repeated the quartz as the backsplash behind the cooktop for a clean aesthetic that blends effortlessly with the walls and white cabinetry.

“This quartz allows the countertops to recede a little bit,” she explains. “People often want natural stone, which usually has a lot of veining that makes it a focal point in a room. In this kitchen, we wanted the focal points to be the clients’ beloved art pieces – they are collectors of contemporary photography and portraiture – and the home’s architecture.”

As for the appliances, several are paneled, including the Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer drawers, the Sub-Zero wine/beverage refrigerator and the Miele dishwasher, which join the Miele oven and induction cooktop and the Dacor built-in microwave. Panels match either the white painted cabinetry or the rift-sawn white oak cabinetry, the latter of which also matches the paneled walls in the kitchen and adjacent living spaces.

The gold-tone Schoolhouse cabinetry pulls coordinate with the gold-tone lighting fixtures, including the custom light fixture above the peninsula and the Visual Comfort sconces above the window and Rohl sink. 

“Lighting in a sloped ceiling, which we maintained from the original design, can be a little ‘wonky’,” she says, “so in addition to any general, ambient lighting in the ceiling, we paid special attention to task lighting with sconces and pendants that pull light down to where it is needed.

“Those ‘human-scale’ lighting fixtures, which include sconces and pendants as well as other fixtures like table and floor lamps, also achieve a mood and coziness, in addition to anything functional,” she continues. “They also provide a sculptural quality. When done right, there is a sense of form, finish and shape. Lighting actually works really hard in a space.”

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Maintaining Cohesiveness

While the original part of this mid-century modern home guided the direction of its renovation, Susan Yeley and her team could have taken the primary ensuite in any direction given that it was an addition to the home. However, to maintain a cohesiveness with the rest of the spaces, they repeated many of the same elements, including rift-sawn white oak as the vanity and matching paneled accent wall tucked behind a pair of Cooper Classics arched mirrors flanked with Kelly Wearstler sconces and 1″x6″ horizontally stacked porcelain tile from Bedrosians. As well, Caesarstone’s Calacatta Nuvo quartz makes an appearance in the space as the vanity top with an extended apron front.

A Signature Hardware resin freestanding bathtub is accented with a Matte Black Kohler floor-mount tub filler, while the shower, which features an accent wall with the same black tile as the backsplash, showcases a Vibrant Brushed Bronze showerhead and trim. The latter matches the vanity wall-mount faucets.

Both colors, gold and black, are represented in Zia Tile’s 8″x8″ Brixton cement tile that clads the heated floor. 

“The beautiful mustard-colored lines are phenomenal with the white oak,” she says. “Extending the tile beneath the vanity, which is floating to offer a sense of airiness, accentuates its beauty. Cement tile may not be as low maintenance as ceramic or porcelain, and it can be difficult to work with, especially in the middle part of the country, but it comes in some gorgeous patterns. And, it has such a beautiful ‘hand’ to it with a lovely, smooth texture. It’s hard to steer clear of!”

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