Project Description
A broken oven was the catalyst for the complete overhaul of this contemporary kitchen, our third project over a two-decade relationship with this home and client. Spanning architectural trends and family stages, this renovation takes cues from the existing body of the house to insert a sleek and functional kitchen for soon-to-be empty nesters. The existing kitchen was untouched by previous renovations and existed beneath a thirteen-foot high ceiling. Its height-to-depth ratio and dark cherry cabinets, lit only by three suspended schoolhouse lights, made the room dark and awkward. Though the floor plan was essentially unchanged by this renovation, the character was utterly transformed by dropping a new ceiling down to the top of the transom windows (at approximately ten feet) and creating a barreled canopy of light along the same radial center point as the arched opening to the dining room and beyond. One significant move was made in the layout by extending the island into a previously unused casual dining area to make room for two stools on each side of the island, instead of four along the back, allowing family and friends to share regular meals face-to-face. The existing patio door and transom remained, as did two barreled archways to the living room, but a traditional bay window was replaced with a customized asymmetrical bay assembled from standard sized picture, casement and transom windows, to redirect the work zone view towards the frequently used outdoor dining terrace. Early adopters of all things technical, the owners enthusiastically embraced all solid-state lighting, including the 10-foot long by 1-inch diameter “floating ray of light” above the island. The rift sawn white oak perimeter cabinetry is accented by an enameled island and anodized aluminum accents. Carrera marble unifies the meticulously detailed assembly to complete the showroom-like effect for real people.