Todays featured project is a stunning gourmet kosher kitchen with bespoke details and French- Moroccan flair. Honed Carrera marble glows softly alongside a rambling surface perfectly imperfect handmade terracotta tiles, all gathered around the crown jewel of the kitchen- a French Lacanche range known for being as high-performance as it is gorgeous. Our client is an avid chef and talented stylist who was passionate about researching materials and finishes for her project and we enjoyed collaborating closely on every decision with her. She required a well-designed, functional space that felt bigger brighter and airier than their existing kitchen. The kitchen, was a small galley style space of only 9’ by 22’ that had been added onto the back porch of the house. Thick stone exterior walls made expanding the footprint of the space nearly impossible. We were game to tackle the challenge of improving storage and workflow- while also increasing capacity at the eat-in table- through creative remodeling and strategic cabinetry design.
The most dramatic change we made was to take the ceiling from flat to vaulted, a move that required re-building the roof over the kitchen. This increased the feeling of space immediately, without changing the footprint. Next we enlarged two windows to make a greater impact with light, and moved a door from the back wall of the kitchen to an adjacent room, allowing us to fill that wall with much needed cabinets for pantry and small appliances. Moving the fridge to the back wall opened up the narrowest part of the kitchen and improved the sense of flow and space as well. All the appliances in the kitchen were paneled to match the cabinets, which can help a small kitchen feel more visually spacious. We partnered again with Buono Construction Group to execute this incredible transformation.
Other changes included drywalling over the exposed stone exterior wall and adding custom cabinetry on that wall. We stretched the cabinetry to the full height of the wall to maximize storage, but kept it all at a shallow depth to avoid taking up too much floor space. Every shelf in every cabinet was carefully planned out with our client with respect to their need to keep kosher and make sure appropriate storage was available for each item.
In the eat-in area we increased the functionality by adding built in custom banquette seating upholstered in a leather-look vinyl that speaks to the natural materials prevalent in the kitchen design but remains super functional for a family of four.
The materials really sing in this petite kitchen. Our client understood and embraced the requirements for maintenance on her honed Carrera marble countertops. Honing is a treatment which leaves a matte surface allowing the beauty of the stone to shine through but leaving it vulnerable to water marks, stains and patina. For the homeowner who truly loves the beauty of natural materials the living quality of a honed marble is worth the little extra bit of care it needs. The floors are terracotta tile, handmade with traditional techniques that give the feel of ancient winding streets. We grouted the black tile with matching black, celebrating the natural unevenness and variations in the surface. Brass accents on the range, cabinet hardware and faucet add a luxe touch.
We hope you enjoyed our tour of this gourmet chef’s paradise that packs all the beauty into a petite package! If you’re curious to see more of our clients killer style check out her boutique event rental service www.broytrentals.com
Thinking about a kitchen remodel? We are experts in all stages of kitchen remodeling and design from architectural plans to materials selection and project management- reach out today and find out how we can take your space from basic to bespoke!
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